New Releases by Lane SMITH

A holiday picture book from award-winning author/illustrator Lane Smith that features the woodland character, Stickler, who wanders the forest delivering Christmas presents. In a picture book that’s both silly and sweet, readers will be inspired by this story of holiday kindness. Happy-go-lucky Stickler, an original character covered in sticks, is celebrating Christmas by passing out presents for all his friends. He has carefully selected the right stick for each of them, including: a Hop-Higher Stick for Rabbit, an Idea Stick for Crow, an In-a-Pear-Tree Stick for Partridge. But Doug-the-Fir doesn’t want a present, he is too worried about being covered with decorations and lights and being the center of attention. So, Stickler promises to think of a solution and finds the perfect stick. But in order to help his shy friend, Stickler needs to be the one to shine. A Stickler Christmas encourages empathy and kindness with a joyful, lighthearted touch. Lane Smith, the award-winning author and illustrator of recent picture books, including A Gift for Nana (where Stickler first appears) and Stickler Loves the World, brings imagination and laughter to a clever story featuring a delightful character.

A guide to reading Tarot as a spark for community engagement and social change “A beacon of insight and action.” —Nyasha Williams, author of Black Tarot and I Affirm Me The cards in the Tarot deck offer seventy-eight invitations for change, not only in our inner life, but beyond. Lane Smith invites us to read each card with an eye toward the collective—how we can contribute to liberation in the world. Smith shares, “Behind every story about Tarot—and about the world—are power relationships which are often invisible.” 78 Acts of Liberation examines the structure, history, and components of Tarot through the lens of power, helping us better understand power dynamics in our life and in society. After a brief history that highlights often-ignored aspects of Tarot’s past, Smith guides us through each card with reflections about clarifying our values and putting them into action. The cards are organized numerologically so that each number corresponds to a type of action, from Ones as Acts of Initiation to Tens as Acts of Generation. Every individual card offers questions for personal reflection and social consideration. Each Major Arcana card is illustrated with an example from a social movement—from the Indigenous Water Protectors to #MeToo—that illuminates how we can put the power of these timeless archetypes into action today. Every Minor Arcana card is linked to a practical and actionable term to know or skill to practice. 78 Acts of Liberation helps us explore: • What our core values are, and how we can put them into action • How we can be socially engaged, whatever our life circumstance—whether it’s through what we teach our children or through collective action and protest • How to sustain ourselves over time and through challenge As Smith explains, “Truth alone will not set us free. We have to act on it.” This guide offers inspiration for action—action that can feel joyful, hopeful, freeing, and empowering.

From award-winning author/illustrator Lane Smith comes Stickler, a woodland creature who reminds us to appreciate the everyday wonders we often ignore. In a picture book that’s both silly and sweet, readers will find Stickler’s enthusiasm irresistible and see the world anew. And just think of the wonders we must pass every day without even noticing! Stickler, an original character covered in sticks and with multiple ever-changing eyes, loves its little world. With best friend Crow, it shares the wonders of all the amazing things the world has to offer. Stickler is astonished by the ordinary, such as the sun and the stars, as well as fascinated by those things in nature that are often overlooked, such as swirling seed pods falling from the sky. The two pals wander about the world, stopping to appreciate the many marvels along the way, especially its beloved sticks, each one unique. Stickler Loves the World encourages awareness and mindfulness with a joyous and lighthearted touch. The award-winning illustrator of bestsellers including Penguin Problems and Giraffe Problems brings imagination and humor to a story that features a delightful and original character.

Two-time Caldecott Honor author/illustrator Lane Smith tells a whimsical story about a little rabbit searching for the best gift for someone very special. A thoughtful little Rabbit sets out to find the perfect gift for his Nana. He knows she will love anything he brings her but Rabbit wants this gift to be extra special. As he travels on his quest, Rabbit encounters an assortment of creatures-a crow, a smiling full moon, a stickler (whatever that is), a big fish, and a volcano. Each is certain they offer the best advice but nothing they suggest seems right for his Nana. It''s not until Rabbit reaches the highest peak, that he finds exactly what he''s been searching for. The award -winning illustrator of bestsellers including Penguin Problems and Giraffe Problems, brings originality and gentle humor to a story that parents and grandparents will be sharing with their children for years to come.

