New Releases by Josephine Thompson

Unlocking the Secrets of Conversational Cuban Spanish: An In-Depth Resource for Aspiring Linguists and Travelers Cuban Spanish is a vibrant and dynamic dialect that reflects the rich culture and history of the island. As someone who has spent time in Cuba, I can tell you that learning this variation of Spanish can be both an exciting and challenging experience. It''s not just about the words; it''s about the rhythm, the expressions, and the way people connect through language. One of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Havana was the unique pronunciation. Cubans often drop the ''s'' at the end of words, which can make it tricky for newcomers to catch what''s being said. For instance, instead of "estás" (you are), you might hear "etá." This can be confusing at first, but it adds a certain musicality to the language that I found charming. In addition to pronunciation, Cuban Spanish is filled with local slang that can leave even seasoned Spanish speakers scratching their heads. During my stay, I learned that "asere" is a common term for "friend," and it''s used in a way that feels warm and inviting. I remember sitting in a bustling café, where the locals were animatedly chatting, and I felt a sense of belonging when I was able to join in using this term. It''s moments like those that make learning a language so rewarding. Another aspect that sets Cuban Spanish apart is the use of idiomatic expressions. Phrases like "dar un palo" (to hit a stick) means to achieve something unexpectedly, and I found myself using it after a particularly successful day of exploring. These expressions not only enrich the language but also provide insights into the Cuban way of life. They often reflect the island''s history, humor, and resilience. For anyone looking to dive into Cuban Spanish, I recommend utilizing a variety of resources. Language apps like Duolingo and Babbel are great for building a foundational vocabulary, but don''t stop there! Watching Cuban films or listening to music can immerse you in the culture. I found that listening to Buena Vista Social Club not only improved my listening skills but also deepened my appreciation for the nuances of the language. Collaborating with native speakers is another invaluable way to learn. I was fortunate enough to meet several locals who were eager to share their language and culture with me. This exchange was not only educational but also incredibly enriching on a personal level. The friendships I formed during this time were some of the most meaningful experiences of my travels. Lastly, don''t be afraid to make mistakes. I remember feeling embarrassed when I mispronounced a word or used the wrong expression, but those moments often led to laughter and learning. Embracing the imperfections of the learning process is part of what makes it so enjoyable. In conclusion, unlocking the secrets of conversational Cuban Spanish requires patience, practice, and a willingness to engage with the culture. Whether you''re an aspiring linguist or a traveler eager to connect with the locals, embracing the quirks of this dialect will undoubtedly enhance your experience. So grab a phrasebook, put on some music, and get ready to immerse yourself in the beautiful world of Cuban Spanish. You won''t regret it!

"Babies will love discovering the splashing penguins, mischevious monkeys and roaring lions on the colorful pages of this book. They can press the buttons to hear the monkey, elephant, seal, penguin and lion sounds - and try making the noises themselves! A joy to share and talk about with babies and toddlers alike."

Attention au départ ! Tous les passagers sont prêts pour une belle promenade en autobus. Les illustrations très colorées de ce beau livre tactile séduiront les tout-petits. Les bébés aimeront le texte simple et répétitif, les couleurs vives et les charmants animaux qu''ils retrouveront au fil des pages. Ils ne résisteront pas au plaisir de regarder à travers les trous, de suivre les découpes du doigt et de faire tourner les roues de l''autobus. Ce livre fascinera les très jeunes enfants et leur donnera l''occasion de développer leur vocabulaire.

Les tout-petits adoreront regarder les images vivement colorées, écouter tous les bruits, soulever les rabats et toucher les matières de ce très joli livre.

Prends vite tes crayons et tes feutres ! Tu trouveras dans ce livre une foule de dessins à compléter et à colorier.

