Not An Ordinary Day

Shortlisted for the SYRCA 2013 Diamond Willow Award, selected as an American Library Association 2012 Notable Children's Book, a Booklist Editors' Choice, nominated for the OLA Golden Oak Tree Award, and a finalist for the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards: Young Adult/Middle Reader Award, the Governor General's Literary Awards: Children's Text and the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award There's not much that upsets young Valli. Even though her days are spent picking coal and fighting with her cousins, life in the coal town of Jharia, India, is the only life she knows. The only sight that fills her with terror are the monsters who live on the other side of the train tracks -- the lepers. Valli and the other children throw stones at them. No matter how hard her life is, she tells herself, at least she will never be one of them. Then she discovers that she is not living with family after all, that her "aunt" was a stranger who was paid money to take Valli off her own family's hands. She decides to leave Jharia ... and so begins a series of adventures that takes her to Kolkata, the city of the gods. It's not so bad. Valli finds that she really doesn't need much to live. She can "borrow" the things she needs and then pass them on to people who need them more than she does. It helps that though her bare feet become raw wounds as she makes her way around the city, she somehow feels no pain. But when she happens to meet a doctor on the ghats by the river, Valli learns that she has leprosy. Despite being given a chance to receive medical care, she cannot bear the thought that she is one of those monsters she has always feared, and she flees, to an uncertain life on the street. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

After learning that her family adopted her, Valli runs away from home to live on the streets of Kolkata, India, where she begs, steals, and resists help from a doctor who reveals that she has leprosy.

One fateful morning, Kyle found his family dead. Murdered. His life was never going to be the same again. Kyle knows who killed his family and would stop at nothing to get him arrested. However, his own freedom hangs in the balance for the sake of justice. His failure will result in him getting arrested for murder. Will the police believe him? Will Kyle have any luck convincing the police? Will there be a happy ending to this story? Not everything is what it appears to be.

The author, Mrs. Carolyn Anderson, provides the reader with a clear and vivid re-enactment of the events that transpired that unforgettable day while also telling of the inequities in "justice" that are revealed. The author not only shares her pain and despair but also provides the reader with real strategies to work through the grief that one experiences, especially with the sudden loss of a child. She shares from her heart how God's love comforted her through the tragedy and how his grace and mercy provided her with the strategies to overcome! - Penny S. Chisholm "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV) A must read for all, whether you just need encouragement or you are in recovery from the pain and agony of tragedy. This story shows you how to use the amazing gift of love as a strategy. The author shares a very personal testimony of how God so graciously fills those who believe and trust in HIM with HIS unconditional LOVE! Thank you for sharing God's love with others as you are healed from your own pain. - Renee Robinson

The architecture for this book format stems from the cadence call used by armed services where the leader calls out a cadence (phrase) in a specific tempo that is echoed by the soldiers. The cadence call instills unity among the troop's movement and work. We too can hear and respond to God's cadence call to us. Doing so requires positioning ourselves through prayer and nearness to Him so we are able to hear Him. That process is facilitated by the compilation of devotions, prayers, and praise reports in this book. They have a corporate goal of generating a three-pronged approach to drawing closer to God: reading, resonating, and responding to Him. The first prong, reading, is addressed by reviewing the devotions, prayers, and praise reports. They provide a glimpse into the common human experience with scriptural support. Resonating, the second prong, is perhaps the most exciting. This is where quiet contemplation and active listening birthed through prayer collide. Here is where we seek to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit similar to military troops responding to the cadence call from their leader. Finally, the response prong allows for your active participation in chronicling impressions that come to mind during the resonating period. Writing space is provided for the completion of this step. The outcome of the previously listed steps is prayer. All God-focused prayers are worthy. They help us to see, hear, and respond to Him. They also help us in the circumstances we find ourselves in. If you are newly developing your prayer life, prayer strategies are provided in this book, offering some guidance as you discover your personal prayer pattern.

Gracious God is a collection of inspirational and heart-felt invocations offered by Pastor James Ulrikson. Every week, Pastor Ulrikson offers words of prayer at the Fountain Hills Rotary Club, and hopes this book reminds people that true blessings are not found in what we have, but in how we can serve others.

A perfect solution to connect the Common Core Standards to comprehension and learning! Common Core Connections series for Math and Language Arts, for kindergarten to grade 5, helps every learner make the connection to success! Provides teachers with the diagnostic tests to help determine individualized instruction needs. Focused, comprehensive practice pages and self-assessments guide students to reflection and exploration for deeper learning! Grade specific coherent content progresses in difficulty to achieve optimum fluency. Connecting the standards to content has never been easier with the Common Core Connections series for Math and Language Arts. Each 96-page book includes an assessment test, test analysis, Common Core State Standards Alignment Matrix, and answer key.

For almost fifty years and for millions of readers, the Daily Study Bible commentaries have been the ideal help for both devotional and serious Bible study. Now, with the release of the New Daily Study Bible, a new generation will appreciate the wisdom of William Barclay. With clarification of less familiar illustrations and inclusion of more contemporary language, the New Daily Study Bible will continue to help individuals and groups discover what the message of the New Testament really means for their lives.