A discussion of pop culture messages about masculinity, their impact on boys, and the benefits of introducing more gender balance to boys' lives.

When most people think about gender stereotypes and children, they envision princesses, dolls, and pink clothing. Few consider the warriors, muscle-bound action figures, and T-shirts covered in graffiti and skulls that are assumed to signify masculinity.

The pop culture environment that surrounds boys introduces them to a world where traditionally masculine traits-like toughness, aggression, and stoicism-are highly esteemed and where female influence is all but absent.

"The Achilles Effect" explores gender bias in the entertainment aimed at primary school boys, focusing on the dominant themes in children's TV shows, toy advertising, movies, and books: gender stereotypes of both sexes, male dominance, negative portrayals of fathers, breaking of the mother/son bond, and the devaluing of femininity. It examines the gender messages sent by pop culture, provides strategies for countering these messages, and encourages discussion of a vitally important issue that is rarely talked about-boys and their often skewed understanding of gender.

"The Achilles Effect" is a guide for parents, educators, and students who want to learn more about male and female stereotypes, their continued strong presence in kids' pop culture, and their effect on young boys.

Brimming with deliciously mysterious magic, political intrigue, and a passionate heroine who will do anything to save the ones she loves--this highly anticipated sequel to Bloodleaf, praised as "enchanting, visceral, and twisty" by Laura Sebastian, won't disappoint. Princess Aurelia's life is upended when the kingdom she thought she saved falls to ruin, a loved one is tragically killed in a shipwreck, and her home country turns against her. With no place left to call her own, Aurelia returns to Greythorne Manor--her best friend's family mansion--only to find that Greythorne has sinister secrets of its own. With enemies closing in on all sides, Aurelia is caught in a mad fight to protect the only people she has left--her family. In her darkest moments, when all seems grim, will Aurelia find a spark of hope from a love she thought long lost?

Get ready to be swept away, seduced, and swindled in the wickedly vicious third and final installment in the Bloodleaf series that Laura Sebastian called "enchanting, visceral, and twisty." When Aurelia awakens from her magic-induced sleep, it is to the face of a rescuer she didn't expect, in a body she doesn't understand, and into a world she no longer recognizes. Desperate to know what happened to Conrad, Zan, and Kellan after the events at Greythorne Manor, Aurelia follows the threads they left behind straight into the forest. Suddenly she finds herself caught in a web of magic, intrigue, passion, and betrayal that stretches across centuries and ultimately reveals that Aurelia is the final piece of a deadly apocalyptic plan that is only days away. All Aurelia wants is to reclaim her life and reunite with those she loved and lost; but with the end of the world looming, she's forced to unravel the dark secrets of the distant past before she can get that chance. With the fate of mankind on her shoulders, Aurelia must venture into the heart of the Ebonwilde and face the darkest parts of the forest-and of herself. Ebonwilde is the thrilling conclusion to the epic Bloodleaf series, which Laura Sebastian called "a phantasmagorical wonder" and Sara Holland described as an "eerie, immersive, and fascinating" read.

After Grandpa dies, a girl and her mother take the trip he had planned for her, kayaking along the Pacific west coast to look for the whales that he loved. The trip will do them good, Mom says, but the girl isn’t sure. How can that be true when Grandpa isn’t there? And how will they find a whale in all that water, anyway? There is so much to see as they paddle through white-tipped waves and calm coves: glowing moon jellies, fluttering anemones and slippery seals. All the while, the girl watches for whales. Could one be swimming beneath their kayak or along the shore of their camp? Are the whales even there?  Finally, in the dark of night, they hear them — pushhhhhhhh, pushhhhhhh — humpbacks breathing in the bay.  In this lyrical story, luminously illustrated by Crystal Smith, mom and daughter find the space to grieve Grandpa and reconnect with each other in the wild beauty of nature. And they come to realize that — perhaps like whales — those we’ve loved are always with us, even if we don’t see them anymore. Key Text Features illustrations Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

Aurelia is a princess, but they call her a witch. Surrounded by spirits and burdened with forbidden magic, she lives in constant fear of discovery by the witch-hunting Tribunal and their bloodthirsty mobs. When a devastating assassination attempt reveals her magical abilities, Aurelia is forced to flee her country with nothing but her life. Alone and adrift in an enemy kingdom, Aurelia plans her revenge against the Tribunal, desperate to bring down the dark organization that has wrought terror upon her people for hundreds of years. But there's something deeply amiss in her new home, too, and soon she finds herself swept into a deadly new mystery with a secretive prince, the ghost of an ancient queen, and a poison vine called Bloodleaf. Aurelia is entangled in a centuries-long game of love, power, and war, and if she can't break free before the Tribunal makes its last move, she may lose far more than her crown.