Narrative Memoir: Trauma Tragedy and Triumph260 pages 71,152 words“When the storms of life are worse than the storms of nature, those who survive rise out of the maelstrom"The pages of my books are the parchment upon which I wrote using the ''ink'' of my life: the blood, sweat and tears that represent the long struggle of the ''journey'', the life trip that began long ago with the hungry little girl who ''sat in the sand'' waiting to be saved by “an ancient old man”.The story of child abuse, salvation, domestic violence and escape as told in Torn From the Inside Out, continued with the endearing and heart wrenching story of the children of Torn From the Inside Out in The Journey, as they struggle with the issues of their own survival and redemption. Out of the MaelstromOut of the Maelstrom contains stories about real people: stories of trauma and triumph and extremes of what life has to offer, from the kindness that defines the best of human nature to the cruelty that defines the worst. Many of the stories contain paradoxical dilemmas of social significance that have arisen out of our culture and stand as a testament to the broken parts of society that affect the marginalized and the forgotten members, the ones most in need of help. The scope of Out of the Maelstrom broadly sweeps in the world view as part of the context of everyday human life, since no man exists on an island. Excerpts“He was dead, alright. The sight of death is an ugly and fearsome thing, I thought, as I absorbed the tragic sight in front of me. It was a man, ''The man'' , who was lying in the road with blackish--red blood pooled around his head, and as he lay face down with his feet in his own yard, while his head and shoulders were planted in the street, he gave the appearance of a killed animal felled in its tracks by a hunter”. “I applied to work for this agency because I felt that I belonged there, because it was where my heart was. I wanted to help people who had hurt like I hurt and felt trapped like I had. I wanted to empower those who felt they were powerless and give courage to the broken hearted. My comrades in this mission were all there with me, we all wanted the same things for similar reasons and we would share a rich and grand experience working together, an adventure that needed telling, a soulful potion that needs sharing in the journey of this new life”“She said her name was Evelyn, the name sounded soft and genteel but the lady was not”“Oh…You will just have to come see for yourself-I''d get over here if I were you -and hurry!” she said with a little nervous laugh” Sandy the Shelter ManagerTable of ContentsChapter 1…..Homicide in the Street…11(Print edition)Chapter 2…..A Place of Safety in a Time of Danger…25Chapter 3…..A Special Brand of People…31Chapter 4…..An Education of a Different Sort…44Chapter 5…..Mending Broken Lives…53Chapter 6…..Where I Belonged…62Chapter 7…..God Bless the Women and Children…68Chapter 8…..Problems on the Home Front…76Chapter 9….. “You Shine up Like a New Penny…83”Chapter 10…..A Critical Dilemma…97Chapter 11…..The Ghost in the Shelter…110Chapter 12…..The Naked Lady and the Others…115Chapter 13…..The Good and the Bad…123Chapter 14…..The Ice Storm…129Chapter 15…..The Sacrifice of Volunteers…142Chapter 16…..Rape of a Nation……145Chapter 17…..Robbers in Our Midst…147Chapter 18…..Searching for An Invisible Ideal…153Chapter 19…..Diversity and Complications…167Chapter 20…..Troubled Children…172Chapter 21…..To Broader Horizons…174Chapter 22…..Bobbi, a Curious Enigma…198Chapter 23…..The New Client…………...204Chapter 24…..Violence Knows No Gender…219Chapter 25…..When the Mentally Ill Become Victims…227Chapter 26…..Norman Rockwell & The Lady From Harvard…232Chapter 27…..Wolves-Within ……..…238Chapter 28…..A Visit: Back to My Past…247Chapter 29…..Journey''s End……………253

