You may think that you know the story of Santa Claus and his elves. But only one person is willing to tell you what it is really like working for Santa. That person is actually an elf named Myrick. Myrick will tell the reader that working for Santa isn't as great as it sounds. Myrick starts his tale by telling the reader what it is like making toys throughout the year, what suppertime is like, and what it is like hearing Christmas music every day. Myrick decides that he has had enough and is going to tell Santa that he wants a new job. Santa agrees and allows Myrick to try his job, and Myrick can't believe it. Will it be everything he dreamed of? Read his tale to find out.

The autobiography of seamstress Nancy Zieman.

A Main Selection of the One Spirit Book Club! "Raposo's engaging report on stripping life down will inspire readers looking for manageable tweaks to hectic living." — Publishers Weekly At the age of thirty-four, journalist Jacqueline Raposo finds herself sick, single, broke, and wandering in a fog. Despite decades of discipline, her chronic illness is getting worse. Despite hosting a radio show about dating, she hasn't been in love in years. And despite a successful writing career, she's deeply in debt. Weary of trying to solve her problems by adding things to her life, she attempts the opposite and subtracts some of her most constant habits — social media, shopping, sugar, and negative thoughts — for periods of thirty to ninety days over the course of one year. In this intimately curated search for self-improvement (a quest that readers can easily personalize for themselves), Raposo confesses to the sometimes violent and profound shifts in her social interactions, physical health, and sense of self-worth. With the input of doctors, psychologists, STEM experts, and other professionals, she offers fascinating insights into how and why our brains and bodies react as they do to our habits. She also sheds light on the impact of our everyday choices on our mental state. Part memoir, part case study, this book offers you an inspiring example of how to forge your own journey, expose your wounds, and help yourself heal. "No cheesy self-help here, The Me, Without is sharply written and massively relatable. Raposo packs a powerful message into an emotional and entertaining read." — Kaia Roman, author of The Joy Plan "Jacqueline is able to make me chuckle with one sentence and then have a deep introspective moment in the next. Her openness and honesty is truly amazing. If you have been looking to examine your relationship with the world, this is the book for you!" — Travis McElroy, host of the podcasts My Brother, My Brother, and Me and The Adventure Zone "So many of us live in terror of deprivation, whether it's tangible, edible, social, physical, financial, or emotional, because we are terrified of what we'll see when we're stripped bare. In Jacqueline Raposo's brave, rigorous, and vulnerable exploration of what it means to live without, the author uses periods of deliberate abstinence from habits to find new ways to engage with the world, determine what's been pinning her in place, and reveal the person she truly can be when she's freed of it all. It's essential reading for anyone on the cusp of making a major life change — or even a minor one." — Kat Kinsman, author of Hi, Anxiety

"Film: A Critical Introduction "provides a comprehensive framework for studying films, with an emphasis on writing as a means of exploring film's aesthetic and cultural significance. This text's consistent and comprehensive focus on writing allows students to master film vocabulary and concepts while learning to formulate rich interpretations. Part I introduces readers to the importance of film analysis, offering helpful strategies for discerning the way films produce meaning. Part II examines the fundamental elements of film, including narrative form, mise en scene, cinematography, editing, and sound, and shows how these concepts can be used to interpret films. Part III moves beyond textual analysis to explore film as a cultural institution and introduce students to essential areas of film studies research.

“Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock’s Alaska is beautiful and wholly unfamiliar…. A thrilling, arresting debut.” —Gayle Forman, New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay and I Was Here “[A] singular debut. . . . [Hitchcock] weav[es] the alternating voices of four young people into a seamless and continually surprising story of risk, love, redemption, catastrophe, and sacrifice.” —The Wall Street Journal This deeply moving and authentic debut set in 1970s Alaska is for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie, and Benjamin Alire Saenz. Intertwining stories of love, tragedy, wild luck, and salvation on the edge of America’s Last Frontier introduce a writer of rare talent. Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger. Four very different lives are about to become entangled. This unforgettable William C. Morris Award finalist is about people who try to save each other—and how sometimes, when they least expect it, they succeed. Praise: William C. Morris Finalist Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award for Young Adult Fiction Tayshas Reading List—Top 10 List New York Public Library’s Best 50 Books for Teens Chicago Public Library, Best of the Best List Shelf Awareness, Best Children’s & Teen Books of the Year Nominated to the Oklahoma Sequoya Book Award Master List Nominated to the Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award “Hitchcock’s debut resonates with the timeless quality of a classic. This is a fascinating character study—a poetic interweaving of rural isolation and coming-of-age.” —John Corey Whaley, award-winning author of Where Things Come Back and Highly Illogical Behavior “As an Alaskan herself, Bonnie Sue Hitchcock is able to bring alive this town, and this group of poor teens and their families that live there.” —Bustle

Story of cinema -- How movies are made -- Movie genres -- World cinema -- A-Z directors -- Must-see movies.

Kazu Kibuishi's thrilling #1 New York Times bestselling series continues!

The Real ACT Prep Guide with CD is the only book with insider test-taking tips and strategy, practice, and insight from the makers of the ACT. This is the only guide that includes 5 previously administered, full-length ACT tests written by the actual test maker (including 2 NEW practice tests). Also included is ACT content and procedures you'll follow when actually taking the test, along with in-depth review of the optional Writing Test and how it is scored; examples of all the question types; and suggestions on how you might approach the questions. The supplemental CD features a complete electronic copy of Peterson's Cool Colleges 101 and additional online college planning resources from Peterson's. The only guide that includes 5 previously administered, full-length ACT tests written by the actual test maker (including 2 NEW practice tests) ACT content and procedures you'll follow when actually taking the test Valuable information about tuition payment plans All the question types you can expect to find on the ACT Suggestions on how you might approach the questions and Peterson's tried-and-true test-taking strategies and tips