Christmas Jars – August 1, 2006 PDF

Christmas Jars Hardcover – August 1, 2006
Author: Visit ‘s Jason F. Wright Page ID: 159038699X

From Publishers Weekly

In a plot reminiscent of Penelope Stokes’s The Blue Bottle Club and Angela Hunt’s The Note, a journalist happens upon a human interest story that winds up teaching her lessons about love and forgiveness and renewing her own faith in human kindness. On Christmas Eve, twenty-something Hope Jensen is quietly grieving the recent loss of her adoptive mother when her apartment is robbed. The one bright spot in the midst of Hope’s despair is a small jar full of money someone has anonymously left on her doorstep. Eager to learn the source of this unexpected generosity, Hope uses her newswoman instincts to find other recipients of “Christmas jars,” digging until her search leads her to the family who first began the tradition of saving a year’s worth of spare change to give to someone in need at the holiday. Wright commits some rookie mistakes in style and pacing; the novel veers heavily toward melodrama at some junctures, and he tends to show us and tell us about his characters. Still, the heart of this novella is its transformative message about the power of giving, a compelling theme that calls to mind books like Pay It Forward and The Kingdom Assignment.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

–This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

“Beautifully written. I believe The Christmas Jars tradition will change lives.” — Richard Paul Evans, New York Times bestselling author of The Christmas Box and Finding Noel –This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Hardcover: 149 pagesPublisher: Shadow Mountain; 1 edition (September 1, 2006)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 159038699XISBN-13: 978-1590386996 Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces Best Sellers Rank: #199,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #6811 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Literature & Fiction #7772 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Religious & Inspirational #30799 in Books > Literature & Fiction > United States
Christmas Jars is a little book with a big message about the Christmas season. In an age when Christmas gift giving has become more of an expensive routine than a heartfelt pleasure for many people, Jason Wright offers an alternative that recaptures the spirit of the season.

When young newspaper reporter Hope Jensen experienced one of those horrible Christmas Eves that are often written about in newspapers like hers, she had no reason to believe that anything good would come from the experience. Getting through her first Christmas without her adoptive mother was going to be hard enough already but, when she returned to her apartment wanting nothing more than to sleep the rest of the day away, things would get worse. Hope found her apartment trashed by burglars, something that seems to happen all too often on Christmas Eve.

Finding herself somewhere between bursting into tears and throwing a tantrum, Hope was saved from doing either when she discovered a small jar stuffed with coins and paper currency that had mysteriously appeared just inside her apartment door during all the excitement. There was nothing to indicate its source or why it had been left for her. Smelling a newspaper story, and in need of something pleasant on which to focus, Hope Jensen decided that she would solve the mystery of her Christmas jar.

What she discovered about the Christmas jar tradition in her town, and what she learned about herself in the process, is the heart of this Christmas story. It is a story about strangers giving gifts to those who need them most, and how those who received the jars on one Christmas often gave Christmas jars of their own to others on the next.
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A Step Toward Falling Audible – Unabridged PDF

A Step Toward Falling Audible – Unabridged ridged
Author: Cammie McGovern ID: B00YFQLB80

Cammie McGovern follows up her breakout young adult debut, Say What You Will, with this powerful and unforgettable novel about learning from your mistakes and learning to forgive. Told in alternating points of view, A Step Toward Falling is a poignant, hopeful, and altogether stunning work that will appeal to fans of Jennifer Nevin, Robyn Schneider, and Jandy Nelson. Emily has always been the kind of girl who tries to do the right thing – until one night when she does the worst thing possible. She sees Belinda, a classmate with developmental disabilities, being attacked. Inexplicably, she does nothing at all. Belinda, however, manages to save herself. When their high school finds out what happened, Emily and Lucas, a football player who was also there that night, are required to perform community service at a center for disabled people. Soon Lucas and Emily begin to feel like maybe they’re starting to make a real difference. Like they would be able to do the right thing if they could do that night all over again. But can they do anything that will actually help the one person they hurt the most?
Done.
Audible Audio EditionListening Length: 10 hours and 35 minutesProgram Type: AudiobookVersion: UnabridgedPublisher: Harper AudioAudible.com Release Date: October 6, 2015Language: EnglishID: B00YFQLB80 Best Sellers Rank: #6474 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Children’s Books > Fiction
First, I would like to thank HarperTeen for sending me an ARC of this book to review.

Have you read Pride and Prejudice? If you haven’t, then you should. I mention this because it plays an important role in this novel. Not that you have to have read it to understand A Step Toward Falling, but I think Austen’s original title – First Impressions – is particularly relevant here. It’s also a wonderful read.