The Journey is a Narrative Memoir “We left our whole world behind and fled with nothing, yet the children never even once asked why” The Journey is Book II of The Torn Trilogy which includes Torn From the Inside Out, The Journey and Out of the MaelstromIn 1987, Sara Niles fled for her life from a homicidal abuser, with her five small children in tow. The Journey tells the story of the Niles children during their long struggle to survive.Excerpts“She made thirty suicide attempts before the age of thirty. Some unseen and unknown inner turmoil, created a war within her: a chaotic war that she felt she could not win, but was not sure she wanted to lose”“I wrote The Journey, the intimate and revealing story of our lives, not to shame anyone, or to hurt feelings, but to enlighten, and to awaken and provide a call to action to many of the individuals who are a parent, child, or partner, in at least one relationship that has elements of dysfunction and discord. Someone has to label dysfunction where it starts and put an end to it once and for all.” Sara Niles“When the dark night ended, a new day dawned for us when my children were still small, and the new day was as long as the long night had been, and in some ways, just as frightening”“Once we lose trust in ''who we are'' and what we believe in, we are exposed to the wolves of doubt and despair, and are in mortal jeopardy ““Our flight to freedom and safety was filled with a calm suppressed terror in the children and I, the type terror you have when you are used to living with danger”ContentsTable of ContentsChapter 1 My Child in Chaos…..9Chapter 2 Remembering The Past…15Chapter 3 Entering the World of the ''Have Nots''…33Chapter 4 A New Niche…..49Chapter 5 Isolated and Insulated…63Chapter 6 Invaded…..79Chapter 7 Reorganization…93Chapter 8 The Many Faces of Religion…109Chapter 9 The Snow Storm….123Chapter 10 The Bounty of the Garden…131Chapter 11 The Rains…..141Chapter 12 Special Visitors…..151Chapter 13 The Quick Builds…..161Chapter 14 The Circus Comes to Town…173Chapter 15 View from the Land of Enchantment…178Chapter 16 Molding Human Clay…..185Chapter 17 Mortality…..197Chapter 18 The World Still Turns…205Section II: Entering the Twilight ZoneChapter 19 The Journey into the Land of Night…213Chapter 20 The Car…229Chapter 21 Deception and Retribution…244Chapter 22 The Unleashing…254Chapter 23 Catastrophe…..266Chapter 24 Freeing the Monsters…276Chapter 25 A Problem with Mikey…292Chapter 26 Relaxing of the Guard…304Chapter 27 The Binding Poverty…310Chapter 28 Five Years Working for the ''Company Store''…324Chapter 29 A Season to Learn…334Chapter 30 The End of Seventh Street…348Chapter 31 A Moment to Rest…350Chapter 32 Life Changes…352Chapter 33 A Religious Hold Broken & The Birth of the Book…355Chapter 34 The Call of Academia…378Chapter 35 Even Solid Steel Breaks…385Chapter 36 Connections and Friendships…398Chapter 37 An Appeal to the Veteran''s Administration…401Chapter 38 .Enlightenment…408Chapter 39 Opportunities…423Chapter 40 A Dark Time for Mikey Begins…434Chapter 41 Tommy Maries…440Chapter 42 Las Vegas…..442Chapter 43 A Child Lost…..470Chapter 44 The Three Monsters: Trauma, Drugs, & Mental Illness…492Chapter 45 Finding Absolution…496Chapter 46 Ariel Battles The Three-Headed Monster…500Chapter 47 Finding Happiness…512Chapter 48 The Evolutions…515Epilogue…………………..516Post Script: Trauma,Addiction,Mental Illness..525End of The JourneySample Chapter of Out of the Maelstrom by Sara Niles...541

- Bébé prendra plaisir à découvrir les couleurs avec ce livre cartonné plein de gaieté, aux images colorées et tactiles. - Spécialement conçue pour stimuler visuellement bébé, chaque page regorge d''illustrations attrayantes et de détails à observer. - Un support amusant pour développer le langage et la perception sensorielle chez les tout-petits, avec des chemins en creux à suivre du doigt et des trous par où regarder.

"Babies will love looking at the bright pictures, lifting the flaps and running their fingers over the touchy-feely areas in this delightful book"--Page [4] of cover.

Stap voor stap wordt uitgelegd hoe je van restjes stof, kranten, plastic tassen e.d. allerlei knutsels kunt maken. Met kleurenillustraties. Vanaf ca. 8 t/m 11 jaar.

Découvre le monde mystérieux de l''Egypte ancienne grâce à ce livre d''activités originales. Suis les instructions simples pour fabriquer un sarcophage et sa momie, une coiffe royale ou encore des figurines divines. Tu pourras aussi écrire en hiéroglyphes, et réaliser des boîtes-pyramides et des scarabées magiques. 1

This book is guaranteed to have young children cheering in the terraces with its football themed activities, including a muddy training ground painting, a penalty shoot-out card and footballer finger puppets. Each activity is clearly illustrated with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions.

Describes the landforms and animals found in Antarctica, explains what scientists do there, and tells what life is like for them.

Stap voor stap, met tekeningen in kleur, worden ideeën gegeven voor knutselwerkjes die iets te maken hebben met een wetenschappelijk verschijnsel zoals zwaartekracht en elektriciteit. Vanaf ca. 10 jaar.

literary narrative domestic violence memoir; powerful literary symbolisms and metaphors, well developed characterizations and powerful emotional impact

This exploration of bears is part of a series introducing children to the wonder of the world around them. It has two reading levels, with a simple sentence on each page for beginners, accompanied by more complex information which can be read as the child''s ability grows.