List

Category
Audience

My Baba's Garden

Jordan Scott

The bond between a child and his grandmother grows as they tend her garden together.

A young boy spends his mornings with his beloved Baba, his grandmother. She doesn't speak much English, but they connect through gestures, gardening, eating, and walking to school together. Marked by memories of wartime scarcity, Baba cherishes food, and the boy learns to do the same. Eventually, Baba needs to move in with the boy and his parents, and he has the chance to care for her as she’s always cared for him.

Inspired by memories from poet Jordan Scott’s childhood, with beautiful, dreamlike illustrations by award-winning illustrator Sydney Smith, My Baba’s Garden is a deeply personal story that evokes universal emotions. Like Scott and Smith’s previous collaboration I Talk Like a River, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, My Baba’s Garden lends wistful appreciation to cherished time with family.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

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Killer Style

Alison Matthews David

The clothes we wear every day keep us comfortable, protect us from the elements, and express our unique style--but could fashion also be fatal? As it turns out, history is full of fashions that have harmed or even killed people. From silhouette-cinching corsets and combustible combs to lethal hair dyes and flammable flannel, this nonfiction book looks back at the times people have suffered pain, injury, and worse, all in the name of style. Historical examples like the tragic "Radium Girl" watchmakers and mercury-poisoned "Mad Hatters," along with more recent factory accidents, raise discussion of unsafe workplaces--where those who make the clothes are often fashion's first victims.

Co-authored by a scholar in the history of textiles and dress with the founder of WORN Fashion Journal, this book is equal parts fab and frightening: a stylishly illustrated mash-up of STEAM content, historical anecdotes, and chilling stories. Nonfiction features including sidebars, sources, an index, and a list of further reading will support critical literacy skills and digging deeper with research on this topic.

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Big Tune

Alliah L. Agostini

An exuberant picture book written by Alliah L. Agostini and illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice is about a Black boy with big dancing dreams who learns the meaning of courage and community.

It’s the weekend, first in June; speaker’s blasting out big tune!
Cousins, aunties, uncles, friends pack the house, and fun begins.

Shane is shy but loves to dance—and all year long, he’s picked up cans
to earn some money toward his goal: high-tops with a pump-up sole.

But then the speaker blows—it’s done! Will this stop his family’s fun?
Can Shane come through to save the day and bring back Big Tune Saturday?


Set within a vibrant Caribbean American neighborhood and told to a rhythmic beat, Big Tune is a story of Black boy joy that touches on determination, confidence to express who you are, selflessness, and community gratitude.

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This Book Is My Best Friend

Robin Robinson

When two young readers reach for the same book at the library, they set off on a charming romp through the stacks in this rambunctious and endearing picture book.

Sunny and Aarush both love to read. In fact, it is their favorite thing. For Aarush, a book is like a refuge for when you want to be alone. For Sunny, a book is like a companion that keeps you from being lonely. There is only one problem: they are best friends with the same book, and neither wants to share.

Clearly, one of them will have to find something else to read—but maybe they’ll discover something even better along the way. Could it be sharing is the best part of reading and friendship?

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Be a Good Ancestor

Leona Prince

Rooted in Indigenous teachings, this stunning picture book encourages readers of all ages to consider the ways in which they live in connection to the world around them and to think deeply about their behaviors.

Addressing environmental issues, animal welfare, self-esteem and self-respect, and the importance of community, the authors deliver a poignant and universal message in an accessible way: Be a good ancestor to the world around you. Thought-provoking stanzas offer a call to action for each one of us to consider how we affect future generations. Every decision we make ripples out, and we can affect the world around us by thinking deeply about those decisions.

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One Chicken Nugget

Tadgh Bentley

Inspired by the classic folktale "One Grain of Rice," One Chicken Nugget is a monstrously funny new picture book--with a mathematical twist!--from the author-illustrator of Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups.

Everybody knows monsters love chicken nuggets, but Frank loved them more than most.

This is a problem if you happen to sell chicken nuggets, and Celeste sells the finest nuggets around. But Frank scares her other customers away, so she's forced to cook up an eating contest of monstrous proportions to get rid of him. If Frank wins, Celeste will make him free chicken nuggets for life. But if he loses, he must leave and never return.

It starts with Frank eating a single chicken nugget.

Then two. Then double that, then double it again . . .

Just how quickly does this doubling add up?

And how many chicken nuggets can Frank really eat?

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Me Gusta

Angela Dominguez

A stunning bilingual picture book that celebrates Latinx families by highlighting moments of connection and delight and feelings of safety and home, even through challenges and difficult times.

Me gusta your smile, tu sonrisa,
and your hugs, tus abrazos.

Me gusta when we explore this spectacular world, el mundo,
and gaze at all the stars, las estrellas.


But most of all, me gusta that no matter where we are, I feel at home, en casa, when I’m with you.

In the affirmative and encouraging Me Gusta, acclaimed author and illustrator Angela Dominguez combines Spanish and English in a poetic and touching story of family, reminding us that through the adventures and the heartbreak, love conquers all and transcends language.

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Some of These Are Snails

Carter Higgins

Press Here meets Eric Carle in a concept book that makes familiar ideas exciting and surprising.





From the creative mind behind Circle Under Berry comes this deceptively simple concept book that explores sorting, classification, and patterns as it teases the brain in unusual ways. With an elegant and simple approach, this thought-provoking book shows young readers that even the most familiar things can be seen from infinite perspectives. As with the best classic children''s books, you read it once, read it ten times--and see something new every time.



MULTIPLE WAYS TO READ: The author has provided creative and helpful suggestions for different ways in which to read this book for varying reading levels and age ranges, making it truly versatile.



PACKED LEARNING VALUE: The unusual approach to colors, shapes, and animals intelligently introduces young readers to patterns, classification, and problem solving. The imaginative language, rich with rhythmic phrasing and playfulness, begs to be read aloud.



WIDE APPEAL FOR SCHOOL AND LIBRARY USE: Carter Higgins presents engaging learning with a variety of concepts. With its clear read-aloud qualities, this is ideal for teachers and librarians who organize reading events in their classrooms and communities.



UNIQUE DESIGN: The art style for this book, with playful nods to Eric Carle and Hervé Tullet, stands out from the pack in ways that will resonate with children as well as adults. It sits beautifully on any shelf--

from classroom to home libraries.



TALENTED AUTHOR: Carter Higgins has many successful titles across multiple age groups, including Circle Under Berry, Everything You Need for a Treehouse, This is Not a Valentine, Bikes for Sale, Big and Small and In-Between, and Audrey L and Audrey W.



Circle Under Berry

[star]​ "[V]isually striking . . . positively begging to be read aloud." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

[star]​ "[D]rawing readers'' attention while achieving real grace . . ." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"[S]parkling and ingenious . . . positively tingles." --The Wall Street Journal

"A triumph of design and a beacon of possibility." --The Horn Book Magazine

"[A] striking exploration of shapes, colors, and patterns . . ." --Booklist Reviews



Everything You Need for a Treehouse

"Get ready for your imagination to explode!" --NPR Best Books of the Year

"[A] feast for the imagination." --Book Page

"This book urges adventure and creativity." --School Library Journal



This is Not a Valentine

"An enduring message of friendship." --School Library Journal

"A perfect book for kids who find the whole Valentine''s Day holiday icky and overrated." --Book Riot

"Recognizes that you can don''t need sugary hearts and mushy sentiment to show you care." --Newsday

"Heartwarmingly funny." --Entertainment Weekly



Bikes for Sale

"Celebrates the ways in which serendipity can lead to friendship and sharing." --Booklist

"A sweet, quiet, different take on new-friendship." ---Kirkus Reviews



Big and Small and In-Between

[star]​ "[V]isually stunning and emotionally rich . . ." --School Library Journal, starred review

"[A] profoundly moving, charmingly crafted picture book." --The New York Times

"[A]n abstract journey with many turns and surprises." --Publishers Weekly



Audrey L and Audrey W

"Funny and engaging." --Kirkus Reviews

"This sweet series-starter holds plenty of promise." --Booklist

"[S]ensitive and gently humorous." --Shelf Awareness

"A great addition to libraries where memorable girls like Ivy + Bean and Judy Moody are popular." --School Library Journal

"[Readers] will find their sweet spot with this easy reader." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books



Perfect for:

  • Parents and grandparents seeking engaging, interactive books for kids
  • Teachers, librarians, educators, and caregivers of children ranging from toddlers to emerging readers
  • Classroom gift book for preschool, kindergarten, art teachers
  • Baby shower, birthday, and holiday gift giving
  • Fans of Carter Higgins, Eric Carle, and Laura Vaccaro Seeger
  • Fans of fun educational books
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Cicada Symphony

Sue Fliess

"Fliess informs while maintaining a light, adoring tone that reveals cicadas' remarkableness."--Publishers Weekly starred review

Eeee-ooo! Eeee-ooo! Cicadas drone on, clicking and buzzing from dusk till dawn.



There are about three thousand different kinds of cicadas on earth. Some species emerge from the ground every year, while others only come up every thirteen or seventeen years. But no matter how much time passes before they dig their way to the surface, the result is the same: up to trillions of clumsy (but harmless!) insects flying, clicking, and buzzing all around us. Using a combination of rhythmic, rhyming verse and fun facts, this story describes the life cycle of the cicada and helps readers better understand this fascinating insect.

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Science, Matter and the Baseball Park

Catherine Ciocchi

There is much to see at the ballpark, and it all matters because it's all matter.

In this fast-paced rhyming story, baseball and science fans alike will be delighted to see all the solids, liquids and gases that make game day extra special. As the camera zooms in on instant replay, things slow down long enough to see all those atoms in motion. The scoreboard, a slushie, and even the air - wherever you look, it's matter in there.

With cleverly constructed, action-oriented illustrations that make learning about science simple and fun, this book knocks matter out of the ballpark and is sure to score a homerun with enthusiastic young readers.

 

 

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Grandpa's Scroll

Ginger Park

A scroll that a grandfather plans to finish painting with his granddaughter shows how love can overcome differences and distances.



Lily lives in Washington, DC. Her grandpa lives in Korea. They've never met but are good pen pals. Just when he is about to visit Lily in the U.S., Grandpa dies. Lily and her mom fly to Korea, where they uncover the rice paper scroll Grandpa had hoped to finish painting with Lily. To honor his wish, Lily writes a poem about her grandfather that sits just below his poem about her, so that in the end, they have finished it together.

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Latkes and Applesauce

Fran Manushkin

A cat and dog create a Hanukkah miracle, just in the nick of time in this updated reissue of the beloved holiday classic.

The Menashes love latkes and applesauce during Hanukkah. But a blizzard begins and erases any hope that they’ll harvest potatoes and apples in time. When a stray cat and dog show up, there’s not a lot of food to offer them, but kindness prevails, and they’re invited in. It turns out that the dog—Latke—and the cat—Applesauce—save the day.

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The Next New Syrian Girl

Ream Shukairy

Furia meets I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter about the unlikely friendship between two very different Syrian girls, the pressures and expectations of the perfect Syrian daughter, and the repercussions of the Syrian Revolution both at home and abroad.



Khadija Shami
is a Syrian American high school senior raised on boxing and football. Saddled with a monstrous ego and a fierce mother to test it, she dreams of escaping her sheltered life to travel the world with her best friend.



Leene Tahir is a Syrian refugee, doing her best to adjust to the wildly unfamiliar society of a suburban Detroit high school while battling panic attacks and family pressures.