Daniel "Stitch" Cromwell attempts to salvage his life after an airplane crash disfigures him and kills his wife. Despite his success as an elite Air Force fighter pilot, his efforts to fulfill his life''s ambitions are frustrated by a relentless series of impediments-prejudice, blackmail, kidnapping, and cynical manipulation. He secretly flies for the CIA and smuggles $40 million worth of cocaine for a Mexican drug cartel in desperate pursuit of his elusive goal.

“...blunt, fast-moving, entertaining...” — Kirkus Reviews To tear down the system . . . . . . He’s got to level up Condemned by the media circus of a People’s Republic of California court, Donny is plugged into a deadly game as entertainment for the brutalized masses. Tormented over failing his father, Donny realizes honor hangs in the balance. His family’s fate lies in his hands. Donny must battle through a cutthroat digital world to free thousands of political prisoners and bring down the corrupt system. But the future’s most ruthless killers stand in his way. Can Donny’s wits and unbreakable spirit get him out alive? Fans of Ready Player One and Sword Art Online will love Level Up or Die, the new first-person steampunk LitRPG adventure from #1 bestselling authors Joshua Lisec and Adam Lane Smith. Read it today!

Jaycen Alan Ford was an ordinary rich teenager living an ordinary rich teenager''s life... until he wrecked his brand new Corvette. Not only did he total his car, but he escaped the vehicle as it was in mid-air and watched the rest of the devastating crash take place in slow motion. As it turned out, Jaycen was fast. Really fast. And he wasn''t the only one. Soon afterwards, his parents, along with many other people, were killed in a mass murder by another speedster. On a quest to take down his parents'' killer, Jaycen learns of an entire secret society of people with special abilities, and through thick and thin, has to work with them and the U.S. government to bring down a man who moves twice as fast as he does, and somehow knows twice as much about his life - past, present, and even future - than he should.

AVIATION STORIES BY PILOTS WHO SHOULD BE DEAD This collection of near-death stories by private pilots, fighter pilots, airline pilots, bush pilots, air traffic controllers, and combat crews shines a spotlight on the bravery and ingenuity of men and women in aviation who stood up to the Grim Reaper when he came a''knocking at death''s door. You''ll be transported right into the middle of these forthright accounts, some deadly serious, some amusing, but always true.

Insecurity is a deadly threat. It eats away at you and turns every social engagement into a chance to make a mistake and lose everything. Insecurity runs you down until you''re too exhausted to leave your house and the joy is sucked from your life. Psychotherapist Adam Lane Smith lays out a comprehensive plan to help individuals combat the effects of insecurity, attacking this personal anxiety at the root. Armed with a host of new tools and perspectives, seize control of your life and finally slay the monster of destructive insecurity.

Includes- (10) Signed Copies of A HOUSE THAT ONCE WAS (9781626723146)

The legislative procedures regarding wild pigs in the United States are expanding in scope and priority, however, the uniformity of legislation is entropic at best. Each state addresses the issues of wild pigs differently and treatment is based on a priority of resource concerns. An evaluation was conducted at the national level of federal, state, and local policy with regards to wild pig control. Additionally, successful and unsuccessful legislation is evaluated to determine commonalities in the social, economic, and ecological factors contributing to the success or failure of legislation. Information collected provides state legislatures with sample model legislation that can be passed with the support of stakeholders and the citizenry, as well as help guide states into a more uniform system of policy. Furthermore, it provides states without, or with low populations of wild pigs, a proactive suite of legislation to prevent further spread and facilitate eradication of localized populations.

At critical moments in the lives of two of the world''s premier acrobats, each has to decide the other''s fate. Time will tell whether the risk is worth the reward. Flash is a Pacific bottlenose dolphin with a passion for acrobatics. Aspiring to be a world-wide sensation, he undertakes a 15,000-mile journey to reach the venue of his dreams - Aqua World. Captain Jon "Skip" Roper is an Air Force fighter pilot flying in a formation of four F-16s from Korea to Peru. At the pinnacle of his career, Skip is the master of his universe until a cockpit warning light illuminates in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The drama that unfolds propels the two proud acrobats onto intersecting courses. Each is confronted with a vital decision that will alter the life of the other. The consequences of their decisions signify triumph for the interdependence of Earth''s species.

