A mother's worst fears are almost always centered on her children. Gifts Of Grace is the compelling and true story of Deb Marcotte's worst nightmare becoming an unimaginable reality. As Deb anxiously awaited the results of the CT scan, she had almost convinced herself that her four-year-old daughter, Allie, was fine. A glance at the medical chart showed otherwise. Deb's heart sank as reality was confirmed by the doctor with words that sent her world spiraling - "It looks like she has had a stroke. But there are older strokes that are present as well." Guilt, fear, panic and an avalanche of other emotions erupted as Deb began to tearfully attempt some level of control. As she had done so many other times, Deb turned to God. Deb prayed for strength and understanding. She prayed that her faith would overcome her questions. This was the beginning of countless medical procedures in hospitals around the country. Allie would endure multiple brain surgeries and endless tests as medical experts worked to find a cure. Deb remained strong in prayer and even stronger as Allie's advocate. Gifts Of Grace is an unforgettable story of a young girl's inspiring strength, a mother's unbreakable faith and indomitable spirit, and a loving God's everlasting gifts.

Kaci's children have craniosynostosis, a condition where the infant skull sutures (openings) fuse early and a secondary condition, chiari malformation, caused by the growing brain pushing its way down the spinal column. With 13 surgeries between the children, the Kings are often asked how they manage daily life along with the difficult diagnoses and seemingly endless trips to the operating room. Finding help did not come easily. Kaci trusted her instincts and pushed on, focusing on the children's health and leaning on sources of strength. The conditions could be fixed once they found a doctor who knew how to help. Their continued search led to Dr. Ben Carson, Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital: an angel in disguise. The children would have suffered gravely without the treatment they so desperately needed. As Dr. Carson states in his foreword, "In Light Will Emerge, Kaci King has provided a wonderful mechanism to gain foreknowledge of the difficulties of navigating the medical system..." There is hope even in the worst of situations, blessings when most aren't sure any exist. Life is about attitude. Kaci was taught that for every action, there is a reaction, good or bad. She shares her family's journey: how they coped; how they found their inner strength; and how not knowing what else to do, they prayed. Kaci offers a wealth of information explaining the medical conditions, websites and online support groups. Through this book, she sheds light on what helped them overcome obstacles, how they found strength during difficult times, and encourages others who may feel hopeless. Kaci shares the heartache and many blessings received throughout this journey. Light Will Emerge enables parents and caregivers to push on to find help in a medical crisis and hopefully to help medical professionals understand their very real story.

Educating and raising gifted children presents highly specific challenges. This book explains how parents can learn to optimize their child's potential and work with schools, spouses, friends, and specialists to create a nurturing and stable life. Having a gifted child is a joy, but it is also one of the greatest challenges of parenthood to help that child find the right fit for education. In this remarkably insightful text, noted psychologist Barbara Klein, PhD, EdD, explains the emotional and social issues of giftedness, identifies parental actions and reactions that can exacerbate or soothe the challenges, and describes how these key factors tie in to identifying the best school and educational program to enable a gifted child to achieve his or her goals and maximize success. The text includes many vignettes from children and families who have sought guidance across 30 years from the author, an accomplished psychotherapist recognized as a national authority on raising gifted children. This single-volume work presents an understandable theoretical overview of the psychological problems parents face raising their gifted child and clearly explains why the parent-child interaction can be so intense and stressful-a reality that is rarely acknowledged in the existing literature on giftedness. Parents of gifted children will learn how to make decisions about their children's social emotional development and educational future and understand how their actions can be helpful or harmful to their gifted child and his/her education. Educators will fully grasp why and how gifted kids are different and why they need different educational environments, while mental heath professionals will gain insight into their gifted patients' emotional struggles. And gifted individuals will realize that others experience similar struggles. Details how to find a school that satisfies a child's particular needs Presents the ideas, thoughts, and feelings of parents in words that other parents with gifted children can identify with and understand Provides information on the over-excitabilities and intensities of gifted children presented in a practical, straightforward way that helps the reader apply these concepts in actual strategies in their everyday lives Identifies specific problems of parents with gifted children and outlines effective solutions to these challenges

Longer than Forevermore 978-0-9886784-2-2 by Martha Sears West

Annotation:

Likely to become a classic, debut author West's richly illustrated book affirms the unbreakable bond between grown-ups and their children at every stage of life. No matter how high, how far, or how deep you go, we will always love you just the same. "More than all the grains of sand, which we could never count. And if we add them all, we'll love you more than that amount." Full color. 8 x 10. 40 pp. (Available now).