When their worlds collide the result is catastrophic. To Khadija, Leene embodies the tame, dutiful Syrian ideal she's long rebelled against. And to Leene, Khadija is the strong-willed, closed-off American who makes her doubt her place in the world.



But as Khadija digs up Leene's past, a startling and life-changing discovery forces the two of them closer together. As the girls secretly race to unravel the truth, a friendship slowly and hesitantly begins blooming. Doubts are cast aside as they realize they have more in common than they each expected. What they find takes them on a journey all the way to Jordan, challenging what each knows about the other and herself.



Fans of Samira Ahmed's Love, Hate, and Other Filters and Tahereh Mafi's A Very Large Expanse Of Sea will love Khadija and Leene's sharp-witted voices in this dual POV narrative. The Next New Syrian Girl is a poignant and timely blend of guilt, nostalgia, devotion, and bad-ass hijabees.
 

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: The Junior Novelization

Random House

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles come to the big screen in a major summer 2023 theatrical event!

Producer Seth Rogen and his partners at Point Grey Pictures take Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello back to their DNA in this animated boys-to-men origin story. Boys and girls ages 7 to 11 will thrill to this junior novel featuring eight pages of exciting full-color images.

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Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal / Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

J.K. Rowling

 

Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal es el primer volumen de la ya clásica serie de novelas fantásticas de la autora británica J.K. Rowling.
«Con las manos temblorosas, Harry le dio la vuelta al sobre y vio un sello de lacre púrpura con un escudo de armas: un león, un águila, un tejón y una serpiente, que rodeaban una gran letra H.»

Harry Potter nunca ha oído hablar de Hogwarts hasta que empiezan a caer cartas en el felpudo del número 4 de Privet Drive. Llevan la dirección escrita con tinta verde en un sobre de pergamino amarillento con un sello de lacre púrpura, y sus horripilantes tíos se apresuran a confiscarlas. Más tarde, el día que Harry cumple once años, Rubeus Hagrid, un hombre gigantesco cuyos ojos brillan como escarabajos negros, irrumpe con una noticia extraordinaria: Harry Potter es un mago, y le han concedido una plaza en el Colegio Hogwarts de Magia y Hechicería. ¡Está a punto de comenzar una aventura increíble!

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the first volume of British author J.K. Rowling’s now classic series of fantasy novels.
 
"With trembling hands, Harry turned over the envelope and saw a purple wax seal with a coat of arms: a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake, all surrounding a large letter H."
 
Harry Potter has never heard of Hogwarts before, until letters start falling at the doorstep of 4 Privet Drive. The address is written in green ink on a yellowed parchment envelope with a purple wax seal stamped on it, and his repugnant aunt and uncle rush to remove and hide them.  Later, on Harry's eleventh birthday, Rubeus Hagrid, a gigantic man whose eyes sparkle like black beetles, shows up with extraordinary news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has been awarded a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

 

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Scales & Scoundrels Book 1

Sebastian Girner

TKO Studios presents "Scales & Scoundrels: Where Dragons Wander" (Book 1 of 2) by Sebastian Girner

This gorgeous, multicultural fantasy adventure follows treasure hunter, Luvander, as she searches for gold and glory. As she dives into an epic journey along with a young prince, his stern bodyguard, and a plucky young dwarf, our heroes will discover a secret that will bring light to a world encroached upon by an ancient darkness.

This is the story of a girl who liked to wander...

It's hard to make an honest living in a land brimming with magic and mystery, and treasure hunter Luvander is tired of being a penniless adventurer. Ever in search of gold and glory, she sets off for a fabled dungeon "the Dragon's Maw", an ancient labyrinth, at the bottom of which slumber endless wealth...or certain doom!

A loner by trade, Luvander is forced to team up with a team of scraggly adventurers, each hoping to find a treasure of their own in the forbidden tomb. There is Prince Aki, of the Scarlet Sands Empire, anxious for first taste of adventure yet blind to the consequences. His royal Shadow and bodyguard, Koro, whose very honor hangs in the balance of her prince's success. And Dorma Iron, a stocky young dwarf whose journey will take her deeper into the darkness than she ever wished to tread.

For these scruffy heroes, what starts out as a road to riches becomes the first step on an epic journey to destiny, for Luvander holds a secret in her heart that will shatter the chains of fate, and bring light to a world encroached upon by an ancient darkness.

Scales & Scoundrels: Where Dragons Wander includes all previously collected issues in this Definitive Edition, plus 250+ pages of new material.

The Festival of Life - Book 2 continues the adventure as Luvander sets off to find a way to break the chains of her cursed fate. Undeterred by danger, she travels to the frozen northern wastes of the Spine of Winter, to a reclusive monastery whose monks guard a secret entrance to the Dragon Dream, the shared plane of consciousness of all Urden, living or long passed. What she finds there will set her on a journey beyond where any mortals, and few dragons have tread, to uncover an ancient secret from the darkest corners of history. Continuing the epic journey of the cursed dragon princess and her fellow scoundrels in a world bent on undoing itself.

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Flowers Are Pretty ... Weird!

Rosemary Mosco

Warning -- this book contains top-secret information about flowers! Prepare to be shocked and weirded out by this hilarious and totally true picture book introduction to some of nature's strangest plants.

Flowers are beautiful. They have bright colors, soft petals and sweet nectar. Yum! But that's not the whole truth. Flowers can be WEIRD . . . and one bee is here to let everyone know! Talking directly to the reader, a bee reveals how flowers are so much stranger than what we think. Did you know that there are some flowers that only bloom in the nighttime? Some flowers are spooky, and look like ghosts, or bats, or a monster's mouth. And while most flowers smell good, there are some that smell like dead meat, or even horse poop!

This hilarious and refreshing book with silly and sweet illustrations explores the science of flowers and shows that these plants are not always stereotypically pretty and harmless as we often think they are -- they are fascinating, disgusting, complicated and amazing.

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Too Early

Nora Ericson

A gentle, cozy story following a family's bleary-eyed wake-up routine, a little one who's eager to start the day, and the quiet magic of early mornings

I wake up very early.
Good morning, Sun, on your way at last. You don't wake up nearly as early as I do.

Now the wind is waking.
Tickle tickle on my cheeks,
rustle rustle through the leaves.

Birds untuck and start to coo,
Whooo whooo, you wake up too early, yes you doooo . . .

In sweet, melodic verse written from the perspective of the earliest riser, Too Early follows a family's morning routine, exploring both the groggy haze and the everyday magic inherent in the predawn hours of a loving household.

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Pancakes to Parathas

Alice B. McGinty

A Northern Lights Book Award Winner!

Sakura Medal 2021 Nominee!

Breakfast varies from country to country, but it's how all children begin their day. Explore the meals of twelve countries in this playful approach to the world!

From Australia to India to the USA, come travel around the world at dawn. Children everywhere are waking up to breakfast. In Japan, students eat soured soybeans called natto. In Brazil, even kids drink coffee--with lots of milk! With rhythm and rhymes and bold, graphic art, Pancakes to Parathas invites young readers to explore the world through the most important meal of the day.

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Symphony for a Broken Orchestra: How Philadelphia Collected Sounds to Save Music

Amy Ignatow

What happens when musical instruments can’t make the sounds we expect them to make? Is music still possible? An uplifting picture book based on a true story.

The schools of Philadelphia were filling up with broken violins, drums, pianos, and more, making it difficult for students to learn to play. This sparked an idea for a symphony, played entirely with the broken instruments, that would raise funds to repair the instruments themselves. Musicians young and old volunteered, and their captivating performance showed that even something broken can sing—and that great music is always possible with a bit of inventiveness and improvisation. Based on real events, this inspiring story introduces young readers to a range of instruments as it celebrates a community coming together to make a joyful, meaningful noise. More information about the nonprofit organization Broken Orchestra can be found in the back matter, including a link to an audio recording of the symphony performance.

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This Is a Story

John Schu

Children’s literacy advocate John Schu and Caldecott Honor recipient Lauren Castillo celebrate the power of finding the perfect book—in a story that’s more relevant than ever.

This is a word on a page.
This is a page in a book.
This is a book on a shelf . . . waiting.

With a sea-horse kite in hand, a child heads out with Dad to the library. On the way they stop at a park, joining lots of people, some of whom are flying kites, too. At the library, a person toting a big pile of books hands over a story on a favorite subject: the sea horse. All around, there are readers poring over books, each with their own questions, ideas to explore, hopes for the future, and imaginations ready to spark. With a warm, lyrical text and tenderly expressive illustrations, John Schu and Lauren Castillo invite us to imagine the myriad ways that books can foster connection and understanding—and how they can empower children, through their own passions, to transform the world.

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Bea Wolf

Zach Weinersmith

A modern middle-grade graphic novel retelling of Beowulf, featuring a gang of troublemaking kids who must defend their tree house from a fun-hating adult who can instantly turn children into grown-ups.

Listen! Hear a tale of mallow-munchers and warriors who answer candy’s clarion call!

Somewhere in a generic suburb stands Treeheart, a kid-forged sanctuary where generations of tireless tykes have spent their youths making merry, spilling soda, and staving off the shadow of adulthood. One day, these brave warriors find their fun cut short by their nefarious neighbor Grindle, who can no longer tolerate the sounds of mirth seeping into his joyless adult life.

As the guardian of gloom lays siege to Treeheart, scores of kids suddenly find themselves transformed into pimply teenagers and sullen adults! The survivors of the onslaught cry out for a savior—a warrior whose will is unbreakable and whose appetite for mischief is unbounded.

They call for Bea Wolf.

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Banned Book

Jonah Winter

"The words were dangerous." For as long as people have been expressing their opinions in writing, there have been those in positions of power who have succeeded in censoring those thoughts. In this timely and provocative parable, a book is first subjected to redaction, then removal from a library. What becomes of a banned book? Is it really just landfill fodder in the end? Readers must decide for themselves.

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The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry

Chad Morris

Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry lives in a cabin with her family deep in the wild woods. Living off the grid is usually exciting, like the time she chased off three growling raccoons with a tree branch and some acorns, or when she thought she glimpsed the legendary Bigfoot. But her happy life in the wild ends abruptly when her younger brother gets sick, and the family moves to the city to be closer to the hospital.



Juniper and her older sister are sent to live with cousins they hardly know and attend a public school for the first time, which is harder to navigate than the wild woods ever were. Juniper feels like a wolf cub separated from her pack.



When Juniper notices that her cousin, Alayna, is being bullied by so-called friends, she's ready to fight back like the wild geese do when protecting their goslings, but her cousin tells her to stay out of it; she doesn't want Juniper making things worse.



As the hospital bills for her brother start piling up, Juniper knows they'll need to be paid before the family can go back to the woods, so she decides to make enough money to help out. With Alayna's support, Juniper starts posting videos filled with her wisdom from the woods, hoping to get a following. But what if it doesn't work? What if the bills never get paid? Not going home to the wild is Juniper's worst nightmare. But while she's stuck in the city, she might as well make the most of it, like sticking up for her cousin, for starters.



The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry is a story about perseverance when faced with difficult and unfamiliar challenges, belonging and finding your identity, compassion for others, and learning that our differences can sometimes be our strengths.
 

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My Pet Human

Yasmine Surovec

From queen cat lady Yasmine Surovec, this is a cuddly chapter book series about a cat in need of a pet human.