Today is a perfect day for Cat, Dog, Chickadee, and Squirrel. Cat is lounging among the daffodils. Dog is sitting in the wading pool, deep in the cool water. Chickadee is eating fresh seed from the birdfeeder. Squirrel is munching on his very own corncob. Today is a perfect day in Bert''s backyard. Until Bear comes along, that is. Bear crushes the daffodils, drinks the pool water, and happily gobbles up the birdseed and corncob. Today was a perfect day for Cat, Dog, Chickadee, and Squirrel. Now, it''s just a perfect day for Bear. Lane Smith uses perfect pacing and vibrant illustrations to emphasize the power of perspective in this hilarious picture book about the goings-on in Bert''s backyard. This book has Common Core connections. An NPR Best Book of 2017 A 2018 ALSC Notable Children''s Book

WHAT DOES "FAIR" HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING? Tormented by guilt and fear, naive pet salesman Dan Downey runs away to his deadbeat dad in Oregon in search of forgiveness and asylum. Dan partners up for the journey with his polar opposite, Codwell Gutterman, a rich, selfish womanizer bound for Oregon to stalk lawyer Connie Flynn. Bound together by a common destination, Dan and Codwell are trapped in a purgatory of conflicting world views. The friction between them reaches a flash point when they fall in love with the same fantasy girl. At the end of the bickering, bucking, biting, slamming, philandering, and shooting, only one contender can win Connie''s hand. This fast-paced story chronicles a comedy of misfortunes visited on Dan-the-innocent by Codwell-the-hustler on the turbulent path to latching on to their fair share.

Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal When a young boy embarks on a journey alone . . . he trails a colony of penguins, undulates in a smack of jellyfish, clasps hands with a constellation of stars, naps for a night in a bed of clams, and follows a trail of shells, home to his tribe of friends. If Lane Smith''s Caldecott Honor Book Grandpa Green was an homage to aging and the end of life, There Is a Tribe of Kids is a meditation on childhood and life''s beginning. Smith''s vibrant sponge-paint illustrations and use of unusual collective nouns such as smack and unkindness bring the book to life. Whimsical, expressive, and perfectly paced, this story plays with language as much as it embodies imagination, and was awarded the 2017 Kate Greenaway Medal. This title has Common Core connections.

The inspiring and riveting first-ever memoir of active combat by a female helicopter pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan. Amber Smith flew into enemy fire in some of the most dangerous combat zones in the world. One of only a few women to fly the Kiowa Warrior helicopter whose mission, armed reconnaissance, required its pilots to stay low and fly fast, perilously close to the fight Smith deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the elite 2-17 Cavalry Regiment, part of the legendary 101st Airborne Division, the Screaming Eagles. She rose to Pilot-in-Command and Air Mission Commander in the premier Kiowa unit in the Army, repeatedly flying into harm s way during her 2005 and 2008 deployments. In "Danger Close," Smith takes us into the heat of battle, enabling readers to feel, hear, and smell the experience of serving as a combat pilot in high-intensity warfare. This is an edge-of-the seat story of learning to perform under pressure and persevere under extreme duress both in action against an implacable enemy and within the elite boy s club of Army aviation. Smith s unrelenting fight for both mastery and respect delivers universal life-lessons that will be useful to any civilian, from earning your spurs as a newbie to embracing the suck through setbacks that challenge your self-confidence to learning to trust your gut as a veteran of your profession. Intensely personal, cinematic, poignant, and inspiring, "Danger Close" is a war story on one hand, and also the story of a brave pilot who fought for and earned a lifetime membership in the ranks of the best of the best."

Though the characters may be familiar, each of your favorite storybook fables is uproariously derailed in this adaptation of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith''s quintessential children''s book of fractured fairy tales. Everything from "Chicken Little" to "The Gingerbread Man" gets a complete makeover. Fun music and witty narration accompany the likes of ineloquent giants, sassy barnyard animals, colossal cow pies, and enough stinky cheese to go around.

