Rock Henderson needs a wife-and fast. His dying mother's last wish is to leave this world knowing her son is blissfully married...and producing grandchildren. It's just a small lie to make her eternally happy, one he doesn't think he'll have to make good on until Zelda shows up the week before Christmas with her nurse and her twenty pound tabby cat. With his ex-fiance long gone and his wheelchair-bound mother sitting in the living room of his penthouse demanding to meet his wife, he's desperate-and hard pressed to find a stand-in on such short notice. That is, until he remembers his neighbor...

Close reading is a key strategy for comprehending the complex texts required by the Common Core. Sandra Athans and Denise Devine unpack this strategy, breaking it down into manageable components and sharing their classroom-tested lessons and teaching tools that guide students step-by-step through close reading grade-level texts. Athans and Devine demonstrate how to
select appropriate text for instruction
develop high-level questions to guide student thinking
teach students to use evidence to support their responses
facilitate discussion to further deepen student...

Merry Connor is struggling to feed her two children, pay heat bills and fix her secondhand car. Though she's barely making it financially, life is good. That is, compared to two years ago when she lost everything-thanks to her lying, deceiving ex-husband. She's come a long way since then and doesn't intend to look back. Even so, it'll be a long time before she trusts anyone with her heart again. Tony Lewis hasn't had a merry Christmas since his wife and son perished in a car collision three years ago. The holidays are lonely without his family, but his heart begins to mend when he meets Merry...

Merry Connor is struggling to feed her two children, pay heat bills and fix her secondhand car. Though she's barely making it financially, life is good. That is, compared to two years ago when she lost everything-thanks to her lying, deceiving ex-husband. She's come a long way since then and doesn't intend to look back. Even so, it'll be a long time before she trusts anyone with her heart again. Tony Lewis hasn't had a merry Christmas since his wife and son perished in a car collision three years ago. The holidays are lonely without his family, but his heart begins to mend when he meets Merry...