Oliver is an independent kitty. He has the run of his neighborhood and looks at his animal friends with their fussing humans with pity. But when a freckle-faced girl moves to town, Oliver sees the opportunity to train a human to provide him with a few creature comforts. And if he can help her adjust to her life and make a new friend, that's just all in a day's work. The real surprise comes, however, when Oliver needs Freckles just as much as she needs him. Not a comic book and not a traditional illustrated chapter book, My Pet Human is truly a hybrid of text and art that could only come from the whimsical and brilliant mind of Yasmine Surovec.

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Greystone Secrets: The Strangers

Margaret Peterson Haddix

New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix takes readers on a thrilling adventure filled with mysteries and plot twists aplenty in this absorbing series about family and friendships. Perfect for fans of A Wrinkle in Time and The City of Ember!

 

What makes you you?

The Greystone kids thought they knew. Chess has always been the protector over his younger siblings, Emma loves math, and Finn does what Finn does best--acting silly and being adored. They've been a happy family, just the three of them and their mom.

But everything changes when reports of three kidnapped children reach the Greystone kids, and they're shocked by the startling similarities between themselves and these complete strangers. The other kids share their same first and middle names. They're the same ages. They even have identical birthdays. Who, exactly, are these strangers?

Before Chess, Emma, and Finn can question their mom about it, she takes off on a sudden work trip and leaves them in the care of Ms. Morales and her daughter, Natalie. But puzzling clues left behind lead to complex codes, hidden rooms, and a dangerous secret that will turn their world upside down.

Praise for The Strangers:

"A secret-stacked, thrilling series opener about perception, personal memories, and the idiosyncrasies that form individual identities." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

* Winter 2018-2019 Kids' Indie Next List Pick * Indie Bestseller * Time for Kids Book Club: Top 10 Summer Reads *

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The Watermelon Seed

Greg Pizzoli

With perfect comic pacing, Greg Pizzoli introduces us to one funny crocodile who has one big fear: swallowing a watermelon seed. What will he do when his greatest fear is realized? Will vines sprout out his ears? Will his skin turn pink? This crocodile has a wild imagination that kids will love.

With bold color and beautiful sense of design, Greg Pizzoli's picture book debut takes this familiar childhood worry and gives us a true gem in the vein of I Want My Hat Back and Not a Box.

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Seraphina

Rachel Hartman

Lyrical, imaginative, and wholly original, this New York Times bestseller with 8 starred reviews is not to be missed. Rachel Hartman's award-winning debut will have you looking at dragons as you've never imagined them before…

In the kingdom of Goredd, dragons and humans live and work side by side – while below the surface, tensions and hostility simmer.

The newest member of the royal court, a uniquely gifted musician named Seraphina, holds a deep secret of her own. One that she guards with all of her being.

When a member of the royal family is brutally murdered, Seraphina is drawn into the investigation alongside the dangerously perceptive—and dashing—Prince Lucien. But as the two uncover a sinister plot to destroy the wavering peace of the kingdom, Seraphina's struggle to protect her secret becomes increasingly difficult… while its discovery could mean her very life.

"Will appeal to both fans of Christopher Paolini's Eragon series and Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown." —Entertainment Weekly

“[A] lush, intricately plotted fantasy.” —The Washington Post

"Beautifully written. Some of the most interesting dragons I've read."
—Christopher Paolini, New York Times bestselling author of Eragon

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Whose Bottom is This?

Wayne Lynch

The fourth book in Wayne Lynch`s popular series. Whose Bottom Is This? Teaches children about wild animals using an appealing quiz format. Colour photographs feature familiar and exotic creatures from around the world, and children are challenged to guess the animal by looking at it from a rear view before turning the page to see the entire animal. Young readers will learn about hippos, rhinos, bighorn sheep, pin-tailed ducks, and more. From back to front, whether pudgy or prickly, children will have fun identifying who owns the bottoms of this book. About the series Whose? Animals : Author and photographer Wayne Lynch reveals the world of wild animals. Each creature is introduced by showing a photo highlighting one feature and some clues. Then the complete animal is pictured along with more facts.

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The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell

Chris Colfer

The first book in Chris Colfer's #1 New York Times bestselling series The Land of Stories about two siblings who fall into a fairy-tale world!
Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales.
The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.

But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.

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Otherwood

Pete Hautman

A 2019 Edgar Award Winner!

What happened in the woods that day? Pete Hautman’s riveting middle-grade novel touches on secrets and mysteries — and the power of connections with family and friends.


“Hatred combined with lies and secrets can break the world.” Grandpa Zach used to say that before he died, but Stuey never really knew what he meant. It was kind of like how he used to talk about quantum physics or how he used to say ghosts haunted their overgrown golf course. But then one day, after Stuey and his best friend, Elly Rose, spend countless afternoons in the deadfall in the middle of the woods, something totally unbelievable happens. As Stuey and Elly Rose struggle to come to grips with their lives after that reality-splitting moment, all the things Grandpa Zach used to say start to make a lot more sense. This is a book about memory and loss and the destructive nature of secrets, but also about the way friendship, truth, and perseverance have the ability to knit a torn-apart world back together.

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Antarctic Antics

Judy Sierra

From hatching and feeding to rearing and courting, the everyday adventures of emperor penguins come vividly to life in this unique collection of jovial verse. Young readers will identify with the challenges of childhood these feathered creatures face: waiting to be fed, searching for their mothers, or swimming for the first time.

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Beneath

Cori Doerrfeld

In this stunning story from New York Times bestselling creator Cori Doerrfeld, a child and their grandfather take a walk in the woods and discover more about themselves.

Finn is in a horrible mood and doesn't want to talk about it. After some persuading, though, they agree to go for a hike with Grandpa. Throughout their forest walk, they see many different things: big, strong trees with networks of roots growing underneath, still water with schools of fish swimming below, and an expectant bird with eggs nestled under her. It's when the pair pass fellow hikers that Finn realizes that people, just like the elements of nature, are more than they appear. Grandpa explains that sometimes beneath a person who seems like they won't understand what you're feeling, is someone feeling the exact same way.



This sweet and tender picture book celebrates our similarities, differences, and that there's always more under the surface of what we can see.




 

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The House That Drac Built

Judy Sierra

One by one, a cat, a bat, a werewolf, a monster, a mummy, a zombie, and other frightful creatures emerge in a dark house where they chase, wrestle, and roar--until the doorbell rings and in walks a group of fearless trick-or-treaters that knows exactly what to do! Full color.

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Who Will Win?

Arihhonni David

Bear has fast legs. Turtle has a fast mind. Who will win the race? A fun Native American tale that kindergarteners and first graders can read on their own.

Ready, set, go!
Bear will go over the ice.
Turtle will go under the ice.
Bear runs fast.
But where is Turtle?

When a quick-footed bear and a quick-witted turtle race across a frozen lake, Turtle has a secret plan to win! Written and illustrated by Mohawk author-illustrator Arihhonni David, this easy reader based on a Native American tale combines exciting storytelling and easy-to-read language.

This book has been officially leveled by using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level GradientTM leveling system.

The award-winning I Like to Read® series focuses on guided reading levels A through G, based upon Fountas and Pinnell standards. Acclaimed author-illustrators--including winners of Caldecott, Theodor Seuss Geisel, and Coretta Scott King honors--create original, high-quality illustrations that support comprehension of simple text and are fun for kids to read again and again with their parents, teachers or on their own!

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

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Skip to My Moo

Iza Trapani

Moo-ve and groove to this fanciful picture book retelling of "Skip to My Lou" as the farm animals put on their dancing shoes for a hoedown, by bestselling author Iza Trapani.

Skip, skip, skip to my moo, skip to my moo my darlings! Moo-ve and groove with your favorite farm animals as cow begins a raucous hoedown in the barnyard. Follow the animals as they do-si-do, two-step, sashay, and line dance their way to the best barn party you ever saw.

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I Am a Baby

Bob Shea

From the creator of the mega-popular Dinosaur vs. series comes a hilariously deadpan look at new parenthood—from a baby’s point of view.

I am not sleepy.
I am not sleepy because I am a baby.
Mommy is sleepy.
Mommy is sleepy because I am a baby.

With humor and sympathy, Bob Shea looks at the chaos of life with a baby as amiably narrated by the new arrival. Repeating the mantra (and blithe explanation) “because I am a baby,” the tiny narrator leads us through scenes of exhaustion, grumpiness, squishy diapers, spilled milk, cowering kittens, and chubby overfed pups (oopsie!). Playing against the simple, matter-of-fact text are freewheeling illustrations of mess and mayhem, in which the grown-ups’ exaggerated body language is sure to send older children into fits of giggles. With its endearing, unabashedly self-pleased star, I Am a Baby will find a place at showers, in nurseries, on parents’ shelves, and in the hands of appreciative big siblings, as it celebrates the changes a little one brings, at once challenging and full of love.

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Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City

Kirsten Miller

There's a secret part of New York City that no one knows about. It's protected by a mysterious group of girls known as the Irregulars, led by the alluring Kiki Strike.

Inside the Shadow City introduces us to Ananka Fishbein, a regular girl whose life becomes anything but after venturing underground to join Kiki Strike and her friends, the Irregulars.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Eternal Ones comes this brand-new package for her first two Kiki Strike novels in anticipation of the third-The Darkness Dwellers, hitting shelves in Winter 2013!

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Dude!

Aaron Reynolds

Aaron Reynolds, the author of Nerdy Berdy and Creepy Carrots! teams up with Dan Santat, the Caldecott–winning illustrator behind The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend to create the hilarious, gnarly summer adventure picture book, Dude!

Dude! You have to read this book.

It's totally about this platypus and this beaver who are friends. They want to go surfing but dude, there's this shark who's in the ocean, too.

But don't worry. This shark approaches and you'll never guess what happens.

Kirkus Reviews named this one of their "BEST PICTURE BOOKS OF 2018" for a good laugh!

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Paradise Sands

Levi Pinfold

A captivating tale of eerie places and mystical bargains, sumptuously illustrated by Kate Greenaway Medalist Levi Pinfold

Washed clean in his pool, we fall under his rule . . .
Away from what is, we all are now his.

When a young girl and her older brothers step into the ghostly Paradise Sands hotel, they fall under the rule of the mysterious Teller. The girl makes a deal with the commanding creature to free them all from his haunting paradise—and let them return to their mother, white roses in hand. But can the girl, determined as she is, hold up her side of the bargain? A contemporary story with the feel of a classic fairy tale, Levi Pinfold’s Paradise Sands is lush with enchanting illustrations, rendered in a muted palette with the artist’s distinctive stylistic realism.

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Ban This Book

Alan Gratz

You’re Never Too Young to Fight Censorship!

In Ban This Book by Alan Gratz, a fourth grader fights back when From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg is challenged by a well-meaning parent and taken off the shelves of her school library. Amy Anne is shy and soft-spoken, but don’t mess with her when it comes to her favorite book in the whole world. Amy Anne and her lieutenants wage a battle for the books that will make you laugh and pump your fists as they start a secret banned books locker library, make up ridiculous reasons to ban every single book in the library to make a point, and take a stand against censorship.

Ban This Book is a stirring defense against censorship that’s perfect for middle grade readers. Let kids know that they can make a difference in their schools, communities, and lives!

