Bücher veröffentlicht von Batlee Press

"You forget / how remarkable your family is / how remarkable your kids are / how remarkable you are / and / this is how / you remember," writes Rachel Toalson in this captivating, honest, and achingly beautiful volume of poetry that illuminates love, parenting, and self-acceptance in the time of COVID-19. Probing the realities of working from home, living in quarantine with seven other people, the desperate search for solitude, and balancing depression, disordered eating, and the mental health of family members, this is how you fly is an examination and celebration of life upended by unforeseen challenges. Written during and after the pandemic, this is how you fly is a candid documentation of the realities of life, illness, and, ultimately, survival. Toalson celebrates the day-to-day moments in lockdown, highlights the annoyance and the pleasure of living with so many people with nowhere to go, and time both flying and dragging. Her words rise above the anxiety of the unknown and offer an inspiring portrait of triumph, showing her readers: This is how you fly-you make the most of your situation.Perfect for fans of Mary Oliver, Sharon Olds, Billy Collins, and Maggie Smith, this is how you fly is Toalson's ninth book of poetry.

Science gave her life, Death now rules her.Raised from the dead by science, Yasmin was claimed by the Grim Reaper and sent to the kingdom of Fairendale with a command to usurp the throne. Now a captive queen of sorts, she begins to question whether she was made for more-good or evil, it is anyone's guess, only let her make her own decisions. But who is she without the Grim Reaper? And how can she possibly escape his hold?When Yasmin acquires a magical quill pen and uses it to create a monster army that turns the woods around Fairendale darker-placing everyone in the realm in grave danger-she believes it was her own handiwork, at least until she tries to bring a monster into Fairendale castle and meets an invisible wall. Her anger unfolds, along with her conviction that she is fully capable of ruling a throne without the help of the Grim Reaper or anyone else-and how many casualties will her quest for freedom require?The Woman Who Stole the Throne is the thirteenth book in the Fairendale series, an epic fantasy middle grade series that explores both familiar and unfamiliar fairy tales, legends, myths, and folk tales. The world of Fairendale revolves around villains and heroes-all on a quest for what they believe is right. Throughout the series, the story of King Willis and his determination to keep the throne of Fairendale (at all costs? Perhaps. Or perhaps not.) is woven into the story of his son, Prince Virgil, heir to the throne and friend to the village children, and the story of fairy tale children fleeing for their lives-children who become what we know as fairy tale villains, for one good reason or another. But, remember, one cannot always know, at first glance, who is the villain and who is the hero.

Textbook of an Ordinary Life is a collection of poetry and prose that examines ordinary life with extraordinary curiosity, wisdom, and insight. With grace and eloquence, poet Rachel Toalson examines the pleasures of reading, the meaning of measured silences, weather, the masks we wear, the unexpected delight of running, art criticism, the soul of music, wandering, regret, love, and many other wonders of ordinary life.The poetry in Textbook is divided into subjects like English, History, Science, Math, Social Studies, Art, Music, Geography, and Philosophy. Textbook of an Ordinary Life is Rachel's fourth book of poetry and her most introspective, honest collection yet.

Choose your battles.It's sage advice. But most parents, before becoming parents, don't have a clue just how many battles kids will place in front of them with seemingly endless energy to engage. Choose your battles becomes a life-saving measure when one has kids. Knowing when to stand your ground and when to lie down is imperative in the face of such admirable yet aggravating persistence.From the voice behind the popular Crash Test Parents blog comes a brand new collection of comical essays about the challenges and joys of parenting. With measured wit and eloquence, Rachel exposes the universal challenges of leaving the house with kids, traveling with kids, putting kids to bed, eating with kids, and, largely, daily life lived with kids.Hills I'll Probably Lie Down On includes hilarious and entertaining essays like: 10 Things You'll Give Up When You Become a Parent Surprise! We're Doing the Same Thing We Did Last Night! Why I'm a Parent Who Doesn't Care Hoarders: Kids Edition This is Every Family Dinner You've Ever Had Why Does My Towel Smell Like Butt? How to Parent: In 39 Confusing Steps Dear Concerned Reader: Wouldn't You Like to Knowand many more.Hailed as "The Erma Bombeck of a new generation of parents," Rachel's fourth full-length book of humor essays in the Crash Test Parents series will cure every parent's reluctance to say: These are the hills we won't die on. Rachel is the wife of one man and the mother of six young boys who daily give her inspiration for comical essays. Her work can often be seen on Huff Post Parents, Scary Mommy, Babble, and Motherly. She lives with all her males in San Antonio, Texas.

this is how you live is the long-awaited followup to award-winning poet Rachel Toalson's debut poetry book, this is how you know. Delving into the depths and mystery of mental illness, Rachel examines what it means to wrestle with depression, daily life, and, ultimately, hope.Written over the course of a tumultuous year, this is how you live is an honest documentation of life shaken by major depression that culminates into a celebration of life. Divided into three sections-sink, sleep, rise-Rachel's words lift above the despair to produce a work of phenomenal beauty, vulnerability, and triumph, showing readers: this is how you live.Masterful, vibrant, and emotional, this is how you live is Rachel's fifth book of poetry.

