A Place for Pluto

A Place for Pluto
Author: Stef Wade
Publisher: Capstone Editions
Total Pages: 16
Release: 2019-07
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 168446093X

Shocked to be stripped of his planet status, Pluto goes on a quest to find his place in the universe. Includes educational materials.

Stef Soto, Taco Queen

Stef Soto, Taco Queen
Author: Jennifer Torres
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 141
Release: 2017-01-17
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0316306878

A deliciously charming and heartwarming novel, all wrapped up in a warm tortilla. Tacos. Burritos. Guacamole. Estefania "Stef" Soto is itching to shake off the onion-and-cilantro embrace of Tia Perla, her family's taco truck. She wants nothing more than for Papi to get a normal job and for the taco truck to be a distant memory. Then maybe everyone at school will stop calling her the Taco Queen. But when her family's livelihood is threatened, and it looks like her wish will finally come true, Stef surprises everyone (including herself) by becoming the truck's unlikely champion. In this fun and heartfelt novel, Stef will discover what matters most and ultimately embrace her identity, even if it includes old Tia Perla.

Yearnings in the Meantime

Yearnings in the Meantime
Author: Stef Jansen
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2015-06-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1782386513

Shortly after the book’s protagonists moved into their apartment complex in Sarajevo, they, like many others, were overcome by the 1992-1995 war and the disintegration of socialist Yugoslavia More than a decade later, in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina, they felt they were collectively stuck in a time warp where nothing seemed to be as it should be. Starting from everyday concerns, this book paints a compassionate yet critical portrait of people’s sense that they were in limbo, trapped in a seemingly endless “Meantime.” Ethnographically investigating yearnings for “normal lives” in the European semi-periphery, it proposes fresh analytical tools to explore how the time and place in which we are caught shape our hopes and fears.

The Very Last Leaf

The Very Last Leaf
Author: Stef Wade
Publisher:
Total Pages: 33
Release: 2020
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1684461057

Lance Cottonwood is the best and brightest of the leaves, but even the top students on the tree have worries. Can Lance conquer his fear of falling and just let go when the time comes for his final exam, or will he let his worries take over? In this funny and encouraging picture book, best-selling author Stef Wade (A Place for Pluto) tells an engaging story and deftly addresses social and emotional struggles many kids encounter each day...feeling anxious, wanting to be perfect, facing fears, etc. These themes combined with illustrator Jennifer Davison's delightful characters and rich autumnal colors make The Very Last Leaf a perfect book for the start of a new school year, the arrival of autumn, or any period of transition in life.

Donut the Destroyer: A Graphic Novel

Donut the Destroyer: A Graphic Novel
Author: Sarah Graley
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 195
Release: 2020-06-02
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1338611151

A hilarious and unique graphic novel of friendship, family, and what happens when you defy and exceed expectations. Donut (middle name: The; last name: Destroyer) has a heart of gold and incredible strength. She lives in a world where everyone is born with a special ability and can choose whether to develop it for good or evil. Donut has just received the best news of her life -- she's been accepted to Lionheart School for Heroes! But her parents are the most infamous villains around, and her best friend, Ivy, can't understand why Donut would choose a life of boring heroism and ruin their plans to cause chaos. Donut is determined to prove that, despite her last name, she's meant to go her own way and be a hero. Meanwhile, Ivy cooks up a plan to get Donut kicked out of Lionheart -- and back on track to villainy!

The Tenderness of Wolves

The Tenderness of Wolves
Author: Stef Penney
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2008-03-04
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1416571302

When her teenage son disappears in the aftermath of a brutal murder, a determined mother sets out from her snow-covered nineteenth-century settlement to find him, an effort that is hampered by vigilante groups and the harrowing forces of nature. A first novel.

Trans Medicine

Trans Medicine
Author: stef m. shuster
Publisher: NYU Press
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2021-06-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1479842818

**Finalist, PROSE Award in Clinical Medicine** A rich examination of the history of trans medicine and current day practice Surfacing in the mid-twentieth century, yet shrouded in social stigma, transgender medicine is now a rapidly growing medical field. In Trans Medicine, stef shuster makes an important intervention in how we understand the development of this field and how it is being used to “treat” gender identity today. Drawing on interviews with medical providers as well as ethnographic and archival research, shuster examines how health professionals approach patients who seek gender-affirming care. From genital reconstructions to hormone injections, the practice of trans medicine charts new medical ground, compelling medical professionals to plan treatments without widescale clinical trials to back them up. Relying on cultural norms and gut instincts to inform their treatment plans, shuster shows how medical providers’ lack of clinical experience and scientific research undermines their ability to interact with patients, craft treatment plans, and make medical decisions. This situation defies how providers are trained to work with patients and creates uncertainty. As providers navigate the developing knowledge surrounding the medical care of trans folk, Trans Medicine offers a rare opportunity to understand how providers make decisions while facing challenges to their expertise and, in the process, have acquired authority not only over clinical outcomes, but over gender itself.

The Map

The Map
Author: Stef Tovar
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 143
Release: 2021-10-15
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1493060945

The MAP: An Actor's Guide to On-Camera Acting teaches on-camera acting in a practical and technical way—helping new actors understand the rules of on-camera acting as if they are learning a foreign language and applying that language to their acting skill set. The book gives actors a step-by-step technique on how to audition for on-camera acting jobs and what to do on set after booking them. Many on-camera acting books are written by established movie stars and aren't geared toward actors in an undergraduate acting program or those who are just starting to audition for on-camera jobs for the first time. Stef Tovar teaches his proven on-camera acting technique, shows actors how to make the perfect self-tape, and prepares them for life on set—detailing the differences between working in the theater vs. working in television and film. The author peppers the text with his own stories from set as examples, including auditioning for Lee Daniels and working with Matt Damon, Steven Soderbergh, and many others. The MAP is a funny and encouraging perspective from a seasoned actor who shares with aspiring actors things no one tells you before booking your first on-camera acting job.

Home Is Where the Birds Sing

Home Is Where the Birds Sing
Author: Cynthia Rylant
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2022-05-17
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1534449574

Illustrations and text celebrate the many things--both big and small--that make a place feel like home.