Most screenwriting books tend to focus on story structure, scene writing, navigating the business, and other parts of the craft that come AFTER the initial choice of the central concept for a story.Multiple Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning writer/producer Erik Bork (HBO’s Band of Brothers) takes a different approach. His experience in the industry and as a screenwriting professor and coach have led him to recognize that it's the selection of the initial idea that is the most important part of the process -- with the most impact on the project's chance of success. And as Mr. Bork knows from experience, this choice takes a lot more understanding and work to get "right" than it might seem.Most screenwriters and fiction writers have difficulty getting their work read and accepted by agents, editors and producers mainly because their idea for a story presented in a query or pitch doesn't excite these "gatekeepers" like it would need to, for them to want to engage. And when they do read the whole story, their core reasons for "passing" are usually also about the basic idea (although lack of professional-level execution matters, too). But writers are usually in the dark about this, not re... [Read More]

Build, play and display the classic fairy tales Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk with LEGO Ideas 21315 Pop-up Book! The first-ever buildable pop-up book in LEGO history, this advanced LEGO set opens to reveal the famous scene of grandmother’s forest cottage featuring opening door, bed and kitchen area. Recreate the scene when Little Red Riding Hood meets the wolf or swap out grandmother’s cottage for the scene of the giant’s castle in the clouds. This collectible toy features enough LEGO bricks to build both scenes. Or you can even build a scene of your own with this cool toy for even more creative play. This LEGO box includes a booklet with a short history of pop-up books, a condensed history of each fairy tale in the set, as well as information about its fan designers and LEGO designers.

Following on from The Big Book of Therapeutic Activity Ideas for Children and Teens, this book provides EVEN MORE imaginative and fun activity ideas, lessons, and projects for use with difficult and challenging children and teens aged 5+.From ice breakers and group starters to bibliotherapy and monthly character education activities, there are over 90 ideas designed to unleash the creativity of children and teens, and teach social skills, strategies to control anger and anxiety, conflict resolution, positive thinking skills, and more. They make use of art, scientific experiments, expressive arts and books, and many come with photocopiable handouts. The activities can be used in a variety of settings, and they are adaptable for use with both individuals and groups.This is a practical resource bursting with ideas, and it will be invaluable for anyone working with children and teens, including school counselors, teachers, social workers, youth workers, arts therapists, and psychologists.

For difficult or challenging children and teenagers in therapeutic or school settings, creative activities can be an excellent way of increasing enjoyment and boosting motivation, making the sessions more rewarding and successful for everyone involved.This resource provides over one hundred tried-and-tested fun and imaginative therapeutic activities and ideas to unleash the creativity of children and teenagers aged 5+. Employing a variety of expressive arts including art, music, stories, poetry and film, the activities are designed to teach social skills development, anger control strategies, conflict resolution and thinking skills. Also included are character education activities and ideas for conducting therapeutic day camps, including sample schedules and handouts. The activities can be used in many different settings with all ages, are flexible, and can be adapted for use with individuals or groups.Brimming with imaginative ideas, this resource will be invaluable to anyone working with children and teenagers, including school counselors, social workers, therapists, psychologists and teachers.

The beloved New York Times bestselling picture book about pursuing one’s passion with persistence and learning to celebrate each failure on the road to achieving one’s dreams. And now you can follow Rosie’s further adventures—with her friends Iggy Peck and Ada Twist—in the instant New York Times bestseller Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters, the first in a BRAND-NEW chapter book series, The Questioneers! Rosie Revere dreamed of becoming a great engineer. Where some people see rubbish, Rosie sees inspiration. Alone in her room at night, shy Rosie constructs great inventions from odds and ends. Hot dog dispensers, helium pants, python-repelling cheese hats: Rosie’s gizmos would astound—if she ever let anyone see them. Afraid of failure, she hides them away under her bed. Until a fateful visit from her great-great-aunt Rose (AKA Rosie the Riveter!), who shows her that the first flop isn’t something to fear—it’s something to celebrate. And you can only truly fail, if you quit. Collect them all! Add these other STEM favorites from #1 New York Times bestselling team Andrea Beaty and David Roberts to your family library today! Ada Twist, ScientistIggy Peck, Architec... [Read More]

From Ariel to Zurg, this jacketed hardcover guide features fun facts, tricky trivia, and cool quotes about over 150 Disney heroes (and villains!). Readers will also learn about the stars of the latest Disney and Disney*Pixar films, like Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, The Good Dinosaur, and more! Plus the book jacket reverses to reveal a poster!

"The first four books in Mary Pope Osborne's wildly popular Magic Treehouse series, packaged in a box set that's perfect for advancing readers. Osborne's combination of adventure, magic, and history will soon have readers asking for more books in the series." - Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor. The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system! Meet Jack and Annie! Jack and his younger sister, Annie, are just regular kids. But when they discover a tree house in the woods, something magical happens. Jack and Annie are whisked back in time to the Age of Dinosaurs, a medieval castle, ancient pyramids, and treasure-seeking pirates. Every visit to the magic tree house leads to adventure!   Books in this set include: Dinosaurs Before Dark (#1), The Knight at Dawn (#2), Mummies in the Morning (#3), and Pirates Past Noon (#4). Did you know that there’s a Magic Tree House book for every kid? Magic Tree House: Adventures with Jack and Annie, perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books Merlin Missions: More challenging adventures for the experienced reader Super Edition: A longer and more dangerous adventu... [Read More]

Drawing and sketching are central to the art of animation and can be crucial tools in designing and developing original stories, characters and layouts. Sketching for Animation offers a wealth of examples, exercises and tips from an army of professional animators to help you develop essential sketching, technical drawing and ideation techniques.With interviews and in-depth case studies from some of today's leading animators, including Bill Plympton, Glen Keane, Tori Davis and John Canemaker, this is a unique guide to turning your sketchbook - the world's cheapest, most portable pre-visualisation tool - into your own personal animation armory.

DC characters original universe graphic featured on the front of a men's t-shirt

Full of activity ideas and projects to teach children and teens aged 5+ social skills, anger-control strategies, conflict resolution, positive thinking, and more, this book follows on from The Big Book of Therapeutic Activity Ideas for Children and Teens. It includes over 90 activities that are adaptable for use with individuals and

Packed with creative activity ideas to use with children and teenagers aged 5 and above, this resource builds therapeutic skills such as self-esteem, positive thinking, conflict resolution and anger control. The fun activities use art, music, stories, and films and will provide all those working with children and teenagers with a wealth of

If you have ever wanted to create a comic, graphic novel, animation, film, television series, or even a book, then Create Your Own Universe is here to help you get started. A fun, imaginative and interactive guide to creating your own characters and worlds, this is a great starting point for producing your own stories. Be inspired and collect information on all your characters, locations and background story, with everything you need to know about the world or place in which your story is set. Start with fun ways to think about making up characters, then pick your favorites and