Books with author Patricia Patrick

The powerful, poignant, bestselling National Book Award Finalist gives voice to a young girl robbed of her childhood yet determined to find the strength to triumphLakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family's crops, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family. He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at "Happiness House" full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.An old woman named Mumtaz rules the brothel with cruelty and cunning. She tells Lakshmi that she is trapped there until she can pay off her family's debt-then cheats Lakshmi of her meager earnings so that she can never leave.Lakshmi's life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Still, she lives by her mother's words-Simply to endure is to triumph-and gradually, she forms friendships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision-will she risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life? Written in spare and evocative vignettes by the co-author of I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition), this powerful novel renders a world that is as unimaginable as it is real, and a girl who not only survives but triumphs.

Newly Edited and Updated Version (Fourth Edition) for Unity 2019.Get started with Unity and game programming fast without the headachesUnity is a great software to create video games; however, it includes so many options and features that getting started can feel overwhelming.Without my book, most people spend too long trying to learn how to use Unity the hard way. This book is the only one that will get you to learn Unity fast without wasting so much time. This book is the first book in the series "Unity from Zero to Proficiency" where you will learn to code fast and be able to create your own video games with Unity in no time. What you will learn After completing this book, you will be able to: Know and master the features that you need to create 2D and 3D environments for your games. Quickly create (and navigate through) realistic 3D indoors and outdoors environments. Create a 3D Maze with lights, walls, and textures. Use ProBuilder to create a house. Create an island with trees, sandy beaches, mountains, and water. Include and control a car and a plane. Create a 2D platform game (with no scripting needed). Export your games to the web. Who this book is forThis book is for: Hobbyists who need a book that gets them started with Unity and game development easily. Parents looking for a book that introduces their children to game programming painlessly. Teachers looking for a complete and clear resource on programming through the creation of games. Aspiring indie game developers. How this book is different This is the only book that you need to get started with Unity fast and to enjoy the journey without the frustration. This book includes six chapters that painlessly guide you through the necessary skills to master Unity's interface, use its core features, and create and navigate through realistic 2D and 3D environments. It assumes no prior knowledge on your part and ensures that you have all the information and explanations that you need every step of the way. What this book offers This book includes all the features that you need to get started with Unity and game development: Learn without the headaches: This book assumes that you can't be expected to learn everything at once; this is why you will build all your skills incrementally. In addition, if you are more of a visual learner, you will gain access to a FREE video training that covers all the topics and features introduced in the book so that you can see how it is done. Make your dream of creating your own games come true: This book ensures that you stay motivated by giving you the right amount of information and challenge in each chapter; we all know that it's hard to keep motivated when learning a new skill, so this book always contextualizes the knowledge with an example (so that you feel it's relevant), and also makes sure that you get to challenge yourself, if you need to, with optional challenges present at the end of each chapter. Progress and feel confident in your skills: You will have the opportunity to learn and to use Unity at your own pace and to become comfortable with its interface. This is because every single new concept introduced will be explained in great detail so that you never feel lost. All the concepts are introduced progressively so that you don't feel overwhelmed. Create your own games and feel awesome: With this book, you will build your own 2D and 3D environments and you will spend more time creating than reading, to ensure that you can apply the concepts covered in each section. All chapters include step-by-step instructions with examples that you can use straight-away.If you want to get started with Unity today, then buy this book now