West writes so that others may experience the love and harmony she felt in her own childhood. "My books are meant to entertain as well as to provide a safe haven from the realities of a harsh world. To a reader who hungers for the clean, kind, and gentle things of life, these qualities are just as real, and exposure to them can be vital to a healthy human being."

One Mother's Day morning the author looked back on the sweetness of earlier years with three small children. She was flooded with gratitude for her children who are grown and now have families of their own. With these words she told them of her tender feelings: "One thing never changes, and will last forevermore: We'll love you still when you are grown, exactly as before."

Biographical Note

As a child growing up in Bethesda, Maryland, West used to lie in a pile of leaves with pencil and paper, trying to compose poems of profound incomprehensibleness. She was so successful that she couldn't understand them herself. She now prefers crafting stories that she can understand, and that make others smile and feel warm.

West is married to a man named Steve who has cheered her on in many endeavors, including that of being a full-time mother. When she was in her fifties, he made many a peanut butter sandwich while she was earning a B.A. in linguistics from the University of Maryland.

Reviews

"West deserves a place on the bookshelf alongside Nash and Milne, whose classic poetry carries timeless reflections on the universal condition of being a sensitive human being." -Karen McCarthy, ForeWord Clarion Review

"Certain to charm children and parents of all ages. If you like Robert Munch's I Love You Forever, you will LOVE West'sLonger than Forevermore."

-Valerie Milano, Hollywood Today

Publisher Marketing: Targeted national trade launch-date campaign to reviewers, award and festival entities, electronic/social media/direct-mail to vendors and public, author book signings, and other special event audiences.

For advance reader copies, press materials and author appearances, visit www.CleanKindWorldBooks.com, www.ParkPlacePress.com or contact [email protected]

What are the most prevalent sports injuries for male teenagers? How should a guy protect himself from injury or disease while enjoying outdoor activities? Is it normal for a teenager to feel depressed? Answers to these questions and others often asked by adolescent boys can be found in this straightforward guide written specifically for them. Goldstein, a physician who specializes in care for adolescents, provides examples from his own practice to explain the most common ailments of this age group, as well as to provide boys with the choices they can make to help keep themselves healthy.

Arranged topically, each chapter covers a different aspect of mind and body. Readers will discover what physical changes they can expect at their age, as well as the most common physical ailments. They can also find out what psychological changes they may be experiencing and why, along with ways to get help for serious problems like drug and alcohol abuse or suicidal tendencies. The many topics covered include: nutrition, sports, injuries, sexuality, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, and cross cultural issues. Written with an emphasis on wellness, advice is given on how to prevent injuries and disease, as well as how to care for one's body through good habits like eating well and getting enough sleep. Boys are encouraged to take care of themselves and to develop open and honest relationships with their physicians to help insure a happy and healthy adolescence.

About this story Nothing could be a more true reflection of shackled lives behind the media's publicity-seeking headlines that strike a whole country from time to time. Remember the gripping stories of the "downfall of a golden girl, sex web, shackles and shame, gangster's moll, Bonnie and Clyde - like story, heartache of a fallen girl, the soul of a robber child, burning passion and devotion to a dominant lover and bad kids" This is a story of a downfall and victory that each of us should read. It could happen to anyone of us. Parents open your senses and hear the cries of your child in obscurity.

