This layered story will impact different ages differently. The storyline conveys the gruffness expected from a pirate and his mates, while a repetitive pattern incorporates rich descriptors of pirate life. But when pirate Boris suffers loss, illustrations convey deep sadness even a tough character can feel, and readers understand the importance comforting companions offer.

"A heartbreaking picture book tells the story of the 19th-century Orphan Train in the voice of the plain girl nobody wants. Himler's beautiful, understated paintings show the train steaming across the prairie and the children trying to smile and look their best, hoping that someone will adopt them."--ALA "Booklist" Editor's Choice. Full color.

Lucy's frisky little puppy, Finn, gets into one scrape after another as Lucy and her family travel westward to Oregon by wagon train in 1843.

When Truman sends away for an ant farm and aunts begin arriving at his doorstep instead, he takes the situation in hand by creating a farm that trains aunts.

Ann doesn't think she is very good at sports. Will she have any fun at her school's Sports Day? There's only one way to find out--she'll have to try her best!

Free-verse text describes the transition from day to night and from night to day, revealing the magic in these everyday moments.

"Delightful. . . . A real winner."--School Library Journal "The friendly, cooperative tone of the text is reminiscent of the Frog and Toad series."--Kirkus Reviews "Yee's comfy beginning reader (dedicated to 'Friends of Frog and Toad') . . . packs in plenty of sweetness and civility."--Publishers Weekly Mouse and Mole are neighbors.Mouse lives inside an oak tree, and Mole lives in a hole underneat ...

Magic is always the special of the day at the Van Gogh Cafe in this series of vignettes from Newbery medalist Cynthia Ryland.

The book rides a wave of intrigue and action from the opening sentence ("The boy appeared out of nowhere.") to the final page. Along the way, the author introduces concepts begging for discussion: family, friendship, honesty, cleverness, problem-solving, and more. Young fans of mystery and action will have difficulty putting the book down as its march toward the protagonist-antagonist showdown is ...

Anna and Grandma are planning a surprise for Dad's birthday. Dad thinks he has received all his presents, but Grandma stands up and gives him the best one of all: she reads aloud the stories that Anna has taught her.

Gil the ant thinks all of his friends have forgotten his special day! Have they, or are they planning a special surprise?

Before Wilma was five years old, polio had paralyzed her left leg and doctors said she'd never walk. But Wilma refused to believe that, and eventually won Olympic titles and became the first American woman to earn three gold medals.

In a sequel to THE GIFT-GIVER, Doris reluctantly starts helping Yellow Bird, the class clown, with his reading problem. To her surprise, Doris finds that in caring for and helping Bird, she develops a new friend.