Plus-sized sixteen-year-old Maisie Martin never thought she had the figure to compete in a beauty pageant, but this vacation is about to change everything. Maisie has spent most of her life hiding her body from everyone: her gorgeous best friend, her pageant-winning sister, and definitely her longtime crush. Never one to jump in the water, Maisie is planning on taking it easy while her friends chill at the beach. But then her BFF starts flirting with the boy she's always loved, her older sister comes home and steals the spotlight, and Maisie has found herself pushed aside like usual. Except now, she's had enough. After forging new friendships, Maisie takes the deep dive and enters the local Miss Teen Queen. Now, with all eyes on her, can Maisie prove she has a place in the spotlight? This contemporary young adult novel is as relatable as it is charming and Maisie's realistic journey towards confidence and self-love will draw readers in as she learns how to celebrate all of herself.

In presenting this volume to you I am imagining that I am host for an evening. I have invited six of the distinguished writers of our time and asked them to relax over their coffee and in a mood of friendliness to discuss their own work. They have permitted me to have you sit with me and listen. An interesting group, surely. Miss Ferber, black-haired, dark-eyed, vivid, animation itself; Irvin Cobb, tall, heavy-set, with, as his daughter says, two chins in front and a spare in the rear; Peter B. Kyne, about five foot six, with the face and figure of a well-fed priest; Jim Curwood, tall, wiry, outdoorsy in every line and movement; Nicholson, my idea of an ambassador to the Court of St. James; Harry Witwer, with the poise and quickness that one learns in the ring. (He did fight as a youngster; that's why he can make you see a prize ring when he describes it.) Yes, an interesting group. Just as interesting to me today, after years of friendship, as to you, who may meet them for the first time. The sort of folks that wear well. The sort that haven't been spoiled by success. For each of them realizes the simplicity of the recipe that won his success. It can be told in few words: Think better and work harder than your competitor. If you get to know these authors well, you will see that is all there has been to it: they have thought better and worked harder than the other fellow. And they are still doing it—thinking better and working harder: that's why their success endures. That's why their names are trade-marks for interesting, satisfying reading matter. As the manufacturer who establishes a trade-mark must not let his product deteriorate, lest he lose his customers, just so the successful writer must keep his product to high standard lest he lose his readers. I have asked each of the six to tell you which of all the stories he has written he likes best, but before they begin let me tell you what inspired my request. I grow irritated every now and then when some self-appointed critic arises to say that he has selected the best short stories for the year. What he means, of course, is that he has selected the stories which in his opinion are best. More often than not, his opinion is worthless; it may even be harmful. For if those studying for a career in writing accept his views, they may be misled in what really constitutes the story of distinction. In this discussion there will be no effort to say that these stories excel in any year. What they represent is the selection by each of six authors of his own story which he likes best of all he has written. And inasmuch as each of these writers has been years at his trade, this forms a collection not only interesting to you and myself, but informative and valuable to the student of writing. Distinction in writing is determined by one test: endurance in public favor. Not the favor of any one or two persons, but of the great mass of readers. A critic here and there may—and often does—select some writer of freakish material and call him a genius, but that sort of genius is short-lived. Freakish writing never lasts. Individual manner of telling a story, yes—that is essential to distinction. But individuality that endures results from personality that pleases. No matter how much it may interest you to see a freak in a side-show, you would not want one as a lifelong friend. No matter how much it may interest you to see a piece of freakish writing, you would not keep it handy on your library shelves or table. As a curiosity, possibly; as a companion, never. You will want lifelong friendship with the stories of the six writers here. They are real writing by real writers. And I am proud of the privilege of introducing you thus informally to these six writers, just as I am proud of the fact that they are such vital factors in the success of Cosmopolitan Magazine under my editorship. I think I may boast that no editor ever brought together a more distinguished group. But enough of myself and my views. Let's listen to my guests...FROM THE BOOKS.

Emerging With Wings is a love story. Danielle Bernock takes you with her on her raw yet graceful journey from an invisible cage full of agony and shame, to the incomprehensible joy of validation, love and the empowerment of personal freedom. She unveils how this cage was built as well as how she obtained her freedom. Many things she did not know kept her in the dark, one being the harmful effects of multiple childhood traumas that went unaddressed which fed that darkness and a pervasive fear. The love story reveals a LOVE that secretly carried and protected her despite the lies that grew in that darkness, organized for destruction. This LOVE came and never gave up. The LOVE of one she calls The Pursuer. You are invited into her story. Enter it, share its elegance and in it see The Pursuer for yourself, in your story, for your freedom.

The best story is one that comes from the heart. The library is having a contest for the best story, and the quirky narrator of this book just has to win that rollercoaster ride with her favorite author! But what makes a story the best? Her brother Tim says the best stories have lots of action. Her father thinks the best stories are the funniest. And Aunt Jane tells her that the best stories have to make people cry. A story that does all these things doesn't seem quite right, though, and the one thing the whole family can agree on is that the best story has to be your own. Anne Wilsdorf's hilarious illustrations perfectly capture this colorful family and their outrageous stories in Eileen Spinelli's heartfelt tale about creativity and finding your own voice.

