Recommended Reads

Hope, a white-tailed deer, and her spotted fawn, Freckles, are facing hunger and danger in their forest. Hope decides that they must leave their home and go in search of a better place where they will be safe. When they arrive at a new forest, Hope and Freckles face unexpected challenges that will force them apart. Will they be reunited?

After you have read the story of Hope and Freckles, continue to explore the stories of people all over the world who have to leave their homes because of danger or hunger. Let the tale of Hope and Freckles begin to teach you about the millions of people who face the same difficulties that this mother deer and her little boy face as refugees.

A curious snowbaby makes his way through the meadow, meeting a host of winter friends. The sweet newborn is delighted but finds himself alone again after each encounter. After a long day and a wild sleigh ride, he finds a heart-warming (but not too warm) answer to his prayers!

When Phoebe was a young pup, she was adopted from a shelter by Jeana and Frank. She had no idea how exciting life with her forever family would be. Phoebe's new parents planned to take her with them on all their boat trips. Come along as Phoebe tells the story of her first boat trip to Sailors Haven on Fire Island. When they took off into the Great South Bay, Phoebe was a bit frightened, but she soon realized what a delightful adventure she and her new parents would have as they explored the wondrous national park from the forest to the beach, making many friends along the way.

Can Norman the amazing goldfish overcome his stage fright? A much-awaited new adventure from the creators of Not Norman.

Norman is one amazing goldfish! His owner knows Norman is sure to dazzle the crowd at Pet-O-Rama with his circles, bubbles, and flips—even though some kids don’t think a goldfish is a good pet. But when Norman is finally on stage, he freezes up and hides behind his plant. Poor Norman! Luckily, his owner plays a familiar song on the tuba, helping Norman to relax and show the crowd how amazing he really is. The popular stars of Not Norman return in a warm and wryly funny new story about being there for your fishy friend when he needs you most.

When a little boy receives a goldfish named Norman, it's not the kind of pet he had in mind. When he tries to trade Norman for a good pet, things don't go as planned, but he soon learns that Norman is a better pet than he thought. Full color.

This series meets National Curriculum Standards for: Science: Earth and Space Science, Science in Personal and Social Perspectives. Social Studies: Civic Ideals & Practices, Culture, Global Connections, Power, Authority, & Governance Production, Distribution, & Consumption Science, Technology, & Society

When Tootie gets her first teeth, it’s clear to her big brother that she’s no ordinary baby. But how to convince Mom and Dad?

It happens overnight: little sister Tootie goes from cuddly, ga-ga-googoo, I-want-my-ba-ba baby...vampire baby. Now she’s sinking her pointy fangs into everything — furniture, toys, and especially her big brother (“Youch, Tootie! No bite!” ). Mom insists that it’s just a phase, but Tootie’s brother knows better. Just look at her hairline! Or the fact that all her favorite foods are bloodred! With perfect comic timing, Kelly Bennett and Paul Meisel give a fresh slant to the new-baby story, proving that even monstrous little arrivals have a funny way of staking their siblings’ affections.

A spirited young girl and her doting grandfather share a special bond as he teaches her the wonderful magic and love that can be found in the light.

From lightening bugs to lighthouses, Mary learns that light is a symbol of love.

This uplifting story features an adorable group of Pre-K children and their families celebrating their delightful graduation to kindergarten. Through the teacher's rainbow of colorful wishes, she encourages children of all ages to dream of a world filled with endless love through the beauty of hope, kindness, forgiveness and peace.

When a mom decides to adopt a rescue puppy, his zany antics fill their lives with love and laughter! Their playful silly Zack was truly sent to complete their family.

Each morning, when the sun rises, Maya and her sister, Alita, go to the shore to collect the beautiful seashells the waves wash up onto the beach overnight. The sisters scrub their finds until they sparkle like stars, then string them together to make beautiful treasures they can sell to the people of their island village. When Alita throws away shells she deems too broken or ugly, Maya collects them and remembers the words of her grandmother: "Even the tiniest nub can be quite beautiful. You just have to find the magic in it." But can she turn these clunky shells into something truly special? - 8-3/4" wide x 11-1/4" high (22.2 cm wide x 28.6 cm high) - Rights: World. Ages 3 to 8.

English text is featured with embedded Spanish words sprinkled throughout the story. While Tito admires his neighborhood bomberos, he never dreams that his ability to speak both English and Spanish would actually help the firefighters save the day. Full color.

Pedro yearns for the pirate's life. Though he is only the cabin boy on Captain Crossbones' ship, he daydreams about becoming a real pirate. When that chance finally comes, Pedro steals a mermaid's gold locket. The mermaid chastises Pedro, but he laughs and boasts, "It's what we pirates do!" That initial boast, however, soon gives way to regret as Pedro contemplates his actions. He resolves to return the locket and to free the mermaid that Captain Crossbones holds captive. The outcome is a happy one as Pedro expresses his contrition to the mermaid, and assures her that the pirate's life is not for him.

Meet Nutley, an adorable squirrel who doesn't let his nut allergy slow him down. Join him on his journey to stay healthy with the help of his friends!

Have you ever felt like you don't know how a friend will behave? Join us as we tackle the issue of a "sometimes friend." Includes note to parents, classroom discussion questions and cupcake recipe.

When your OUTERcorn doesn't match your INNERcorn... a story is born! Join us as a unicorn finds the answer to a very important question!

What should I do ? My mom put me in chocolate shoes! Follow me along as I solve this very tasty problem!

Imagine a world where pencils open portals, pictures paint people, and basketballs are square. Imagination takes flight in this crazy, wacky, mixed-up book of questions.

A collection of funny rhyming poems for elementary and middle school students. School life is the focus, including a teacher who mixes up her words, one who gives detention to water fountains, lunch ladies who serve Milky Way shakes and fresh corn on the comet, and a principal who lets kids take over the school on Opposite Day.

Just one more before bedtime? Please??
It's time for tuck-in, and your little one wants just one more moment with you--so fill it with something that will feed the imagination, fuel a love of reading, and send them off to sleep in a snap. Reach for a one-minute poem!
Former Children's Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt presents a blockbuster collection of all-new poetry penned by some of the most beloved and celebrated poets of our time, including Jack Prelutsky, Jon Scieszka, Mary Ann Hoberman, Nikki Grimes, Lemony Snicket, Jane Yolen, and many more. Illuminated with dreamlike wit and whimsy by New York Times illustrator and award-winning artist Christoph Niemann, here is a new bedtime classic.
When the busy day is drawing to a close and the whole family is ready for rest, take a minute for poetry and send your little one off to sleep.

In the northeastern region known as the Great North Woods, day dawns with quivering aspens, waters teem with life, forests prowl with predators, and nature is celebrated in rhyme.

