Books published by publisher Seagrass Press

An intimate and revealing examination of today's motherhood overload crisis Winner of a Foreword IndieFab Book of the Year AwardKatrina Alcorn was a 37-year-old mother with a happy marriage and a thriving career when one day, on the way to Target to buy diapers, she had a breakdown. Her carefully built career shuddered to a halt, and her journey through depression, anxiety, and insomnia--followed by medication, meditation, and therapy--began.Alcorn wondered how a woman like herself, with a loving husband, a supportive boss, three healthy kids, and a good income, was unable to manage the demands of having a career and a family. Over time, she realized that she wasn't alone; many women were struggling to do it all--and feeling as if they were somehow failing as a result. Mothers are the breadwinners in two-thirds of American families, yet the American workplace is uniquely hostile to the needs of parents. Weaving in surprising research about the dysfunction between the careers and home lives of working mothers, as well as the consequences to women's health, Alcorn tells a deeply personal story about "having it all"; failing miserably, and what comes after. Ultimately, she offers readers a vision for a healthier, happier, and more productive way to live and work.

The most popular question any pregnant woman is asked — aside from "When are you due?" — has got to be "Are you having a girl or a boy?" When author Andrea Buchanan was pregnant with her daughter, she was thrilled to be expecting a girl. Some people were happy for her; visions of flouncy pink dresses and promises of mother-daughter bonding were the predictable responses. Other people, though, were concerned: "Is your husband OK with that?" "You can try again." "Girls are tough." This mixed message led her to explore the issue herself, with help from her fellow writers and moms, many of whom had had the same experience. As she did in It's a Boy: Women Writers on Raising Sons, Buchanan and her contributors take on what it's really like to raise a child-in this case, a girl-from babyhood to adulthood.It's a Girl, is a wide-ranging, often humorous, and honest collection of essays about the experience of the mother-daughter bond, taking on topics like "princess power" ("Shining, Shimmering, Splendid"), adding a girl to a brood of boys ("Confessions of a Tomboy Mom"), dealing with a daughter's eating disorder ("The Food Rules"), and mothering "hardcore mini-feminists" ("Tough Girls").

After decades of separation, 26-year-old adoptee Katie Hern writes to her birthmother, Ellen McGarry Carlson. Written over a course of one year, this book follows the women's progress - from elation to understanding to accepting - and efforts to create an honest relationship. After several months, mother and daughter finally meet face-to-face in an emotional and exhilarating reunion.

Let’s Get This Straight reaches out to young people with one or more gay, lesbian, bi, or trans parents to provide them with the tools to combat homophobia, take pride in their alternative family structures, and speak out against injustice. This short but thorough book profiles forty-five diverse youth and young adults, all of whom voice their opinions and provide advice for other youth living in LGBTQ households. Let’s Get This Straight also includes probing questions, fun activities, engaging quizzes, and reflective journal sections for youth to share their feelings and experiences about having a gay parent. By reading this book, readers will learn how to: identify and overcome barriers to having a gay parent; address discrimination and heterosexism; build a strong self-esteem and sense of belonging; communicate effectively with their parents and individuals outside of the LGBTQ community; access resources and support for their families; respond effectively when challenged about being in a sexual minority family; and reduce the isolation, fear, shame, and confusion that can be associated with having gay parents. As the media brings ever-increasing exposure to gay-headed households, this book is more important than ever. Let’s Get This Straight is the perfect blend of wit, sharing of experiences, and “expert” advice that children with LGBTQ parents need to become more self-aware and affirming, and to maintain healthy relationships with their parents.

An inspiring, gutsy handbook for success from the first woman to ever coach in the NFLWhen Jen Welter became a linebackers coach for the Arizona Cardinals in 2015, she was the first woman to ever break the glass sideline of the NFL. In Play Big, Welter reveals the grit that it took to be a trailblazer in the ultimate boys' club. Pre-NFL, Welter was an undersized, underestimated athlete who made sacrifice after sacrifice to achieve her football dreams--rising to the top of women's football leagues and eventually daring to play against men twice her size. Play Big lays out how she succeeded despite the odds, through force of will and determination, revealing the wisdom Welter gained over countless setbacks and challenges. With vivid wit and candor, Play Big will coach you to do the same--whatever your obstacles might be--while translating Welter's hard-earned advice for cultivating true perseverance and toughness.