“Readers, librarians, and all those books that have drawn a challenge have a brand new hero.... Stand up and cheer, book lovers. This one’s for you." —Kathi Appelt, author of the Newbery Honor-winning The Underneath

Ban This Book is absolutely brilliant and belongs on the shelves of every library in the multiverse.”—Lauren Myracle, author of the bestselling Internet Girls series, the most challenged books of 2009 and 2011

“Quick paced and with clear, easy-to-read prose, this is a book poised for wide readership and classroom use.”—Booklist

"A stout defense of the right to read." —Kirkus Reviews

“Gratz delivers a book lover’s book that speaks volumes about kids’ power to effect change at a grassroots level." —Publishers Weekly

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Roller Girl

Victoria Jamieson

 

The Newbery Honor Award Winner and New York Times bestseller Roller Girl is a heartwarming graphic novel about friendship and surviving junior high through the power of roller derby—perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier's Smile
For most of her twelve years, Astrid has done everything with her best friend Nicole. But after Astrid falls in love with roller derby and signs up for derby camp, Nicole decides to go to dance camp instead. And so begins the most difficult summer of Astrid's life as she struggles to keep up with the older girls at camp, hang on to the friend she feels slipping away, and cautiously embark on a new friendship. As the end of summer nears and her first roller derby bout (and junior high!) draws closer, Astrid realizes that maybe she is strong enough to handle the bout, a lost friendship, and middle school… in short, strong enough to be a roller girl.

In this graphic novel debut that earned a Newbery Honor and five starred reviews, real-life derby girl Victoria Jamieson has created an inspiring coming-of-age story about friendship, perseverance, and girl power!

 

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Warriors #1: Into the Wild

Erin Hunter

Epic adventures. Fierce warrior cats. A thrilling fantasy world. It all begins here.

Read the book that began a phenomenon—and join the legion of fans who have made Erin Hunter’s Warriors series a #1 national bestseller.

For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their ancestors. But the warrior code has been threatened, and the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger. The sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying—and some deaths are more mysterious than others.

In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary housecat named Rusty… who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.

 

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Starfish

Lisa Fipps

A Printz Honor winner!

Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant debut novel-in-verse.

Cover may vary.

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules—like "no making waves," "avoid eating in public," and "don't move so fast that your body jiggles." And she's found her safe space—her swimming pool—where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It's also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie's weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life--by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.

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Night in the City

Julie Downing

An ingenious account of the jobs people do all through the night, when kids are fast asleep.

In Night in the City, author and illustrator Julie Downing cleverly uses multiple panels to follow eight people throughout the course of their busy evening, from waking up just as most people are contemplating bedtime, through the following morning.

The jobs depicted are nurse, baker, taxi driver, fire fighter, on location film tech, janitor, museum security guard, and emergency dispatcher.

Together, their stories bring the beating heart of a city to life, making for a book sure to have kids pouring over meticulously designed pages, following the exploits of our lead characters over the course of a single ordinary evening.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

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The Little Guys

Vera Brosgol

An adorable cautionary tale from Caldecott Honoree Vera Brosgol

We are the Little Guys.
Yes, we are small. But there are a lot of us.
Together we are strong, and we can get all we need.

The Little Guys might be small, but they aim to be mighty.

As they head off to find breakfast, they can conquer anything through teamwork—cross deep waters, dig through obstacles, and climb the tallest trees. Nothing can stop them!

But as they begin to amass more than they need, the creatures in the forest ponder—what happens when no one can stop the Little Guys?

This slyly funny and rambunctious read-aloud explores how strength in numbers only works when the whole community unites together.

A School Library Journal Best Book of 2019
A 2019 Horn Book Fanfare Best of 2019 Book

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A Series of Unfortunate Events

Lemony Snicket

After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune.

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Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy

Jan Thomas

This playful picture book from Jan Thomas features a courageous cowboy who croons to his cows before bed—with just a few fearful interruptions.

Join the Brave Cowboy as he tries to sing his young calf pals to sleep on a dark, dark night—EEEEEEEK! IS THAT A HUGE HAIRY SPIDER OVER THERE? Oh, it’s just a flower? Well then, back to the lullaby.
No one does preschool humor with Jan Thomas’s wit, verve, and bold, snappy color. And her Brave Cowboy and his silly, interrupted lullaby are sure to get everybody singing—before they head off into cozy dreamland….

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Are You a Horse?

Andy Rash

For his birthday, Roy's friends give him a saddle and some very specific instructions:1. Find a horse. 2. Enjoy the ride!Roy has never met a horse, but he's game to try: A snake tells him to look for a creature withlegs. A crab has six legs, but he's too unfriendly to be a horse. A friendly chameleon smiles atRoy, but horses don't change colour....What's a horseless cowboy to do?This hilarious picture book perfectly demonstrates the process by which children (and scientists!)understand our world--and the silliness that will make them laugh out loud.

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Squire & Knight

Scott Chantler

A young squire tackles mysteries, monsters and magic, but the inept knight he serves takes the credit. Every time.

Squire is brainy, bookish, and terribly under-appreciated by the brawny, inept knight Sir Kelton, who somehow always gets all the glory. So when the two mismatched heroes find themselves in a cursed village plagued by a demonic dragon, Kelton rides off to slay it and Squire stays behind to catch up on some reading. But Squire starts to notice that something isn’t quite right about this town . . . Can he uncover its strange secrets?

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The Green Girls

Loïc Nicoloff

Emma, Lily, and Fadila want to save the planet . . . but no one around them seems to care.

Frustrated, they name themselves the Green Girls, take to social media, and launch a series of bold protests. Alongside their classmate and aspiring Green Girl Silas, the crew risks getting in trouble (and stirs some up) to raise awareness about container ship pollution, palm oil overproduction, and more environmental hazards. With a mix of livestreams, spray paint, and bungee cords, they're out to make a difference--and get their followers to do the same.

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My Brain Is Magic

Prasha Sooful

Is your brain magic? Whether your brain buzzes around the room like a bee or tells you to be loud and roar like a lion, celebrate the many things that it can be!

This sensory-seeking celebration shines a light on neurodiversity and sensory processing in a fun and action-packed way for all children to enjoy.

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Nubby

Dan Richards

A beloved but overworked toy strikes out on his own to find glory—only to find that the best rewards were at home all along in this sweet and funny picture book that is perfect for fans of Toy Story and Knuffle Bunny.

Nubby the stuffed rabbit is his owner’s favorite toy, but you wouldn’t know it from the way he’s treated. He’s been dropped, dragged, and even used as a nose wipe. He decides to strike out for a fresh start, and his adventure takes him across the realm—or at least around the cul-de-sac—in search of treasure, fame, and glory. But these rewards aren't as sweet as Nubby hoped they'd be. What's missing?
As Nubby travels through the neighborhood, his owner's family begins to search for him. Nubby's journey might not have taken him far, but it does teach him one thing: no amount of glory could replace the love of his owner.

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Doggie

Nancy Armo

A heartwarming book about expectations, surprises, and a cat named Doggie. For animal lovers ages 4 years and up.

A little boy wants a dog and is surprised when a cat comes to live at his house. Can this cat play fetch? NO! Can this cat do tricks? NO! Can this cat replace a dog? MAYBE.Maybe this cat is just what a little boy needs.

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Some of These Are Snails

Carter Higgins

Press Here meets Eric Carle in a concept book that makes familiar ideas exciting and surprising.

 

From the creative mind behind Circle Under Berry comes this deceptively simple concept book that explores sorting, classification, and patterns as it teases the brain in unusual ways. With an elegant and simple approach, this thought-provoking book shows young readers that even the most familiar things can be seen from infinite perspectives. As with the best classic children's books, you read it once, read it ten times--and see something new every time.

 

MULTIPLE WAYS TO READ: The author has provided creative and helpful suggestions for different ways in which to read this book for varying reading levels and age ranges, making it truly versatile.

PACKED LEARNING VALUE: The unusual approach to colors, shapes, and animals intelligently introduces young readers to patterns, classification, and problem solving. The imaginative language, rich with rhythmic phrasing and playfulness, begs to be read aloud.

WIDE APPEAL FOR SCHOOL AND LIBRARY USE: Carter Higgins presents engaging learning with a variety of concepts. With its clear read-aloud qualities, this is ideal for teachers and librarians who organize reading events in their classrooms and communities.

UNIQUE DESIGN: The art style for this book, with playful nods to Eric Carle and Hervé Tullet, stands out from the pack in ways that will resonate with children as well as adults. It sits beautifully on any shelf--
from classroom to home libraries.

TALENTED AUTHOR: Carter Higgins has many successful titles across multiple age groups, including Circle Under Berry, Everything You Need for a Treehouse, This is Not a Valentine, Bikes for Sale, Big and Small and In-Between, and Audrey L and Audrey W.

Circle Under Berry
[star]​ "[V]isually striking . . . positively begging to be read aloud." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
[star]​ "[D]rawing readers' attention while achieving real grace . . ." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"[S]parkling and ingenious . . . positively tingles." --The Wall Street Journal
"A triumph of design and a beacon of possibility." --The Horn Book Magazine
"[A] striking exploration of shapes, colors, and patterns . . ." --Booklist Reviews

Everything You Need for a Treehouse
"Get ready for your imagination to explode!" --NPR Best Books of the Year
"[A] feast for the imagination." --Book Page
"This book urges adventure and creativity." --School Library Journal

This is Not a Valentine
"An enduring message of friendship." --School Library Journal
"A perfect book for kids who find the whole Valentine's Day holiday icky and overrated." --Book Riot
"Recognizes that you can don't need sugary hearts and mushy sentiment to show you care." --Newsday
"Heartwarmingly funny." --Entertainment Weekly

Bikes for Sale
"Celebrates the ways in which serendipity can lead to friendship and sharing." --Booklist
"A sweet, quiet, different take on new-friendship." ---Kirkus Reviews

Big and Small and In-Between
[star]​ "[V]isually stunning and emotionally rich . . ." --School Library Journal, starred review
"[A] profoundly moving, charmingly crafted picture book." --The New York Times
"[A]n abstract journey with many turns and surprises." --Publishers Weekly

Audrey L and Audrey W
"Funny and engaging." --Kirkus Reviews
"This sweet series-starter holds plenty of promise." --Booklist
"[S]ensitive and gently humorous." --Shelf Awareness
"A great addition to libraries where memorable girls like Ivy + Bean and Judy Moody are popular." --School Library Journal
"[Readers] will find their sweet spot with this easy reader." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Perfect for:

  • Parents and grandparents seeking engaging, interactive books for kids
  • Teachers, librarians, educators, and caregivers of children ranging from toddlers to emerging readers
  • Classroom gift book for preschool, kindergarten, art teachers
  • Baby shower, birthday, and holiday gift giving
  • Fans of Carter Higgins, Eric Carle, and Laura Vaccaro Seeger
  • Fans of fun educational books
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Tornado Brain

Cat Patrick

In this heartfelt and powerfully affecting coming of age story, a neurodivergent 7th grader is determined to find her missing best friend before it's too late.

Things never seem to go as easily for thirteen-year-old Frankie as they do for her sister, Tess. Unlike Tess, Frankie is neurodivergent. In her case, that means she can't stand to be touched, loud noises bother her, she's easily distracted, she hates changes in her routine, and she has to go see a therapist while other kids get to hang out at the beach. It also means Frankie has trouble making friends. She did have one--Colette--but they're not friends anymore. It's complicated.

Then, just weeks before the end of seventh grade, Colette unexpectedly shows up at Frankie's door. The next morning, Colette vanishes. Now, after losing Colette yet again, Frankie's convinced that her former best friend left clues behind that only she can decipher, so she persuades her reluctant sister to help her unravel the mystery of Colette's disappearance before it's too late.