A classic conflict is given a classic treatment in Red Fox at McCloskey's Farm, a picture book sure to become . . . a classic! A moonlit night, a hungry fox, a sleepy farmer and his watchdog, and a coop full of nervous chickens all add up to a ruckus of ruffled feathers and delightful rhyme. Red Fox is a hungry forest-dweller who has picked the wrong night to swipe a plump chicken from McCloskey's farm. After making his way down wooded trails and rows of corn, the hungry fox comes face to face with a grumpy hound dog and his agitated master. Will Red Fox make his escape and live for a chicken dinner another night?
The humor, colorful imagery, and lively rhythm of Brian Heinz's poetry make this a book that begs to be read aloud. Fold-out pages give the words life in large illustrations, and the dreamlike quality of Chris Sheban's artwork-which superbly captures the sly playfulness of Red Fox, the frenzied clumsiness of McCloskey, and the understandable unease of the chickens-makes turning each page an experience that will not soon be forgotten.

Recounts how a wolf pack struggles to survive in the frozen North and includes an author's note describing the dwindling wolf population in America and the threat of extinction.

Barnabus, a seemingly lazy cat by day, proves himself invaluable to the farm by night as he defends the harvest grain against an army of marauding rats.

A bouncing picture book biography of the tap dancer behind the Happy Feet penguin, illustrated by the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Winner of Hidden Figures.

This is a story about tap dancing, a distinctly American art form that blended English-Scottish-Irish clog dancing with African tribal dancing. And it’s about a boy, Savion Glover--who was born to feel the music—to dance and perform and invent. And to delight and awe audiences with the movements of his body.

Soul meets sole.
From that day on, Savion danced.
All the time. Not practicin’. Livin.
’Tippity, tippity, tappity, tappity, TROMP, TROMP, TROMP!


Follow Savion's journey as beats crescendos into a love of dancing as self-expression. This picture book biography creates music with words and story, and dance with color and composition. Child and parent can read the rhymes and onomatopoeia together while enjoying the bold artwork.

Savion Glover revitalized modern tap dancing with his jazz and hip-hop influenced “free-form hard core” style. From his appearances on Sesame Street and choreographing Happy Feet to his Tony award-winning musical Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk, Savion has inspired a new generation of tap dancers. Read more about his impact on music and dance in the afterword.

Feel the movement with bright, electric art from Laura Freeman, winner Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for Hidden Figures. Hear the music with Selene Castrovilla’s bouncing, bold rhymes. This is Tap! brings Savion’s exuberant story of creativity and passion to young readers.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Society of School Librarians International Book Award Honor
California Reading Association Eureka! Nonfiction Honor
Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
Booklist Top Ten Biography for Youth

Young fans of the smash Broadway hit "Hamilton" will enjoy this narrative nonfiction picture book story about the important friendship between George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette during the Revolutionary War.

Lafayette has come to America to offer his services to the patriotic cause. Inexperienced but dedicated, he is a much-needed ally and not only earns a military position with the Continental Army but also Washington's respect and admiration. This picture book presents the human side of history, revealing the bond between two famous Revolutionary figures. Both the author and illustrator worked with experts and primary sources to represent both patriots and the war accurately and fairly.

NCSS/CBC Notable Trade Social Studies Book
Kansas Reading Circle Choice
Bank Street College Best Book
Tappantown Historical Society’s Achievement Award 

Young fans of the Broadway smash "Hamilton" will enjoy this riveting nonfiction picture book that unfolds like a play, telling a story from American history.
Gravely injured and with little chance for more military honors, Major General Benedict Arnold seeks reward and recognition another way. He contacts Major John André, the new head of British intelligence and another man determined to prove himself. Arnold and André strike a deal and use Arnold’s intelligence to take over West Point, the strategic American fort. The plan ultimately fails, leading to André’s capture and death and Arnold’s loss of reward and glory. Author Selene Castrovilla and illustrator John O’Brien brilliantly capture the tensions and high drama of these two revolutionary rogues by highlighting their similarities and differences and demonstrating how they brought about their own tragic ends. This title also includes an afterword, timelines of the lives of both men, an extensive bibliography, and a list of key places to visit.

Many women helped shape a free and independent United States of America. They are known as the Founding Mothers.

These smart, brave women were ambassadors, fostering peace between Native Americans and Europeans. They risked their lives by writing, printing, and distributing information about the fight for independence. They supported their husbands during battle and even donned disguises to join the army. They were all key in shaping the America of today. This book tells their story. Women are sometimes called the silent protagonists of history. But since before the founding of our nation until now, women have organized, marched, and inspired. They forced change and created opportunity.With engaging text, fun facts, photography, infographics, and art, this new set of books examines how individual women of differing races and socioeconomic status took a stand, and how groups of women lived and fought throughout the history of this country. It looks at how they celebrated victories that included the right to vote, the right to serve their country, and the right to equal employment. The aim of this much-needed set of five books is to bring herstory to young readers!

When chance, or fate, throws two twelve-year-olds together on board a scientific research ship at the edge of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, it’s not all smooth sailing!

Jeremy “JB” Barnes is looking forward to spending the summer before seventh grade hanging on the beach. But his mother, a scientist, has called for him to join her aboard a research ship where, instead, he’ll spend his summer seasick and bored as he stares out at the endless plastic, microbeads, and other floating debris, both visible and not, that make up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Miles and miles away, twelve-year-old Sidney Miller is trying to come up with an alternate activity worthy of convincing her overprotective parents that she can skip summer camp.

When Jeremy is asked to find the contact information for a list of important international scientists and invite them to attend a last-minute Emergency Global Summit, he's excited to have a chance to actually do something that matters to the mission. How could he know that the Sidney Miller he messages is not the famous marine biologist he has been tasked with contacting, but rather a girl making podcasts from her bedroom—let alone that she would want to sneak aboard the ship?

Nora Raleigh Baskin and Gae Polisner's Consider the Octopus is a comedy of errors, mistaken identity, and synchronicity. Above all, it is a heartfelt story about friendship and an empowering call to environmental protection, especially to our young people who are already stepping up to help save our oceans and our Earth.

An endearing story of love and grief as one girl follows the clues in a scavenger hunt left behind by her best friend, perfect for fans of Bridge to Terabithia and Nine, Ten.

WHEN YOU'VE LOST WHAT MATTERS MOST,
HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR WAY BACK HOME?

Joy Fonseca is dreading her 13th birthday, dreading being reminded again about her best friend Lukas's senseless death on this day, one year ago -- and dreading the fact he may have heard what she accidentally blurted to him the night before. Or maybe she's more worried he didn't hear.

Either way, she's decided: she's going to finally open the first clue to their annual birthday scavenger hunt Lukas left for her the morning he died, hoping the rest of the clues are still out there. If they are, they might lead Joy to whatever last words Lukas wrote, and toward understanding how to grab onto the future that is meant to be hers.

