The tenth title in the new Usborne Very First Reading series, designed for younger children to introduce them to reading together with their parents. Parents and children take turns to read from the page (the text clearly marked for who should be reading) and as the books progress in the series the adults read less and less and the child more and more. Contains puzzles for children to check their understanding of the text and guidance notes for parents. Beautifully designed with fun illustrations to help motivate beginner readers.

Youve spent an entire career working hard, and now its time to retire. But what exactly does that mean? Author Michael Bivona was unsure about what to do with his life when retiring, but he didnt let that stop him from finding ways to enjoy it. In this memoir and guidebook, he describes his retirement experiences and considers how to overcome challenging physical times that most retirees face; enjoy new hobbies without getting ripped off; find activities to enjoy with your significant other; and stretch a retirement budget. He looks back on the great vacations and places hes enjoyed with his wife, Barbara, during retirement. Learn from his mistakes and follow in his footsteps to live some great experiences of your own. Youve worked hard to get to this point, and you dont want to mess things up now. Get the information, tools, and strategies you need to live your life to the fullest in retirement. Retired? What's Next? by Michael Bivona CPA, published by IUniverse, was a finalist in the Annual Eric Hoffer Awards for Short Prose & Independent Books. After a rigorous first round of judging, less than 10% of over 1,000 entrants were privileged to have the "2013 Eric Hoffer Award FINALIST-Excellence in Independent Publishing" assigned to their books and digital presentations. The US Review of Books "Before retiring, it's wise to begin building bridges to things you are passionate about, so that when the time comes, you have a choice of which bridges you can comfortably take into the next phase of your life." Some people transition seamlessly into their "golden years," while others have a tougher time entering into retirement, wondering what's next? In Retired? What's Next?, retired accountant, Michael Bivona shares his answer. Part memoir, part retirement guide, this is both informative and inspirational. Touching on essential aspects of retirement like remaining healthy, financial matters, preparing a will, finding part-time and or volunteer work, Bivona delivers practical, real-life advice and insightful reflections. "I realized after a friend's demise that many of the possessions that he had accumulated over his lifetime and were so dear to him, were of no interest to his heirs or friends, and were disposed of like pieces of junk." Staking his own territory in the popular and compelling category of memoir writing, Bivona writes in a genuine narrative tone about how to manage the freedom, new opportunities and choices of retirement by focusing on what he knows and enjoystraveling, dancing, boating, fishing, tennis, golf, writing, reading, and collecting books. And showing by example, Bivona frames his real-life tips on planning for a rewarding retirement around his reflections and recounting of the collective highlights and significant moments and events of his life and retirement journey with his wife, Barbara. Clearly, the Bivonas have a winning strategy for living life to the fullest in retirement. By learning not merely how to cope, but to thrive by crafting a retirement path that is focused on personal fulfillment and joyful meaning, as evidenced by their successful post-retirement journey. In Retired? What's Next?, retired readers, or those thinking of or planning for retirement, will gain insight from Bivona's shared personal wisdom and learn by example the guidance of his inner and outer retirement journeys, which can be applied to their own retirement goals for staying happy, healthy, and active.

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year The witty and exuberant New York Times bestselling author Ken Jennings relays the history of humor in “lively, insightful, and crawling with goofy factlings,” (Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go Bernadette)—from fart jokes on clay Sumerian tablets to the latest Twitter gags and Facebook memes. Where once society’s most coveted trait might have been strength or intelligence or honor, today, in a clear sign of evolution sliding off the trails, it is being funny. Yes, funniness. Consider: Super Bowl commercials don’t try to sell you anymore; they try to make you laugh. Airline safety tutorials—those terrifying laminated cards about the possibilities of fire, explosion, depressurization, and drowning—have been replaced by joke-filled videos with multimillion-dollar budgets and dance routines. Thanks to social media, we now have a whole Twitterverse of amateur comedians riffing around the world at all hours of the day—and many of them even get popular enough online to go pro and take over TV. In his “smartly structured, soundly argued, and yes—pretty darn funny” (Booklist, starred review) Planet Funny, Ken Jennings explores this brave new comedic world and what it means—or doesn’t—to be funny in it now. Tracing the evolution of humor from the caveman days to the bawdy middle-class antics of Chaucer to Monty Python’s game-changing silliness to the fast-paced meta-humor of The Simpsons, Jennings explains how we built our humor-saturated modern age, where lots of us get our news from comedy shows and a comic figure can even be elected President of the United States purely on showmanship. “Fascinating, entertaining and—I’m being dead serious here—important” (A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically), Planet Funny is a full taxonomy of what spawned and defines the modern sense of humor.

CONFESSIONS OF A LATE-NIGHT TALK-SHOW HOST is written by the host of THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW. It is a double whammy of satire, irreverently told in Garry Shandling's inimitable style which deftly weaves together fact and fiction. This is an exclusive up-close-and-personal inspection of what makes Larry Sanders tick: his loves, his addictions, his friends and his enemies. This will be the Hollywood tell-all to end all Hollywood tell-alls; indeed, Larry Sanders might never be able to eat lunch in that town again!

Are you living your life according to somebody else’s script? Do you make decisions based on what other people will think of you? It’s time to take back the reins, and put you back in the driver’s seat. You have at your disposal the map, which will guide you every step of the way. Buckle your seat belt, and hold on for your life; this isn’t your ordinary self-help book. Quit ‘Should-ing’ on Yourself will take you down a road filled with twists and turns, valleys and peaks, on a remarkable journey to finding out who you really are. Japa, an African grey parrot will help you peel back the layers of the onion, revealing your true self, as you shine the light on the darkness ready to explore areas where you dared not tread before. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll fall in love with Japa, as he leads you through a mixture of life’s realities in a world filled with so much insanity. You’ll find a sense of connectedness as you blossom into the flower you were meant to be.

Three successful and sophisticated Los Angeles women--a doctor, a realtor, and a clothier--search desperately for men to love, no matter the cost

Sometimes life has to unravel before you can knit it together… On the third Friday of each month, Eugenie, Ruth, Esther, Merry, and Camille meet at the Sweetgum Christian Church to enjoy the two things that connect them: a love of knitting and a passion for books. Their camaraderie remains unthreatened until Eugenie, the town librarian, introduces an angry teenager into their midst. Eugenie also gives them a new reading list: the classic novels of girlhood that young Hannah has never read. Little Women. Pollyanna. Heidi. Books that remind the women of the hopes and dreams they have lost along the way. With each click of their needles, the ladies of the Knit Lit Society unravel their secrets: A shadow from Eugenie’s past haunts the controlled order of her life. Merry’s perfect little family is growing again–but will she continue to feel her identity slip away? Camille dreams of leaving town but is bound by ties of love. And the sisters, Ruth and Esther, must confront a lie they have lived with for over thirty years. As Hannah is reluctantly stitched into their lives, the women discover the possibility that even in sleepy Sweetgum, Tennessee, they can still be the heroines of their own stories. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Provides biographical information on the men and women who write and illustrate children's books

Covers individuals ranging from established award winners to authors and illustrators who are just beginning their careers. Entries cover: personal life, career, writings and works in progress, adaptations, additional sources, and photographs.