Of all the transformation possibilities, he had to become a monstrous spider.Frederick, one of the lost children of Fairendale, is folded up inside a sack of sorts, thanks to a Vanishing spell that transported him to an underground cave near Lincastle. Upon hatching, he learns that he is a massive, monstrous spider in a whole colony of them. The spiders have rules and rituals, and Frederick wants nothing to do with them. He stands out lamentably; he is, after all, human under his spider skin.A friend within the colony (if a giant spider can be called a friend, that is) warns Frederick that those spiders who are different, who do not blend in, do not last long in the group. He must conform or die. But when Frederick sneaks away from the sleeping spiders and discovers an evil plot brewing in Lincastle, he must decide: conform and let evil run its course, or rebel and risk his life for a noble rescue attempt?The Boy Who Frightened Miss Muffet is the fifteenth book in the Fairendale series, an epic fantasy middle grade series that explores both familiar and unfamiliar fairy tales, legends, myths, and folk tales. The world of Fairendale revolves around villains and heroes-all on a quest for what they believe is right. Throughout the series, the story of King Willis and his determination to keep the throne of Fairendale (at all costs? Perhaps. Or perhaps not.) is woven into the story of his son, Prince Virgil, heir to the throne and friend to the village children, and the story of fairy tale children fleeing for their lives-children who become what we know as fairy tale villains, for one good reason or another. But, remember, one cannot always know, at first glance, who is the villain and who is the hero.

Science gave her life, Death now rules her.Raised from the dead by science, Yasmin was claimed by the Grim Reaper and sent to the kingdom of Fairendale with a command to usurp the throne. Now a captive queen of sorts, she begins to question whether she was made for more-good or evil, it is anyone's guess, only let her make her own decisions. But who is she without the Grim Reaper? And how can she possibly escape his hold?When Yasmin acquires a magical quill pen and uses it to create a monster army that turns the woods around Fairendale darker-placing everyone in the realm in grave danger-she believes it was her own handiwork, at least until she tries to bring a monster into Fairendale castle and meets an invisible wall. Her anger unfolds, along with her conviction that she is fully capable of ruling a throne without the help of the Grim Reaper or anyone else-and how many casualties will her quest for freedom require?The Woman Who Stole the Throne is the thirteenth book in the Fairendale series, an epic fantasy middle grade series that explores both familiar and unfamiliar fairy tales, legends, myths, and folk tales. The world of Fairendale revolves around villains and heroes-all on a quest for what they believe is right. Throughout the series, the story of King Willis and his determination to keep the throne of Fairendale (at all costs? Perhaps. Or perhaps not.) is woven into the story of his son, Prince Virgil, heir to the throne and friend to the village children, and the story of fairy tale children fleeing for their lives-children who become what we know as fairy tale villains, for one good reason or another. But, remember, one cannot always know, at first glance, who is the villain and who is the hero.

In this reflective collection of micro-essays, award winning poet Rachel Toalson examines what it means to be human, how we live, and the ingredients for a joy-filled life. Guiding her readers through lessons like "Own Your Wrong Answer," "Don't Take Unkindness So Personally," "Take Heart: The Kids Will Be Okay," "Lose the Apologetic Tone," and many more, Rachel meditates on life, love, parenthood, and relationships in an illuminating blend of poetry and prose. Life's Little Lessons is a profound reimagining of who we are and who we might be, a collection of thoughts and reflections that range from humorous to wistful, spanning endearing childhood tales to brave cultural commentary. At its heart, the clever compilation reminds us to love not only the people around us and out in the world but also ourselves. Life's little lessons, after all, usually lead to love.

Blink and they'll be grown. As new parents, the words of older, wiser parents don't make a bit of sense. Blink and they'll be grown? We blinked and three toilet paper rolls disappeared down the flusher, and now there's sewage water flooding the bathroom. We blinked and three pounds of apples mysteriously disappeared, and no one's responsible. We blinked and someone drew hieroglyphics all over the living room wall with a permanent marker. We blinked and...oh. They're grown. Examining the phenomenon of one day that can last sixty-seven hours and one year passing in the blink of an eye, Rachel once again opens up the doors to her home and her family and shares what it means to parent growing and changing children. With the wit and hilarity readers have come to expect, she examines the laughable challenges facing parents at practically every turn of a kid's life; highlights rites of passage like The Funk and a parent's fall from "The Cool Club"; and details the many different personalities kids assume in their day-to-day, year-to-year lives-from listening personalities to sleeping personalities. But every essay collected within these pages keeps its eye on a sometimes subtle, sometimes overt truth: one day, sooner than we can even imagine, they'll grow up. The Days Are Long, But the Years Are Short includes humorous essays like: The Speaking Personalities of Children How to Misuse LEGOs: a Generous Guide How to Leave the House With Kids: a 5-Step, Foolproof Plan The Subjectively Fun Games Boys Play The Never-Ending Nuances of Rule-Making for Kids Sometimes I Want to Change My Name Co-Parenting: a Tale of Inconsistency and Chaos The Day I Stopped Eating Food Where Kids Could See It and many more. Hailed as "The Erma Bombeck of a new parenting generation," Rachel's sixth full-length book of humor essays is, at its heart, a celebration of the madness that is parenting-every moment that drags on and on and on, every year that flies away faster than a kid who knows he's in trouble. Rachel is the wife of one man and the mother of six sons who daily give her inspiration for comical essays. Her work can often be found on Huff Post Parents, Scary Mommy, Babble, Motherly, and Today's Parent. She lives with all her males in San Antonio, Texas.