"I truly loved it! Baskin and Polisner seamlessly unfold one touching relationship after another in this gorgeous story about everlasting friendship. This tender tale is indelibly etched on my heart." --Leslie Connor, author of the National Book Award finalist The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle

"Polisner and Baskin's brief tale of two quite distant friends magically manages to bridge an uncrossable gap. Seven Clues to Home is both a charming mystery and a real meditation on the complexities of the young heart in love." --Tony Abbott, Edgar Award-winning author of Firegirl and The Great Jeff

"I read this whole book with a lump in my throat. A perfect gem." --Wendy Mass, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Bob

This book introduces readers to the science behind rainbows. Students learn about the different wavelengths of light and the bending of light through prisms. Vivid photographs and easy-to-read text aid comprehension for early readers. Features include a table of contents, an infographic, fun facts, Making Connections questions, a glossary, and an index. QR Codes in the book give readers access to book-specific resources to further their learning. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Cody Koala is an imprint of Pop!, a division of ABDO.

In 1933, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power in Germany. The Nazis terribly persecuted Jews and other groups of people. They murdered millions of Jews across Europe during World War II. A pre-teen girl named Anne Frank and her family managed to hide from the Nazis for two years. During this time, Anne wrote about her experiences almost every day in her diary. Discover the courage of Anne and her family during one of the most horrific times in history.

This book introduces readers to the science behind the sky. Students learn about the makeup of the atmosphere and the different wavelengths of light. Vivid photographs and easy-to-read text aid comprehension for early readers. Features include a table of contents, an infographic, fun facts, Making Connections questions, a glossary, and an index. QR Codes in the book give readers access to book-specific resources to further their learning. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Cody Koala is an imprint of Pop!, a division of ABDO.

Jessica and Rebecca are two sisters who ride together but they don't really get along. Snickers and Daisy are two schooling horses but they don't really get along either. Will both girls and horses find a way to help each other so everyone can have fun riding?

This garden is on the move! A good-time, rollicking celebration of things that grow.

PEPPERS GROW UP.
POTATOES GROW DOWN.
PUMPKINS VINE AROUND AND AROUND.

From seeds dropping into soil to corn bursting from its stalks, from children chasing butterflies to ants burrowing underground, everything in this vibrant picture book pulses with life — in all directions! Sprightly illustrations set the mood for a rhythmic text that follows nature’s course to a final feast of backyard bounty.

Want to grow what you eat and eat what you grow? Visit this lively, flourishing school-andcommunity garden and be inspired to cultivate your own.

At an elementary school in Santa Fe, the bell rings for recess and kids fly out the door to check what’s happening in their garden. As the seasons turn, everyone has a part to play in making the garden flourish. From choosing and planting seeds in the spring to releasing butterflies in the summer to harvesting in the fall to protecting the beds for the winter. Even the wiggling worms have a job to do in the compost pile! On special afternoons and weekends, neighborhood folks gather to help out and savor the bounty (fresh toppings for homemade pizza, anyone?). Part celebration, part simple how-to, this close-up look at a vibrant garden and its enthusiastic gardeners is blooming with photos that will have readers ready to roll up their sleeves and dig in.

It's Randall's first summer in a new town, and it's looking like the next few months are going to be pretty boring. But once he and some friends start a chess club, Randall begins to change his mind about his new home. That is until Birdman, a grumpy old man who hangs out in the park where theCheckmate Squad meets to play, tries to interfere. and Gordo, the class bully, threatens to ruin everything. How could Randall's summer have gone so quickly from drop dead dull to disastrous? Randall and his new friends return for more adventures in this companion book to The Hero of Third Grade (ISBN-13: 978-0-8234-1745-2 | $25.95)

In this exuberant picture book about transformation through art, Mira lives in a gray urban community until a muralist arrives and, along with his paints and brushes, brings color, joy, and hope to the neighborhood.

What good can a splash of color do in a community of gray? As Mira and her neighbors discover, more than you might ever imagine!

Based on the true story of the Urban Art Trail in San Diego, California, Maybe Something Beautiful reveals how art can inspire transformation--and how even the smallest artists can accomplish something big. Pick up a paintbrush and join the celebration!

"Simply superb." (Kirkus)

Tomás Rivera Book Award * ALA Notable Children's Book * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of the Year * Huffington Post Best Picture Books of the Year * Kirkus Best of the Year * School Library Journal Top 10 LatinX of the Year

For fans of I Am Enough, The Day You Begin, and The Wonderful Things You Will Be, here is a poignant picture book about how family and community help shape the wonderful people our children become.

My child, my little one,
Who will you be when you are grown?
There's loving kindness in your eyes, like your daddy's
and boldness in your heart, like your grandma's.
Will you be like them?

So begins this loving picture book about a mama who wonders who her child will grow up to be. Will her little one be curious like Grandpa and adventurous like Auntie Amina? Compassionate like Amy and joyful like cousin Curlena? Moving from family members to the wider community, she muses about which attributes her child will possess. A perfect gift for a baby shower, birthday, or graduation. Who Will You Be? features gorgeous artwork and gentle words that celebrate childhood and is an ode to the power of our village--and a reminder that every child is uniquely wonderful.

There once was a town that saved its library.

Eli loves going to the library for Story Circle, but, one stormy day, the nearby river threatens to flood it. Eli and his dad must brave the storm to help save the books, and, when the storm is over, the whole town must come together to rebuild the library. Inspired by the residents of Lincoln, Vermont, who rebuilt their library on three separate occasions, Saving Eli's Library showcases one community's bigheartedness, and the power of water and nature.

A lyrical picture book debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long
 
"I can hear change humming
In its loudest, proudest song.
I don't fear change coming,
And so I sing along."
 
In this stirring, much-anticipated picture book by presidential inaugural poet and activist Amanda Gorman, anything is possible when our voices join together. As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes—big or small—in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves. 
 
With lyrical text and rhythmic illustrations that build to a dazzling crescendo by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long, Change Sings is a triumphant call to action for everyone to use their abilities to make a difference.

A tender and compassionate exploration of the shared experiences that bring us all together, be they sweet, painful, or both.

On a morning brimming with possibilities, a gentle narrator muses on everything the day might bring, from work to play to all the little moments in between, like watching clouds and seeing something grow. From small beginnings, the pages begin to hint at life’s larger crescendo moments: days so hard we struggle to bear it, and others that feel exactly right.

Then day inevitably turns to night, and for a while, “we are all just hearts beating in the darkness.” This quiet space invites us to be fully present in the moment, feeling whatever we feel; each of us vital, connected, “the same, but exactly different.” As a bright new dawn starts the cycle anew, that truth is a strong and steady pulse beneath the bustle of another busy morning.

In a story that embraces life’s highs and lows, Julie Fogliano masterfully combines simple, lyrical text with highly nuanced themes to create a reassuring and hopeful meditation on solidarity and perseverance. Impressionistic pastel and colored-pencil illustrations by Cátia Chien accompany the soulful text. All the Beating Hearts reminds us that through all of life’s ups and downs, there will always be light after darkness, and most importantly, we have each other—these other beating hearts.

Acclaimed and award-winning picture book creator Carin Berger shares a moving story of community, empathy, and the power of love.

With a universal message and stunning paper collage art, this striking book is just right for fans of Matt de la Peña’s Love and Emily Winfield Martin’s The Wonderful Things You Will Be.  

