Friday, May 11, 2012

New Arrivals in Non-Fiction


Dewey: the Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

How much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.

Dewey's story starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director, Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility, (for a cat) and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most.

As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally, amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history.

Home Sweet Homework by Sharon Marshall Lockett

How often do you hear things like this from your child? Probably way too often. But there is some basis to your kid's frustration. Students today have twice as much homework as you did. That's twice as much reading. Twice as many definitions. Twice the amount of math problems. It doubles the workload for your kids—and the headaches for you. Fortunately, there's Home Sweet Homework

Getting involved with your student's homework will help them receive better grades, have a better attitude, and get accepted to better colleges. And Sharon Lockett, founder of Educational Innovations/SCORE, shows you how! She provides the tools and strategies you will need to conquer your child's bulging backpack.

Help your children do their homework—and do it right!


Planning Parenthood by Rebecca Clark, M.D., Ph.D.

Planning to become a parent is a profound experience, at times agonizing, hopeful, stressful, and joyous. Not everyone is able to become pregnant, however. When the journey to parenthood proves challenging, "Planning Parenthood "will guide prospective parents through the complicated mazes of assisted reproduction and adoption.

Specialist authors first describe fertility assistance, surrogacy, and adoption, clearly outlining the requirements of each strategy. They compare the medical, emotional, financial, and legal investments and risks involved with each of these options. Then they introduce the issues that people will need to consider when deciding which path to parenthood is best for them. Along the way these experts offer encouragement for changing course under any number of circumstances.

Supporting the detailed information in this book are personal stories of the often long, winding, and emotional road to parenthood--from in vitro fertilization to egg donation to surrogacy to adoption.
Armed with professional knowledge and inspired by the experiences of others who have gone before them, prospective parents will be informed and reassured by this unique resource.



Pressured Parents, Stressed-Out Kids by Wendy S. Grolnick, Ph.D.

Leading child researcher Grolnick and educational and parenting journalist Seal offer this illuminating and accessible guide to channeling competitive anxiety into positive parenting.