The world is full of germs, and the news is full of stories about infectious diseases and antibiotic-resistant superbugs. What can parents do to protect their children? "Keeping Your Child Healthy in a Germ-Filled World" gives parents the information they need to shield their kids from infections and keep their family healthy.

Infections are harmful, but not all germs are bad. Dr. Athena P. Kourtis, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist--and mother--teaches parents how to protect their kids without going overboard. She helps parents sort through the latest information about antibiotics, vaccines, hygiene, health foods, and home remedies, and she identifies which rules to follow--and which ones to ignore. She says:

- No to overprotecting your children from germs- No to antimicrobial soaps and cleaning products at home- No to over-prescribed antibiotics- Yes to strategic hand washing- Yes to being conscious of germs and the pathways they use- Yes to vaccines

She offers tips for protecting your children wherever they are--at home or school, on the playground, while traveling--and whatever they are doing--playing sports, camping, visiting the beach--and answers questions that commonly worry parents. How many times should you wash prewashed spinach? (At least twice.) Does getting enough sleep help fight infection? (Yes.) Are pre-sliced foods more likely to spread infection? (They are.)

Reading this comprehensive, illustrated guide is the first step to keeping your family healthy. Up-to-date, accurate information and a clear understanding of how germs and our bodies work will help you and your child stay afloat in the microbial sea.

Will Corcoran inspires all readers as he shares the compelling stories of two young boys who both experience life-changing events as three-year-olds. The first, his son Henry, received a diagnosis of a rare, terminal illness. Henry lives life every day to the fullest, never taking no for an answer, never complaining, and always seeing the good in things and people-a wise perspective all would be lucky to have. The second boy, Will himself, survived unspeakable traumatic abuse as a child, and can't help but think that his experience has helped him understand and encourage Henry. The two stories of survival-Will's literal survival, and Henry's desire to live life to the fullest-are also stories of hope, faith, love, courage, and perspective. They are uplifting and inspirational.

Every parent would like their child to grow up to be the following: Confident and self assured Able to connect with people Good person Respected by others Yet, in today's hectic and academically competitive world, many parents struggle with how to teach their children lessons that will insure their success in these areas. BoostKids has successfully taught thousands of kids across the country life's most important lessons, by teaching them people skills while developing their character and self-confidence. Discover how Rob Heller developed BoostKids and how it has been used to teach children the twenty-eight specific BoostKids lessons. Learn detailed techniques that can be used to teach a child how to dramatically change their life positively. These techniques will give them the capability to form true friendships, build respect and self-esteem, and create long-term career success and happiness. Drawing from life lessons he learned as a successful entrepreneur along with the help of child psychologists, educators, and other child development experts, BoostKids was created to teach kids people skills and to develop strong character.

"God, I need you to do something in my children!" Have those words found their way into your desperate prayers? Do you feel helpless to know how to equip your children for this world and all it throws at them? If so, you're not alone. When Brooke McGlothlin realized her best efforts were falling woefully short of her goal to produce godly children, she discovered the joy and power of praying Scripture over her family. Her life and her children's lives were transformed. Yours can be too. Complete with prayers for specific situations, this encouraging book is perfect for times when you * feel too busy to pray, * don't know what or how to pray, * don't know if your prayers really matter. Nothing is more powerful and faith-building than praying God's Word for those you love. Become a mom full of hope in the God who can, even if you can't. "Praying Mom is the prayer mentor you've always wanted from a mom who absolutely lives this message on her knees."--STACEY THACKER, author of Threadbare Prayer

Many grandparents experience a surge of joy with the birth or adoption of a grandchild. For years afterward, time together is eagerly coveted, pictures are treasured and displayed, and multiple gifts along with various kinds of support are gladly provided. Richard Olson, a retired minister, professor of theology, and grandparent many times over, presents the unconditional love of a grandparent as indicative of a vocation, a calling from God. He explores the vocation of grandparent in all of its multiple dimensions of being and doing. Informed by a biblical perspective, the book explores the author's personal journey of grandparenting and includes conversations with a diverse set of other grandparents. Olson examines biblical examples of grandparenting and suggests that the grandparent vocation has possibilities that often go unnoticed. These include care, enjoyment, and response to issues throughout a grandchild's growth. He also addresses concerns for our grandchildren's future world, and how grandparents can engage in mutual conversation about faith, morals, and values in a changing world. In addition, Olson discusses increasingly common relationship types such as grandparents serving as primary caregivers, adults becoming step-grandparents through marriage, interreligious family systems, and grandparents handling children with special needs. The book includes questions for personal or group reflection.

"Waiting Upon the Lord" is a prayer journal for expectant mothers. It is an invitation to open your heart to the wonder and mystery that is taking place within you. It is an invitation to pray, to ponder and to prepare for the gift of a new life. We dream of being loving mothers. We want our children to have a better life. We want our children to be happy. But all we really know is what we have experienced from our own mothers and our own families. So I invite you to come away for a little while each day and walk with your Mother Mary, the mother of Jesus. We will do this through mediation and prayer of the first three Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. Each week has a teaching and special gifts and graces for which to ask. As you pray and ponder the scripture and teachings, you will want to write down any special intentions, thoughts, or answered prayers that you have received. As your heart opens to God's grace and the companionship of your Mother Mary, you will find that peace and joy fill your heart. Mother Mary will take you and your family under her mantle of protection. Mary is your mother. She loves you. You will come to know the joy of having a mother and a friend by your side every day. And when your precious baby is born, you will know that God is with you and you will never walk alone. When your child matures, you may want to consider giving your journal to them as a gift and an expression of your love for them.