Award-winning illustrator Carin Berger’s beautiful and timely picture book celebrates the power of community, family, and most of all, love. Her beautiful collage art and lyrical text offer a message of hope in the face of adversity.

All of Us is ideal for family sharing as well as year-round giving and is for fans of Nancy’s Tillman’s Wherever You Are and Alison McGhee’s Someday.

How does your garden grow? Book-loving Lola is inspired by a collection of garden poems that she reads with her mommy. She wants to plant her own garden of beautiful flowers, so she and Mommy go to the library to check out books about gardening. They choose their flowers and buy their seeds. They dig and plant. And then they wait. Lola finds it hard to wait for her flowers to grow, but she spends the time creating her own flower book. Soon she has a garden full of sunflowers and invites all of her friends for cakes and punch and a story amongst the flowers.

Lola is a beloved character that continues to shine for young readers. Her curiosity and love of books is infectious. Parents and children love sharing Lola's stories.

Rosalind Beardshaw's beautiful illustrations highlight Lola's close-knit family and how they use stories and books to interact with their world. Lola's brightly colored and growing garden is the perfect surrounding for this bright little girl.

Kadir Nelson, acclaimed author of Baby Bear and winner of the Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Author and Illustrator Awards, presents a resonant, gently humorous story about the power of even the smallest acts and the rewards of compassion and generosity.

With spare text and breathtaking oil paintings, If You Plant a Seed demonstrates not only the process of planting and growing for young children but also how a seed of kindness can bear sweet fruit.

The start of a brand new series by Shaquille O'Neal and illustrated by 2014 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent award winner Theodore Taylor III, Little Shaq is sure to be a hit with young readers.

When Little Shaq and his cousin Barry accidentally break their favorite video game, they need to find a way to replace it. That's when Little Shaq's science project inspires a solution: a gardening business. They can water their neighbors' gardens to raise money for a new game! Little Shaq and Barry make a great team both on and off the basketball court, but will their business be as successful as they hoped?

Showing kids that anything is possible with the support of friends and family, Little Shaq will inspire them to love reading, play fair, and have fun!
 

When Anna is gifted a copy of The Secret Garden, it inspires her to follow her dreams--maybe she can plant ivy and purple crocuses and the birds will come. Or maybe what grows from her dream of a garden is even better: friendship. And friendship, like a garden, often has a mind of its own. In this prequel to The Year of the Book, join Anna in a year of discovery, new beginnings, friendships, and growth.

Perfect for fans of the Caldecott Honor Book The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and David Small, here's a heartwarming spring picture book about gardening and friendship.

Every day, Honey tends her garden, thinning the lettuces, pulling up beets, and even singing to the kale. (Honey says if you listen carefully, you can hear the kale singing back!) Laurel, the little girl who lives next door, likes to help, weeding the rows, washing vegetables under the pump, and gathering speckled eggs from the chicken coop. But one day there is a FOR SALE sign in Honey's front yard. Honey's mother is sick, and she is moving away! What will happen to Honey's garden? And what will Laurel do without her friend? Here is a touching story that beautifully illustrates how friendship--just like a garden--grows.

Praise for Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder:
"Spare, poetic words sit as lightly as snowflakes." --The Wall Street Journal

In this new book in the popular Confetti Kids series, Lily and her friends volunteer to help at the public garden, where they learn that plants need water, sun, and--just like them--time to grow.

Five friends from diverse backgrounds learn how to navigate common childhood challenges, new experiences, and the world around them in the realistic and kid-friendly Confetti Kids early chapter books.

In this story, Lily still misses having a backyard with flowers and a vegetable garden. Then she remembers the public garden in the neighborhood and tries to convince her friends gardening is fun. Her friends are a little reluctant--it sounds like a lot of waiting and work. But in the end, they enjoy learning what a plant needs to grow, and that patience can sometimes yield something delicious.

Even though it's summer, Sadiq goes to religious school four days a week to study the Quran. He and his friends find their teacher, Mr. Kassim, strict and intimidating, but when Sadiq finds out that Mr. Kassim has a injured shoulder he decides to volunteer to help with the gardening--and he convinces his friends to volunteer as well.

Families looking for nature-based fun away from phones and screens will adore this wholesome children’s collection of cooking, crafting, and gardening projects, locally printed on 100% recycled paper.
 
In the Little Homesteader: A Summer Treasury of Recipes, Crafts, and Wisdom, young readers can try their hand at various summer-themed projects as well as learn interesting seasonal wisdom, and nature-related facts along the way.
 
Packed with fun ideas to keep kids occupied during holidays or at weekends, readers can discover the joys of making natural shampoo, learn about honey harvesting, handprint a picnic blanket, craft a sun catcher, and follow tasty recipes for summertime treats such as homemade watermelon popsicles.

 

"Those who feel physically or emotionally distant from beloved adults will take comfort in the idea that there are others who care. A subtle and affecting journey to resilience best shared one-on-one to pore over the spectacular artwork."--School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

From one of the great creative teams in picture books, On the Other Side of the Garden is about a city girl learning to accept the change brought about by her parents' separation after she is left at her grandmother's house in the country.

The girl feels abandoned and lonely, but after venturing into the nighttime garden, she is befriended by an owl, a frog and a mouse. Her talkative new companions show her an extraordinary new world by the light of the moon. When the girl gets back in the morning, her grandmother seems neither alarmed or angry about the girl's nighttime adventures. Instead she gently introduces her granddaughter to her new surroundings, making clear that the girl is welcome. And as the sun warms their backs, the two seem content to get to know each other better.

Buitrago's stories convey large truths through understatement and suggestion. This story, beautifully illustrated by Yockteng, shows how a child can use her own bravery and curiosity to confront confusing and potentially frightening realities, such as a parents' separation and being left with an almost unknown relative. There is an endnote about the plants and animals that might be found in such a garden.

Miss Eula is back! In this heartwarming companion to Chicken Sunday, young Trisha is devastated when her grandmother passes away, but finds joy in bonds with a new friend, her new California neighborhood—and the invincible Miss Eula.

There will never be anyone like her grandmother, Patricia Polacco thinks, when her grandmother passes away. But when she and her family move to California—in the middle of a drought—she meets a new friend, the irrepressible Stewart, and his amazing grandmother, Miss Eula, who not only takes Trisha under her wing, but, with Trisha and Stewart, steps up to lead their entire extraordinarily diverse neighborhood to help a hurting neighbor—and her once lush garden—survive the drought.
     Trisha's grandmother's old saying about the stars being Holes in the Sky turns out to be Miss Eula's, too, convincing Trisha that she has miraculously discovered another unforgettable grandmother.

With very little text, this book lets the illustrations tell the charming story of a child carried away into a world much bigger than herself.

A young girl and her family travel from the city to the country to celebrate her grandmother's birthday. Someone suggests that Arianne, as the only child at the party, might enjoy exploring the garden more than listening to the adults chat. Arianne is unsure what to do in the quiet garden, and she soon lies down out of boredom. But then she spots a pebble...and a grasshopper...and flies away on a dandelion seed pod into the cosmos as she discovers the freedom of her imagination.

