In this inspiring memoir, “an unfailing champion for all children . . . shares his ever- committed life story . . . What an example he is for all of us” (Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children’s Defense Fund). After spending three decades in journalism as a newspaper reporter, editor and publisher, Dave Lawrence dedicated his life to a new mission: making sure every child has a real chance to succeed. A prominent advocate for children across the country, David helped found The Children’s Movement of Florida, an organization that launched in 2010 with the purpose of making Florida’s children, especially in their early years, the top priority for state investment. In A Dedicated Life, David tells his story from his time at the Detroit Free Press and the Miami Herald to his “retirement” at fifty-six, when he transitioned into his new calling and began making significant strides in Florida’s pre-K programs, parent skill-building, and so much more. “This special book is the story of a good man who has lived an impressive, fascinating, full life dedicated to his family, his profession, his faith and his service to others, especially the youngest and most vulnerable among us.” —Jeb Bush, Florida’s 43rd Governor “[A] highly principled man applying his talents and values in a transitioning America.” —Bob Graham, Florida’s 38th Governor and former Senator

Featured in multiple “must-read” lists, No One Tells You This is “sharp, intimate…A funny, frank, and fearless memoir…and a refreshing view of the possibilities—and pitfalls—personal freedom can offer modern women” (Kirkus Reviews). If the story doesn’t end with marriage or a child, what then? This question plagued Glynnis MacNicol on the eve of her fortieth birthday. Despite a successful career as a writer, and an exciting life in New York City, Glynnis was constantly reminded she had neither of the things the world expected of a woman her age: a partner or a baby. She knew she was supposed to feel bad about this. After all, single women and those without children are often seen as objects of pity or indulgent spoiled creatures who think only of themselves. Glynnis refused to be cast into either of those roles, and yet the question remained: What now? There was no good blueprint for how to be a woman alone in the world. It was time to create one. Over the course of her fortieth year, which this ​“beguiling” (The Washington Post) memoir chronicles, Glynnis embarks on a revealing journey of self-discovery that continually contradicts everything she’d been led to expect. Through the trials of family illness and turmoil, and the thrills of far-flung travel and adventures with men, young and old (and sometimes wearing cowboy hats), she wrestles with her biggest hopes and fears about love, death, sex, friendship, and loneliness. In doing so, she discovers that holding the power to determine her own fate requires a resilience and courage that no one talks about, and is more rewarding than anyone imagines. “Amid the raft of motherhood memoirs out this summer, it’s refreshing to read a book unapologetically dedicated to the fulfillment of single life” (Vogue). No One Tells You This is an “honest” (Huffington Post) reckoning with modern womanhood and “a perfect balance between edgy and poignant” (People)—an exhilarating journey that will resonate with anyone determined to live by their own rules.

Irish Carter shares her personal story of the night she faced hiding in the woods at the age of five in an effort to keep her mother safe from the man who wanted to kill her. As her family found safety, she was faced once again with the trauma of violence in her life when at twelve years old she found her mother brutally stabbed. This book shares Irish and other's personal stories of abuse, addictions, grief, and depression. Unlike other books, Dedicated 2 LIFE teaches how to find hope, strength, courage, belief and resilience in the lessons we are given in life after these experiences. This book shares ways of finding gratitude in life's dark experiences and allows us to become stronger through accepting who we are and believing in ourselves on a deeper, more personal level.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A stunning “portrait of the enduring grace of friendship” (NPR) about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century. NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE A Little Life follows four college classmates—broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition—as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara’s stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. Look for Hanya Yanagihara’s latest bestselling novel, To Paradise.

*Winner of the American Book Award* *Winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Memoir/Biography* An Honor Book for the 2023 Stonewall Book Award—Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Book Award This witty memoir traces a touching and often hilarious spiralic path to embracing a gay, Latinx identity against a culture of machismo—from a cockfighting ring in Nicaragua to cities across the U.S.—and the bath houses, night clubs, and drag queens who help redefine pride I’ve always found the definition of machismo to be ironic, considering that pride is a word almost unanimously associated with queer people, the enemy of machistas . . . In a world desperate to erase us, queer Latinx men must find ways to hold on to pride for survival, but excessive male pride is often what we are battling, both in ourselves and in others. A debut memoir about coming of age as a gay, Latinx man, High-Risk Homosexual opens in the ultimate anti-gay space: Edgar Gomez’s uncle’s cockfighting ring in Nicaragua, where he was sent at thirteen years old to become a man. Readers follow Gomez through the queer spaces where he learned to love being gay and Latinx, including Pulse nightclub in Orlando, a drag queen convention in Los Angeles, and the doctor’s office where he was diagnosed a “high-risk homosexual.” With vulnerability, humor, and quick-witted insights into racial, sexual, familial, and professional power dynamics, Gomez shares a hard-won path to taking pride in the parts of himself he was taught to keep hidden. His story is a scintillating, beautiful reminder of the importance of leaving space for joy.

