In Venice in the 1890s, a café owner takes in a stray cat she names Nini. This is against her better judgment, for the café is modest, and she has nothing to spare. But in no time at all, the cat becomes a celebrity, charming all sorts of important visitors, including Giuseppe Verdi and the pope himself. In the end, Nini’s resonant purr and the comfort it brings to a little girl produce a small miracle. Featuring humorous illustrations with a vintage feel, this inspiring story about a real cat assures us that acts of kindness can be rewarded in unexpected ways. Includes an author’s note.

Check it: I'm Zsa-Zsa. Some call me arrogant, but I call it confidence. You decide when you find out what I'm working with. First things first--I'm seventeen, but I'm grown and have been for a long time. I have my own ride, my mama doesn't clock my time, and my boyfriend, Ameen, is getting money like you wouldn't believe. There's only one problem: when Ameen gets mad, sometimes he takes his anger out on me. And yeah, maybe I could leave him, but there's no way Ameen could imagine being without me. So now I'm all confused, especially since my first love, Malachi, is back in my life. Ameen is not giving up without a fight, and no matter how hard I try, the love I have for Malachi won't go away. And did I mention that Malachi has a girl? Needless to say, my days are filled with drama. So this is my story and you need to come and chill with me as I try and see what boy is for me, what love is all about, and if my first teenage love affair will forever rule or ruin my life. Praise for Ni-Ni Simone "Urban teen readers may recognize their friends and themselves in the language, music and feel of this fluffy-but-fun read." --Kirkus Reviews on If I Was Your Girl "Ni-Ni Simone's fast-paced writing keeps me coming back for more." --L. Divine, author of the Drama High series

Loving: A Photographic Story of Men in Love, 1850-1950 portrays the history of romantic love between men in hundreds of moving and tender vernacular photographs taken between the years 1850 and 1950. This visual narrative of astonishing sensitivity brings to light an until-now-unpublished collection of hundreds of snapshots, portraits, and group photos taken in the most varied of contexts, both private and public. Taken when male partnerships were often illegal, the photos here were found at flea markets, in shoe boxes, family archives, old suitcases, and later online and at auctions. The collection now includes photos from all over the world: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Japan, Greece, Latvia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Serbia. The subjects were identified as couples by that unmistakable look in the eyes of two people in love - impossible to manufacture or hide. They were also recognized by body language - evidence as subtle as one hand barely grazing another - and by inscriptions, often coded. Included here are ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, glass negatives, tin types, cabinet cards, photo postcards, photo strips, photomatics, and snapshots - over 100 years of social history and the development of photography. Loving will be produced to the highest standards in illustrated book publishing, The photographs - many fragile from age or handling - have been digitized using a technology derived from that used on surveillance satellites and available in only five places around the world. Paper and other materials are among the best available. And Loving will be manufactured at one of the world's elite printers. Loving, the book, will be up to the measure of its message in every way. In these delight-filled pages, couples in love tell their own story for the first time at a time when joy and hope - indeed human connectivity - are crucial lifelines to our better selves. Universal in reach and overwhelming in impact, Loving speaks to our spirit and resilience, our capacity for bliss, and our longing for the shared truths of love.

Nubs, an Iraqi dog of war, never had a home or a person of his own. He was the leader of a pack of wild dogs living off the land and barely surviving. But Nubs's life changed when he met Marine Major Brian Dennis. The two formed a fast friendship, made stronger by Dennis's willingness to share his meals, offer a warm place to sleep, and give Nubs the kind of care and attention he had never received before. Nubs became part of Dennis's human "pack" until duty required the Marines to relocate a full 70 miles away--without him. Nubs had no way of knowing that Marines were not allowed to have pets. So began an incredible journey that would take Nubs through a freezing desert, filled with danger tofind his friend and would lead Dennis on a mission that would touch the hearts of people all over the world. Nubs and Dennis will remind readers that friendship has the power to cross deserts, continents, and even species.

This addition to Intellect's Directory of World Cinema series turns the spotlight on Australia and New Zealand and offers an in-depth and exciting look at the cinema produced in these two countries since the turn of the twentieth century. Though the two nations share considerable cultural and economic connections, their film industries remain distinct, marked by differences of scale, level of government involvement and funding and relations with other countries and national cinemas. Through essays about prominent genres and themes, profiles of directors and comprehensive reviews of significant titles, this user-friendly guide explores the diversity and distinctiveness of films from Australia and New Zealand from Whale Rider to The Piano to Wolf Creek.