Get Started with Game Programming FastGetting started with Unity can be tedious if the resource that you are using doesn't have an approach tailored to your needs. In the past, I have seen how a simple yet detailed approach to teaching Unity can make a real difference to a student's ability to create games confidently and successfully and I have made sure that everything has been included in this book to make your journey enjoyable and to guarantee your success in the creation of video games with Unity. How this book is different With this book, you will not only learn about Unity but you will also enjoy the journey without the frustration. This book includes six chapters that painlessly guide you through the necessary skills to master Unity's interface, use its core features, and create and navigate through realistic 2D and 3D environments. It assumes no prior knowledge on your part and ensures that you have all the information and explanations that you need every step of the way. All the information is introduced progressively. This book is for parents or teachers who would like to introduce their children or students to game development; it is also for hobbyist just getting started with Unity, or aspiring indie game developers. What this book offers This book includes all the features that will guarantee your success as an aspiring game developer: > A book truly designed for beginnersThis book also assumes that you can't be expected to learn everything at once; this is why you will build all your skills incrementally. In addition, if you are more of a visual learner, you will gain access to a FREE video training that covers all the topics and features introduced in the book so that you can see how it is done. > You will be kept motivated throughout the bookThis book ensures that you stay motivated by giving you the right amount of information and challenge in each chapter; we all know that it's hard to keep motivated when learning a new skill, so this book always contextualizes the knowledge with an example (so that you feel it's relevant), and also makes sure that you get to challenge yourself, if you need to, with optional challenges present at the end of each chapter. > You will never feel lost or overwhelmedYou will have the opportunity to learn and use Unity at your own pace and to become comfortable with its interface. This is because every single new concept introduced will be explained. Every step is explained in great details so that you never feel lost. All the concepts are introduced progressively so that you don't feel overwhelmed. > You will learn by doingWith this book, you will build your own 2D and 3D environments and you will spend more time creating than reading, to ensure that you can apply the concepts covered in each section. All chapters include step-by-step instructions with examples that you can use straight-away. What you will learn After completing this book, you will be able to: Feel comfortable with Unity's core features. Apply transformations (e.g., rotate, or scale). Create a 3D Maze with lights, walls, and textures. Create an island with trees, sandy beaches, mountains, and water. Use cameras and vehicles. Create a 2D platform game (with no scripting). Export your games to the web. Still not sure? Scroll to the top of this page and click on the book's cover to "look inside" this book to see the topics covered, learn more about Patrick's background and determine if reading "Unity from Zero to Proficiency (Foundations)" will be a worthwhile investment.If you want to get started with Unity today, then buy this book now

Newly Edited and Updated Version (Third Edition) for Unity 2019Get started with C# programming and Unity without the headachesWithout my book, most people spend too long trying to learn C# with Unity the hard way. This book is the only one that will get you to learn Unity fast without wasting so much time. It includes nine chapters that painlessly teach you the necessary skills to master C# with Unity and to create both 2D and 3D interactive games.What you will learnAfter completing this book, you will be able to: Code in C#. Understand and apply C# concepts. Create a 3D adventure game with the main character, a timer, and a mini-map. Display and update a user interface with text and images. Create and use C# variables and methods for your game. Include intelligent NPCs that chase the player. Create a 2D word-guessing games and an infinite runner. Load new scenes from the code, based on events in your games.Content and structure of this bookThe content of each chapter is as follows:Chapter 1 introduces some core programming and C# principles.Chapter 2 helps you to code your first script in C#.Chapter 3 gets you to improve your scripting skills, enhance your game and add more interaction with a scoring system, collisions detection, and access to new levels.Chapter 4 shows you how to create and update the user interface of your game with text and images.In Chapter 5 you will add a splash-screen, a simple inventory system, and sound effects, as well as a mini-map.Chapter 6 explains how to add Non-Player Characters (NPCs) that will chase the player.Chapter 7 explains how to create a 2D word-guessing game.Chapter 8 will show you how to create an entertaining 2D infinite runner where the player can control a character that needs to jump over randomly generated obstacles.Chapter 9 provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (e.g., scripting, audio, AI, or user interface). If you want to start coding in C# and craete your own game with Unity using a tried-and-tested method: download this book now

The powerful, poignant, bestselling National Book Award Finalist gives voice to a young girl robbed of her childhood yet determined to find the strength to triumphLakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family's crops, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family. He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at "Happiness House" full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.An old woman named Mumtaz rules the brothel with cruelty and cunning. She tells Lakshmi that she is trapped there until she can pay off her family's debt-then cheats Lakshmi of her meager earnings so that she can never leave.Lakshmi's life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Still, she lives by her mother's words-Simply to endure is to triumph-and gradually, she forms friendships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision-will she risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life? Written in spare and evocative vignettes by the co-author of I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition), this powerful novel renders a world that is as unimaginable as it is real, and a girl who not only survives but triumphs.