Foreword Words for the Second Edition Get to Know the Life of Dedication ---Extracts from Talks at the Symposium in Xinjiang Extracts of the Talks at the Symposium on Returning to Naturalness Mental and Physical Health and Returning to Naturalness ---Excerpts from the talks at the symposium in Urumqi An Extract of the Talk in the Symposium of Xinjiang Human Body Science Society Returning to Naturalness and the Perfection of Personality ---Extracts from Talks in the Symposium Held by Retired Cadres Talks in the Symposium on Returning to Naturalness (Extracts) Operations to Purify the Mind ---Extracts from the speech at a symposium in Wujiaqu, Xinjiang The Life of Dedication and Returning to Naturalness ---Extracts from talks in the symposium at Wujiaqu in Xinjiang Self-perfection in Cultivation and Tempering --- Extracts from the Talks made in Urumqi, Xinjiang The Inspiration of the mind ---By Dong Zhongrui, a retired cadre in Urumqi The Light of Jiaolong Culture Shines in the Universe ---By Dong Zhongru Ode to Lingshan Mountain The Three Operative Procedures on the Transformation of Different States and Levels By Shi Tiantang Shakyamuni Buddha’s Life of Dedication Lao Zi’s Life of Dedication The Life of Dedication（I） The Life of Dedication （II） The Life of Dedication and the Purification of the Mind Establish a Dedicational Life and Cultivate Upright Energy Purify the Mind, Perfect the Personality, Develop the wisdom and Sublimate the state ---A Talk at the First Session of the Fifth Symposium on Jiaolong Culture and traditional Culture Cultivate the Mind and Nourish the Nature by Living a Dedicational life Strive to Do Profitless Work and Be Willing to Take a Loss Build up the lofty aspiration for a dedicational Life The Purification and Dedication of a human Life A Blood Donator’s Dedicational Life Have a mindset of Selfless Dedication Dedication--- A Necessary Step to Upgrade the Mind and Personality Be willing to Do Profitless Work and Take a Loss

James Clement Moffat was a missionary in southern Africa for over forty years, devoting his life to spreading the Gospel and working to improve the lives of the people he served. In this inspiring memoir, he recounts his experiences with honesty, humor, and humility, offering a glimpse into the challenges and rewards of a life spent in service to others. A must-read for anyone interested in missionary work or African history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

There came a summer night so magical and blue. The stars shone with an infinite hue. The angels were up above and all around. Some angels were near, much closer to the ground. They had come down with a mission from above. They had come to collect a little boy with such love. Upon this starry night, they had gathered to bring a little boy into the Light. Short Stories of Heaven is an enchanting collection of children's stories about one little boy's journey to heaven. Skillfully written and richly illustrated, it will transport parents and children to faraway lands filled with angels and wizards, and into a magical, mystical realm called heaven. In these hauntingly beautiful stories, author and illustrator Christina Richardson explores the difficult topic of loss, and imbues each story with a sense of hope for what is to come when someone departs this life. Perfect for children and families alike who are facing the loss of a loved one, a terminal illness, or seeking to explain the afterlife to children, this is a book filled with hope and redemption for those journeying onward beyond this life. It will captivate young readers and take them on the most magical journey of all-the journey home to heaven-and into the very nature of love.

“This page-turning true-life adventure is filled with rich and riveting details and a timeless understanding of the things that matter most.”—Dashka Slater, author of The 57 Bus “Brilliantly told in verse, readers will love Ken Sparks.” —Patricia Reilly Giff, two-time Newbery Honor winner “Lyrical, terrifying, and even at times funny. A richly detailed account of a little-known event in World War II.” —Kirkus Reviews “Middle grade Titanic fans, here’s your next read.” —BCCB “An edge-of-your seat survival tale.” —School Library Journal (starred review) A Junior Library Guild Selection The 2019 Golden Kite Middle Grade Fiction Award Winner A 2019 ALSC Notable Children’s Book The 2019–2020 Lectio Book Award Winner The 2020–2021 Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award List The 2020 Oklahoma Library Association’s Children’s Sequoyah Book Award Winner The Connecticut Book Award Winner In the tradition of The War That Saved My Life and Stella By Starlight, this poignant novel in verse based on true events tells the story of a boy’s harrowing experience on a lifeboat after surviving a torpedo attack during World War II. With Nazis bombing London every night, it’s time for thirteen-year-old Ken to escape. He suspects his stepmother is glad to see him go, but his dad says he’s one of the lucky ones—one of ninety boys and girls to ship out aboard the SS City of Benares to safety in Canada. Life aboard the luxury ship is grand—nine-course meals, new friends, and a life far from the bombs, rations, and his stepmum’s glare. And after five days at sea, the ship’s officers announce that they’re out of danger. They’re wrong. Late that night, an explosion hurls Ken from his bunk. They’ve been hit. Torpedoed! The Benares is sinking fast. Terrified, Ken scrambles aboard Lifeboat 12 with five other boys. Will they get away? Will they survive? Award-winning author Susan Hood brings this little-known World War II story to life in a riveting novel of courage, hope, and compassion. Based on true events and real people, Lifeboat 12 is about believing in one another, knowing that only by banding together will we have any chance to survive.