It's Willow's first day on the job at Godly Acres, the world's premier rehabilitation facility for gods and goddesses, and she might be in over her head. Sex addiction, alcoholism, eating disorders, goat herpes...you name it, there's a Greek god who has it. Will she be able to help these gods and goddesses work through their issues? Find out in Goat Herpes and Other Problems (Goat Herpes and Other Problems contains the plays "Godly Acres," "Godly Acres: Bitch Session," and "Playing Doctor.")

This is a compelling story about the lives' of two best friends, Lisha and Bre, who were brought together under normal circumstances. Well, that is what they thought, until the deep dark secrets of their past unravels and things fall apart for them. Lisha, a young nurse that works at Grady Hospital, endures her share of heartache and pain growing up without her parents. She finally meets her prince charming, Rah, who makes her forget that her past ever existed, until everything is brought out of the dark. Lisha will be faced with the ultimate sacrifice of choosing her past that she fought so hard to forget, or her future, which she loves dearly. Bre loved her family so much that she put her life on the line countless times to keep food on the table. She ran from her past and right into the arms of Black, her knight and shining armor, that happens to be Rah's cousin. Their relationship starts out like magic, but will Bre's trifling ways cause her to lose her knight and shining armor forever? The secrets between these people will come out and danger will strike. Will these friendships be strong enough to last after everything is put to the test? Will the deepest secrets ever revealed in Atlanta, Georgia change everyone's life forever, or give them a stronger bond than before?

Satan is sure that his overachieving son will run Hell someday, but his wife has a secret that may change everything. Jesus wants to quit his job to start a Christian metal band, and now it's up to God to find a new Messiah...but the person he has in mind doesn't want the job. Will God be able to find a suitable Messiah? Will Christian metal be as terrible as it sounds, or will Jesus take the music business by storm? Will Satan and Angel's relationship survive Angel's betrayal? You'll find answers to these questions and more (How did Judas end up with a courtroom TV show?) in Never Trust an Angel and Other Plays. This book is dedicated to Catherine Hicks and Tasha Lucia, two wonderful women who were taken from us too soon. One dollar from every copy of this book sold will be donated to the SC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in their honor.

This book will make you laugh, shed a tear, and maybe start, help or save a relationship. This book will make you think, daydream over a picture, or if you're lucky it will make you want to roll your eyes. It has a little of everything. We know you will like it enough to share with a friend. Crystal and I decided to turn beer talk into reality. Beer talk is when you hangout around a fire pit or at a kitchen table and jabber about what you want to do with your life until you get so excited that you can actually see it in front of you. So we planned how we wanted the book to turn out and created "A Cowboy's Random Thoughts with or without the Tequila." All I am saying is if you want to watch a dream come true, have a beer while sitting around a fire pit. Just decide you are gong to make to happen and do it.

This fast paced Urban Saga, with the perfect twist of spirituality and real life drama will take you on one of the most exciting rides of your life; blessing you with a valuable lesson with each turning chapter. This unforgettable page turner will leave you breathless while allowing you to experience secrets, sex, and spirituality unfold right before your eyes. Patience, a college student by day and a stripper by night ventures out into the cold streets of Atlanta all alone to do whatever it takes to make her dreams a reality. Being a ward of the state for most of her life contributed to the foundation of her ambitious nature and her stone cold heart; as she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders trusting no one. Patience only interest at this point in life was SELF; she figured that was all she needed because it was all she'd ever had. Her self-made nature left very little room for anything else especially LOVE, a force so unfamiliar to her. Is love powerful enough to break the toughest person down and change their entire life forever? Essence takes on Atlanta by storm with her chain of Lofts in Atlantic Station and her endless amounts of cash flow. Essence is drowned in money and her soul is filled with pride as she blindly lives the perfect life with her perfect family. She has everything a woman could want and she HONORS herself and her family above it all. Is the price of honoring the dollar bill a little bit more expensive than she can bargain? Is the perfect life that she honors really the "perfect life"? Jade was forced to grow up before her time, and with very little parental influence she hits the streets hard and gullible as ever. Scarred from her traumatized past and mentally broken from her abusive relationship, leaves her fighting for her life. The cards life continuously deals her makes it hard to determine if BETRAYL is her true motive as she fights hard to play the hand. The gritty streets of Atlanta will show you exactly what it means to Love, Honor, and Betray, as you travel on a journey with these three ladies who all share a very special bond. Is there a price to pay for love? Can too much honor ultimately destroy you? Is every form of betrayal considered personal, or are some things just out of our control? The answers will be vividly revealed as you enter into a world that will soon be turned upside down by the one and only. Love, Honor, and Betrayal will be the common denominator for these three friends; each woman getting hit with their own dose of the three forces.