Showing results by narrator "Ramón de Ocampo" in All Categories

The author of The Celebration Chronicles - an exposé of Disney’s small town community development - returns to the outskirts of the Magic Kingdom with Sunbelt Blues, an eye-opening investigation of America’s rural and suburban homelessness crisis, told through a searing portrait of precarious living in Disney World’s backyard.

A side-splitting and heartbreaking tale, now a major Hollywood movie starring Tina Fey, Connie Britton and Jason Bateman. Poor Judd Foxman returns home early to find his wife in bed with his boss - in the act. He now faces the twin threats of both divorce and unemployment. His misery is compounded further with the sudden death of his father. He is then asked to come and 'sit Shiva' for his newly deceased parent with his angry, screwed-up and somewhat estranged brothers and sisters in his childhood home.

Sceptics dismiss all such encounters—but what if they are wrong? What unconventional causes could be behind such astounding experiences, and what are the huge implications? Will new AI-enhanced revelations turn humanity’s entire understanding of reality upside down? Strange demonstrates that it is time to take a new and important look at anomalous phenomena.

In the epic conclusion to Alex and Ren's quest, they must face off against the Death Walkers, The Order, and an army raised from the dead. Can Alex put an end to the chaos and send these evil spirits back where they belong without putting an end to his own life?

Alcatraz Smedry is back with a bang - infiltrating the Library of Alexandria, looking for his not-dead-after-all father and discovering a strange golden sarcophagus that might hold the key to his amazing talent for breaking things. Oh, and his best friend Bastille's come along too - for evil-librarian-bashing purposes, of course.

Zack and Zara have survived their first brush with nobles at the Academy. An experience that has left them trapped, lost inside a portal they were forced to enter. If they can make it back, it will be their turn to make the rules and create some havoc. Together they have grown stronger, pushing back against their past. Now they have something new: a friend. The portals, which gave them a way to fight back and to claim the life they always wanted, have done more than that. They brought them into the spotlight and made Zara a princess.

Five running backs were selected in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Jamaal Charles was not among them. Despite piling up the fourth-most rushing yards at the University of Texas in just three seasons, he waited for eight other running backs to get selected ahead of him. The Middle School Rules of Jamaal Charles features the stories and lessons of Jamaal’s childhood, defined by people overlooking him.

In this inclusive history and guide to skin care and beauty, journalist and founder of Very Good Light David Yi teaches us that self-care, wellness, and feeling beautiful transcends time, boundaries, and binaries - and that pretty boys can change the world.

What’s the problem? Sixteen-year-old Filipino American Angelo Rivera will tell you flat out. Life sucks. He’s been uprooted from his San Diego home to a boring landlocked town in the middle of nowhere. Behind him, ocean waves, his girlfriend, and the biggest skateboarding competition on the California coast. Ahead, flipping burgers at his parents’ new diner and, as the only Asian in his all-white school, being trolled as “brown boy” by small-minded, thick-necked jocks. Resigned to being an outcast, Angelo isn’t alone.

At their renowned writing school, every student is simultaneously terrified of and attracted to the charismatic poet and professor Miranda Sturgis, whose high standards for art are both intimidating and inspiring. As two students, Roman and Bernard, strive to win her admiration, the lines between mentorship, friendship, and love are blurred. Roman’s first book wins a prestigious prize. Meanwhile, Bernard labors for years over a single poem. Secrets of the past begin to surface, and friendships are broken....

Alcatraz Smedry has made it to the Free Kingdoms. Unfortunately, so have the evil Librarians - including his mother. Now all Alcatraz has to do is find a traitor among the Knights of Crystallia, try to be friends with his very unfriendly father, save one of the last bastions of the Free Kingdoms from the enemy, and get his friend, Bastille, reinstated as a real knight. No pressure!

When Alex's mother uses the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead to bring him back from the brink of death, she inadvertently summons a slew of other spirits from the underworld. Book 3 takes Alex and Ren to the Valley of Kings, deep in the Egyptian desert, where a powerful Death Walker lies in wait. Follow them as they travel around the world to stop these Death Walkers...before the tomb claims us all!

A whole army of evil Librarians! And Alcatraz Smedry has only his friend, Bastille; a few pairs of glasses; and an unlimited supply of exploding teddy bears to help him defend the island of Mokia. Even Alcatraz's extraordinary talent for breaking things may not be enough to defeat the evil Librarians' giant robots. Can Alcatraz find a way to save the Free Kingdoms?

Ranging in age from six to 40, 38 sons and daughters of lesbians offer brief essays that could be valuable to like offspring, as well as to relatives and friends trying to understand the problems such children face. Homophobia, visited upon the children as well as their mothers, is the most commonly cited concern; some younger contributors feel isolated from their peers, and a couple of boys endure rejection from radical lesbian acquaintances.

Scarlet Morning has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Alcatraz Smedry, practically the world champion of breaking things, never thought his most boring birthday present - a bag of sand - would get him into this much trouble. Yet now he's fleeing from evil Librarians, releasing dinosaurs to create a diversion in the Fiction section, and learning that clumsiness can be a powerful talent! The first in a gripping and action-packed adventure series featuring an unlikely but immensely likeable hero.

Alex and Ren's hunt for the Lost Spells takes them on a twisty and magical path, through false doors, and deep into underground tombs where they discover that The Order is planning something bigger than they'd ever anticipated....

Sure enough, the competitors are intimidating, and the monsters terrifying - though neither more so than blossoming friendships with two determined swordswomen. Spurred by pure-hearted altruism alone, Pavel joins their quest to find the Storm’s Breath: an artifact that bestows magic powers - and real-world riches - upon the first player to find it. And with a ruthless mage on their heels, he’ll find plenty of opportunities for bravery.

Ever wonder what goes on behind closed board room doors when organizations pick their top leaders? It can be a contentious, secretive, even brutal process. Most of our leaders look good on paper - they have charisma, credentials, and confidence - yet they lack the real qualities that are necessary to succeed. In Why Are We Bad at Picking Good Leaders?, Cohn and Moran share the same insights and ideas they use to help organizations make better choices.

In I Need a Hug, a tiny porcupine just wants a cuddle. All of the other animals turn him away because of his prickly spikes. But finally the porcupine meets an animal who's happy to hug....