This is not just about learning to do the right thing. It’s about learning to get to know people. Not judging them by what they look like at a first glance. And it succeeds wonderfully.

I loved this book. I loved all of the parallels to Pride and Prejudice (one of my all-time favorites), I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved how much diversity there was without it seeming like things were just thrown in for the sake of diversity. It’s a book about people with disabilities. And it’s a book about highschoolers.

A Step Toward Falling poses a very important question. If you saw someone getting attacked, what would you do? Would you freeze up? Would you go fight the attacker? Would you run and get help? I honestly can’t answer this question. I want to say that I would run and get help. But that is what I want to say. Because the reality is this: I would likely be so afraid that I would freeze. And that is what happens with Emily and Lucas here when they see Belinda being attacked. They just freeze up.

The characters are wonderful. Belinda started out as a bit odd. But after a bit, I figured her out. Yes, she’s odd. But it’s part of her charm. It’s part of who she is. Emily and Lucas are so guilt-ridden that they don’t even complain about their punishment for failing to help Belinda.
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The Kiss of Deception PDF

The Kiss of Deception: Remnant Chronicles Audible – Unabridged ridged
Author: Mary E. Pearson ID: B00O56H0UI

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight – but she doesn’t – and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom – to a prince she has never met. On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive – and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets – even as she finds herself falling in love. The Kiss of Deceptionis the first audiobook in Mary E. Pearson’s Remnant Chronicles
Done.
Audible Audio EditionListening Length: 13 hours and 31 minutesProgram Type: AudiobookVersion: UnabridgedPublisher: Listening LibraryAudible.com Release Date: October 7, 2014Whispersync for Voice: ReadyLanguage: EnglishID: B00O56H0UI Best Sellers Rank: #176 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Children’s Books > science Fiction & Fantasy #285 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Children’s Books > Fiction
Let’s talk about first impressions–they are IMPORTANT.

If, for example, you start reading a new book, and the first glimpses you get of ALL THREE main characters are less than flattering, you might be tempted to toss said book aside in disgust, and hope the next one goes better.

YES. You might.

And honestly, in this situation, I would not blame you. Not even a little bit.

So here’s the deal–I’m not one of those the-less-romance-the-better types. I’m the opposite, in fact. In most cases, a book completely devoid of romance is a book I will almost certainly find lacking. That being said, I don’t like romance tossed in willy nilly, b/c, this book needs romance, so, "Hey! You two over there! Yeah, you! Make googly eyes at each other. I don’t care if it doesn’t make sense, just do it! Thaaaat’s it, muuuuuchhh better."

In fantasy, one of the most common ways for romance to play out is the Arranged Marriage scenario. Neither party is happy about it, but something IMPORTANT is at stake, so two self-sacrificing souls agree to wed for the greater good. Then, despite the obvious unfairness of their situation, stuff happens, they fall in love, and they live HEA.

And this makes you happy, b/c SELF-SACRIFICE.

But what if Princess is a narcissistic little brat who not only runs away from her arranged marriage but drags one of her good friends along with her?

B/c who cares that the only way to ensure the safety of her family and the general population in the face of a barbarian invasion is to keep with tradition and unite her family with Prince’s family, b/c NEITHER family has the strength to survive alone?

Not Princess. *frowns*

And not only does she not care, she laughs ALL THE TIME.
I have never read a novel by Mary E. Pearson before, but after reading this one I want to go out and buy all of her previous works! This book was everything I wanted and more. While it was not perfect, I couldn’t have asked for a more unique series to get me out of my reading slump.

Princess Lia is a First Daughter. As a First Daughter she is expected to have the gift of sight, though she hasn’t showed any signs of such a gift. This gift is especially important because her parents are marrying her off to another kingdom with the promise that her gift of sight will be able to benefit both countries united. However, Lia hates pretending she is something that she truly is not and she’s never met the prince she is to be married to, so she runs away right before her wedding with the help of one of her servants and friends.

Lia is a very unique character. In the beginning, she’s not that easy to get behind. She seems like any other spoiled princess not wanting to take part in her princess duties so she runs away in rebellion. However, the readers quickly realize that she really is unlike all of the other princesses and she truly does prefer the hard work that a peasant has to do to the politicking that a princess must endure. Because of this it takes time to warm up to Lia, so it’s hard to get behind her in the beginning of the story. You just want to shake her at times when she claims to want to blend in, but she doesn’t change her name or treat soldiers any differently. Her character growth is literally insane and by the end of the book I had nothing but respect and admiration for this rogue princess. I am rooting for her like no other.

