Books with author Laura L. Smith

Lindsey feels alone, like no one truly understands her. That is, until she meets Noah, who possesses a calm self-confidence that Lindsey craves. But what price will she pay to escape to the comfort of Noah’s soft words and strong arms?This novel uses the power of story to challenge teens to discover the relevance of faith. Young adults will identify with Lindsey’s feelings of insecurity and uncertainty. Promoting a personal trust in God, this story awakens the imagination through personal discovery, dynamic characters, and unexpected plot twists.

"Samidi is an elephant who was born with a hugely deformed trunk. He had a difficult time adjusting to carrying such a massive burden. He was teased and bullied by the other jungle children and adolescents and even some adults. His best friend and confidant was his mother, Ryah. who encouraged him to be the best person he could be and to ignore all the others. She let him know that he was special and that she was very proud of him. Samidi grew to be strong, loving and kind despite all the things that were done to him. He finally was able to show his loving and caring nature to all the jungle animals in spite of the way they had treated him. His greatest gift was total and forgiving love. "

Emma is angry. She’s angry at her siblings, who she always has to baby sit; her parents, who are divorcing and ruining her life in the process; and herself for not measuring up to anyone’s standards.With her simmering feelings ready to spill over at any time, Emma's self-worth plummets. Her faith in God is tested in the face of overwhelming hurt that threatens to send her over the edge. Can she turn back in time?Online study guide companion available.

Jamie and her family have just moved into their new house on a horseshoe-shaped street surrounding a playground. There is a lot to get used to at first. Her brother, Luke, has nightmares. Her sister, Becky, acts like a baby, and all three of them miss their grandparents whose house they had lived in until now. While Jamie’s dad is at work and her mom works from home, Jamie is in charge of her brother and sister for the summer. At the playground, they are introduced to all of the neighborhood kids. Together, they teach each other their favorite games, make up new ones, go on many adventures, and end up having the best summer ever.

Many individuals struggle with establishing and maintaining a budget which in turn causes families to go into financial strain and live in poverty. There are many families that find themselves in a cycle of poverty because they continue the pattern. The BASF. Inc's Budget Booklet has been designed to help individuals and families understand the simplicity of budgetting with hopes of breaking generational curses or poverty. It teaches several easy to implement ways to save from generated income.

Tour the Los Angeles architecture designed by award winning architect Frank O. Gehry and other architects with this wonderful guide. Fifty-nine vivid color photos display these fascinating and varied structures, while the text provides addresses and detailed descriptions of each structure and its history. Among the public buildings and offices included are the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Monica City Hall, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, the Venice Renaissance Building, and well-known "Binoculars Building." The private residences include the Gehry House, the home of fellow architect Rudolf M. Schindler, Venice Art Lofts, and the home of actor and artist Dennis Hopper. Get behind the wheel and cruise L.A. for architecture yourself, or stay at home and enjoy the sites from your lounge chair!

It’s 1995, and 11-year-old Heidi Williams is just getting used to junior high school when tragedy strikes. One night, her house catches on fire, and she and her parents and adopted brother, Danny, are forced to move into an old rundown house while their house is reconstructed. Heidi is separated from her only friends: her elderly neighbor, Violet and her niece Jenny. She has no clothes or possessions, and everyone at school stares at her like she’s some kind of a freak. While in her new neighborhood, though, Heidi meets Dorothy, the girl next door who befriends her and takes Heidi on new adventures while at her temporary house. With Dorothy’s friend Stacey sometimes along for the ride, they go trick-or-treating, take bus trips to the mall, babysit, celebrate Stacey’s birthday, attend a school dance, and try to find out if a popular eighth grade boy may have a crush on Heidi. What starts as a tragedy turns out to be one of the best things that could ever happen to her.

Eight-year old Penelope and her best friend, Mandy -- a stuffed elephant, search for their roots, but find much more in Cantaloupe Trees. Guided by a fledgling fairy named Impy, they tour the magical Parade of Trees questing for the places where they were grown. Their adventure takes Penelope and Mandy to a myriad of fantastical trees hosted by amazing fairies. They experience marvels such as flying and tasting enchanted food, but are also faced with the darkness of deceit and the challenges of friendship. Along this flying road trip, Mandy finds things much more troubling to an elephant than mice, and Penelope makes a decision which will alter both her and Mandy’s fate forever.

In this, the bind up of The Initiation and The Captive Part 1, is the start of Cassie's story. Forced to move from sunny California to gloomy New England, Cassie is homesick - until she forms a bond with a group of teenagers at her school. This clique rules the school - no one dare cross them - but Cassie feels a strange kinship with them, and when she is initiated into their 'secret circle' she is both terrified and thrilled to be part of a coven of witches that have controlled New Salem for hundreds of years...But then Cassie falls in love. Now she has a tough decision to make: does she walk away, or does she step over to the dark side?