This National Book Award nominee from two-time finalist Patricia McCormick is the unforgettable story of Arn Chorn-Pond, who defied the odds to survive the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979 and the labor camps of the Khmer Rouge.Based on the true story of Cambodian advocate Arn Chorn-Pond, and authentically told from his point of view as a young boy, this is an achingly raw and powerful historical novel about a child of war who becomes a man of peace. It includes an author's note and acknowledgments from Arn Chorn-Pond himself. When soldiers arrive in his hometown, Arn is just a normal little boy. But after the soldiers march the entire population into the countryside, his life is changed forever. Arn is separated from his family and assigned to a labor camp: working in the rice paddies under a blazing sun, he sees the other children dying before his eyes. One day, the soldiers ask if any of the kids can play an instrument. Arn's never played a note in his life, but he volunteers. This decision will save his life, but it will pull him into the very center of what we know today as the Killing Fields. And just as the country is about to be liberated, Arn is handed a gun and forced to become a soldier. Supports the Common Core State Standards.

Do you think children ever wonder what their lost loved ones are saying to them? I know I do.It's never easy to watch a child grieve over the loss of a loved one and more often than not the issue is avoided and not talked about because it's just easier that way. But children need reassurance and hope during these difficult times.This book was created and designed to do just that. Written from the perspective of a lost loved one, "I Can See You From The Stars" is the call for hope these children need to help encourage them while on their journey through grief.

Content and structure of this bookIn this book, the second book in the series, you will become comfortable with C# programming and Unity by creating three games: one 3D survival game, a word-guessing game, and an infinite Runner. The book includes: A list of the learning objectives at the start of each chapter. Step-by-step activities. Opportunities to engage in deeper learning and problem-solving skills through challenges at the end of each chapter. Quizzes to test your knowledge. Full project and code solutions (in C#) for each chapter. Cheat-sheets (i.e., shortcuts, best practice, etc.) that you can download.The content of each chapter is as follows: Chapter 1 gives an introduction to C# and to core principles that will help you to get started with coding. You will learn key programming concepts such as variables, variable types, or functions.Chapter 2 helps you to code your first script. You will learn how to code following best coding practices, debug your code, and also avoid common errors.Chapter 3 gets you to improve your scripting skills, enhance your game and add more interaction. You will learn to implement a scoring system, to detect collisions, and to load new levels.Chapter 4 explains how you can create and update a user interface for your game (e.g., displaying images and messages onscreen) using scripting.Chapter 5 explains how you can polish-up your game. You will add a splash-screen, a simple inventory system, sound effects, as well as a mini-map.Chapter 6 explains how to add Non-Player Characters (NPCs) with Artificial Intelligence (AI). You will configure each NPC and get them to either follow the player or walk along a simple path of your choice, and also detect collision between the NPCs and the player.Chapter 7 explains how to create a word-guessing using Unity's 2D features. You will use arrays, and read files to create a list from which a random word will be picked and that the user will have to guess. You will also learn to detect and process the user's key entries.Chapter 8 will show you how to create an entertaining 2D infinite runner where the player can control a character that needs to jump over randomly generated obstacles.Chapter 9 provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (e.g., scripting, audio, AI, or user interface). If you want to start coding in C# and craete your own game with Unity using a tried-and-tested method: download this book now

Newly Edited and Updated Version (Third Edition) for Unity 2019 Create multiplayer games and procedural levels and boost game performances without the headachesWithout this book, most people spend too long trying to learn C# with Unity the hard way. This book is the only one that will get you to learn Unity fast without wasting so much time. It includes six chapters that painlessly teach you the necessary skills to extract data from files, create procedural levels, connect to a database, create a network game and optimize your code for a faster and more engaging game. What you will learnAfter completing this book, you will be able to: Create levels procedurally with C#, save yourself time, and speed-up the level design process. Create levels randomly so that they are different every time the scene is loaded and add re-playability to your game. Read XML files using C# and use the data within to create levels. Create a space simulation using XML and C# and make your scene customizable. Connect to a database from Unity to save and retrieve the player's score. Create a simple network tank game with projectiles and explosions. Create a Simon game. Optimize your code and your project's structure Content and structure of this bookThe content of the books is as follows:In Chapter 1, you will create indoors and outdoors levels from your code.In Chapter 2, you will set-up your own database and write data from/to the database through Unity to save and update the player's score.In Chapter 3, you will create a simple (but fun) network tank game.In Chapter 4, you will design and implement your version of the Simon game, whereby the player has to memorize an increasing sequence of colors and sounds.In Chapter 5, you will learn advanced techniques to boost the performance of your game, and to make your code and project easily maintainable.Chapter 6 provides answers to frequently asked questions.If you want to start creating multi-player games and procedural levels using a tried-and-tested method: download this book now!

