The Good, the Bad, and the Backstory

The Good, the Bad, and the Backstory
Author: Melissa Minery
Publisher: Boys Town Press
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2022-02-10
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1545755019

Welcome to a day in the life of five middle school students – Ashley, Kenishia, Taara, Ryan and Andrew. Their day begins in the early morning hours when each of them is roused from slumber. Some awaken to the sound of an annoying alarm. Others are scared out of bed by Mom or Dad. Then there’s Ryan, who oversleeps – again. He forgot to set his alarm clock and no one’s ever at home to wake him. Ryan gets to school late. Melanie arrives excited and energetic. Tara comes anxious and distracted. Andrew shows up ready to bully someone, and Ashley enters sad and sulking because of unkind gossip she heard on the bus. As they walk the hallways, attend class and navigate the dreaded lunchroom, they experience all of the messiness of middle school – the fragile friendships, the peer pressure, the fickle social hierarchy and the relationship drama. Issues at home and interactions at school influence how they relate to one another, their classmates and their teachers throughout the day. Author Melissa Minery gives the reader a birdseye view of a middle school day as it unfolds for each character, offering an unflinching look at how a child’s backstory – family life, values, beliefs, triumphs and tragedies – influences his or her actions. Written for middle schoolers, it’s a truetolife story with a valuable message about courage, forgiveness, empathy and understanding.

The Good, the Bad and the Backstory

The Good, the Bad and the Backstory
Author: Melissa Minery
Publisher: Boys Town Press
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2021-03-09
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1944882715

This unique story presents a timeline of events from sunup to sundown, in a day in the life of five seventh graders - Ashley, Kenisha, Taara, Ryan and Andrew. As they walk the hallways, attend class and navigate the dreaded lunchroom, they experience all the messiness of middle school - the fragile friendships, the peer pressure, the fickle social hierarchy and the relationship drama. Issues at home and interactions at school influence how they relate to one another, their classmates and their teachers throughout the day. Author Melissa Minery gives the reader a birds-eye view of a middle school as it unfolds for each character, offering an unflinching look at how a child's backstory - family life, values, beliefs, triumphs and tragedies - influences his or her actions. A true-to-life story with a valuable message about courage, forgiveness, empathy and understanding. By the story's end, the reader will have walked in each character's shoes and have a better understanding of how a single event can have a big influence. 172 pgs.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Author: John Berendt
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 417
Release: 1994-01-13
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 0679429220

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A modern classic of true crime, set in a most beguiling Southern city—now in a 30th anniversary edition with a new afterword by the author “Elegant and wicked . . . might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime.”—The New York Times Book Review Shots rang out in Savannah’s grandest mansion in the misty, early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. In this sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative, John Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case. It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman’s Card Club; the turbulent young gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the “soul of pampered self-absorption”; the uproariously funny drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young people dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience.

The Good, The Bad and The History

The Good, The Bad and The History
Author: Jodi Taylor
Publisher: Headline
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2023-06-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 103540494X

BOOK 14 IN THE CHRONICLES OF ST MARY'S SERIES, FROM THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER JODI TAYLOR. ⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ 'Brilliant, hilarious, keeps you on your toes' Reader review 'The characters make me come back time and time again' Reader review 'I have not found another author who can tell a story involving time travel as well' Reader review ⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ St Mary's is under investigation. Their director has been shot and Max is Number One Suspect. Can things get any worse? We all know the answer to that one. Max needs to get away - fast - and a Brilliant Idea soon leads her to a full-scale uprising in twentieth-century China. If she can come by a historical treasure or two in the process, even better. That is, if she makes it out alive. Then there's the small matter of Insight - the sinister organisation from the future hell bent on changing History for their own dark ends. Having successfully infiltrated their ranks, Max is perfectly placed to stop them. But she knows her cover will soon be blown - because it's already happened. Can Max take down Insight before they come after her? The circle is closing, and only one can survive... For fans of Terry Pratchett, Jasper Fforde, Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series and Doctor Who. WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT JODI TAYLOR 'Once in a while, I discover an author who changes everything... Jodi Taylor and her protagonista Madeleine "Max" Maxwell have seduced me' READER REVIEW 'Jodi Taylor is quite simply the Queen of Time. Her books are a swashbuckling joyride through History' C. K. MCDONNELL 'This amazing series is anything but formulaic. Just when you think you've got to grips with everything, out comes the rug from under your feet' READER REVIEW 'Wonderfully imaginative' SFF WORLD 'Addictive. I wish St Mary's was real and I was a part of it' READER REVIEW 'Every page bubbles with energy' BRITISH FANTASY SOCIETY 'St Mary's stories are the much-anticipated highlight of my year' READER REVIEW 'Jodi Taylor has an imagination that gets me completely hooked' READER REVIEW 'A tour de force' READER REVIEW

