Seeing Ezra: A Mother's Story of Autism, Unconditional Love, and the Meaning of Normal

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Book Description
Seeing Ezra is the soulful, beautifully written memoir of a mother’s fierce love for her autistic son, and a poignant examination of what it means to be “normal.” When Kerry Cohen’s son Ezra turns one, a babysitter suggests he may be “different,” setting her family on a path in which autism dominates their world. As he becomes a toddler and they navigate the often rigid and prescriptive world of therapy, Cohen is unsettled by the evaluations they undergo: At home, Ezra is playfully expressive, sharing profound, touching moments of connection and intimacy with his mother and other family members, but in therapy he is pathologized, prodded to behave in ways that undermine his unique expression of autism.

It soon becomes clear that more is at stake than just Ezra’s well-being; Cohen and her marriage are suffering as well. Ezra’s differentness, and the strain of pursuing varied therapies, takes a toll on the family—Cohen’s husband grows depressed and she pursues an affair—all as she tries to help others recognize and embrace Ezra’s uniqueness rather than force him to behave outside his comfort level. It isn’t until they abandon the expected, prescriptive notions about love, marriage, and individuality that they are able to come back together as two parents who fiercely love their little boy.

Powerful and eye-opening, Seeing Ezra is an inspirational chronicle of a mother’s struggle to protect her son from a system that seeks to compartmentalize and “fix” him, and of her journey toward accepting and valuing him for who he is—just as he is.

Develop Your Child's Sense of Joy & Wonder

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Book Description
Children are natural scientists, artists, mathematicians, authors, and scholars. From the time they are born they seek out information about the world around them in an effort to construct meaning and further their development. Children have an inherent drive to make sense of their reality, and when given an enriching environment and supportive guidance they intuitively take advantage of the prospects for learning that are before them. Parents have a unique opportunity to harness their children’s curiosity and channel it into the development of habits of heart and mind that will serve them throughout their lifetime.

Playful Learning is the magic that takes place when we meld a child’s sense of joy and wonder with thoughtfully planned learning experiences. Through easy-to-implement, hands-on projects you can engage your child in fun and creative ways that encourage learning and impart the joy of discovery. In addition, discover ways to create a space conducive to learning and learn how to build a culture within your family that celebrates learning. With a little bit of information and forethought, you can play a pivotal role in the cognitive and creative development of your child.

About the Author
Mariah Bruehl has worked in the field of education for over a decade. She has an MS in Elementary Education from the Bank Street College of Education, was a classroom teacher for four years at the Dalton School, and worked in Early Childhood and Elementary Administration for six years at the Hampton Day School, the Ross School, and the Ross Institute Academy. She has taught in the classroom, trained teachers, implemented programs across many grade levels,and developed and implemented curriculum. Her educational influences include the Reggio Emilia Approach, Maria Montessori, and Howard Gardner. She is currently a stay-at-home mother of two girls and the owner of Playful Learning— a retail space and education center in Sag Harbor.

Siblings: Brothers and Sisters in American History

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Book Description
Brothers and sisters are so much a part of our lives that we can overlook their importance. Even scholars of the family tend to forget siblings, focusing instead on marriage and parent-child relations. Based on a wealth of family papers, period images, and popular literature, this is the first book devoted to the broad history of sibling relations, spanning the long period of transition from early to modern America.

Illuminating the evolution of the modern family system, Siblings shows how brothers and sisters have helped each other in the face of the dramatic political, economic, and cultural changes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The book reveals that, in colonial America, sibling relations offered an egalitarian space to soften the challenges of the larger patriarchal family and society, while after the Revolution, in antebellum America, sibling relations provided order and authority in a more democratic nation. Moreover, Hemphill explains that siblings serve as the bridge between generations. Brothers and sisters grow up in a shared family culture influenced by their parents, but they are different from their parents in being part of the next generation. Responding to new economic and political conditions, they form and influence their own families, but their continuing relationships with brothers and sisters serve as a link to the past. Siblings thus experience and promote the new, but share the comforting context of the old. Indeed, in all races, siblings function as humanity's shock-absorbers, as well as valued kin and keepers of memory. This wide-ranging book offers a new understanding of the relationship between families and history in an evolving world. It is also a timely reminder of the role our siblings play in our own lives.