A powerful story of friendship, sisters, and forgiveness, Tornado Brain is an achingly honest portrait of a young girl trying to find space to be herself.

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Dear Vampire

Nancy Kelly Allen

Vampires are not real, right? Wrong! In Dear Vampire, Frankie discovers that although vampires are often overlooked, they are always nearby! From kissing bugs to candiru, enter the world of vampires-real vampires. This nonfiction children's picture book is woven with intricate, multilayered illustrations and humorous letters, rich in facts.Frankie's school is celebrating an animal day parade. His classmates say that vampires aren't real, but he knows they are. Frankie writes letters seeking information to numerous blood-suckers. He asks for help in deciding which scary, creepy vampire to be. The hand-written letters of response are packed with fun-filled facts, which Frankie meticulously displays on his corkboard. Each of the personalized corresponding letters is woven into illustrations of their natural habitat. Which will he/she choose?

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The Hen Who Sailed Around the World

Guirec Soudée

Meet Monique! In this true story, online phenomenon Guirec Soudée shares his adventures both unbelievable and heartwarming, sailing around the world with his brave, affectionate red hen, Monique.
Monique is a highly accomplished chicken: she surfs, she skateboards, and she just crossed the world on a tiny boat with her human companion, Guirec, who helped steer. On their three-year journey, together they were unstoppable. When they became stranded in the ice off Greenland for four months, Monique, unruffled as always, kept Guirec alive with her eggs-- and they both made it home.

Guirec and Monique are irresistible as unlikely comrades and friends taking on the world, and Guirec documented their journey with his remarkable, comical photographs. A deeply touching portrait of the real-life bond between animals and the humans who love them as well as a thrilling survival story, The Hen Who Sailed Around the World is an adventure for the ages.

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A Day With No Words

Tiffany Hammond

An instant #1 New York Times bestselling picture book and national bestseller!! A Day With No Words invites readers into the life of an Autism Family who communicates just as the child does, without spoken language.

The American Library Association Booklist starred review boasts, “The story is written from the boy's first-person perspective, however—a clever choice in that it gives readers a direct look into his mind and reinforces the book's crucial statement that nonverbal people have as many words and as much intelligence as anyone else. Cosgrove's art, throughout, does an amazing job of transporting readers into his perspective, employing various color tones, metaphoric imagery, and ‘camera’ angles to reflect the deep expressiveness contained in every page [...] through this book, neurotypicals' eyes will be opened, and everyone in Autistic Families will feel seen—and heard.”

A Day With No Words is a colorful and engaging picture book for young readers shares what life can look like for families who use nonverbal communication, utilizing tools to embrace their unique method of "speaking."

The story highlights the bond between mother and child and follows them on a day where they use a tablet to communicate with others.

Written by an autistic mother of two autistic sons and the creator behind the popular @Fidgets.and.Fries social media platform and illustrated by Kate Cosgrove (IG @k8cosgrove), A Day With No Words successfully normalizes communication methods outside of verbal speech and provides representation of neurodiversity and autism in a way that affirms and celebrates.

The experts are raving!

"How lucky are we to finally get Tiffany's poignant words and message into children's hands through this impactful story. Children and families can now be touched by her brilliance and learn about the often-overlooked autistics who communicate differently. The importance of A Day With No Words cannot be overstated in its potential to expose readers, young and old alike, to the beauties and barriers of living the autistic experience." — Ali Cunningham Abbott, PhD, LMHC, author of Counseling Adults with Autism: A Comprehensive Toolkit

“Through A Day with No Words, Tiffany Hammond provides us a rare window to the non-speaking world of autism. She has done so with love, compassion, and, I believe, deep understanding. And Kate Cosgrove's illustrations make it a beautiful world indeed. Bravo and thank you to both Hammond and Cosgrove for this window!” — Samantha S. Supernaw, LCSW-S, Licensed Therapist & Clinical Supervisor

“In my past 20 years as a developmental pediatrician, I have never read anything quite like A Day With No Words, a book that so eloquently, lyrically, and vividly captures the essence and beauty of an autistic mind. This book is a gift to all who read it.” — Wendy J. Ross, MD, Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Developmental Pediatrician, Associate Professor Jefferson University, Director Jefferson Health Center for Autism and Neurodiversity

About the Author: Tiffany Hammond (she/her) is the voice behind the Fidgets and Fries platform. She is an Autistic mother, advocate, and storyteller who uses her personal experiences with Autism and parenting two Autistic boys to guide others on their journey.

Tiffany has a Masters in Developmental Psychology and spends her time teaching, coaching, and mentoring others in Disability Justice issues.

Her activism is rooted in challenging the current perception of Autism as a lifelong burden, cultivating a community that explores the concept of Intersectionality and inspiring thought leaders through storytelling, education, and critical discourse.

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Origami Fun

Robyn Hardyman

Taking care of a pet can be a lot of work. A dog, for example, needs to be fed, walked, played with, and more. But the pets made of paper in this origami title are very little work. Young pet lovers will give this craft book their full attention!

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Of Light and Shadow

Tanaz Bhathena

Of Light and Shadow is a novel about magic, mayhem, love, and betrayal—the story of a bandit and a prince who change each other in unexpected ways.

When they don’t give us our birthright, we steal it.

Roshan Chaya is out for justice. Abandoned by her parents at birth and adopted by the kingdom of Jwala's most notorious bandit before his brutal murder, she is now leader of the Shadow Clan, a gang of farmers-turned-bandits impoverished by the provincial governor’s atrocities and corruption. Roshan’s goal: to avenge her adoptive father and earn back rights and dignity for her people.

Prince Navin has always felt like an outcast. Second in line for the throne, he has never been close to his grandmother, Queen Bhairavi of Jwala. When a night out drinking with friends leads to his capture by the infamous Shadow Clan, Navin schemes to befriend Roshan and use her as a means to escape. His ploy, however, brings Navin closer to the corruption and poverty at the heart of Roshan’s province, raising questions about its governor and Navin’s own family.

To further complicate things, the closer Roshan and Navin get, the harder it becomes to fight their growing attraction. But how can they trust each other when the world as they know it starts to fall apart?

Set in a magical world inspired by the badlands of 17th century India, this standalone epic fantasy novel by Tanaz Bhathena is packed with political tensions, dangerous schemes, and swoon-worthy romance that asks the age old question: can love conquer all?

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Shhh! The Baby's Asleep

JaNay Brown-Wood

Celebrate the silliness that comes with a big family in this playful read aloud about a big brother, a sleeping baby, and a very noisy family.

Baby is finally asleep. But everyone is much too loud! Can Mom, Daddy, Grammy, Pop Pop, Shae, Dante, Rover the dog, and even the neighbor keep quiet? Just when they think they can rest—oh no. The baby's awake. One savvy little narrator knows just the way to make his baby sister fall back asleep: by reading her a good book!

A hilarious cast of characters will keep readers laughing throughout this amusing celebration of early literacy and intergenerational family relationships.

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People Are Wild

Margaux Meganck

An inviting and inventive classic-in-the-making about learning to have compassion for every living thing, gorgeously illustrated by a rising star in the picture book world.

Wild creatures come in all shapes and sizes. They can be playful or loud or smelly or curious or cute—just like kids!

People Are Wild turns the tables and asks what animals think of us. We may not always see eye to eye, but the more we understand each other, the better we’re able to live in harmony.

Readers who loved They All Saw a Cat or Don't Let Them Disappear will appreciate this unique perspective on the animal kingdom.

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One Sheep, Two Sheep

Tammi Sauer

Help Rooster count sheep in this funny bedtime picture book from acclaimed author Tammi Sauer and New York Times bestselling illustrator Troy Cummings

In this hilarious barnyard picture book, Rooster is trying to count sheep but keeps getting interrupted by all of the animals on the farm. They're ruffling his feathers--and they don't look the slightest bit sheepish! Featuring bright, commercial illustrations and text perfect for read-alouds, One Sheep, Two Sheep is sure to make young readers giggle as they help Rooster count up to ten.

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Mel Fell

Corey R. Tabor

A Caldecott Honor Book and ALA Notable Book of the Year! An innovative and charming tale about a plucky little bird, from the award-winning author-illustrator of Fox the Tiger.

Readers will delight in turning their book sideways and upside down to follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith.

An especially enjoyable and satisfying read-aloud!

Sometimes, you might fall

down,

down,

down,

before you learn to fly

up,

up,

up...

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Lou

Breanna Carzoo

Don't miss this humorous and heartwarming picture book by debut creator Breanna Carzoo about an unlikely everyday hero: a fire hydrant! Perfect for fans of The Good Egg and The Bad Seed.

Meet Lou. Lou has an important job . . . as the neighborhood toilet for dogs on their walks.

Useful as he may be, he gets the feeling that deep down inside, there might be more to him than that. He just doesn't seem to know exactly what yet. When disaster strikes, will Lou find out what he's made of and save the day?

From debut creator Breanna Carzoo comes a charming and funny story that reminds us to never let anyone--including yourself--hold you back from sharing your gifts with the world.

Kids will fall in love with Lou and his journey of self-discovery as he saves the day from a fire that breaks out in an apartment building nearby. You'll never be able to look at a fire hydrant the same way again!

  • A BARNES AND NOBLE CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARDS SHORTLIST PICK!
  • A KIRKUS BEST PICTURE BOOK OF 2022!
  • A 2024 COLORADO CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD NOMINEE!
  • THE NORTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN COLLEGE CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023!
  • A MISSOURI BUILDING BLOCK PICTURE BOOK AWARD NOMINEE!
  • CHOSEN FOR THE 2022 SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS ORIGINAL ART SHOW!
  • A 2024 DONNA NORVELL OKLAHOMA BOOK AWARD NOMINEE!

 

 

 

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I'm Terrified of Bath Time

Simon Rich

A hilarious and clever bath-time picture book by humorist, novelist, and TV writer Simon Rich, with illustrations by Tom Toro (How to Potty Train Your Porcupine).



And so begins a hilarious dip into the choppy waters of a nightly ritual that parents and children alike often dread. Filled with soapsuds, rubber duckies, and existential angst, Simon Rich's debut picture book is a splashy tale of cleanliness--and survival. This irreverent read-aloud treat about facing fear and embracing adventure might just change the way you see bath time (and your bathroom) forever.

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I'm a Unicorn

Helen Yoon

 

 

What happens when a one-horned calf with impeccable logic is convinced they’re a unicorn? Helen Yoon spins an endearing comedy of self-determination for gigglers everywhere.

“See?” cries the calf. “Uni means one, and corn means horn!” Even their baby picture proves it: they were born with one horn! But as the eager little calf continues their research, a budding identity crisis arises when they realize they don’t quite check all the boxes—should a certain lack of moonlight sparkle or silky mane or rainbow poop decide the issue. Perhaps some unexpected encouragement from a pack of “real” unicorns might be just the assurance they need? Helen Yoon, the comic talent behind Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover) and the anarchic Off-Limits, returns with a clarion call for self-doubters everywhere to embrace who they are—unicorn or otherwise.

 

 

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Don't Eat Bees

Dev Petty

The comic duo behind I Don't Want to Be a Frog brings you Chip the dog, a hilarious pup who's got some "wisdom" to share.

Are you a dog in need of advice? Fear not: Chip the dog is ON IT in this super-silly guide to living your best canine life. Chip is seven; he knows things. Like what to eat (important papers, the fancy bird the humans cooked for the fancy dinner, Grandpa’s teeth), and what not to eat (bees). He won’t get those mixed up, will he?
 
