Everyone deserves a second chance at happiness... even a killer. Serendipity Fizzlestitch wants nothing more than to be left alone. In a small cabin a stone's throw from the house where her sisters and mother breathed there last, Serendipity toils away, making the dolls her late father was working on when he disappeared beneath the ocean waves. Serendipity is content to spend the rest of her existence here, trying to atone for the mistakes of her past by creating the dolls that bring joy to so many others. When a mysterious letter arrives in her fireplace, an unusual stranger shows up at her door, and her favorite mouse friend goes missing, Serendipity is forced to face the outside world--and the ghosts from her past. Will she accept the opportunity to join the most famous toymaker of all time, or will her guilt prevent her from finding the happiness everyone deserves? The Doll Maker's Daughter at Christmas is a whimsical romantic fantasy that proves everyone deserves a second chance, no matter how horrific our past. Perfect for Christmas, or any time of year, The Doll Maker's Daughter at Christmas will bring back the magic we can only find when we truly believe.

A powerful saga set in turn-of-the-twentieth-century London from the Sunday Times bestselling author. For Ruby and Rosetta Capretti life in the slums of the East End holds little promise. Although very similar in looks they dream of very different futures. Coquettish, flamboyant Rosetta is desperate to leave the claustrophobic confines of the sewing sweatshop to follow in her wayward aunt's footsteps and work under the bright lights of the music hall. Ruby, quieter and more modest, has always longed to train as a nurse, a pipe-dream for a girl from her humble background. And then, by the side of their father's grave, they meet handsome Jonas Crowe. But little do they know how much one man will affect both their lives for ever.

Although born into privilege, Ayna Landau marries Karl Adler in 1924 and opens the door to a world of opportunities that propel her husband's company to the height of success in the porcelain doll industry of interwar Germany. As she basks in the glory of her triumphs, her idyllic life is interrupted by Adolph Hitler's meteoric rise to power in the 1930s as head of the Nazi Party. While the chaos the Nazis create throughout Europe culminates in World War II, Ayna and her family risk everything they have worked for to secure the safety and freedom of not only their family and friends, but strangers who seek their help, as well. Struggling to survive the depths of personal tragedy that befall her by the war's end, she abandons the Adler Doll Works and their beautiful villa to flee Germany mere days ahead of the approaching Russian army, determined to be reunited with her children in Switzerland. Ayna's perseverance and resolve to restore the Adler name to the prominence it once held becomes her final mission, in an effort to bequeath its legacy to her children, grandchildren, and all future Adlers.

"Dolls are not a luxury. They are as necessary to a child's life as a loaf of bread . . . What a doll does for a little girl is develop her capacity to love others and herself." -Madame Alexander A wonderful offering for young doll enthusiasts and women's history buffs alike This fascinating book tells the stories of courageous dollmakers, all of whom were-and continue to be-filled with passion, vision, and determination. They are the unsung heroines behind some of the most important dolls of the last hundred years-such as Barbie (Ruth Handler) and Madame Alexander's collection (Beatrice Alexander). Entrepreneurs and feminists of their time, these strong women displayed both creative genius and astute business acumen, serving as excellent role models for today's young female readers.

Dolls in Canada is two books in one. The first section is a personal and engaging look at dolls which make up our heritage; pioneer dolls, native people's dolls, dolls from various cultural groups in Canada, dolls from legends and stories, dolls in different styles and materials, and dolls by Canadian artists. Part two contains easy-to-follow instructions on how to make over fifteen different types of dolls, from rag dolls to jumping jacks, from hanky panky dolls to clothespeg dolls.

In his captivating memoir, Jeffrey Breslow tells how: •Creating a game is a mix of Rube Goldberg, Santa’s elves, mass production, and the bottom line. •He oversaw two multi-million dollar businesses that earned profits for more than four decades. Even while the industry transformed itself from using cardboard and plastics into electronics, his companies never acquired debt and never borrowed money from a bank! •He overcame the terrible misfortune of a deadly workplace shooting and led his shaken employees through the tragedy and back to running a thriving business. Millions of people around the world have played with games and toys Breslow and his partners invented—perhaps you have, too! Now, read Breslow’s remarkable story and see how a flash of inspiration, followed by hard work and ingenuity, brought these wonderful games to life.

Sustainable product design is more than eco design: it goes beyond 'green' to consider the work environment, community impacts, consumer health, and economic viability, as well as environmental attributes. "Beyond Child's Play" explores the concept of sustainable product design in the context of the global doll-making industry. To initiate this research, the author reviewed eco design parameters and developed criteria for sustainable product design in the doll-making industry. Using this framework, she conducted three case studies of do I making: the American Girl doll produced in China, the Kathe Kruse doll produced in Germany and the Q'ewar Project doll produced in Peru. Themes emerged from this research that have relevance beyond the doll-making industry: the value of making a product with care; designing work for human dignity; intention and vision for sustainability; the implications of materials choices; and, transparency and sustainability. Sustainable product design calls for fundamentally new thinking. By connecting the term 'sustainable' to 'product', we raise expectations for a radically different approach to design, production, and consumption. This framework integrates the eco design principles of detoxification and dematerialization with the principle of 'humanization', to ensure that the work environment where the product is made is safe and healthy and that local communities benefit from production. This approach places increased responsibility on the industrial designer and decision-makers throughout the supply chain, including governments, corporations, and citizens. Sustainable product design can be implemented effectively only when systems are in place that support sustainable production and consumption.

Listen to audio lessons, while you read along! Buy or sample now! Interactive. Effective. And FUN! Start speaking English in minutes, and learn key vocabulary, phrases, and grammar in just minutes more with Learn English - Level 5: Advanced: - a completely new way to learn English with ease! Learn English - Level 5: Advanced: will arm you with English and cultural insight to utterly shock and amaze your American friends and family, teachers, and colleagues. What you get in Learn English - Level 5: Advanced: - 50 Audio Lesson Tracks in English - 50 English Lesson Notes: monologue transcripts, vocabulary and sample sentences This book is the most powerful way to learn English. Guaranteed. You get the two most powerful components of our language learning system: the audio lessons and lesson notes. Why are the audio lessons so effective? - powerful and to the point - repeat after the professional teacher to practice proper pronunciation - cultural insight and insider-only tips from our teachers in each lesson - fun and relaxed approach to learning Why are the lesson notes so effective? - improve listening comprehension and reading comprehension by reading the dialog transcript while listening to the conversation - grasp the exact meaning of phrases and expressions with natural translations Discover or rediscover how fun learning a language can be with the future of language learning, and start speaking English instantly!

This unique collection of "The Greatest Children's Classics of Charles Dickens (Illustrated)" has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards. Contents: Stories About Children Every Child Can Read: Trotty Veck and Meg Tiny Tim The Runaway Couple Little Dorrit The Toy-Maker and His Blind Daughter Little Nell Little David Copperfield Jenny Wren Pip's Adventure Todgers' Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness Mr. Wardle's Servant Joe The Brave and Honest Boy, Oliver Twist Novels: Oliver Twist Nicholas Nickleby The Old Curiosity Shop Martin Chuzzlewit David Copperfield Great Expectations Christmas Novellas: A Christmas Carol The Chimes The Cricket on the Hearth Children's Books: Child's Dream of a Star Holiday Romance Dickens's Children Christmas Stories A Christmas Tree The Poor Relation's Story The Child's Story The Schoolboy's Story Nobody's Story The Christmas Goblin Tom Tiddler's Ground A Child's History of England Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.