About those meltdowns, blowups, and one-word answers . . . Some say that's just how boys are--prone to outbursts or sullenness. But what's behind these and other issues? Drawing from twenty-five years of counseling boys and working with parents, David Thomas sheds light on common emotional struggles, including anger, anxiety, and depression, and shares practical ways you can help your son be Resourceful--equipped to work through his emotions in constructive ways Aware--so that he better understands himself, including his strengths and weaknesses Resilient--having the capacity to cope and feel competent Empathetic--able to understand the feelings and experiences of others Helpful also for grandparents, teachers, and anyone else who has a boy in their life, this book shows how a strong emotional foundation leads to a Christ-like sense of masculinity that will serve him well his whole life. "This book is the most impactful, practical, and applicable playbook for raising young men that we have read to date."--TIM and ELISABETH HASSELBECK, ESPN analyst and bestselling author "David Thomas is someone I go to as a resource when it comes to parenting--especially parenting a boy."--RACHEL CRUZE, #1 New York Times bestselling author and host of The Rachel Cruze Show

From hormones and muscles to mind and spirit, every aspect of a woman's body is affected by pregnancy-and now is the time to acknowledge that by empowering new mothers to take control of their "fourth trimester" and beyond. From the creator of the popular Wonder Weeks, Back to You is a stress-free guide to a week-by-week programme for overall postpartum recovery.Featuring interviews with doctors, lactation consultants, therapists and other experts, this book provides reassuring and encouraging information that focuses on boosting emotional and physical health. The 40-week plan eases into exercises, from meditation to strength training (with particular focus on the "PowerHouse"-pelvic floor, abdominal and back muscles), providing illustrated guides and exclusive access to the Back to You app, which features weekly 30-minute workouts. With a thorough focus on both mind and body, Back to You is one of few postpartum programmes to address the whole person for a comprehensive approach to recovery.

A true story of a beleaguered mother's experience with an angry/troubled child This is a dramatic case-study of a child gone awry...with a full etiology, plus the reluctant causations inherent. This is a vivid expose of the traumas and tragedies of a family unit in turmoil; and, within that, the consequence of a mother having to bear the constancy of abuse and pain, silently and all-but-alone It is a harsh example of an ever-increasing measure of dysfunction in our youth; and, as part of that, the residual effects to us all It is a real and warranted indictment of the system, on virtually all levels, in both the private and public sectors, for it's well-evidenced failures and lacking particles to adequately deal with an all-bit-forgotten sector It provides a revelation of a real answer/solution, as relevant to all that is now known and/or has been experienced, in Time-Out, For Kids

'A much needed book on this difficult and often unspoken loss, that of early pregnancy ... both illuminating and consoling.' Julia Samuel, author of Grief Works It estimated that one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage and yet it persists as taboo. In The Brink of Being, a groundbreaking and essential book, psychotherapist Julia Bueno encourages us to talk about, think more, and reflect upon this often misunderstood, and little discussed event. Drawing on her personal experience of miscarriage, stories from her consulting room, and interviews with medical professionals and researchers, Bueno provides history, context and consolation for anyone who has been through pregnancy loss, or wants to know how to help someone who has. Bueno also investigates miscarriage in terms of how we respond to women's bodies and reproductive health, our attitudes to birth and death, and how we can - and should - encourage more curiosity and candid conversations, in order to better support the many affected by this loss. 'Intelligent, sensitive, and utterly candid ... It's the sort of book that women have long been searching for, and it feels like real progress. I'm so thankful she wrote it' Meaghan O'Connell, author of And Now We Have Everything

Be the coolest parent in the neighborhood, maybe in the world. It's all in this book and so easy. Every child and adult looks forward to enjoying the next big holiday season with their friends and family. What if you could celebrate several of those holidays every month with your kids? Give them some fun days that no other children experience. Give them low or no cost holidays that build a stronger emotional connection with them. Make their friends, and yours, look at you with envy over celebrating things that no one ever thought about. In this book, you will learn the most important birthday for your child and cool new holidays like One Day Fun Day, May Day Play Day, Awesome August Adventure Day, January Journey, September Search, Pie Day, Slurpee Day, and over forty others. Plus, learn how to celebrate the more traditional holidays like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and President's Day in fun new ways. Learn bedtime and good-morning songs, how to educate your kids on things even teachers don't know, and have your kids begging for more. This book took twelve years to develop all those cool things. It's now available exclusively for you.