Pet lovers will see their own goofy fur-friends in Chip's earnest yet ridiculous antics, and readers who love funny animal stories will find their next favorite book buddy with Chip the dog, who's patiently waiting to eat your homework and slobber on your clothes.

★ Nominee: Oklahoma Redbud Read Aloud Book Award, 2023
★ Nominee: Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award nominee, 2023

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Cows Go Boo!

Steve Webb

On Farmer George's farm, the pigs go "oink," the sheep go "baa," and cows go . . . wait, where did all the cows go?

These mischievous cows have taken to sneaking up on Farmer George and shouting "BOO!" Luckily, George knows just how to put his impolite herd to good use. This hilarious story is guaranteed to get children giggling!

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The Book of Rules

Brian Gehrlein

An interactive picture book with dynamic illustrations, in which readers have to follow the rules or risk a run-in with a monster—with a gentle approach to mindfulness along the way.

Beware! This book has rules. You must follow all the rules. If you break the rules . . . Dennis the monster will eat you. And you don’t want to be Dennis-food—do you?

With a laugh-out-loud, interactive style, The Book of Rules invites you to get your sillies out before it’s time to focus and listen to directions. And you better get started, because Dennis can’t wait to eat—or, um—meet you!

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You Are More Than Magic

Minda Harts

“Every parent of a Black or brown girl should buy this book, read it to their child, and pass it along to the other parents in their circle.”—Evette Dionne, National Book Award longlisted and Coretta Scott King honor-winning author of Lifting as We Climb
 
Perfect for graduation gifts and other transitional milestones, this guide is for girls of color looking to find their voice and claim space as they prepare for high school, college, and their careers, from the bestselling author of The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table.


When you’re a girl of color, figuring out how to find your voice and make sure everyone around you can hear it is essential. CEO and bestselling author Minda Harts knows—she’s been there. And she’s ready to walk you through it all with her own stories of success and the missteps that helped her grow—from running for high school student council when she was barely tall enough to reach the podium, to starting her own com­pany, The Memo LLC, that helps women of color advocate for themselves and their ca­reers. Now she’s here to hype you up and be real with you about:
 
  Building your squad: what to look for in a friend, finding mentors, and setting boundaries for healthy relationships
  Saying what you mean without saying it mean: prepping yourself for self-advocacy, negotiations, and tough conversations
  Leaning into courage: affirming yourself, dealing with no’s, and speaking up even when you feel like the “only one”
 
With lots of practical advice and real-life anecdotes, as well as questions for reflection and further resources, this book is all about finding your own unique path to success—at school, at work, at home, and beyond. Success is far from magical, but you’ve al­ready got the tools you need to figure out your next best moves. And your stand-in big sis Minda is here to help you every step of the way!

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What's the T?: The Guide to All Things Trans And/Or Nonbinary

Juno Dawson

Discover what it means to be a young transgender and/or non-binary person in the twenty-first century in this candid and funny guide for teens from the bestselling author of This Book is Gay.

In What's the T? Stonewall ambassador and bestselling author Juno Dawson is back again, this time with everything you've wanted to know about labels and identities and offering uncensored advice on coming out, sex, and relationships with her trademark humor and lightness of touch. It is informative, helpful, optimistic, and funny but with a good dose of reality and some of the things that can downright suck too.

The companion title to the groundbreaking This Book Is Gay, What's the T? tackles the complex realities of growing up trans with honesty and humor and is joyfully illustrated by gender non-conforming artist Soofiya.

This book is for:

  • Anyone with questions
  • Parents of trans and/or non-binary kids
  • Educators looking for advice about the transgender community

Praise for This Book is Gay:

A Guardian Best Book of the Year

2018 Garden State Teen Book Award Winner

"The book every LGBT person would have killed for as a teenager, told in the voice of a wise best friend. Frank, warm, funny, USEFUL."--Patrick Ness, New York Times bestselling author

"This egregious gap has now been filled to a fare-thee-well by Dawson's book."--Booklist *STARRED REVIEW*

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We Were Dreamers

Simu Liu

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The star of Marvel's first Asian superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, tells his own origin story of being a Chinese immigrant, his battles with cultural stereotypes and his own identity, becoming a TV star, and landing the role of a lifetime.

In this honest, inspiring and relatable memoir, newly-minted superhero Simu Liu chronicles his family's journey from China to the bright lights of Hollywood with razor-sharp wit and humor.

Simu's parents left him in the care of his grandparents, then brought him to Canada when he was four. Life as a Canuck, however, is not all that it was cracked up to be; Simu's new guardians lack the gentle touch of his grandparents, resulting in harsh words and hurt feelings. His parents, on the other hand, find their new son emotionally distant and difficult to relate to - although they are related by blood, they are separated by culture, language, and values.

As Simu grows up, he plays the part of the pious child flawlessly - he gets straight A's, crushes national math competitions and makes his parents proud. But as time passes, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the path that has been laid out for him. Less than a year out of college, at the tender age of 22, his life hits rock bottom when he is laid off from his first job as an accountant. Left to his own devices, and with nothing left to lose, Simu embarks on a journey that will take him far outside of his comfort zone into the world of show business.

Through a swath of rejection and comical mishaps, Simu's determination to carve out a path for himself leads him to not only succeed as an actor, but also to open the door to reconciling with his parents.

We Were Dreamers is more than a celebrity memoir - it's a story about growing up between cultures, finding your family, and becoming the master of your own extraordinary circumstance.

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Unequal

Michael Eric Dyson

Finalist for the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award



New York Times bestselling author Michael Eric Dyson and critically acclaimed author Marc Favreau show how racial inequality permeates every facet of American society, through the lens of those pushing for meaningful change




The true story of racial inequality--and resistance to it--is the prologue to our present. You can see it in where we live, where we go to school, where we work, in our laws, and in our leadership. Unequal presents a gripping account of the struggles that shaped America and the insidiousness of racism, and demonstrates how inequality persists. As readers meet some of the many African American people who dared to fight for a more equal future, they will also discover a framework for addressing racial injustice in their own lives.

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Token Black Girl

Danielle Prescod

Racial identity, pop culture, and delusions of perfection collide in an eye-opening and refreshingly frank memoir by fashion and beauty insider Danielle Prescod.

Danielle Prescod grew up Black in an elite and overwhelmingly white community, her identity made more invisible by the whitewashed movies, television, magazines, and books she and her classmates voraciously consumed. Danielle took her cue from the world around her and aspired to shrink her identity into that box, setting increasingly poisonous goals. She started painful and damaging chemical hair treatments in elementary school, began depriving herself of food when puberty hit, and tried to control her image through the most unimpeachable, impeccable fashion choices.

Those obsessions led her to relentlessly pursue a career in beauty and fashion--the eye of the racist and sexist beauty standard storm. Assimilating was hard, but she was practiced. And she was an asset. Their "Token Black Girl." Toxic, sure. But Danielle was striving to achieve social cache and working her way up the ladder of coveted media jobs, and she looked great, right? So what if she had to endure executives' questions like "What was it like to drive to school from the ghetto?" Or coworkers' eager curiosity to know if her parents were on welfare. But after decades of burying her emotions, resentment, and true self, Danielle turned a critical eye inward and confronted the factors that motivated her self-destructive behaviors.

Sharp witted and bracingly candid, Token Black Girl unpacks the adverse effects of insidious white supremacy in the media--both unconscious and strategic--to tell a personal story about recovery from damaging concepts of perfection, celebrating identity, and demolishing social conditioning.

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The Movement Made Us

David J. Dennis (Jr.)

A STEPHEN CURRY'S BOOK CLUB PICK

SOUTHERN INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS ALLIANCE BESTSELLER

"A story of triumph and resilience centered around those who dedicated their lives to the Civil Rights movement. It reminds us that, in order to truly appreciate how far we've come--and how far we still have to go--we must acknowledge the past and pay homage to those who laid the foundation. It reminds us that everyday people can be heroes if they stand up for what's right. It reminds us that we're not alone in our experiences, and that if we work together, we can make impactful change."--Stephen Curry

"The Movement Made Us takes literature to a momentous Southern Black space to which I honestly never thought a book could take us. This is literally the Movement that made us and both Davids love us whole here with a creation that is as ingenious as it is soulfully sincere. Stunning."--Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy

A dynamic family exchange that pivots between the voices of a father and son, The Movement Made Us is a unique work of oral history and memoir, chronicling the extraordinary story of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and its living legacy embodied in Black Lives Matter. David Dennis Sr, a core architect of the movement, speaks out for the first time, swapping recollections both harrowing and joyful with David Jr, a journalist working on the front lines of change today.

Taken together, their stories paint a critical portrait of America, casting one nation's image through the lens of two individual Black men and their unique relationship. Playful and searching, anxious and restorative, fearless and driving, this intimate memoir features scenes from across David Sr's life, as he becomes involved in the movement, tries to move beyond it, and ultimately returns to it to find final solace and new sense of self--revealing a survivor who travels eternally with a cabal of ghosts.

A crucial addition to Civil Rights history, The Movement Made Us is the story of a nation reckoning with change and the hopes, struggles, setbacks, and triumphs of modern Black life. This is it: the extant chronicle of why we live, why we move, and for what we are made.

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Semi-Famous

Josh Sundquist

Social media star and comedian Josh Sundquist takes readers on his hilarious journey to the fringes of viral stardom to discover if it's possible to be both very famous and very happy.



As a semi-famous internet creator, Josh Sundquist knows what it's like to chase fame, but he also knows that more fame usually means more stress. So he set out on a pseudo-scientific investigation to find out if there is any way for fame and happiness to overlap.



He attempts to define the word "fame"--hint: it's harder than you'd think. He turns back time to identify the first facially-recognizable celebrity (you might know his former BFF Brutus). He digs into the numbers to debunk urban legends associated with stardom (ever heard of the 27 Club?). He talks to other semi-famous people (from K-pop sensations to former child stars) and asks them: Is this fame thing making you happy? If not, why are you doing it? If so, what's your secret? All while recounting funny stories about his own cringy fame-seeking (like his many attempts, and failures, to get onto MTV).



Packed with playful diagrams, fascinating insights from celebrities, and embarrassing truths from Josh's experience with semi-fame, this is a must-read for anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming famous...or at least going viral on TikTok.

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Science and the Skeptic

Marc Zimmer

Fake news, pseudoscience, and quackery have become scourges, spreading through society from social media all the way to Congress.

The line between entertainment and reality, between fact and fiction, has become blurred. Some of the most crucial issues of our time--climate change, vaccines, and genetically modified organisms--have become prime targets for nefarious disinformation campaigns. Far too many people have become distrustful of real science. Even those who still trust science no longer know what to believe or how to identify the truth. Not only does this result in the devaluation and distrust of real science, but it is also dangerous: people acting based on false information can hurt themselves or those around them.

We must equip ourselves with the knowledge and skills to fight back against all this disinformation. InScience and the Skeptic: Discerning Fact from Fiction, you will learn how science is done, from the basic scientific method to the vetting process that scientific papers must go through to become published; how and why some people intentionally or unintentionally spread misinformation; and the dangers in believing and spreading false information. You'll also find twenty easy-to-follow rules for distinguishing fake science from the real deal. Armed with this book, empower yourself with knowledge, learning what information to trust and what to dismiss as deceit.