From mother-daughter team Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton comes a celebration of family, tradition and discovery, and an ode to mothers, grandmothers and the children they love.

Grandma Dorothy shared her love of gardens with her daughter, Hillary, and her granddaughter, Chelsea. She taught them that gardens are magical places to learn, exciting spaces for discovery, quiet spots to spend time with family and beautiful areas to share stories and celebrate special occasions. But most of all, she taught them that in her gardens, her love grew and blossomed.

In this inspiring and heartwarming mother-daughter story, Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton team up to show readers how sharing the things we love with the people we love can create powerful, everlasting bonds between generations.
 

The Secret Garden with a twist: in this follow-up to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, this full-color graphic novel moves Mary Lennox to a New York City brownstone, where she and her very first group of friends restore an abandoned rooftop garden...and her uncle's heart.

Mary Lennox is a loner living in Silicon Valley. With her parents always working, video game and tech become her main source of entertainment and "friends." When her parents pass away in a tragic accident, she moves to New York City to live with her uncle who she barely knows, and to her surprise, keeps a gadget free home. Looking for comfort in this strange, new reality, Mary discovers an abandoned rooftop garden and an even bigger secret...her cousin who suffers from anxiety. With the help of her new friends, Colin and Dickon, Mary works to restore the garden to its former glory while also learning to grieve, build real friendships, and grow.
 

Feeling different, especially as a kid, can be tough. But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful.

In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges--and looks at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, asking questions of each other along the way, this book encourages readers to do the same: When we come across someone who is different from us but we're not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask.

 

A 2023 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Winner

From the creators of the award-winning picture book All Around Us comes another lyrical intergenerational story exploring our connections to nature, family, and traditions.

When Grandma walks to her special garden, her granddaughters know to follow her there. Grandma invites the girls to explore her collection of treasures--magical rocks, crystals, seashells, and meteorites--to see what wonders they reveal. "They are alive with wisdom," Grandma says. As her granddaughters look closely, the treasures spark the girls' imaginations. They find stories in the strength of rocks shaped by volcanoes, the cleansing power of beautiful crystals, the mystery of the sea that houses shells and shapes the environment, and the long journey meteorites took to find their way to Earth. This is the power of Grandma's special garden, where wonder grows and stories blossom.

Before she cooks up something delicious in the kitchen, Disney Princess Tiana learns how to grow the ingredients in her garden in this all-new Step 2 Step into Reading leveled reader!

When Tiana decides to try cooking with a new spicy pepper, she is excited to begin—but first, she learns how to plant a garden. This Step 2 Step into Reading leveled reader is perfect for children ages 4 to 6 who can delight in Tiana’s empowering journey as she makes her garden grow.

Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories. For children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help.

Anthony Browne offers a glimpse at ten classic tales with the help of a library-loving chimp.

Every week, Willy walks through an ordinary-looking set of doors and straight into an adventure. Where will those doors lead him today—to a mysterious desert island with footprints in the sand? Down a deep, dark rabbit hole full of curious objects? Or perhaps aboard a pirate ship to stand face-to-face with Captain Hook? This book revisits well-known stories from:
Robinson Crusoe
Treasure Island
Robin Hood
The Tinderbox
Peter Pan
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Rapunzel
The Wind in the Willows
The Adventures of Pinocchio
Anthony Browne’s captivating illustrations, starring his trademark primates, pay tribute to the library and the wonders within.

A hilarious story that celebrates the power of books and libraries in the vein of It's a Book
It’s Saturday, which means Oskar and Theodore get to go to the library with their dad! It means donuts for breakfast! And it means endless quiet hours lost in stories.

But on this not so quiet Saturday, Oskar and Teddy get a rude surprise when they're interrupted by a five-headed, hangry monster! Will Oskar ever get to finish his book in peace? Will Teddy ever get to gorge on his donuts? Or might both of them hold the secret weapons to taming the beast?

OHora brings his signature humor and quirkiness to a story with evergreen appeal. This laugh-out-loud picture book is perfect for story time.

Based on the life of beloved author-illustrator Patricia Polacco's own amazing grandmother, this wonderful celebration of reading and community is as exhilarating as it is heartwarming.

Young Stella loves books so much, her books begin to take over the farmhouse. "Why, Stell, you need your own library to hold those books," her pa tells her, so he and the neighbors build her one! She calls it "the Mermaid's Purse," since the midwife said Stella was born in one. Stella opens the Purse to her neighbors and travels around the countryside, sharing her books door-to-door. Not everyone gives them a chance at first, like grouchy Pig Ears Lonsberry. But farmer Dunkle sure changes his mind when information in a book saves his sick sheep. Eventually, everybody comes to love the Mermaid's Purse--so when a tornado destroys it, scattering Stella's precious books far and wide, the whole community rallies to help.

Head into the night to save the library with Catboy, Owlette, and Gekko in this Level 1 Ready-to-Read based on PJ Masks, the hit preschool series airing on Disney Junior!

The villain Romeo has a new machine. It erases stories from books so he can put his picture inside. Can Owlette save the library, and the day?

PJ Masks © Frog Box / Entertainment One UK Limited / Walt Disney EMEA Productions Limited 2014

Have you ever thought about bringing your dragon to the library? Don't do it! You might have the best intentions, but that dragon will cause nothing but trouble. Using rhyming text and a diverse cast of characters, this charming picture book will provide some important--and some not so important--library etiquette in a very entertaining way.

Fall in love with a disarming picture-book hero in this quirky ode to spirit, identity, and the joy of having (or being) a library card.

In the world of cards, each one has a special job to do. Big Card keeps important papers in order. Tiny Card can be exchanged for a prize in an arcade. Round Card hangs out in a glamorous boutique. But is any card as lucky as Little Card? He’s going to school to become a birthday card — in other words, to sing, play games, eat cake, and be happy all day long. But wait! On the day he’s supposed to take his talents into the world, Long Card tells him there’s been a mix-up and they need to trade jobs. How can Little Card bring his exuberance into a library, a quiet place of books and rules and hushing? Offbeat and utterly endearing, this tale of a little guy who gives it all he’s got is complete with a sweet twist and a surprise ending.

Froggy loves the library!

When Froggy and Mom and Pollywogilina set out for the library, Froggy brings a wheelbarrow to hold all the books he plans to borrow. There are so many to choose from: Dinosaur books! Books about Space Frog! Froggy is so excited that he forgets to use his indoor voice.

Readers enjoy Froggy's antics, and so does Miss Otterbottom, the librarian. "Come again soon, Froggy," she says.

A delightfully warm, encouraging story of a young girl and the special library dog who helps her develop patience, acceptance, and confidence as she learns to read, from award-winning author-illustrator Lisa Papp.

