Gaspard and Lisa run into problems when they make a Christmas gift for their teacher.

A lawyer with a well-stamped passport and a passion for human rights, Lisa-Jo Baker never wanted to be a mom. And then she had kids. Having lost her own mother to cancer as a teenager, Lisa-Jo felt lost on her journey to womanhood and wholly unprepared to raise children.Surprised by Motherhoodis Lisa-Jo's story of becoming and being a mom, and in the process, discovering that all the "what to expect" and "how to" books in the world can never truly prepare you for the sheer exhilaration, joy, and terrifying love that accompanies motherhood.Set partly in South Africa and partly in the US (with a slight detour to Ukraine along the way), Surprised by Motherhoodis a poignant memoir of one woman's dawning realization that being a mom isn't about being perfect--it's about being present.

Lisa is a little girl who can't decide what she wants for her birthday, At the end, she gets a suprise.

In this amusing and informative appreciation of The Simpsons, sociologist Tim Delaney looks at the many ways America''s longest-running sitcom and animated TV program reflects American culture. For more than fifteen years, the Simpsons have touched upon nearly every aspect of the American social scene--from family dynamics and social mores to local customs and national institutions. With over four hundred episodes aired so far, Delaney finds a goldmine of insights couched in parody on any number of perennial topics: - On television''s influence on American culture, Krusty the Clown says, "Would it really be worth living in a world without television? I think the survivors would envy the dead." - On New Age religion, Homer says, "To think, I turned to a cult for mindless happiness when I had beer all along." - On the thorny issue of gun ownership and home security, Homer purchases a pistol at "Bloodbath and Beyond" and then tells Marge, "I don''t have to be careful, I got a gun." - On the theme of community spirit, Bart thoughtlessly signs up with a local Boy Scout troop while on a sugar rush from eating a "Super-Squishee." The next day he realizes what he has done: "Oh, no. I joined the Junior Campers!" To which his sister, Lisa, responds: "The few, the proud, the geeky." Delaney finds many more episodes relevant to major sociological issues such as environmentalism, feminism, romance and marriage, politics, education, health, aging, and more. Students of popular culture and laypersons alike will learn basic sociological concepts and theories in a refreshing, jargon-free work that offers plenty of entertainment.

NEWBERY HONOR AWARD WINNER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR YOUTH LITERATURE Twelve year-old Maizy discovers her family’s Chinese restaurant is full of secrets in this irresistible novel that celebrates food, fortune, and family. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY School Library Journal • Booklist • The Horn Book • New York Public Library Welcome to the Golden Palace! Maizy has never been to Last Chance, Minnesota . . . until now. Her mom’s plan is just to stay for a couple weeks, until her grandfather gets better. But plans change, and as Maizy spends more time in Last Chance and at the Golden Palace—the restaurant that’s been in her family for generations—she makes some discoveries.For instance: You can tell a LOT about someone by the way they order food. People can surprise you. Sometimes in good ways, sometimes in disappointing ways. And the Golden Palace has secrets... But the more Maizy discovers, the more questions she has. Like, why are her mom and her grandmother always fighting? Who are the people in the photographs on the office wall? And when she discovers that a beloved family treasure has gone missing—and someone has left a racist note—Maizy decides it’s time to find the answers.