"We're not just fighting an epidemic; we're fighting an infodemic. . . . This is a time for facts, not fear. This is a time for rationality, not rumors. This is a time for solidarity, not stigma."--Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO

"Our deepest beliefs should help navigate reality, not determine it."--Michael Gersen, The Washington Post

"Journalism is very much about trying to simplify and distribute information about what's new and where advances have been made. That's incompatible with the scientific process, which can take a long time to build a body of evidence."--Kelly McBride, Poynter Institute

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Rising Troublemaker

Luvvie Ajayi Jones

*AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!*

In this young readers edition of her New York Times bestseller Professional Troublemaker, Luvvie Ajayi Jones uses her honesty and humor to inspire teens to be their bravest, boldest, truest selves, in order to create a world they would be proud to live in.


The world can feel like a dumpster fire, with endless things to be afraid of. It can make you feel powerless to ask for what you need, use your voice, and show up truly as your whole self. Add the fact that often, people might make you feel like your way of showing up is TOO MUCH.

BE TOO MUCH, and use it for good. That is what it means to be a troublemaker. In this book, Luvvie Ajayi Jones - bestseller of books, sorceress of side-eyes and critic of culture - gives you the permission you might need to be the troublemaker you are, or wish to be. This is the book she needed when she was the kid who got in trouble for her mouth when she spoke up about what she felt was not fair. This is the book she needed when kids made fun of her Nigerian accent. This is the book that she needed when it was time to call herself a writer, but she was too scared.

As a Rising Troublemaker, you need to know that the beautiful, audacious life you want is on the other side of doing the things that will scare you. This book will help you face and fight your fear and start living that life ASAP.

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Opening My Eyes Underwater

Ashley Woodfolk

Inspired by the life and quotations of former first lady Michelle Obama, Opening My Eyes Underwater is a collection of essays penned by bestselling author Ashley Woodfolk.

Essays of bullying, heartbreak, racism, and confidence, Ashley taps into her own past and shares those stories that made her who she is today as she seamlessly weaves in parallel experiences that both she and Mrs. Obama have faced in their separate childhoods as well as their adult lives.

Open, searing, and honest, these are stories readers will feel seen with. Readers who are growing and learning as they move forward through life's triumphs and pitfalls will undoubtedly gravitate to and find comfort within its pages.

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Numb to This

Kindra Neely

This searing graphic memoir portrays the impact of gun violence through a fresh lens with urgency, humanity, and a very personal hope.

Kindra Neely never expected it to happen to her. No one does. Sure, she'd sometimes been close to gun violence, like when the house down the street from her childhood home in Texas was targeted in a drive-by shooting. But now she lived in Oregon, where she spent her time swimming in rivers with friends or attending classes at the bucolic Umpqua Community College.



And then, one day, it happend: a mass shooting shattered her college campus. Over the span of a few minutes, on October 1, 2015, eight students and a professor lost their lives. And suddenly, Kindra became a survivor. This empathetic and ultimately hopeful graphic memoir recounts Kindra's journey forward from those few minutes that changed everything.



It wasn't easy. Every time Kindra took a step toward peace and wholeness, a new mass shooting devastated her again. Las Vegas. Parkland. She was hopeless at times, feeling as if no one was listening. Not even at the worldwide demonstration March for Our Lives. But finally, Kindra learned that--for her--the path toward hope wound through art, helping others, and sharing her story.


 

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Murder Among Friends

Candace Fleming

How did two teenagers brutally murder an innocent child...and why? And how did their brilliant lawyer save them from the death penalty in 1920s Chicago? Written by a prolific master of narrative nonfiction, this is a compulsively readable true-crime story based on an event dubbed the "crime of the century."

In 1924, eighteen-year-old college students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb made a decision: they would commit the perfect crime by kidnapping and murdering a child they both knew. But they made one crucial error: as they were disposing of the body of young Bobby Franks, whom they had bludgeoned to death, Nathan's eyeglasses fell from his jacket pocket.

Multi-award-winning author Candace Fleming depicts every twist and turn of this harrowing case--how two wealthy, brilliant young men planned and committed what became known as the crime of the century, how they were caught, why they confessed, and how the renowned criminal defense attorney Clarence Darrow enabled them to avoid the death penalty.

Following on the success of such books as The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh and The Family Romanov, this acclaimed nonfiction writer brings to heart-stopping life one of the most notorious crimes in our country's history.

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Messy Roots: a Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American

Laura Gao

"Messy Roots is a laugh-out-loud, heartfelt, and deeply engaging story of their journey to find themself--as an American, as the daughter of Chinese immigrants, as a queer person, and as a Wuhanese American in the middle of a pandemic."--Malaka Gharib, author of I Was Their American Dream

After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas, where her hometown is as foreign as Mars--at least until 2020, when COVID-19 makes Wuhan a household name.

In Messy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter.

Insightful, original, and hilarious, toggling seamlessly between past and present, China and America, Gao's debut is a tour de force of graphic storytelling.

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Hometown Victory

Keanon Lowe

The Blindside meets Friday Night Lights in Keanon Lowe's Hometown Victory when an NFL coach returns home after losing a friend to coach a team of struggling high school kids on a 23-game losing streak.

Keanon Lowe was working as an offensive analyst for the San Francisco 49ers when his childhood friend and former high school teammate suddenly died from an opioid overdose. Keanon dropped everything––including the plum NFL job he had been working towards since childhood––leading him to a position as football coach at a struggling high school back in his hometown. At the time, Parkrose High School was in the middle of a 23-game losing streak--they were the ultimate underdogs.

In many ways, the road to Parkrose was paved by Keanon's life-defining experiences––from a childhood spent dodging racist bullies and finding the support and mentorship he craved on the football team, to an NFL season where he worked closely with Colin Kaepernick as he evolved his sideline protest. Keanon was drawn to the young men on the Parkrose team, and to the school itself. After two years, he pushed them to become conference champions, mentoring countless players along the way.

But still, there was that nagging sense that his calling wasn't meant to stop there. He was at that school for a reason. In May 2019, he got his answer when a 19-year-old student entered a Parkrose classroom with a trench coat and shotgun. Keanon disarmed him and pulled the boy into a hug, telling him he cared. In the boy, Keanon saw himself, and the young men he grew up with or mentored along the way––and weren't so many of them just looking for acceptance, for comfort, for love?

With the heart of favorite football classics––The Blindside, Friday Night Lights, Remember the Titans––Keanon’s journey at Parkrose is the true account of a life spent striving forward, even when faced with the unimaginable. Hometown Victory is a story about gratitude, service, and most of all, hope.

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Hanged!

Sarah Miller

From the critically acclaimed author of The Borden Murders comes the thrilling story of Mary Surratt, the first woman to be executed by the US government, for her alleged involvement in the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.

A dubious distinction belongs to Mary Surratt: on July 7, 1865, she became the first woman to be executed by the United States government, accused of conspiring in the plot to assassinate not only President Abraham Lincoln, but also the vice president, the secretary of state, and General Grant.

Mary Surratt was a widow, a Catholic, a businesswoman, a slave owner, a Union resident, and the mother of a Confederate Secret Service courier. As the proprietor of the boardinghouse where John Wilkes Booth and his allies are known to have gathered, Mary Surratt was widely believed, as President Andrew Johnson famously put it, to have “kept the nest that hatched the egg.” But did Mrs. Surratt truly commit treason by aiding and abetting Booth in his plot to murder the president? Or was she the victim of a spectacularly cruel coincidence? Here is YA nonfiction at its best--gripping, thought-provoking, and unputdownable.

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Cramm This Book

Olivia Seltzer

From the founder of The Cramm, a news outlet by and for the incredible Gen Z activists who are already shaping our global future (really!), this book is a dive into the history that's made the world what it is today.

You can take a stand for justice. You can raise your voice to make a difference. You can find your way to make a mark and change the world. But first—you need to know what the actual F is going on in it.

Today’s world can feel like a seriously confusing mess. Headlines and newscasters and posts are coming at us from all sides, each talking about the latest issues and injustices, and everyone with their own opinion on how to solve the problems of the day. It’s enough to make anyone’s mind melt. Right?

Enter: Cramm This Book, your one-stop-shop for the scoop behind the scoop of the day. This is the read you need to understand everything from how the conflicts in the Middle East got going to where Black Lives Matter and Me Too actually began to what the full deal is with all of the wildfires and hurricanes we see each year. Important topics to read more about? We think so too. Dip in for more on the wars, the movements, the disasters, and more—and get to know WTF is really going on.

Are you ready to take to the streets and take on the world? Then Cramm This Book and get going.

The future is ours. What are you waiting for?

Praise for Cramm This Book:

* "Insightful, balanced, and nuanced [with a] final message [that] is a direct challenge to readers: now that you understand these problems, are you going to do something about them?" --Booklist, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "This highly informative text explains to Gen Zers that they not only have a voice, but the power to use it . . . a timely, useful, and much-needed title." --School Library Connection, *STARRED REVIEW*

"Seltzer’s authorial tone is easygoing, self-aware, honest, and inviting while delivering crucial and sensitive information . . . This is an ideal work for readers seeking a starting point for world knowledge and societal activism." --Kirkus Reviews

"A super helpful resource for social studies classes and catching up on social, economic, and political events." --School Library Journal

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Bone Deep

Charles Bosworth Jr.

THE TRUE STORY BEHIND NBC’S MARQUEE MINI-SERIES "THE THING ABOUT PAM" STARRING RENEE ZELLWEGER AS PAM HUPP AND JOSH DUHAMEL AS JOEL SCHWARTZ, PREMIERING FEBRUARY 2022.

The explosive, first-ever insider’s account of the case that’s captivated millions – the murder of Betsy Faria and the wrongful conviction of her husband – told by Joel J. Schwartz, the defense attorney who fought for justice on behalf of Russel Faria, and New York Times bestselling author Charles Bosworth Jr.

Goodreads Top Nonfiction of 2022


On December 27th, 2011, Russell Faria returned to his Troy, Missouri, home after his weekly game night with friends to an unthinkable, grisly scene: His wife, Betsy, lay dead, a knife still lodged in her neck. She’d been stabbed fifty-five times.

First responders concluded that Betsy was dead for hours when Russ discovered her. No blood was found implicating Russ, and surveillance video, receipts, and friends’ testimony all supported his alibi. Yet incredibly, police and the prosecuting attorney ignored the evidence. In their minds, Russ was guilty. But prominent defense attorney Joel J. Schwartz quickly recognized the real killer.

The motive was clear. Days before her murder, the terminally ill Betsy replaced her husband with her friend, Pamela Hupp, as her life insurance beneficiary. Still, despite the prosecution’s flimsy case and Hupp’s transparent lies, Russ was convicted—leaving Hupp free to kill again.

Bone Deep takes readers through the perfect storm of miscalculations and missteps that led to an innocent man’s conviction—and recounts Schwartz’s successful battle to have that conviction overturned. Written with Russ Faria’s cooperation, and filled with chilling new revelations and previously undisclosed evidence, this is the story of what can happen when police, prosecutor, judge, and jury all fail in their duty to protect the innocent—and let a killer get away with murder.

“Fans of Dateline will be interested in this work, which will likely only grow in popularity when the miniseries The Thing About Pam, starring Renée Zellweger, premieres in March 2022.” –Library Journal

“Filled with chilling new revelations and previously undisclosed evidence, this is the story of what can happen when police, prosecutor, judge, and jury all fail in their duty to protect the innocent—and let a killer get away with murder. This book is an explosive, insider’s account of a case that continues to fascinate the public. We highly recommend it.” –Mystery Tribune

“An engaging true-crime book that exposes failures in the American criminal justice system while putting a human face on those involved and is recommended to those that enjoy well-researched books.” –Mystery and Suspense

“If you are interested in justice, in criminal profiling, in trial procedures, the dynamics between the judge, the defense, and the prosecution, this book is for you.” –Defrosting Cold Cases

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Better Than We Found It: Conversations to Help Save the World

Frederick Joseph

From the New York Times best-selling author of The Black Friend and a seasoned activist comes an indispensable guide to social and political progressivism for young people and anyone wanting to get more involved.

