Books with author Sandy Donovan

Looking for just the right outfit for a big party? Or maybe you want to build some funky shelves for your bedroom. Instead of heading for the mall, consider checking out a thrift store. It's a great way to grab some awesome bargains. Thrift shopping started out as a way for charitable organizations to earn money for their missions by selling a variety of items at reasonable prices. Over the decades, it's become a hot recreational activity for all kinds of people, including celebrities! Thrifting opportunities range from traditional thrift stores, consignment shops, vintage and antique stores, flea markets and garage sales, to auctions, estate sales, and online sites such as eBay, Etsy, and Poshmark. You can find just about anything: clothing, jewelry, accessories, sporting goods, vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, furniture, home goods, books, artwork, toys, gift ideas, even cars. The sky's the limit! Check out Thrift Shopping to discover how to thrift and where to thrift. Learn how to judge quality, when and where to shop for bargains, and how to organize your own yard sale. Get tips for upcycling your thrift-shopping finds for your own personal use or to resell them. With a little imagination and not a whole lot of money, you can find―or make―unique treasures while going green with your shopping habits.

Derek Jeter dreamed of playing for the New York Yankees for as long as he could remember. When the team made Derek the sixth pick in the 1992 draft, his dream became a reality. With the Yankees winning the World Series in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2009, Derek has become a fan favorite and one of baseball's most respected players. When he passed Lou Gehrig to become the Yankees' all-time leader in hits in 2009, Derek proved that he was a Yankees legend and one of the game's greatest players. Follow Derek's amazing journey to the top of the baseball world.

It takes seven years to digest swallowed gum. A penny placed on a train track can cause a train to derail. The average human consumes four spiders per year while sleeping. You may have heard some of these common sayings or beliefs before. But are they really true? Can they be proven using science? Let’s investigate seventeen statements about familiar items and everyday events and find out which ones are right, which ones are wrong, and which ones still stump scientists! Find out whether eggs will really stand on their ends during the vernal equinox! Discover whether it’s true that you can swing 360 degrees on a swing set! See if you can tell the difference between fact and fiction with Is That a Fact?

It takes seven years to digest swallowed gum. A penny placed on a train track can cause a train to derail. The average human consumes four spiders per year while sleeping. You may have heard some of these common sayings or beliefs before. But are they really true? Can they be proven using science? Let’s investigate seventeen statements about familiar items and everyday events and find out which ones are right, which ones are wrong, and which ones still stump scientists! Find out whether eggs will really stand on their ends during the vernal equinox! Discover whether it’s true that you can swing 360 degrees on a swing set! See if you can tell the difference between fact and fiction with Is That a Fact?

Email, cell phones, Facebook, texts, letters … even good old-fashioned face-to-face conversation. Teens today have all kinds of choices when it comes to communication. But did you know that there are unwritten rules that go with every form of communication? Sending a text to a friend, a letter to a future employer, and a thank-you note to your aunt and uncle all come with very different rules. Figuring out how to communicate effectively will affect every part of your life. In this book, you’ll discover: • how to communicate during a job interview. • when it's okay to text―and when it's not. • how to write cover letters, thank-you notes, and more. • how to use communication skills to resolve conflicts. • why it's important to choose your words carefully, especially when you're upset. Supplemented with articles and information from USA TODAY, the Nation's No. 1 Newspaper, Communication Smarts delivers solid advice and firsthand stories of real teens facing many of the same types of situations you are. Ready to wise up on communication? Read on!

How can you make your voice heard when you're not old enough to vote? How can you set a good example when someone is picking on you? What can you do to make a difference in your community and in the world? You make a difference every time you help others or set a good example. That's what good citizenship is all about! The questions and answers in this book will show you how to be a great citizen. Get ready to make your voice count!

Is it fair for another kid to keep a pen you lost, since he's the one who found it? And is it fair for your mom to say you can't watch TV after school? Sometimes life can seem pretty unfair! But if you learn the principles of fairness and try to stick to them, tricky situations like these can feel a little easier. This book offers examples of several difficult problems and examines how to deal with them fairly. See how a little fairness can go a long way!

What should you do if you see someone bullying another person at school? Is it better to just stay out of it? Or what should you do when your best friend says she won't play with you if you talk to someone she doesn't like? It's really tricky to handle situations like these. But if you show respect for others, it gets easier. This book offers examples of several tough problems and shows what you might do in each situation. See how a little respect can go a long way!

Clear the hurdles. Roll with the punches. Batting a thousand. Have you ever heard these crazy expressions? People use them even when they're not running races, facing a prizefighter, or hitting every single pitch. That's because these sayings are idioms―phrases that mean something different from what the words in them actually say. But don't let idioms make you drop the ball. Let's explore a variety of sports-related idioms and figure out what people really mean when they use them.