New Releases by Emily Smith

Balloons? Sausages on sticks? An entertainer? Oh NO! It must be a party . . . Patrick loves making models and creating his own inventions. He does not love Musical Bumps, big crowds and having to be jolly. But his mum is convinced that going to parties is good for him. She even wants him to have one of his own. Surely there must be a better idea?

Ben spends the holidays with his nose in the sand and bottom in the air. It''s not because he''s shy - though some of his classmates do call him the Shrimp. It''s because he''s got a great idea for his wildlife project. A competition is on! The class projects are going to be judged by a famous TV wildlife presenter, and the prize is irresistible. Ben would love to win it, but others have their eyes on the prize too...

Covering a range of countries from China, Japan, Brazil, and Mexico to the United States, Canada, Spain, France, and Hungary, this volume reveals the similarities and differences among populations in their reactions to the surveillance era and in the amount each knows about government monitoring. Topics deal with pertinent issues such as global, national, and local transfer of personal information about citizens'' financial transactions, work, and travel. The authors also analyse the collaboration of government and the private sector in the collection and transfer of private information. A remarkable resource in understanding attitudes towards surveillance, security, and privacy, Surveillance, Privacy, and the Globalization of Personal Information is indispensable for anyone curious about what governments, the private sector, and citizens know about each other.

After pokey Fiona attends Speed School, where she learns to wash dishes, brush her teeth, and clean her room at the same time, she decides to demonstrate to her family the value of sometimes doing things more slowly.

Kaia and Gwinn, unknowingly head out for the adventure of their lifetime. They get lost in the dark forest, avoid creatures who try to charm them to their death, and fight the most evil being on Earth. Or is he? And then, in the midst of things, Gwinn is taken. Who will save her? Who are their friends? Who are their foes? Can they trust the ones they love, or are they leading them to heartbreak and misery? Is this all just a gory, beautiful, LoveHate quest?

Eight-year-old Isabel feels her mother no longer cares about her because she has no time or energy even to listen when Isa tries to share her sadness about being unpopular, her jealousy over her new baby sister, and, most importantly, her fear that her mother''s cancer will come back.

Tag along with 22-year-old Emily Smith as she leaves the United States and immerses herself completely in the Latin American culture. Sent as an ambassador of goodwill, Emily is determined to break negative American stereotypes and live like the locals she meets in Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina. She enrolls in graduate school at La Universidad Central de Venezuela, where she''s the school''s first foreign student ever to pursue a Master''s in International Relations. a series of emails written to friends and family in the U.S. reflect her determination to succeed academically in a new country and a new language. They also recount other experiences: learning to salsa dance, getting robbed, speaking to Rotary Clubs and exploring the Andes Mountains and the Caribbean Sea. the backdrop of Emily''s experiences is the administration of Hugo Chávez, the popular and controversial Venezuelan President who brings sweeping changes to the country''s political, social and economic systems. Emily watches first hand and tries to stay neutral throughout the polarizing and often violent debate. Though she''s traveled before, Emily is not quite prepared for some of the obstacles she faces: disorganized university procedures, rampant crime and nagging loneliness. She learns to make the best of the difficult circumstances and to appreciate the good ones: ideal weather, unprecedented popularity and budding friendships.

It''s the summer holiday and Annie needs someone to play with her--she''s fed up at being excluded from the games of her brothers. When Annie discovers that the boys are keeping a secret from her, she''s determined to uncover it. After a quick bit of investigation, and a handy hint from Dad, Annie finds out that the boys are looking for UFOs, and she comes up with a plan.