Check Mates

Check Mates
Author: Stewart Foster
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2019-06-27
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1471172244

WINNER OF THE UKLA BOOK AWARDS 2021 'Funny and heartfelt with a cunning twist. Stewart Foster is a grandmaster' – ROSS WELFORD 'An inspirational underdog story and a chilling mystery! A winning combination' – DAVID SOLOMONS Some people think that I’m a problem child, that I’m lazy and never pay attention in lessons. But the thing is, I’m not a problem child at all. I’m just a child with a problem. Felix is struggling at school. His ADHD makes it hard for him to concentrate and his grades are slipping. Everyone keeps telling him to try harder, but no one seems to understand just how hard he finds it. When Mum suggests Felix spends time with his grandfather, Felix can’t think of anything worse. Granddad hasn’t been the same since Grandma died. Plus he’s always trying to teach Felix boring chess. But sometimes the best lessons come in the most unexpected of places, and Granddad soon shows Felix that there’s everything to play for. Praise for ALL THE THINGS THAT COULD GO WRONG 'A moving, humane, funny portrait of two very different boys discovering what connects us all.' Kiran Milwood Hargrave, author ofThe Girl of Ink and Stars ‘It’s amazing!’ Ross Welford, author of Time Travelling with a Hamster 'I loved it.' Lisa Thompson, author of The Goldfish Boy 'A touching, funny, gripping read that tackles important issues in a sensitive and thoroughly enjoyable way. Highly recommended.' Stuart Robinson, author of If Ever I Fall 'A timely story of courage and reminder of what we all share.' Christopher Edge, author ofThe Many Worlds of Albie Bright 'Powerful and warm ... this will linger long in the mind.' Guardian Praise for THE BUBBLE BOY, winner of the Sainsbury's Children's Book Award in 2016 ‘Poignant, hopeful and heartbreaking.’ Fiona Noble – Children’s Editor, The Bookseller 'Deeply moving and utterly gripping . . . Stewart Foster carries off an astonishing feat of storytelling in this exceptional book' Julia Eccleshare, lovereading.co.uk ‘A gripping and deeply moving book.’ Jamila Gavin, author of Coram Boy 'One thing we know about good books is their amazing ability to inspire empathy in the reader; to explore ideas and viewpoints that arise from experiences that are out of our own realm. The Bubble Boy does this with warmth, quirkiness and a light-hearted touch.' Guardian

Checkered Mates

Checkered Mates
Author: Tricia Knoll
Publisher: Kelsay Books
Total Pages: 54
Release: 2021-03-13
Genre:
ISBN: 9781954353138

In a letter-poem to her first husband, who's having sex-change surgery, Tricia Knoll writes, "You are wise to join us. We need all the smart ones we can assemble." Knoll might well chair that assembly herself; but the poet's piercing intelligence is enhanced in this superb collection by wryness, compassion, and often enough, humor. Precise and rangy at once, she seems to strike the right note no matter what she considers, her work aptly served by her uncanny eye for exact and eloquent detail. -Sydney Lea, Poet Laureate of Vermont (2011-2015)The poems in Tricia Knoll's Checkered Mates-by turns tender, raw, and truthful-mark a departure from her usual work. Though her lifelong intimacy with the natural world remains omnipresent in this volume as well, she more often turns her incisive gaze toward humans and her own past relationships. Yet no matter the subject, the "honest harvest" of these poems is always their authentic unfolding so that we emerge from each poem, and the book as a whole, more aware of our own mortality, ready to "break open / the way love does." -James Crews, Editor of How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude & Hope Tricia Knoll is an original, her slant on life curious, generous, cheeky, and always surprising as she "backtrack[s] matrimonial trails" and "embrace[s] bare facts," including the "kindness of getting old." Whether standing on a dike in New Orleans, lifting weights with a friend, or waiting in the airport for an ex-husband who has undergone gender-affirming surgery, she remains alert to eros, compassion, and the play of metaphor. For all the life in her narratives, her rhythms and sounds are equal to them-"Low-slung, the lunar face is acned styrofoam," or "A soft wind dries the sweat of climb"-as she moves through poems with the tenacity of a chess player. Mate. -Rebecca Starks, Author of Time Is Always Now

100 Easy Checkmates

100 Easy Checkmates
Author: Larry Evans
Publisher: Cardoza Publishing
Total Pages: 80
Release:
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 1580425194

This is a great book for beginning players, especially children. These easy one- and two-move checkmates are not only fun but also great training tools. Set up for quick learning, the author presents one hundred basic mating situations in large-sized, easy-to-understand diagrams. You are asked to solve the mate, and then shown how to solve the problem using plain words. Both challenging and fun, this practical guide is great for all beginning players. 144 pages

1001 Deadly Checkmates

1001 Deadly Checkmates
Author: John Nunn
Publisher: Gambit Publications
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2011
Genre: Checkmate (Chess)
ISBN: 9781906454258

For all chess-players, from beginners to world champions, from kids to seniors, delivering checkmate is the greatest thrill the game has to offer. The ability to spot checkmates is a vital skill - and this easy-to-use book shows you how it is done. With the help of Grandmaster John Nunn, you will be ready to shock your next opponent with a deadly checkmate, whether in a school match, a club tournament - or even a championship game! By focusing exclusively on positions from real games, ranging from junior events to grandmaster encounters, Nunn ensures that the mates featured are those which arise most often in real life. He also highlights themes and ideas that are often missed in practice. While solving these puzzles, your all-important 'mental library' of patterns will grow, leading to an immediate increase in your playing strength. All 1001 puzzle positions have been carefully checked, and are graded by theme and difficulty. Points are awarded for finding the checkmate, so you can measure your skill. Most of the puzzles are suitable for novice and junior players. The last chapter challenges you with 'extreme checkmates', but don't worry: you'll be ready for them!

