Mama—My Favorite Person in the Whole World—Has Something Called Dementia

Sometimes the people we love most in life, change in ways we don’t understand.Are they feeling anxious or worried? Or really sleepy? Maybe they are forgetting things that they used to remember. Are they feeling confused? Are they unable to do the things that they used to do? This can be very upsetting. You may be feeling sad and don’t know how to help. But you can. Your loved one needs and loves you. Spend time with them. No one likes to be alone. Eat snacks with them. Be kind and loving. Sing their favorite songs with them. Hold their hand. Listen and be patient. Tell them you love them. Learn to comfort them. Tell them a funny story, and make them laugh! That really helps. Laughter makes everyone feel better. Don’t forget to give them a big hug! Give yourself a hug too. Ask for help and support when you need it. Be kind to yourself. Be grateful for the magic moments with your loved one. They do happen.

Meet Leon and Maggie Cobb

Most of us, as children, perceive our parents as perfect. Ah, the confusing age of innocence! Do you remember, as a child, thinking of your parents as though they were born as adults – parents, fully formed – and never considering that they, too, were once children? Now, as the shoe is on the other foot, how often do we reflect on our lives from childhood to adulthood? Can you recall the mistakes you made as you grew up, collecting them as “life’s lessons,” shaped by experiences that molded and defined who you are today? Some of those experiences may have been painful, even traumatic.

But such is life’s grand design. In hindsight, our parents – just as we – never were, aren’t, and never will be perfect, nor should we set such unrealistic expectations for ourselves. It is more than enough to be kind and loving. After all, no one escapes life’s moral challenges, whether they lead to good or bad outcomes. ‘Perfect’ – a word so overrated!

Now, as you reflect on your own life, you may find yourself wondering what unspeakable deeds your parents may have hidden, and who they truly are. For many, it may be too late to ask; for others, it may be fear or respect that keeps those questions unasked.

Meet Leon and Maggie Cobb in this tell-all story!

More than All the Magic in Manhattan

Continuing the imaginative series with More Than All the Magic in Manhattan, Stacey Dixon Phelan wants to again provide families an opportunity to create their own expressions of love to cherish and share for years to come. With the same playful and colorful illustrations, this book will capture any child’s curiosity.

‘I love you more than all the seagulls in Santa Monica’ and ‘I love you more than all the colors in Key West’ will provide families with a chance to explore the United States and teach children about the characteristics of American geography and culture.

Keep playing the game!

Do You Know, I Love You So?

Do You Know, I Love You So? is a quick book about all the little things we do as a parent that let our children know that we love them. It’s in the small seemingly unimportant tasks we accomplish that show this love: doing the laundry, brushing the teeth and just being silly that let our children know we love them every day. Enjoy this simple story and share the love you have for your child with them each and every day.

A Handbook for Improving Student Achievement in Secondary Schools

Democratic values, student achievement, and effective citizenship are intrinsically linked. The research, however, is that students, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds, have few opportunities to practice democratic citizenship in secondary schools.

Alongside current threats to democracy, this should concern us all: professional learning communities, teacher-leaders, parents, consultants, administrators, school districts, human rights activists, minority leadership, the justice system, local communities, university faculties, state education departments, and citizens in general.

Democratic citizenship is a superordinate goal – a composite of communicative abilities, freedom with responsibility, inclusiveness, career preparation, community mindfulness, evidence-based thinking, collective ownership, distributed leadership, and support for those in need. Student leadership, including school research (their own school and others), not only benefits the school generally, but helps prepare high school students for freedom, responsibilities, and opportunities as democratic citizens.

Such leadership has foundations: student-chosen teacher advisors, daily advisories, collaborative learning expertise, student-led assemblies, self-regulation, leadership credit courses, and virtual/personal connections with student leaders in other schools, districts, and countries.

Expanded contributions are student feedback on teacher performance, student-led (parent-student- teacher) conferences, after-school activities leadership, reciprocal teaching, and participation in school/district decision making. All under the auspices of improved language capability, teacher modeling and encouragement, a learning to learn focus, and gradual release of responsibility.

Endorsements

John Hattie

“There is never a dull moment reading this book. Centred on the principles of democracy, it points to the need for broad participation and thus calls for schools to do more, do better, and do wonderful things to ignite a love of learning. Orchard masterfully outlines seven key theorems to make his case; a compelling roadmap for educators to foster effective learning strategies.”

Professor Emeritus John Hattie, Melbourne Laureate

Michael Fullan

“Jack Orchard’s 'Handbook for Improving Student Achievement in Secondary Schools' is powerful, timely, and an action-packed message for us to get going in transforming secondary schools. Orchard’s Handbook is grounded, urgent, insightful, and deeply practical. Anybody in high schools can act on this agenda. Read this book with others, be collectively inspired, and get down to the excitement and frustrations of engaging in breakthrough change. The good news is that students, teachers (and eventually parents and communities) will be excited to join in and make the long-awaited transformation of secondary schools.”