The main reasons I wrote this first book is to encourage others of a similar fate. I hope to encourage the lost and depressed in the effort to guide them toward a bigger future without regret. For them to understand they are not alone and someone is there to listen. Not for money, but for the divine privilege to help them overcome and see what a blessing they truly are. Nothing is to great that you can not overcome through Christ.

From computer support and hotel reservations to laboratory results and radiographic interpretations, it seems everything can be 'outsourced' in our globalized world. One would not think so with parenthood, however, especially motherhood, as it is a fundamental activity humans have historically preserved as personal and private. In our modern age, however, the advent and accessibility of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) and the ease with which they have traversed global borders, has fundamentally altered the meaning of childbearing and parenting. In the twenty-first century, parenthood is no longer achieved only through gestation, adoption, or traditional surrogacy, but also via assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), where science and technology play lead roles. Furthermore, in a globalized world economy, where the movement and transfer of people and commodities are increasing to serve the interests of capitalism, gamete donation and surrogate birth can traverse innumerable geographic, socio-economic, racialized, and political borderlands. Thus, reproduction itself can be outsourced. This edited volume explores one specific aspect of the new assisted reproductive technologies: gestational surrogacy and how its practice is changing the traditional concept of parenthood across the globe. The phenomenon of transnational surrogacy has given rise to a thriving international industry where money is being 'legally' exchanged for babies and 'reproductive labor' has taken on a lucrative commercial tone. Yet, law, research, and activism are barely aware of this experience and are still playing catch-up with rapidly changing on-the-ground realities. This interdisciplinary collection of essays assuages the dearth of knowledge and addresses significant issues in transnational commercial gestational surrogacy as it takes shape in a peculiar relation between the West (primarily the United States) and India.

Helping People with Disabilities Help Themselves is a book about several disabilities that people of all ages may encounter. If you are a person with a disability or know of someone who is, this book will help one cope and succeed by using positive thinking. The author, Barbara Jean Young, has over thirty-four years of experience in various areas of disabilities. As a special education teacher, a retardation specialist, a parent advisor to deaf, blind, and babies and preschoolers with multiple disabilities, and a sign language instructor, Mrs. Young has worked with people of all ages, from infants to adults, having a variety of disabilities. In this book, she tells personal stories of how she was able to help each individual live a more successful and meaningful life. Ironically, in mid-life, Mrs. Young suddenly suffered several disabilities herself resulting from a serious automobile crash involving a drunk driver. In a twist of fate, Mrs. Young had more severe disabilities than most of the people she was helping. Through this experience, she is able to provide the reader with a special insight into what it is like having a disability, and how to cope. Through her experiences, Mrs. Young explains in her book how to assist people who have disabilities and help them attain a more positive attitude. This book also has a special section after each chapter listing references that can be used to seek help for people who want to learn more about disabilities.

About the Book The Power within Me is a book of life lessons that will grab you and allow you to feel real-life situations resonating with the effects of bullying and the negative thoughts people feel they could never overcome. In thoughtful and sincere language, author Teresa Wright guides the reader and the victims of this silent epidemic to believe in themselves and live the life they desire to have by building self-respect, self-esteem, strength, and love for themselves. You will learn through her stories how to change the negative thought process that lies within your sub-conscious mind and bring about a positive result, leaving you with the abilities to live your life to the fullest.

Approximately 25 percent of otherwise normally developing young children experience feeding difficulties. These may not only be disruptive to the child's physical and emotional development, they also may affect the whole family. In "When Your Child Won't Eat or Eats Too Much," author Dr. Irene Chatoor teaches parents how to navigate the challenges of early feeding development and help their children establish healthy eating habits.

Based on clinical experiences and research studies, Chatoor helps you understand your child's specific feeding problems-whether your child has difficulty feeling hunger, has difficulty determining fullness, refuses to eat certain foods, or is just plain scared to eat. "When Your Child Won't Eat or Eats Too Much" presents specific suggestions and practical tips on how to understand and manage each of these feeding problems while promoting a healthy eating environment for the whole family. It also describes how feeding difficulties can be prevented and how discipline can be established without resorting to coercive measures.

Chatoor, a pediatric psychiatrist who has made fundamental contributions in her field, helps parents better understand and deal with the challenges of early feeding development and the special feeding issues of their children.