Good Kids, Bad City

Good Kids, Bad City
Author: Kyle Swenson
Publisher: Picador
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2019-02-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1250120241

From award-winning investigative journalist Kyle Swenson, Good Kids, Bad City is the true story of the longest wrongful imprisonment in the United States to end in exoneration, and a critical social and political history of Cleveland, the city that convicted them. In the early 1970s, three African-American men—Wiley Bridgeman, Kwame Ajamu, and Rickey Jackson—were accused and convicted of the brutal robbery and murder of a man outside of a convenience store in Cleveland, Ohio. The prosecution’s case, which resulted in a combined 106 years in prison for the three men, rested on the more-than-questionable testimony of a pre-teen, Ed Vernon. The actual murderer was never found. Almost four decades later, Vernon recanted his testimony, and Wiley, Kwame, and Rickey were released. But while their exoneration may have ended one of American history’s most disgraceful miscarriages of justice, the corruption and decay of the city responsible for their imprisonment remain on trial. Interweaving the dramatic details of the case with Cleveland’s history—one that, to this day, is fraught with systemic discrimination and racial tension—Swenson reveals how this outrage occurred and why. Good Kids, Bad City is a work of astonishing empathy and insight: an immersive exploration of race in America, the struggling Midwest, and how lost lives can be recovered.

Presentation Zen

Presentation Zen
Author: Garr Reynolds
Publisher: Pearson Education
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2009-04-15
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0321601890

FOREWORD BY GUY KAWASAKI Presentation designer and internationally acclaimed communications expert Garr Reynolds, creator of the most popular Web site on presentation design and delivery on the Net — presentationzen.com — shares his experience in a provocative mix of illumination, inspiration, education, and guidance that will change the way you think about making presentations with PowerPoint or Keynote. Presentation Zen challenges the conventional wisdom of making "slide presentations" in today’s world and encourages you to think differently and more creatively about the preparation, design, and delivery of your presentations. Garr shares lessons and perspectives that draw upon practical advice from the fields of communication and business. Combining solid principles of design with the tenets of Zen simplicity, this book will help you along the path to simpler, more effective presentations.

Good Brother, Bad Brother

Good Brother, Bad Brother
Author: James Cross Giblin
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2005
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 9780618096428

On April 14, 1865, five days after the end of the Civil War, John Wilkes Booth fired a single shot and changed the course of American history. His infamous deed cost him his life and brought notoriety and shame to his family-particularly his elder brother, the renowned actor Edwin Booth. From that day forward, Edwin would be known as "the brother of the man who killed President Lincoln." In many ways, the Booth brothers were two of a kind. They were among America's finest actors, having inherited from their father, Junius Brutus Booth, a commanding stage presence and a rich, expressive voice. They also inherited Junius's penchant for alcohol and impulsive behavior. In other respects, the two brothers were very different. Edwin's introspective nature made him the perfect actor to play Hamlet, while John, with his dashing good looks and passionate intensity, excelled in romantic roles. They also stood at opposite poles politically. Edwin voted for Abraham Lincoln; John was an ardent advocate of the Confederacy. Award-winning author James Cross Giblin draws on first-hand accounts of family members, friends, and colleagues to create a vivid image of John Wilkes, the loving son and brother who became an assassin. Equally clear is the picture of Edwin, who battled his own weaknesses and emerged a pivotal figure in the development of the American theater. Comprehensive and compelling, this dual portrait illuminates a dark and tragic moment in the nation's history and explores the complex legacy of two leading men-one revered, the other abhorred. Book jacket.

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead
Author: Kim Harrison
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 422
Release: 2008-06-24
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0061567310

It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowlng the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night. She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pushing the limits. Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play—and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul.

Will I Ever Be Free of You?

Will I Ever Be Free of You?
Author: Karyl McBride
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2016-03-15
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 1476755728

"A practical guide to separating and divorcing from a narcissist, healing yourself, and protecting your children"--