Madeline Finn does NOT like to read. But she DOES want a gold star from her teacher. Except stars are for good readers, for understanding words, and for saying them out loud—things that Madeline Finn doesn't believe she can do.

Fortunately, Madeline Finn finds a little help when she meets Bonnie, a library dog. Reading out loud to Bonnie isn't so bad, and when Madeline Finn gets stuck, Bonnie doesn't mind. As it turns out, it's fun to read when you're not afraid of making mistakes. Bonnie teaches Madeline Finn that it's okay to go slow—and, most importantly, to keep trying.

Lisa Papp offers an inspiring and comforting story, perfect for new readers who just need a little confidence to overcome their fears.

Beloved author Anne Rockwell celebrates books, the love of reading, and of course, libraries, with a gorgeous new picture book about a child’s first visit to the library!

One day, a young boy visits the library for the very first time. While he’s there he listens to stories, reads books and magazines, and learns that there are also movies, crafts, chess, and puppet shows—something for everyone! With simple, lyrical text and bright illustrations that jump off the page, Library Day brings the joys of reading vividly to life.

It's raining and Billy can't stand the thought of another boring indoor recess. So he convinces his buddies to sneak into the library for a Super Samurai Showdown?some imaginary play featuring gods, samurai, and huge stacks of books. No sooner have the gates of Olympus (the stacks of books) fallen, than Billy is caught. Determined to make up for his poor choices and mistreatment of books, Billy organizes a book drive. How many books can Billy collect? Who will be the drive's worthy recipient? Can books really turn Billy to into a model citizen?! With an exciting, fun-filled plot and strong character development, this book is a great choice for libraries. A glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts are featured in the back matter.

Eddie, a passionate reader and a shiny green bug, saves the school library in this funny, heartwarming tale that fans of Flora & Ulysses and Charlotte’s Web will love. Includes black-and-white illustrations throughout from Newbery Honor Medalist and New York Times-bestselling author-artist Victoria Jamieson.

Eddie is a tiny green bug who loves to read and who lives behind the chalkboard in the fourth-grade classroom with his parents, his 53 brothers and sisters, and his aunt Min. But when Aunt Min goes to the school library to read a book and never returns, Eddie leaves the comfort of his home for the first time and makes the dangerous trek through Ferny Creek Elementary School to find her. After dodging running sneakers, falling books, and terrifying spiders, Eddie reaches the library, where he discovers Aunt Min stuck in a perilous situation! To top it all off, there’s a substitute librarian who aims to close the library for good and get rid of all the books!

Encouraged by the brave deeds done by small creatures such as Stuart Little and Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web, Eddie comes up with a plan to save the library—a plan that requires all the courage one little bug can muster.

A great read-aloud and read-alone, this action-packed short novel includes references to classic children’s literature throughout and is perfect for fans of Chris Grabenstein’s Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Lynne Rae Perkins’s Nuts to You. Featuring extensive black-and-white art from Newbery Honor Medalist and New York Times-bestselling author-artist Victoria Jamieson.

Join Bunny as he takes a a top-secret trip to the library in a story that celebrates the love of reading!
 
Bunny loves to sit outside the library with the kids and listen to summer story time. But when the weather gets cold and everyone moves inside, his daily dose of joy is gone. Desperate, Bunny refuses to miss out on any more reading time and devises a plan to sneak into the library at night . . . through the library’s book drop!
 
What follows is an adorable caper that brings an inquisitive, fuzzy bunny and his woodland pals up close and personal with the books they have grown to love. A warm celebration of the power of books, Bunny’s Book Club is sure to bring knowing smiles to any child, parent, teacher, bookseller, and librarian who understands the one-of-a-kind magic of reading.

The third book in the bestselling MAGNOLIA SAYS DON'T! series, which started with If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don't!, is another loud and cautionary tale of what not to do--this time, at the library!

If you see a poster that says "You Can Do Anything at the Library!", it is NOT giving you permission to put on a circus! But Magnolia doesn't see any problem with setting up her own big top. She's got a lot of gusto and one mean human cannonball routine. So what if her greatest show on Earth won't fit between the bookshelves? Elise Parsley's boldly expressive illustrations perfectly complement this mostly-librarian-approved guide on how to be everything BUT quiet in the library!

Can you find your way out of what James Patterson calls the “coolest library in the world"? Get ready for Mr. Lemoncello’s first-ever Library Olympics!
 
From the coauthor of the I Funny and Max Einstein series—and with 100+ weeks on the New York Times bestseller list—the LEMONCELLO books are laugh-out-loud, puzzle-packed MUST-READS for homes and classrooms and homes across America.
 
The world-famous game maker Luigi Lemoncello is at it again! This time Mr. Lemoncello has invited teams from across America for the first-ever LIBRARY OLYMPICS. Kyle Keeley knows that the competition is fierce! But something suspicious is going on—books are missing from the shelves! Is someone trying to censor what the kids are reading? Now it's not just a game, and Kyle and his friends will have to band together to get to the bottom of this mystery. Let the games begin!
  
Don’'t miss the bonus puzzle and the craft in the back! Look for the rest of the puzzle-packed series—Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’'s Library, Mr. Lemoncello’s Great Library Race, Mr. Lemoncello’'s All-Star Breakout Game, and Mr. Lemoncello and the Titanium Ticket!

 

What if books want to be read as much as we want to read them? This is certainly true of our young hero in THE BOOK NO ONE EVER READ. Morry, a young book, is tired of standing still on a shelf amid dignified first editions, and yearns for the excitement of sharing his story with a child. The books and illustrations within THE BOOK NO ONE EVER READ pay homage to some of Cornelia Funke's favorite authors, whose books crowd the shelves of the library the story is set in. Some of the writers included are Toni Morrison, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jane Austen, Victor Hugo, Shel Silverstein, Frank L. Baum, and many others. The inspiration for Morry is Maurice Sendak, author of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.

A visit to the library can be full of surprises. When the librarian is late for story time, the children go off to look for her and follow mysterious paw prints to find a bear sitting at her desk. Is the bear a new librarian? Not exactly. The new LiBEARian opens a book about bears and utters a loud growl. The kids love it! Then the real librarian appears and sends the bear back into the book he came from. A fun twist at the end rounds out this winsomely illustrated tale of a universal childhood experience--story time at the library--infused with magic.

National Book Award winner William Alexander conjures up a spooky adventure full of excitement in this entertaining sequel to A Properly Unhaunted Place.

Rosa Ramona Diaz, the ghost appeasing assistant librarian, has unleashed all the ghosts who were previously shut out of the small town of Ingot. Now ghosts are everywhere, and the town’s living residents are either learning to cope or trying to do the one thing no one can successfully do—banish the ghosts.

At school, something supernatural is stealing kids’ voices and leaving them speechless. And it’s Rosa’s job to solve the mystery and set things right. Meanwhile her best friend Jasper is dealing with what remains of the Renaissance Festival, where ghosts from Ingot’s past are now battling it out with the ghosts of the Renaissance reenactors. And Rosa is experiencing a haunting of her own—could her father’s ghost have followed her here?