This book is a collection of short stories from 1924 by six amazing best-selling authors: "The Gay Old Dog" by Edna Ferber, "The Escape of Mr. Trimm" by Irvin S. Cobb, "Point" by Peter B. Kyne, "Kazan" by James Oliver Curwood, "The Third Man" by Meredith Nicholson, and "Money to Burns" by H.C. Witwer".

Rudy became the inspiration for millions when a Hollywood film depicting his journey as a Notre Dame football player became one of the most influential sports movies ever made. In Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger's only autobiography, go behind the scenes to experience the heartache, triumph, and glory through Rudy's own eyes, and learn details of the ten years it took to get the movie made. For the first time, the real Rudy shares his story of floundering through school with undiagnosed dyslexia and finding himself mixed up with a rough and rowdy crowd. "Football was my salvation in high school," Rudy believes, and while he dreamed of playing for Notre Dame, he never believed he was smart enough to make it to the elite group of higher education. A poignant and high-energy storyteller, Rudy details failures and pitfalls along the way. He explains the persistence and determination it took to get accepted to Notre Dame, to suit up and play for twenty-seven glorious seconds, and to see the dream of his movie become a reality. Rudy is truly a real-life testament to the old adage that it is not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up again. He will motivate you to discover your own dreams and to them with unrelenting faith that anything is possible.

Bestselling author, cofounder of Girlfriends in God, and writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries Sharon Jaynes reveals the secret to living a better story: understanding that the worst parts of our past are the very things God uses most. Many people don't like the story God is writing in their lives. The mistakes, failures, tragedies, and circumstances outside of our control linger in our minds and hold us back. How do we come to grips with the pieces of our stories that we wish weren't there? How do we silence the pain of what has been done to us and the shame of what we've allowed to be done through us? In When You Don't Like Your Story, Bible teacher Sharon Jaynes shows us how God untangles our most painful emotions with the fingers of grace, putting his redemption on display. In the hardest parts of our narratives, we get to see God's greatest work--and this changes the ending of our stories. As we overcome shame, offer forgiveness, and use our stories to help others, we find freedom from the past and learn to live in the restoration of the present.

In this indispensable guide for anyone who must communicate in speech or writing, Schwartzberg shows that most of us fail to convince because we don't have a point-a concrete contention that we can argue, defend, illustrate, and prove. He lays out, step-by-step, how to develop one. In Joel's Schwartzberg's ten-plus years as a strategic communications trainer, the biggest obstacle he's come across-one that connects directly to nervousness, stammering, rambling, and epic fail-is that most speakers and writers don't have a point. They typically have just a title, a theme, a topic, an idea, an assertion, a catchphrase, or even something much less. A point is something more. It's a contention you can propose, argue, defend, illustrate, and prove. A point offers a position of potential value. Global warming is real is not a point. Scientific evidence shows that global warming is a real, human-generated problem that will have a devastating environmental and financial impact is a point. When we have a point, our influence snaps into place. We communicate belief, conviction, and urgency. This book shows you how to identify your point, leverage it, stick to it, and sell it and how to train others to identify and successfully make their own points.

A thoughtful picture book illustrating the power of small acts of kindness, from the award-winning author of Sophie's Squash.

My Story, My Song is the heartwarming memoir of the late 88-year-old Lucimarian Tolliver Roberts, mother of Good Morning America coanchor Robin Roberts. It details pivotal moments in Mrs. Roberts' life, revealing how faith in God gave her strength and hope to face the challenges of life. Good Morning America viewers came to know and love Lucimarian Tolliver Roberts. For many, the heartfelt connection began the day after Hurricane Katrina blew through the Gulf Coast. They eagerly watched as Robin stood among the remnants of her hometown and talked about her desperate search for her elderly mother, who had ridden out the storm in her Mississippi home. Once she knew that her mother was safe, Robin admitted she was not surprised to learn that even as the winds howled and floodwaters rose, Lucimarian Roberts sang hymns. As she was working on her memoir, Lucimarian still was able to recite the lyrics to hundreds of hymns and spirituals first learned in her childhood church. She credited hymns for helping her, a black woman born in 1924, live faithfully through the turbulent times of the Great Depression, segregation, the civil rights struggle, and the loneliness and constant moves that came with being married to a U.S. Air Force officer. Robin writes, "Folks are drawn to Mom's humility, wisdom, and spirituality. Countless times I've been told, 'Your mother should write a book.' Reflections from Robin on her mother's life and faith cap each chapter. Now you will be able to gain insights from Lucimarian Roberts' amazing life. "God has brought the most wonderful and sometimes the most unlikely people, of all ages and races, into my life to encourage and guide me on this spiritual journey of life," Mrs. Roberts said with bright eyes. Highlights of My Story, My Song include: Inspiring stories of how a mother's love and character affect generations to come A tribute to the power of hymns and music to lift the heart out of loneliness and grief Honest childhood stories of poverty and alcoholism and the strength to overcome Insight into life as an African American during segregation and beyond Examples of the powerful influence of mentors and role models Encouraging stories of aging with grace Reminders of the impact of integrity, character, and love You will be inspired and uplifted by this memoir of a woman who faced the best and worst of times with faith, dignity, and grace.