A powerful source of healing for girls and young women who have experienced sexual abuse, Invisible Girls offers young women hope for recovery and justice in an era when too many girls have suffered aloneThe statistics are staggering. One in four girls will experience sexual abuse by the time she is sixteen, and 48 percent of all rapes involve a young woman under the age of eighteen. It's not surprising then, that in a society where sexual abuse of young women is rampant, many women never share their stories. They remain hidden and invisible. In her pioneering work with young survivors through the last thirty years, Dr. Patti Feuereisen has helped teen girls and young women to find their voices, begin healing, and become visible. In this revised second edition, Dr. Patti's gentle guidance and the girls' powerful stories continue to create an encouraging message: Remarkable healing is possible if girls learn to share their stories in their teens and early twenties. With a new introduction, new chapters, and updated resources, this new edition of Invisible Girls has even more to offer girls, young women, and those who care about them.

A powerful source of healing for girls and young women who have experienced sexual abuse, Invisible Girls offers young women hope for recovery and justice in an era when too many girls have suffered aloneThe statistics are staggering. One in four girls will experience sexual abuse by the time she is sixteen, and 48 percent of all rapes involve a young woman under the age of eighteen. It's not surprising then, that in a society where sexual abuse of young women is rampant, many women never share their stories. They remain hidden and invisible. In her pioneering work with young survivors through the last thirty years, Dr. Patti Feuereisen has helped teen girls and young women to find their voices, begin healing, and become visible. In this revised second edition, Dr. Patti's gentle guidance and the girls' powerful stories continue to create an encouraging message: Remarkable healing is possible if girls learn to share their stories in their teens and early twenties. With a new introduction, new chapters, and updated resources, this new edition of Invisible Girls has even more to offer girls, young women, and those who care about them.

The most popular question any pregnant woman is asked — aside from "When are you due?" — has got to be "Are you having a girl or a boy?" When author Andrea Buchanan was pregnant with her daughter, she was thrilled to be expecting a girl. Some people were happy for her; visions of flouncy pink dresses and promises of mother-daughter bonding were the predictable responses. Other people, though, were concerned: "Is your husband OK with that?" "You can try again." "Girls are tough." This mixed message led her to explore the issue herself, with help from her fellow writers and moms, many of whom had had the same experience. As she did in It's a Boy: Women Writers on Raising Sons, Buchanan and her contributors take on what it's really like to raise a child-in this case, a girl-from babyhood to adulthood.It's a Girl, is a wide-ranging, often humorous, and honest collection of essays about the experience of the mother-daughter bond, taking on topics like "princess power" ("Shining, Shimmering, Splendid"), adding a girl to a brood of boys ("Confessions of a Tomboy Mom"), dealing with a daughter's eating disorder ("The Food Rules"), and mothering "hardcore mini-feminists" ("Tough Girls").

Teen girls receive mixed messages about who they should be—and what they should look like—from all facets of society. It’s no wonder they have difficulty finding out who they really are. This snappy, straight-talking guide—a veritable Our Bodies, Ourselves for teens—helps girls make up their own minds about what kind of people they want to be. Exploring a wide range of topics central to young women’s lives—including beauty and the media; body image, ethnicity and self-esteem; eating disorders and healthy nutrition; sexual anatomy, safe sex and much more—the authors dispel myths, put issues in perspective, and give girls the power to choose for themselves.

The Growing Up of Sukari tells the story of elephant love and family devotion. Sukari, which means sugar in Swahili, is a young African elephant. She follows her grandmother, Bibi, the matriarch of the family, who is taking the herd to the place of good grasses. Sukari’s adolescent male cousin, Moja, gets them in trouble at the beginning of the walk. Along the way, tragedy strikes when poachers shoot Bibi and steal her beautiful ivory tusks. A nearby ranger hears the sound of guns and comes to chase the poachers away. The herd and the ranger head for Amani, a government protected sanctuary. Moja is now old enough to join the other bull elephants. Sukari soon has a new baby brother and stays with her mother and the herd. She learns how to take care of the calves, how to find the good grasses and watering holes, and where to go from season to season. She will grow to be a wise elephant with calves of her own and maybe, someday, Sukari will become the herd’s new matriarch.