The love interest in this book is also someone to root for.
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The Wave School & Library Binding – September 1, 1981 PDF

The Wave (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) School & Library Binding – September 1, 1981
Author: Visit ‘s Todd Strasser Page ID: 0881039942

From the Publisher

The Wave is based on a true incident that occured in a high school history class in Palo Alto, California, in 1969.

The powerful forces of group pressure that pervaded many historic movements such as Nazism are recreated in the classroom when history teacher Burt Ross introduces a “new” system to his students. And before long “The Wave,” with its rules of “strength through discipline, community, and action, ” sweeps from the classroom through the entire school. And as most of the students join the movement, Laurie Saunders and David Collins recognize the frightening momentum of “The Wave” and realize they must stop it before it’s too late.

–This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

The Wave is based on a true incident that occured in a high school history class in Palo Alto, California, in 1969.

The powerful forces of group pressure that pervaded many historic movements such as Nazism are recreated in the classroom when history teacher Burt Ross introduces a “new” system to his students. And before long “The Wave,” with its rules of “strength through discipline, community, and action, ” sweeps from the classroom through the entire school. And as most of the students join the movement, Laurie Saunders and David Collins recognize the frightening momentum of “The Wave” and realize they must stop it before it’s too late.

–This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Age Range: 12 and up Grade Level: 7 and upSchool & Library Binding: 143 pagesPublisher: Turtleback (September 1, 1981)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0881039942ISBN-13: 978-0881039948 Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.5 x 0.6 inches Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #2,083,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #8185 in Books > Children’s Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Friendship, Social Skills & School Life > School #8428 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure #16198 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Social & Family Issues
The Wave by Morton Rhue
"Morton Rhue" is a pseudonym and his real name is Todd Strasser . He was born in New York City in 1950 and he grew up on Long Island (N.Y.). Todd went to the I.U. Willets Elementary School. The he went to the Wheatly School for junior high an high school. He had trouble with spelling and grammar. Later he graduated from Beloit College. He was a reporter on the Middletown (N.Y.) Times-Herald Record and an adverting copywriter before his first novel for young people, Angel Dust Blues, was published 1979. For some years he supplemented his income as the owner of Toggle Inc., a small fortune-cookie company. He and his wife, Pamela, live not far from New York City with their daughter, son, and yellow Labrador retriever. "The Wave" was the first book he had published under his pseudonym "Morton Rhue". As Todd Strasser he published more than 100 books. He wrote movie novelizations, too, for example "Free Willy", "Jumanji" or "Home alone". He got many awards for some of his books.
The book is called `The Wave’, because the experiment, the teacher started is named like that. His intention is to create something, which symbolises movement, direction and impact. Then he gets the idea of calling it `The Wave’ , because a wave has these characteristics. In order to give the `Wave members’, his pupils, a feeling of community, he also introduces a special symbol and a special salute. The symbol is a circle with the outline of a wave inside it. The salute is to cup the right hand in the shape of a wave, then to tap it against the left shoulder and hold it upright.
Ben Ross a history teacher at an American high school is discussing the horrors of the holocaust. The students ask how all this could happen.
After having read the first couple of pages, I was absolutely unable to put the book down. The idea of the story, that fascism is still present everywhere, even in America, which resents it the most is quite interesting. It is true that the characters are not exactly the most complex ones I was ever confronted with in a novel, and also the idea that a high school class of such a rowdy nature is transformed into such a obedient and disciplined "machine" is quite ridiculous, but I believe that had the characters had more depth, or had the author spent more time on the transformation, it would have interfered with the story’s flow.

Now, the main reason why I enjoyed this book so much is that it confronts a theme that too many people are trying to forget, to ignore: the susceptibility of every single person on this planet to fascism. To prove this, a teacher at an American high school starts a very dubious experiment. He founds a "club", the Wave. They have their own greeting, and an own belief (power by discipline, power by community, power by action). But soon nobody sees the Wave as a school project anymore, but as real life. Students that refuse to join the Wave are threatened. The student newspaper releases an article which criticizes the Wave very strongly, and somebody sprays the word "ENEMY" on the author’s locker. Things escalate when a Jewish boy is beaten up. Even the teacher who founded the Wave cannot control it any longer. But then he shows the members of the Wave a picture of Adolf Hitler, and says that he is their leader. He shows how wrong the way that they were behaving was, and suddenly, everything goes back to normal.

The ending of this book is truly somewhat idiotic, and is obviously a result of lack of ideas.
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