The story of Lisa takes place in northeast Texas not far from the Louisiana border. It is a love story about a group of people who come together because of Lisa, an abandoned ten-year-old girl. Lisa spent all but the first few weeks of her life in a room with her brother behind a closed door and boarded windows. Their mother put them in the room because she thought it to be the only way to protect them from the man’s abuse. They were together until the man brutally murdered Billy while their mother watched and did nothing. Billy was five years old when Lisa was born. Once their mother put them in the room, she didn’t talk to them and did little to see to their needs. After seeing that Billy liked to read to Lisa, she did bring the children books. When Lisa was old enough, Billy taught her what he knew about reading and then they continued to learn together. The dictionary came to be their favorite book, once they discovered its purpose. The story actually begins in the autumn of Lisa’s tenth year when, two years after Billy’s death, the man and mother abandoned her. It was two weeks before a police officer, after receiving a tip from a concerned neighbor, discovered Lisa. The officer and Shannon, the social worker that takes Lisa’s case, had been friends for many years. Working with Lisa opens doors to a new relationship between them. Lisa stayed in the hospital for a while where she slept in a real bed and took her first bath. Once she was stronger she moved in with Shannon and Maggie. Maggie would serve as her guardian, nanny and teacher. Lisa experienced many firsts such as smelling fresh air, touching grass and feeling the wind on her face. Shopping at Wal Mart became a favorite. It was there that she bought her first pair of shoes and later Christmas decorations for her first Christmas tree. Lisa and Billy had learned a little about God and Jesus from some of their Christmas books and from the Bible. Lisa was glad to learn that Billy is with God in heaven and that there is no sadness there. In her new home, Lisa has a pretty room, many books, a doll and a German shepherd dog named Butch that is there to protect her. Although her life has drastically changed, she is still in danger. Once the man discovers Lisa is alive, he and his brother desperately try to abduct and kill her. The detectives find Billy’s body but have a hard time finding the man and mother even though they have come close to abducting Lisa on two separate occasions. Dr. Joyce is Lisa’s psychiatrist. Lisa has much rage, hate and anger towards the man and mother. Dr. Joyce helps her come to a place of healing while Maggie teaches her about forgiveness and faith. This is a love story and a success story with a happy ending.

After a whirlwind wedding to a mysterious mogul, a young woman discovers her new husband’s devastating secrets in this passionate romance. Meeting sexy and dynamic entrepreneur Alex Solomos has transformed Lisa’s life. In the seven weeks since their whirlwind wedding, her confidence and happiness—both in and out of the bedroom—have grown enormously. But Lisa finds she can’t shake some nagging doubts about her husband. As passionate as Alex may be, there are parts of his professional and personal life he insists on keeping from his new wife. She tells herself she’s being foolish, until she makes two shocking discoveries in one night.

Betrayal, revenge, and murder take their seats at an anniversary table. Thirteen guests toast their Sicilian-American hosts, Dante and Lisa Santangelo, as a communion-like Chianti and homemade focaccia suddenly turn bitter on their palates. With cries for help frozen on their faces, all thirteen guests are inexplicably silenced forever. Dante and Carlo Santangelo are left orphaned when their parents are murdered by a local Mafioso Don. The two boys grow into men with different values and personalities. Dante is a charmer who wants revenge on his parents’ murderers. Carlo is the gentle giant and family protector who wants to recapture the simple life he cherished as a child. When the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Carlo immediately enlists in the military while Dante operates the family pizzeria, sending the brothers down different paths—one to serve and one to seek revenge. As Carlo leaves for battle, he makes one request of Dante: to look after his girlfriend. But neither man has any idea of what lies ahead as the war unfolds and life comes full circle to reveal their destinies. Last Supper at Mona Lisa’s shares the gripping story of two Sicilian-American men orphaned after their parents are murdered by a Mafioso as one fights for his country and the other plots his revenge.

An “agreeable debut novel” of a fragmented US and first alien contact from the Twilight Zone and Z Nation TV writer (Kirkus Reviews). In the near future, war has torn the United States apart. Small communities barely scrape by amidst climate change and economic collapse. Powerful nation-states struggle over whatever resources remain--technology in California, money in Chicago, oil in Texas. Some small hope has arrived in the form of the Hocq, a group of aliens on a mission to bring their advanced knowledge to Earth. But, as hostile governments across the globe vie for that knowledge, a Hocq named Harrek defects into outlaw territory. Diplomacy seems to have failed, and he can’t allow the wrong nation to gain such a huge advantage over the others. Now it’s up to Lisa Marquez, the human who helped Harrek escape, and Jeremy Clayton, a poor outland farmer, to keep the alien safe from the military and outlaws. The clock is counting down, and Harrek needs to get the Genesis File into the right hands before he gets found by the humans...or the other Hocq. In Michael Cassutt's first novel, the author takes standard SF story situations--post-holocaust tribal human struggles, first alien contact--blends them together and and brings his own uniquely original spin to a tried-and-true setting.