Somehow Rosa and Jasper are going to have to find a way to bring Ingot back to normal—in a world where the living are now residing side-by-side with the dearly departed.

On her next adventure, Otter—the irrepressible character sure to be adored by fans of Llama Llama—discovers a love for books and reading.

Otter: I Love Books! is a My First I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for shared reading with a child.

Read about more of Otter’s adventures in I Am Otter, Otter in Space, Otter Goes to School, Otter Loves Halloween!, Otter Loves Easter!, Otter: Oh No, Bath Time!, Otter: The Best Job Ever!, Otter: Hello, Sea Friends!; and Otter: Let’s Go Swimming!

Read the book that Ali Standish (author of The Ethan I Was Before) calls "a heartwarming story" and Melissa Roske (author of Kat Greene Comes Clean) calls "a joyful, heartfelt debut!"

Thirteen-year-old Jamie Bunn made a mistake at the end of the school year. A big one. And every kid in her middle school knows all about it. Now she has to spend her summer vacation volunteering at the local library—as punishment. What a waste of a summer!

Or so she thinks.

A Kind of Paradise is an unforgettable story about the power of community, the power of the library, and the power of forgiveness.

A warm-hearted, visually intriguing tale of reading and believing, and a world of possibility.

A New York City library branch has been designated for possible closure yet the bookish, socially awkward Pearl, the daughter of the librarian, can't imagine a world without the library. When the head of their Edna St. Vincent Millay statue goes missing, closure is closer than ever. But Pearl is determined to save the library. And with a ragtag neighborhood library crew—including a constantly tap-dancing girl, an older boy she has a crush on, and a pack of literate raccoons—she just might be able to do it.

• Features an eclectic cast of richly drawn characters, frequent sidebars and footnotes
• Classic illustrations by Jessixa Bagley and writing by beloved author Karen Romano Young

Fans of Henry and Bea, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and Redwood and Ponytail will love this book.

This book is perfect for:
• Avid readers
• Teachers
• Librarians

The Book Hog loves books-the way they look, the way they feel, the way they smell-and he'll grab whatever he can find. There's only one problem: he can't read! But when a kind librarian invites him to join for storytime, this literature-loving pig discovers the treasure that books really are.
Geisel Medalist Greg Pizzoli presents a new character who is sure to steal your heart in this picturebook full of humorous charm and vivid illustrations.

The Library of Ever is an instant classic for middle grade readers and booklovers everywhere—an adventure across time and space, as a young girl becomes a warrior for the forces of knowledge.

With her parents off traveling the globe, Lenora is bored, bored, bored—until she discovers a secret doorway into the ultimate library. Mazelike and reality-bending, the library contains all the universe’s wisdom. Every book ever written, and every fact ever known, can be found within its walls. And Lenora becomes its newly appointed Fourth Assistant Apprentice Librarian.

She rockets to the stars, travels to a future filled with robots, and faces down a dark nothingness that wants to destroy all knowledge. To save the library, Lenora will have to test her limits and uncover secrets hidden among its shelves.

Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and other characters from Disney Frozen and Disney Frozen 2 star in this Step 2 Step into Reading leveled reader about Olaf finding a book for every child in Arendelle to enjoy. For children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help.

A gorgeous and inspiring picture book based on the life of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogotá, Colombia who started a library with a single discarded book found on his route.

In the city of Bogata, in the barrio of La Nueva Gloria, there live two Joses. One is a boy who dreams of Saturdays-- that's the day he gets to visit Paradise, the library. The second Jose is a garbage collector. From dusk until dawn, he scans the sidewalks as he drives, squinting in the dim light, searching household trash for hidden treasure . . . books! Some are stacked in neat piles, as if waiting for José́. Others take a bit more digging. Ever since he found his first book, Anna Karenina, years earlier, he's been collecting books--thick ones and thin ones, worn ones and almost new ones-- to add to the collection in his home. And on Saturdays, kids like little Jose run to the steps of Paradise to discover a world filled with books and wonder.

With an evocative text by a debut author, and rich, stunning illustrations from an up-and-coming Colombian illustrator, here is a celebration of perseverance, community, and the power of books.

The charming duo returns with a love letter to the library, good friends, the joy of learning, and self-reinvention.

It's Saturday, and Houndsley, Catina, and their friend Bert are looking forward to their weekly visit to the library. But when the trio arrives, they find that Trixie, the librarian, seems different. She doesn't tell a joke or recommend a book like she always does. That's when the friends find out the news -- the library is closing! With Trixie retiring and enrolled in circus school, there's no one to take her place as head librarian . . . or is there? James Howe and Marie-Louise Gay have created another engaging tale about what it means to be a supportive friend and how it's never too late to learn something new.

Can you find your way out of what James Patterson calls the "coolest library in the world"? Kyle Keeley and his friends face their biggest challenge yet when Mr. Lemoncello goes LIVE with his first-ever televised BREAKOUT game!

From the coauthor of I Funny and Max Einstein--and with 100+ weeks on the New York Times bestseller list--the LEMONCELLO books are laugh-out-loud, puzzle-packed MUST-READS for homes and classrooms across America.

Mr. Lemoncello is leaving the library and going LIVE across the nation with his latest game. Kyle can't wait to audition, but only a lucky few will get to compete in front of millions of viewers in a completely immersive new breakout game--with real kids as the playing pieces! Nothing is ever as it seems with Mr. Lemoncello, and the clock is ticking! Can Kyle and his friends crack the codes in time to win it all?

Don't miss the bonus puzzle in the back! Look for the rest of the puzzle-packed series--Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics, Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race, and Mr. Lemoncello and the Titanium Ticket!

 

Mr. Tiffin and his students from the perennially popular How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? and The Dinosaur Expert make friends with, Librarian Beck a new character in the series who also happens to be non-binary. This thoughtful picture book is about a wood-working project that helps a young student become a book lover.

Everyone in Mr. Tiffin's class couldn't be more excited that the new school library has finally opened. Everyone except Jake. Jake is a slow and careful reader. Sometimes he reads the same page more than once to figure everything out. And he often feels left behind on class Library Day. All that changes when Librarian Beck notices Jake running his fingers across the grooves of a brand-new bookshelf and offers him an old, worn book: Woodworking for Young Hands. Jake checks the book out, studies the pictures and instructions, and renews the book again and again. When the school year comes to an end, Jake has the perfect gift idea for the librarian who changed his life--and he makes it with his own two hands.

Once upon a time, American children couldn’t borrow library books. Reading wasn’t all that important for children, many thought. Luckily Miss Anne Carroll Moore thought otherwise! This is the true story of how Miss Moore created the first children’s room at the New York Public Library, a bright, warm room filled with artwork, window seats, and most important of all, borrowing privileges to the world’s best children’s books in many different languages.

From an award-winning author and illustrator, the inspiring story of how the Little Free Library organization brings communities together through books, from founder Todd Bol's first installation to the creation of more than 75,000 mini-libraries around the world.