Design, plant, and grow a world of your very own—inside a terrarium! Including 15 unique, imagination-inspiring project plans, each accompanied by adorable, full-color photographs, kids and their grown-ups will discover how easy terrariums are to plant and grow. Kids love to create, imagine, and have fun. Nothing fulfills all three of those desires quite like designing and planting a terrarium. With the step-by-step project instructions found in A Family Guide toTerrariums for Kids, the results are beautiful, inspiring, and confidence-building. Making these little landscapes develops motor skills, spacial awareness, and provides a wealth of sensory input. The science behind the art is included with quick and simple lessons on ecosystem functions, the water cycle, and plant nutrition. But for kids, it's all about being active and building something cool! Plus, when the project is complete, there's a piece of living art to share with family and friends or display on a bedroom shelf. With the terrarium plans found in A Family Guide to Terrariums for Kids, everyone in the family can tap their inner “science geek” to:Use multi-colored sand and succulents to craft a desert terrariumPlant, trim, and tend a terrarium bonsai treeBuild a peat bog filled with carnivorous plantsMake an aquatic terrarium, complete with a marimo moss ball “pet”Design a prehistoric garden of air plantsCreate a plant-filled habitat for a praying mantisGrow a Japanese garden with living rocksWith information on selecting the best terrarium container, growing materials, decorative elements, tools, and plants, readers are primed for success that lasts long after the terrarium has been built. Terrariums combine imagination and creativity with a dash of hands-on science. And you get to play in the dirt! What could be better than that?

Newly Edited and Updated Version (Third Edition) for Unity 2019 Learn C# with Unity, and create a full FPS game without the headachesWithout this book, most people spend too long trying to learn C# with Unity the hard way. This book is the only one that will get you to learn Unity fast without wasting so much time. It includes twelve chapters that painlessly teach you the necessary skills to create an FPS game and to learn intermediate C# and Unity techniques. What you will learnAfter completing this book, you will be able to: Use Unity's built-in methods. Use Rigidbody physics to propel airborne objects. Use a Finite State Machine to create intelligent NPCs. Manage 3D animations for the NPCs. Create NPCs who can chase the player. Create and manage weapons and ammunition for the player. Create a 2D scrolling shooter. Create a card-guessing game. Create a 2D puzzle game. Content and structure of this bookThe content of the books is as follows:In Chapter 1, you will learn key C# programming concepts such as variables, variable types, polymorphism, or constructors.In Chapter 2, you will code and compile your first script in C#.In Chapter 3, you will create a simple 3D game where the user has to reach the end of the level by avoiding projectiles from intelligent robots.In Chapter 4, you will create a gun and a grenade launcher that the player can use to defeat enemies.In Chapter 5, you will start to use Mecanim and NavMesh navigation to control an animated character that detects, follows, or attacks the player.In Chapter 6, you will combine the skills that you have acquired in the previous chapters to create a fully functional level where the player needs to escape a level full of armed NPCs. You will also learn how to generate a game level dynamically from your code.In Chapter 7, you will create a simple 2D scrolling shooter.In Chapter 8, you will improve your game by adding explosions and a scrolling background.In Chapter 9, you will add intelligent spaceships that attack the player.In Chapter 10, you will include a shield to the player's spaceship, along with other interesting features (e.g., sound FX, a scoring system, etc).In Chapter 11, you will create a card-guessing game.In Chapter 12, you will create a 2D puzzle game.Chapter 13 summarizes the topics covered in the book.If you want to create FPS games, 2D Shooters, Card Games and Puzzles with Unity using a tried-and-tested method: download this book now!