June’s whole concept of home is shaken when her widowed mother and younger sister must move into a homeless shelter. The embarrassment and the struggles are real. The girls must rise early to get to their school. Mother is noncommunicative and June’s greatest joy, playing the viola, is out of the question. So everything is left to June to navigate the waters of the homeless shelter. She alo ...

What is Marvel to do? She fears literally everything: school, classmates, being out alone, teachers, global warming, earthquakes, and even that pile of refuse plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean! And now her overwhelming anxieties and accompanying absences are causing her to fail 7th grade. Enter a precious, little fainting goat being abused by a group of jr. high boys. Without hesitation Marvel ...

Snow Hill, Alabama 1937 sets the stage for conveying important complexities Brother, a privileged white boy experiences when befriending Champion Always Luckey, a black boy from Detroit. While the plot isn't necessarily compelling, the power of healing a racial divide is as portrayed here. An excellent springboard for timelining events of that period.

Jack Russel terrier Fenway thinks life without a leash is way more fun. He doesn't need to wait on his humans, he can play chase with the other dogs, and he can brag about all of it to the canines next door. Being free also means he can ignore Hattie's calls for him to come. And in doing so, he can find himself alone and lost. Will such an experience change Fenway's thoughts about the dreaded leas ...

Lively illustrations tag team with text to unfold a delightful tale of a determined fox and his very creative problem-solving methods. They're a little off the mark, but his friends, whose patience grows thin, take note of the problem and band together for a solid solution. Storytelling at its best.

Wow, what a winning combination of text and illustration—worthy of every award this book has received so far! Following the life of a single honeybee, the text leads readers through the drama of an unfolding life, and in the process, reveals the life development of the species. The illustrations provide incredible detail and up-close perspectives. Unforgettable!

Junko Tabei of Japan is an intrepid young woman who loves climbing mountains. As a college student in Tokyo, she joins a post-war club of climbers and hones her mountaineering skills. After time she creates to an all-girls group and befriends Rumie, another female climber. Every weekend she and Rumie pursue multiple peaks at creative angles. While climbing with Rumie, a very famous climber notices ...

Precious little Jillian suffers from extreme shyness and will talk to only a few, select friends and never in class. Her loving grandmother has always encouraged her to open up to others, but Grandmother died last year. Jillian’s shyness has only worsened. Enter a bold, but sensitive 5th grade teacher! Only she can see Jillian’s intelligence and sensitivity. Throughout the year she brilliantly ...

Making friends in a new town is quite the chore for 12-year-old Trish who is both a math whiz and a girl baseball player. Being near perfect in both areas give her confidence but it also deters new relationships. However, team losses, baseball injuries and math competitions gone astray prevent Ben from liking her even though they have the very same interests and should be best buddies. Wise Abhi, ...

Animals appear every time Percy writes a spelling word. Full-color illustrations.

This is a story about noticing the little things, the grand big things, the imaginary, and sometimes, hidden things. It is about embracing what's possible. And that the incredible is everywhere, and in everything--waiting to be known, discovered, recognized. This beautiful tale by New York Times best-selling author Kobi Yamada and illustrator Elise Hurst encourages readers of all ages to slow down ...

Madalyn’s family life is stormy. Dad can only find work out of state, and Mom needs to work overtime just to make the ends meet. And Madalyn can’t stay home alone in their unsafe neighborhood or attend her unsafe school. It’s decided! Madalyn must go stay miles from home with her great uncle, Papa Lobo. She is lonely and must make new friends here; friends at school and friends in the neighb ...

From master of suspense author Margaret Peterson Haddix comes another page-turning stand-alone adventure perfect for fans of Cog and Bad Magic.No matter what anyone tells you, I'm real.That's what the note says that Max finds under his keyboard.He knows that his best friend, Josie, wrote it. He'd know her handwriting anywhere. But why she wrote it--and what it means--remains a mystery.Ever since t ...

The inspirational story of George Washington Carver and his childhood secret garden is brought to life in this picture book biography by the author-illustrator team behind Muhammad Ali: A Champion Is Born. When George Washington Carver was just a young child, he had a secret: a garden of his own.Here, he rolled dirt between his fingers to check if plants needed more rain or sun. He protected roots ...

Princess Solimar’s favorite day of year is when thousands and thousands of monarch butterflies return to the nearby forest. This year she braves a trip into the forest where the butterflies land on her, too, covering her with their beautiful wings and soft humming. She promises to always protect the monarchs, and they leave behind a special magical power for Solimar. While trying to figure it ou ...

Bright illustrations complement the vibrant conversations Worm and Caterpillar share. According to Worm, their friendship is perfect because they have a lot in common. But what happens when change challenges comfortable ways of thinking? Love is patient and kind, and both are witnessed here amidst the humor and complex wonderings of a delightful friendship.