Todd and his friends love heroes. But in school, Todd doesn't feel heroic. Reading is hard for him, and he gets scolded for asking too many questions. How will he ever become the kind of hero he admires?
Featuring stunning illustrations that celebrate the diversity of the Little Free Library movement, here is the story of how its founder, Todd Bol, became a literacy superhero. Thanks to Todd and thousands of volunteers--many of whom are kids--millions of books have been enjoyed around the world.
This creative movement inspires a love of reading, strengthens communities, and provides meeting places where new friendships, ideas--and heroes!--spring to life. --Author's note, bibliograpy

Libraries are the keepers of the world's memory.

This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest, making the series attractive even to reluctant readers.

For 5,000 years and more, libraries have been gathering and preserving writings of all kinds. They're storehouses of knowledge, and imagination, and fun. Learn about how these places and their collections of written words allow us to check our facts, find important information, share stories, beliefs and ideas, build communities, make things, and learn valuable life skills.

A festive account of one family’s Chinese New Year celebration. A little girl describes the preparations—everything from cleaning and shopping to food preparation and gifts—leading up to a magical Lunar New Year. In one dreamy sequence, the girl imagines herself in Ancient China, riding on a dragon, and watching the celebration unfold.

Sugar and her Grandma are going to the Chinese New Year's Day parade, but Grandma is skeptical about New Year's in February and scary dragons.

Sugar and her Grandma are going to the Chinese New Year's Day parade, but Grandma is skeptical about New Year's in February and scary dragons. Sugar has learned all about what to expect from her teacher Miss Peng, though, and is more than ready to try dragon beard's candy and watch her daddy dance in the New Year's dragon.

Finally, after all the other floats drive by, the huge red and gold dragon pokes his head around the corner and dances down the street. Sugar tries to remember which shoes are her daddy's, and realizes the dragon isn't dancing so well...

Sugar's quick thinking saves the day and the dragon's dance, and everyone in the community is ready to celebrate the new lunar year. As the dragon dancers emerge from beneath the dragon, Sugar recognizes her neighbors, including shopkeeper Mr. Chu, barber Mr. Johnson, teacher Mr. Gonzalez, and her own African-American daddy.

Kay Haugaard's exuberant storytelling and Carolyn Reed Barritt's equally colorful and lively paintings perfectly embody truly multicultural celebration of our American melting pot.

It's the Chinese year of the dog! When Pacy's mom tells her that this is a good year for friends, family, and "finding herself," Pacy begins searching right away. As the year goes on, she struggles to find her talent, deals with disappointment, makes a new best friend, and discovers just why the year of the dog is a lucky one for her after all.

Patty is a peppy piglet whose journey celebrates the new year. 2019 is the Year of the Pig!

The piglet Patricia explores the farm with her parents and Farmer Wu. Growing up is a learning process, as Patty gets advice from her uncles, aunts, and cousins. But being a sensible pig takes practice, as Patty realizes when Farmer Wu loses his jade ring! Can Patty demonstrate her best qualities when others think they aren’t?

Befriending people and the other zodiac animals, can Patty show she’s got good sense? Illustrating expressive characters and vibrant action, artist Jeremiah Alcorn creates an inviting new world for readers to explore. Tales from the Chinese Zodiac is a popular annual children’s book series showcasing the twelve charming animals that embody the Chinese New Year.

In this sequel to Year of the Dog, Pacy has another big year in store for her. The Year of the Dog was a very lucky year: she met her best friend Melody and discovered her true talents. However, the Year of the Rat brings big changes: Pacy must deal with Melody moving to California, find the courage to forge on with her dream of becoming a writer and illustrator, and learn to face some of her own flaws. Pacy encounters prejudice, struggles with acceptance, and must find the beauty in change.

Based on the author's childhood adventures, Year of the Rat, features the whimsical black and white illustrations and the hilarious and touching anecdotes that helped Year of the Dog earn rave reviews and satisfied readers.

The first Christmas since Julie's parents' divorce is difficult for the whole family, but Julie finds comfort sharing the Chinese New Year traditions of her best friend, Ivy Ling, and thinking about new beginnings.

This exuberant story follows a Chinese American family as they prepare for the Lunar New Year. Each member of the family lends a hand as they sweep out the dust of the old year, hang decorations, and make dumplings. Then it’s time to put on new clothes and celebrate with family and friends. There will be fireworks and lion dancers, shining lanterns, and a great, long dragon parade to help bring in the Lunar New Year. And the dragon parade in our book is extra long–on a surprise fold-out page at the end of the story. Grace Lin’s artwork is a bright and gloriously patterned celebration in itself! And her story is tailor-made for reading aloud.

A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2011!

Maomao's dad works many miles away, but he is coming home for New Year!

Little Maomao's father works in faraway places and comes home just once a year, for Chinese New Year. At first Maomao barely recognizes him, but before long the family is happily making sticky rice balls, listening to firecrackers, and watching the dragon dance in the streets below. Papa gets a haircut, makes repairs to the house, and hides a lucky coin for Maomao to find. Which she does! But all too soon it is time for Papa to go away again. This poignant, vibrantly illustrated tale, which won the prestigious Feng Zikai Chinese Children's Picture Book Award in 2009, is sure to resonate with every child who misses relatives when they are away--and shows how a family's love is strong enough to endure over time and distance.

Z was just the beginning! With A to Z Mysteries® Super Editions, chapter book readers keep on collecting clues and solving mysteries with Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. Now with over 8 million copies in print, this classic kid-favorite series is back with a bright new look!
 
Fireworks and dragons and . . . a missing girl? Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are in San Francisco, home of the biggest Chinatown outside Asia. They plan to watch the famous Chinese New Year parade and see Miss Chinatown ride by in a giant float. But during the parade, Miss Chinatown disappears, and so does her crown! Can the kids crack the case?
 
Look for hidden messages inside A to Z Mysteries® Super Editions!

A Chinese-American boy gains a new understanding of his Chinese grandfather in this celebratory story of family, martial arts, and the Chinese New Year.

Vinson is very excited when his grandfather comes from China for a visit. When Grandpa practices tai chi in the garden, Vinson asks to learn, hoping it will be like kung fu, full of kicks and punches. But tai chi's meditative postures are slow and still, and Vinson quickly gets bored. He can't understand why Grandpa insists on calling him by his Chinese name, Ming Da, or why he has to wear a traditional Chinese jacket to the Chinese New Year parade. As the parade assembles, however, he notices the great respect given to his grandfather and the lion dancers under his training. And when Vinson is offered a role in the parade, he realizes that being part Chinese can be pretty cool--and is ready to start learning from his grandpa's martial-arts mastery in earnest.

A surprise for Chinese New Year. A gift has come for Amy, all the way from China. The package has arrived just in time for Chinese New Year, the most important holiday in the Chinese culture. It's a tradition to spend time with friends and family. Since Amy's aunt and uncles live in China and are unable to make a new-year visit, they have sent their niece a special gift that expresses their love and their wish to keep the family together.