About the Author
C. Dallett Hemphill is a Professor of History at Ursinus College. She is the author of Bowing to Necessities: A History of Manners in America, 1620-1860 (OUP).

Fierce Medicine: Breakthrough Practices to Heal the Body & Ignite the Spirit

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Book Description
As the creator of Forrest Yoga , Ana T. Forrest has been transforming people’s lives throughout the world for more than thirty-five years. Her unique blend of physical practice, Eastern wisdom, and profound Native American ceremony takes her teachings literally off the mat and into daily life—to heal everything from addictive behaviors and eating disorders to chronic pain and injury. In Fierce Medicine, Forrest tells her own story of healing from the scars of abuse and physical handicaps, and reveals the proven practices that enabled her to move beyond her past into a life committed to helping others reconnect with their bodies, cultivate balance, and start living in harmony with their Spirits.

In her unique, powerful, and inviting voice, Ana Forrest reveals how to:

• Learn to stalk fear and break free from it instead of running from it.
• Be attentive to your body, discovering its own inherent healing properties.
• Speak and act from a place of honesty and compassion.
• Cultivate an open heart that is feeling, responsive, and reflexive and able to embrace change.
• Harness your intuition and the courage to live in alignment with your Spirit.

Whether you’ve never done yoga or are a seasoned practitioner, Ana Forrest’s practices, stories, and exercises will help you uncover your own warrior’s heart. With this wise woman as your trusted guide, you, too, can become centered, strong, and more alive than ever before.

Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches

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Book Description
I didn't write this book because mothering little ones is easy for me. I wrote it because it isn't. I know that this is a hard job, because I am right here in the middle of it. I know you need encouragement because I do too.

This is not a tender reminiscence from someone who had children so long ago that she only remembers the sweet parts. At the time of writing this, I have three children in diapers, and I can recognize the sound of hundreds of toothpicks being dumped out in the hall.

This is a small collection of thoughts on mothering young children for when you are motivated, for when you are discouraged, for the times when discipline seems fruitless, and for when you are just plain old tired.

The opportunities for growth abound here but you have to be willing. You have to open your heart to the tumble. As you deal with your children, deal with yourself always and first. This is what it looks like, and feels like, to walk as a mother with God.

About the Author
Rachel Jankovic is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She received her bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts & Culture from New Saint Andrews College, but mostly reads cookbooks now to avoid story grip (being highly susceptible). In 2003, she married her husband Luke, and they have five children who know how to party. Their little posse includes Evangeline (5), Daphne (4), Chloe (2), Titus (2), and Blaire (5 months). Rachel loves color, fabric, yarn to knit with, kids to laugh at, and laundry (not so much).

Dr. Riley's Box of Tricks

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Book Description
Every parent sends their child to his or her room as a punishment at one time or another. But, have you ever considered grounding your children from their rooms? Dr. Douglas Riley has. In fact, if your daughter isn't allowed to use her own room after you have declared it "unfit for human habitation" until she straightens it, you'll be amazed how clean she will keep her space next time.

Dr. Riley has prescriptions for every situation, from messy rooms to homework procrastination, from sibling combat to cell-phone abuse. Ideal for any exasperated parent, this must-have guide offers dozens of creative solutions for the most persistent parenting problems. These gentle yet proven techniques turn the tables to put you back in charge--and get your kids to laugh in the process.

About the Author
Douglas Riley, EdD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than thirty years of experience working with children, adolescents, and parents. He lives in Virginia.

Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn

Order "Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Penny Simkin, April Bolding, Ann Keppler, Janelle Durham, Janet Whalley" Here

Book Description
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide is already one of the bestselling pregnancy books on the market, with more than one million copies in print! Now newly revised and redesigned, this comprehensive, authoritative “bible” provides expectant couples with abundant, valuable information about pregnancy, labor, birth, the postpartum period, and newborn care.

This award-winning book presents the latest research-based information on pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood, including:

• New information on complementary-medicine approaches such as acupuncture
• Updated information on interventions during childbirth
• Revised statistics and discussions on cesarean birth and vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC)
• New advice on informed decision-making, one of the hottest topics in maternity care today
• Plus much, much more!