Books with author Alexandra Diaz

Alexandra Day has a knack for surprising juxtapositions. In fact, she is famous for it. She is the creator of a fierce looking Rottweiler named Carl who gently tends to an infant in a series of children’s books that began in 1985. Now comes The Fairy Dogfather. A young boy, Hector, has trouble differentiating the letters D and G. Thus when he writes a request to the universe that he needs a fairy godfather, well, the Fairy Dogfather arrives instead. The Fairy Dogfather is a big black and brown who wears a fedora and beautiful brown jacket, smokes a cigar, and isn’t at all what Hector had in mind. He uses a lot of big words, and instead of simply granting Hector’s wishes, like a regular fairy godmother, he is a rather demanding visitor. It’s understandable that a Fairy Dogfather would arrive hungry and need to check the weather report, but Hector needs a present for his Mom’s birthday right away. It looks like his benefactor isn’t going to be of much help. But in Day’s capable and witty hands the Fairy Dogfather turns out to be a forceful and enigmatic figure who manages, with subtle wit, to grant all of Hector’s wishes.

When was the last time you stumbled across a set of rings or monkey bars outside of the gym? Possibly at a park? But what about the rest of your city? Compared to walls, fences, and gates, both rings and bars are extremely rare in the concrete jungle.A climb-up is the name of an iconic parkour skill that is essentially the real-world, urban application of a muscle-up, on a wall, fence, or similar barrier. Along with landing, rolling, and falling, climb-ups are amongst the most useful and common of all parkour movements. In an obstacle course or a real-life situation in which you could benefit from knowing a bit of parkour, getting up quickly (climb-up) and getting down safely (landing, rolling, & falling) are two of the most important movement domains to explore. Unfortunately, these fundamental techniques are also some of the most neglected in practice because they require loads of hard work and clever training in order to own; typically many months, if not years.

"Be yourself. People may or may not like you, but it's important that you stay true to who you are." - Anonymous. "I remember my very first therapy session. It was supposed to help me cope with my parents’ divorce. It was “family” therapy because they felt it was best that we all discuss it together. I was told to read a story about another family that went through a divorce, and it just confused me even more. They told me “It’s not your fault, mommy and daddy love you” and blah, blah blah!""There was a time where I hated myself just because I was so obese. I felt un-pretty, not confident, a waste, and I can go on and on... I won’t lie, I still sometimes feel that way. I learned that me, Ali could NOT even get past my outer layer! How can I expect others in my life to get past my outer layer, if I couldn't? I had to find out by peeling back my own layers and finding out what makes me the woman I am. Spending countless hours, days, writing, reflecting, and digging deep into my past. Honesty is something I value, so in order to be honest with others, I had to be honest with myself."I always felt like an outsider in my own family. I’m tired of hiding behind the smiles, the “I’m okays”… the battle goes beyond the surface; it’s internal. This is my story, through the good, the bad and the ugly; I’m holding nothing back.

At 15, Lene is questioning everything. She is sick of the compulsory League of German Girls' meetings, and everyone being made to fight for a final victory that never seems to come. She is in love with Ludwig who lives upstairs and listens to enemy broadcasts. Like Lene, he rejects the war and the endless Nazi indoctrination. But he has caught the attention of his ruthless Hitler Youth squad leader, Kurt. Unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, Lene has to watch every step, every word to protect those she loves. When Ludwig is ordered to the Eastern Front, can Lene and Ludwig hold on to their promise to one another and resurface from the darkness of the abyss in post-war Berlin?

Pop-up fun from the creator of the Carl booksA Rottweiler puppy's ingenuity enables him to escape from his dog cage and get himself into loads of domestic mischief - with a little help from readers as they pull tabs and lift flaps. Whether he's trying to steal the cat's pillow or trailing toilet paper all over the house, dog lovers of all ages will applaud and laugh at his misbehavior until, at last, the puppy falls into the arms of his beloved owner.