LYING, CHEATING, AND STEALING WON''T CURE MARCH MADNESS. . . In Kentucky, where basketball is oxygen, Tommy Gunn plays his way into the NCAA title game. Despite the warnings of his sweetheart Lori, Tommy takes a big bribe to lose the game and then a bigger bribe to injure an opponent and win the game. Consumed by greed, he reneges on all deals, steals all the money, and escapes into troubled exile hounded by Russian and Italian bookies. Adopting a stolen identity, he builds a team using lies, rules violations, and sheer audacity to claw his way back to the top. Tommy will fake, take, and forsake anything to win games, but he can''t regain Lori''s love unless he turns his back on greed and finds salvation in a hope-starved place called Rio Feo.

Download the first chapters of FOUR fantastic middle-grade books! This chapter sampler includes excerpts from Moone Boy: The Blunder Years by Chris O''Dowd and Nick Murphy; From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot; Return to Augie Hobble by Lane Smith; and The Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman.Visit MacKids.com to find out more about these great new middle-grade reads!

New Mexico middle-schooler Augie Hobble grapples with adolescence, paranormal mysteries, an overdue Creative Arts project, and heartbreaking loss while working in his father''s theme park, Fairy Tale Place.

Some 3.8 billion years ago, in an era of churning seas and murky skies, a few chemicals combined under the right conditions, and life emerged on planet Earth. From that first cell, life progressed to a myriad of one-celled organisms, to organisms capable of photosynthesis, to multicellular organisms, to simple plant and animal forms, up to the complex life-forms we know today. The Evolution of Cells traces these developments and how they may have occurred, through the scientific study of fossils, relationships among organisms, biochemistry of current life-forms, genetic sequencing, and laboratory experiments. Readers will also explore the complexity of cells and the ways science is making use of internal cell mechanisms for new discoveries in sustainable energy sources, cleaning up pollution, improving the food supply, and treating disease.

John Wesley Hardin is the smartest kid in Caledonia, but his high I.Q. can''t always keep his dream world separate from the real world. Named after an outlaw by a mother with the attention span of a hummingbird, John is different from other children. He memorizes the Periodic Table of the Elements in four days just because he can. People call him a genius, and he believes them, because he can''t think of any evidence to the contrary. John''s chronic overconfidence upsets the balance between risk and reward in his decision-making. Believing that he can rescue his father''s hardware store from failure, he makes huge bets that threaten to ruin him and his family financially. Each brush with disaster emboldens him to take on even greater risks. His vestiges of infantile omnipotence fall just short of pathological grandiosity. His obsessive nature and good intentions muddle the distinction between right and wrong; he rationalizes committing one fraud after another. When his fundamental identity is exposed as a fiction, his confidence is shattered. He must choose between pride and humility, between self-reliance and dependence on others. His reward for making the right choice is the chance to redeem himself as a young man capable of loving and worthy of being loved.

The companion title to It''s a Book, now in nappies! A playful exchange between an uninformed young donkey and a book-loving young ape brings Lane Smith''s bestselling It''s a Book to an even younger audience. This fun and satisfying board book is perfect for small hands, so now the message about the joy of reading can be shared with toddlers too.

From the bestselling author of It''s a Book comes a funny, touching tale about the legacy of America''s greatest president. When a schoolgirl gets separated from her tour of the White House and finds herself in the Lincoln bedroom, she also discovers the ghost of the great man himself. Together they embark on a journey across the country to answer Lincoln''s questions and quiet his concerns about the nation for which he gave his life. This wholly original tale is signature Lane Smith; Abe Lincoln''s Dream is funny, touching, and surprising in a way only possible from this master picture book creator. This title has Common Core connections.

A donkey with a laptop computer and a gorilla with a printed book discuss the merits of their preferred formats.

When the teacher tells her class that they can think of almost everything as a math problem, one student acquires a math anxiety which becomes a real curse.

A child explores the ordinary life of his extraordinary great-grandfather, as expressed in his topiary garden.

Japanese edition of Princess Hyacinth. Princess Hyacinth is an ordinary looking brown-haired, brown-eyed girl with a problem. She floats! The king and queen weigh her down in heavy cloths and crown and keep her indoors. When she spots a boy she likes, how will she be able to meet him, and will he like her..? In Japanese. Distributed by Tsai Fong Books, Inc.