Please note: this book was originally published as Effervescence: A True-Life Tale of Autism and of Courage Please visit Simone's website to view more information, as well as TV and radio appearances: autismembrace.com or effervescentclarity.com An excerpt from Autism: Hot Pink and Zebra-Striped:

Imagine a beautiful little girl, with long curly, wild red hair, spinning in circles, completely delighted by all that she feels She wears a long, blue dress, a replica of the one Cinderella wore to the ball. As you watch her, you get the sense that she isn't dreaming of Cinderella; in her heart and in her body, she is Cinderella.

Now picture the same little girl, lying on her tummy, spinning on a merry-go-round, dipping her beautiful, long red hair in the puddle of mud that encircles the merry-go-round. When it comes to a stop, she savors the wonderful sensation of the cold mud running down her face. She then submerges her entire body in the puddle, as happy as can be and entirely oblivious to the stares of the people around her.

Now picture that same little girl, in her comfortable home, surrounded by a family who love and adore her. Her mom asks a simple question, like: "Sweetie, what kind of cereal would you like?" Instantly, her beautiful face is filled with intense emotion and she screams, more like a wild animal than a child, for five minutes, or it may continue for two hours. The only thing that might interrupt the screaming is her stopping, occasionally, to frantically bite her wrist, hard enough to leave teeth marks.

Would it surprise you to learn that I have just described a high-functioning autistic child?

Now take a peek at the same child at age twelve, entering her classroom each day. Her teacher marvels to herself, as she watches this young girl navigate skillfully, smoothly and seemingly naturally throughout the classroom. Had the teacher not known her student's history of autism, she likely would never have guessed. In her own words, the only time this teacher is aware of the child's autism, is when she reads the amazing stories and illustrations created by this extraordinary girl. She would then muse to herself: "There is no way a "typical" grade-seven student could write and draw like this "

Do you get the feeling that an amazing transformation has taken place? Is the child no longer autistic? Has she grown out of it? Has she learned through behavior management to "manage" it? Was she just "a little bit autistic" and now she's "better?" There is no simple answer; autism is far too complex and diverse a disorder for it to be addressed so simply. But it is a fascinating disorder and this child's life has been an incredible journey Her name is Genevieve.

- Applies a perspective rooted in popular music studies to understanding music in the parent-child relationship, offering a fresh take on the study of early childhood music - By bringing together popular music and early childhood, appeals across disciplines to popular music, media studies, and music education - Includes both case studies and broad analysis that draws together insights from across the literature, making this an engaging overview that can readily be used by students as well as researchers

Raising the Perfect Child Through Guilt and Manipulation is not one of those traditional, all-too-earnest parenting guides that, for generations, have sucked all the fun out of child rearing. The foundation of Elizabeth Beckwith's Guilt and Manipulation family philosophy is simple: We do things a certain way, and everyone else is an a**hole.

Is that something you should put on a bumper sticker and slap on your minivan? Of course not--that would be trashy. But in the privacy of your own home, you can employ these essential components of Guilt and Manipulation to mold the little runts ruthlessly yet effectively into children you won't be embarrassed to admit are yours: Creating a Team: "Us" vs. "Them"How to Scare the Crap Out of Your Child (in a Positive Way) Don't Be Afraid to Raise a Nerd Mind Control: Why It's a Good Thing

Th is book details the process of rearing our son Joel, autistic since birth. It contains many practical suggestions for parents, teachers, and community leaders for how to deal with children and adults diagnosed as autistic. Th e philosophies and suggestions contained in these pages are based on the trials, joys, successes, and failures along the pathway of parenting. While the lens is through the eyes of a parent, much of the information is applicable to educators, employers, and people whose lives intersect with autism in some way.

This tale is one of the great romances of modern times and is accompanied by the many trials and tribulations endured by an average family. It contains love, pathos, adventures, travels and hardships which confronted an ordinary family and how they handled these situations. There are many light and entertaining and some rather sad moments described in this Tale. This is a story for light and entertainment reading.

When Michelle Obama posed for her official portrait she was already breaking new ground as the first African American First Lady. But there was something else revolutionary - she wore a sleeveless dress. Michelle's arms are sleek, strong and toned, and all over the news. And now women want to emulate her. In Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy, celebrity trainer JJ Virgin offers simple workouts that only take twenty minutes, three times a week, and will sculpt your arms to perfection. With exercises that can be done in the comfort of your home and don't require expensive or hard-to-use equipment, JJ will give women sleek, toned arms while not turning them into the Incredible She-Hulk. And in addition, readers will learn how to attain better health and a more active lifestyle. After all, pumping weights isn't the only way to fit arms - it also requires healthy eating, de-stressing and knowledge of how your body works. JJ knows what it's like to be a woman wary of exposing her arms. She has seen women break down in tears worrying about showing flab on their wedding day. She knows that arms can be signs of strength and power, but also of shame and regret. Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy has attitude, charm and a can-do spirit that will give you the right to bare arms!

Caroline . Thompson enjoy s encouraging others to build and preserve family unity, tradition, and heritage. She believes strongly that these, along with unconditional love, are all vital to the healthy development of children and young adults. In Priceless Love, she reminisces about her experiences as a child growing up in Nigeria, sharing her thoughts on the importance of giving priceless love, emotional support, and discipline to best shape today's youth. She also draws upon her background as an educator, counselor, and youth advocate while expressing her views on the value of a quality education and career fulfillment.

She hopes to inspire readers with her thoughts and recommendations on priceless love and the impact it could have on our children, immediate families, local communities, and society at large. Priceless love can facilitate the building of a lasting legacy and enhance the moral, spiritual, and emotional development of children and youth of today.

By providing priceless love, we can equip youths with beneficial and desirable attributes such as strong moral values, well-rounded educational training, self-esteem, creativity, patriotism, self-sufficiency, integrity, trustworthiness, hard work, dedication, faith and hope.