Skycircus

Skycircus
Author: Peter Bunzl
Publisher: North Star Editions, Inc.
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2020-02-11
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1631634321

When a traveling skycircus arrives in town, Lily and Robert can’t wait to step aboard. But something sinister lurks there. And before Lily and Robert can do anything, they’re captured and whisked off in the mysterious flying circus to somewhere far, far away...

All the Things That Could Go Wrong

All the Things That Could Go Wrong
Author: Stewart Foster
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 293
Release: 2018-09-04
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0316416819

A moving and beautifully written story about what can happen when two completely different boys are forced to put aside their differences, for fans of Wonder. There are two sides to every story. Alex's OCD is so severe that it's difficult for him to even leave his house some days. His classmate Dan is so angry that he lashes out at the easiest target he can find at school: Alex. When their moms arrange for Alex and Dan to spend time together over winter break, it seems like a recipe for certain disaster...until it isn't. Once forced together, these two sworn enemies discover that there is much more to each other than they ever knew.

A Modern Guide to Checkmating Patterns

A Modern Guide to Checkmating Patterns
Author: Vladimir Barsky
Publisher: New In Chess
Total Pages: 702
Release: 2020-05-18
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 9056918893

Giving mate is the ultimate goal of every chess player. Finding that all-decisive combination is immensely satisfying. But how are you supposed to spot a checkmate when you are sitting at the board with the clock ticking? In this guide International Master Vladimir Barsky teaches the method created by his mentor Viktor Khenkin (1923-2010). It’s based on an ingenious classification of the most frequently occurring mating schemes. A wide range of chess players will find it an extremely useful tool to recognize mating patterns and calculate the often narrow path to the kill. All the 1,000 examples (850 of them in exercise format) that Barsky presents are from games played in 21st century. He has carefully selected the most instructive combinations and lucidly explains the typical techniques to corner your opponent’s king. More often than you would expect, positions that look innocent at first sight, turn out to contain a mating pattern. This is not just another book full of chess puzzles. It’s a brilliantly organized course that has proven to be effective. Finding mate isn’t rocket science, but you need to know what to look for. Vladimir Barsky teaches you exactly that.

What Not to Do If You Turn Invisible

What Not to Do If You Turn Invisible
Author: Ross Welford
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2018-10-09
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0399551549

A surprising, stunningly beautiful, and funny novel about a girl who turns invisible and, in the process, discovers who she really is, from the author of TIME TRAVELING WITH A HAMSTER Twelve-year-old Ethel Leatherhead only meant to cure her acne, not turn herself invisible. But that's exactly what happens when she combines herbs bought on the Internet with time spent in a secondhand tanning bed. At first it's terrifying to be invisible . . . and then it's fun . . . but when the effect doesn't wear off one day, Ethel is thrown into a heart-stopping adventure. With her friend Boydy by her side, Ethel struggles to conceal her invisibility, all the while unraveling the biggest secret of all: who she really is. From the talented author of Time Traveling with a Hamster comes another utterly original, deeply poignant--and humorous--novel about a girl who, by disappearing, will write herself into your heart forever.

The Chequer Board

The Chequer Board
Author: Nevil Shute
Publisher: Alien Ebooks
Total Pages: 397
Release: 2023-03-24
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1667602837

The Chequer Board tells the story of five men who meet in a military hospital during World War II. The men are from different backgrounds and have had different life experiences, but they are brought together by their experiences of war and injury. The novel follows each man's personal journey, as they struggle to come to terms with their injuries and the impact of the war on their lives. The five men make a pact to meet again in ten years, to see how their lives have progressed. The novel then shifts to their individual stories, as each man faces his own challenges and obstacles in the years that follow. The novel explores themes of friendship, sacrifice, love, and the impact of war on individuals and society. Ultimately, the men's lives intersect again, and the novel shows the different paths they have taken and the lessons they have learned.

Checkmate for Children

Checkmate for Children
Author: Kevin Stark
Publisher: New In Chess
Total Pages: 144
Release: 2014-02-01
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 9056914634

Beginners of all ages will win more games after studying this easy-to-follow book. This isn?t another random collection of puzzles, but a systematic course that teaches you how to checkmate your opponent. Experienced chess coach Kevin Stark explains elementary mating patterns in all the important positions and provides many tests to see if you have really mastered the technique. A fun book and a great help in achieving the ultimate goal in chess.