Professor Emeritus Michael Fullan, OISE/University of Toronto

The Great New Freedom State: How Five Nutcase Geeks Saved the World

This is a story of humanity’s future. Can we find remedies and resources to mend our often mismanaged world? Why do humans struggle to get along? What makes us worthy of heaven? These profound questions rest in the hands of five extraordinary teenagers, just 13 and 14 years old, who take on the challenge of creating a better world modeled after the visionary Great New Freedom State.

Dubbed ‘Geeks’ by their peers, these brilliant young minds are guided by a wondrous God spirit known as ‘Fa.’ Endowed with divine insight, they embark on a mission to devise a plan that could restore the earth to its pristine state.

Faced with the consequences of humanity’s past mistakes – the depletion of resources and the extinction of countless species – these unlikely heroes must find ways to replenish the planet’s bounty. Their journey is a testament to hope, ingenuity, and faith.

May God bless those who love the world, and may God bless the Great New Freedom State.

Hershey the Sweetest Dog Ever

Meet Hershey, the sweetest dog ever!

This heartwarming story follows a lovable, kind, and playful pup who teaches us valuable life lessons about patience, acceptance, and kindness. His unconditional love for both his furry friends and his human family is truly priceless.

Hershey may be a dog, but the lessons he shares are cherished by all who know him. Everyone who meets him falls in love!

Snuggle up and enjoy this delightful tale of love, friendship, and the joy a special pet can bring.

Shift

Sean is a modern-day hero in the year 2087 – but in his own time, few would recognize it. Most of his work takes place in the past. As a time-traveling agent, he corrects historical wrongs. However, when his latest mission fails to take hold, he and his team are tasked with uncovering why. What they discover goes far beyond fixing the company’s accounting books. They begin to unravel a shift of power that threatens their present.

How far back in time will Sean have to go to set things right? The rules of time travel are designed to protect the agents themselves, but when the past holds what Sean cherishes most, what rules will he break to protect it?

Around the World Not Counting Days

Having graduated without distinction in 1958 from Fresno State College, 22-year-old John Kessell had no job interviews lined up, no letters of acceptance from grad schools, so the natural course seemed what’s called these days a “gap year.” Why shouldn’t he travel to Australia, his father’s native land, and get to know his Aussie kin?

When these generous Australians refused to let the young American spend any money, he still had so many unspent travelers’ checks that he was able to trade his round-trip Sydney-San Francisco for a one-way Sydney-Gibraltar. Why not go on around the world, not his original plan?

John Kessell had no idea in 1958 what sailing on an ocean liner from San Francisco to Sydney might be like. Those were still the days when people took a boat to get somewhere, not just an over-hyped “cruise” on a floating amusement park. So let’s step back sixty-five years, retrofit our passports, and join John on a boat to somewhere!

The Fabulous Adventures of Minnie the Wonder Cat

The Fabulous Adventures of Minnie the Wonder Cat is a collection of stories about two extraordinary NYC-based cats, Minnie and Tashi. The cats hail from the mythical Himalayan realm of Cataleenia, where they studied such magical feline arts as invisibility, dental telepathy and flying.

Once in New York City, Minnie and Tashi apply their super-powers, flying around the Big Apple, righting wrongs and fighting injustice wherever they find it. With a light touch, the book explores issues of immigration; the rights of children, seniors and animals; prejudice and racism; the value of the arts; a bit of history; and the aspiration to be of benefit in this world and to serve others. It’s about the power of love.

In their adventures, Minnie and Tashi foil a kidnapping plot, rescue the residents of a poorly run nursing home, turn out an evil-doer from their beloved homeland, avert tragedy in a theatre, redeem an adolescent gang of would-be thugs, and put their magical paws on the pulse of the past, enabling a brighter future for us all. These stories are fables for all ages.

What if God Had Been Sleepy?

Have you ever wondered how our world might be, if God had been sleepy when He made you and me?

This whimsical picture book about the seven days of Creation is a fanciful tale for God’s littlest angels at bedtime or any time. Children will love the pictures and the rhymes. They can read along with mom or dad, or just relax and let their imagination run wild with the illustrations.

Experience God’s wonder and His love on every page. And know that once this fanciful week of Creation begins, the smiles will never stop.

Cartel Bands On

The American immigration system is often described as broken, with calls for Congress to completely rewrite the laws. Many believe that foreign gangs are taking over the streets, drug cartels control the border, taxpayers are funding the lives of migrants, and American workers are being replaced by those willing to work for less.

But are these claims true?

Cartel Bands On takes a deep dive into the realities of the American immigration system. Written by a retired Border Patrol Agent, this book combines factual analysis with firsthand experiences from the author's career.

With a clear and accessible approach, it explores the history and laws governing immigration while providing a closer look at what both legal and illegal migrants encounter upon entering the country. Readers are invited to challenge their assumptions and critically assess whether the system is truly broken. If it is, how should it be fixed?