Every generation inherits the problems created by the ones before them, but no generation will inherit as many problems—as many crises—as the current generation of young people. From the devastations of climate change to the horrors of gun violence, from rampant transphobia to the widening wealth gap, from the lack of health care to the lack of housing, the challenges facing the next generation can feel insurmountable. But change, even revolution, is possible; you just have to know where to start. In Better Than We Found It, best-selling author Frederick Joseph and debut author Porsche Joseph make the case for addressing some of the biggest issues of our day. Featuring more than two dozen interviews with prominent activists, authors, actors, and politicians, this is the essential resource for those who want to make the world better than we found it.

Featuring interviews with:
Mehcad Brooks
Keah Brown
Julián Castro
Sonja Cherry-Paul
Chelsea Clinton
Charlotte Clymer
Mari Copeny, aka Little Miss Flint
Greg D’Amato
Jesse Katz
Amed Khan
Daniel Alejandro Leon-Davis
Willy and Jo Lorenz
Ben O’Keefe
Brittany Packnett Cunningham
Anna Paquin
Robert Reich
Brandon T. Snider
Nic Stone
Anton Treuer
Andrea Tulee
David Villalpando
Elizabeth Warren
Shannon Watts
Natalie Weaver
Brandon Wolf

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Ain't Burned All the Bright

Jason Reynolds

A Caldecott Honor winner!

Prepare yourself for something unlike anything: A smash-up of art and text for teens that viscerally captures what it is to be Black. In America. Right Now. Written by #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds.

Jason Reynolds and his best bud, Jason Griffin, had a mind-meld. And they decided to tackle it, in one fell swoop, in about ten sentences, and 300 pages of art, this piece, this contemplation-manifesto-fierce-vulnerable-gorgeous-terrifying-WhatIsWrongWithHumans-hope-filled-hopeful-searing-Eye-Poppingly-Illustrated-tender-heartbreaking-how-The-HECK-did-They-Come-UP-with-This project about oxygen. And all of the symbolism attached to that word, especially NOW.

And so for anyone who didn’t really know what it means to not be able to breathe, REALLY breathe, for generations, now you know. And those who already do, you’ll be nodding yep yep, that is exactly how it is.

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Abuela, Don't Forget Me

Rex Ogle

Rex Ogle’s companion to Free Lunch and Punching Bag weaves humor, heartbreak, and hope into life-affirming poems that honor his grandmother’s legacy.

 

In his award-winning memoir Free Lunch, Rex Ogle’s abuela features as a source of love and support. In this companion-in-verse, Rex captures and celebrates the powerful presence a woman he could always count on—to give him warm hugs and ear kisses, to teach him precious words in Spanish, to bring him to the library where he could take out as many books as he wanted, and to offer safety when darkness closed in. Throughout a coming of age marked by violence and dysfunction, Abuela’s red-brick house in Abilene, Texas, offered Rex the possibility of home, and Abuela herself the possibility for a better life.

 

Abuela, Don’t Forget Me is a lyrical portrait of the transformative and towering woman who believed in Rex even when he didn’t yet know how to believe in himself.

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Where Have All the Birds Gone?

Rebecca E. Hirsch

Birds are disappearing.

Birds are nature's essential workers, and they are crucial members of ecosystems around the world. Hummingbirds pollinate our flowers; cardinals munch on beetles, grasshoppers, and other pests that damage crops; owls eat rodents that can spread disease; vultures clean up roadkill and other waste. Beyond their practical aspects, birds bring us joy through their songs and beautiful feathers.

But since 1970, nearly 30 percent of all birds in the United States and Canada have vanished. Scientists are scrambling to figure out what may be causing such a drastic decline. The answer: humans. City lights and tall glass skyscrapers disorient migrating birds. Domesticated cats prowling outdoors kill billions of birds each year. Pesticides contaminate fish and insects, which are then consumed by birds of prey. And climate change might disrupt and even wipe out feeding grounds for entire species.

Discover the vast impacts birds have on ecosystems, food systems, and human communities, and learn more about what scientists are doing to protect them.

"Never have my astonishment, wonder, and admiration been so stirred as when I have witnessed these birds drop from their course like meteors from heaven." --Simon Pokagon, Potawatomi tribal leader

"In pushing other species to extinction, humanity is busy sawing off the limb on which it is perched." -- American biologist Paul R. Ehrlich

"There's something everyone can do in their lives and in their communities to make it a better place for birds and people." -- Gary Langham, chief scientist, National Audubon Society

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Urgent Message from a Hot Planet

Ann Eriksson

The climate crisis is the issue of our time.

Scientists have warned for over 100 years that burning fossil fuels and destroying nature will warm the earth's atmosphere and affect the climate in adverse ways: more severe and intense storms, prolonged heat waves, drought, flooding, wildfires, rising sea levels and ocean acidification.

Urgent Message from a Hot Planet: Navigating the Climate Crisis outlines the science behind global heating and its root causes, provides ways to take action and honors the efforts of the millions of youth and adult allies from around the world working tirelessly to make a difference. Their powerful message: do something now!

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Unlawful Orders: A Portrait of Dr. James B. Williams, Tuskegee Airman, Surgeon, and Activist (Scholastic Focus)

Barbara Binns

Barbara Binns presents the inspiring story of one man in his struggle for racial equality in the field of battle and the field of medicine.

 

Scholastic Focus is the premier home of thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and thoughtfully designed works of narrative nonfiction aimed at middle-grade and young adult readers. These books help readers learn about the world in which they live and develop their critical thinking skills so that they may become dynamic citizens who are able to analyze and understand our past, participate in essential discussions about our present, and work to grow and build our future.

The Tuskegee Airmen heroically fought for the right to be officers of the US military so that they might participate in World War II by flying overseas to help defeat fascism. However, after winning that battle, they faced their next great challenge at Freeman Field, Iowa, where racist white officers barred them from entering the prestigious Officers' Club that their rank promised them. The Freeman Field Mutiny, as it became known, would eventually lead to the desegregation of the US armed forces, forever changing the course of American history and race relations.

One Black officer who refused to give in to the bigotry at Freeman Field was James Buchanan "JB" Williams. JB grew up the son of sharecroppers, but his loving family and insuppressible intellect drove him to push boundaries placed on Black Americans in the early twentieth century. JB's devotion to the betterment of others took him from the classroom where he learned to be a doctor, to serving as a medic in the US military and eventually joining the elite Tuskegee Airmen, where he fought to change the minds of all who believed Black men couldn't make good soldiers. But JB's greatest contribution came in his role as doctor and Civil Rights activist after the war, where he continued to push past injustices placed on Black Americans.

Critically acclaimed author Barbara Binns tells the story of one man's remarkable life, and in doing so, explores the trials of the brave Black freedom fighters who defended the world against racism and bigotry, both on the front lines and at home.

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The Woman Who Split the Atom

Marissa Moss

Bestselling author-illustrator Marissa Moss tells the gripping story of Lise Meitner, the physicist who discovered nuclear fission

As a female Jewish physicist in Berlin during the early 20th century, Lise Meitner had to fight for an education, a job, and equal treatment in her field, like having her name listed on her own research papers.

Meitner made groundbreaking strides in the study of radiation, but when Hitler came to power in Germany, she suddenly had to face not only sexism, but also life-threatening anti-Semitism as well. Nevertheless, she persevered and one day made a discovery that rocked the world: the splitting of the atom. While her male lab partner was awarded a Nobel Prize for the achievement, the committee refused to give her any credit.

Suddenly, the race to build the atomic bomb was on--although Meitner was horrified to be associated with such a weapon. "A physicist who never lost her humanity," Meitner wanted only to figure out how the world works, and advocated for pacifism while others called for war.

The book includes an afterword, author's note, timeline, select terms of physics, glossary of scientists mentioned, endnotes, select bibliography, index, and Marissa Moss's celebrated drawings throughout. The Woman Who Split the Atom is a fascinating look at Meitner's fierce passion, integrity, and her lifelong struggle to have her contributions to physics recognized.

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The Race of the Century

Neal Bascomb

Highly acclaimed author Neal Bascomb brings his peerless research and fast-paced narrative style to a young adult adaptation of one of his most successful adult books of all time, The Perfect Mile, an inspiring and moving story of three men racing to achieve the impossible -- the perfect four-minute mile.

 

Scholastic Focus is the premier home of thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and thoughtfully designed works of narrative nonfiction aimed at middle-grade and young adult readers. These books help readers learn about the world in which they live and develop their critical thinking skills so that they may become dynamic citizens who are able to analyze and understand our past, participate in essential discussions about our present, and work to grow and build our future.

There was a time when running the mile in four minutes was believed to be beyond the limits of human foot speed. In 1952, after suffering defeat at the Helsinki Olympics, three world-class runners each set out to break this barrier: Roger Bannister was a young English medical student who epitomized the ideal of the amateur; John Landy the privileged son of a genteel Australian family; and Wes Santee the swaggering American, a Kansas farm boy and natural athlete.

Spanning three continents and defying the odds, these athletes' collective quest captivated the world. Neal Bascomb's bestselling adult account adapted for young readers delivers a breathtaking story of unlikely heroes and leaves us with a lasting portrait of the twilight years of the golden age of sport.

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Peace Is a Chain Reaction: How World War II Japanese Balloon Bombs Brought People of Two Nations Together

Tanya Lee Stone

From an award-winning author comes a vivid depiction of an act of war from opposing sides of the conflict in World War IIand a rare reconciliation and wish for peace that evolved years later.

Adults wage war, while children are unwitting victims, pulled into a maelstrom of fear and hate without any choice. This is a story about two groups of teenagers on opposite sides of the world, forever connected by an act of war. It is a story about the adults some of those teens became, forever connected by acts of forgiveness, understanding, and peace. And it is a story about one remarkable man, whose heart belonged both to America and Japan, who put that peace and understanding in motion. Panning the camera wide, Tanya Lee Stone lays the global groundwork for the story’s context before zooming in on the lives of the people involved, providing an intimate look at how their changing perspectives impact their actions. Through meticulous research, interviews, and archival photo curation, Stone skillfully weaves all of these stories together, illuminating how, despite the devastating pain and destruction caused by war, peace can be a chain reaction. Extensive back matter includes an author’s note, source notes, bibliography, and index.

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Overground Railroad (the Young Adult Adaptation)

Candacy Taylor

A young reader's edition of Candacy Taylor's acclaimed book about the history of the Green Book, the guide for Black travelers
Overground Railroad chronicles the history of the Green Book, which was published from 1936 to 1966 and was the "Black travel guide to America." For years, it was dangerous for African Americans to travel in the United States. Because of segregation, Black travelers couldn't eat, sleep, or even get gas at most white-owned businesses.

The Green Book listed hotels, restaurants, department stores, gas stations, recreational destinations, and other businesses that were safe for Black travelers. It was a resourceful and innovative solution to a horrific problem. It took courage to be listed in the Green Book, and the stories from those who took a stand against racial segregation are recorded and celebrated.

This young reader's edition of Candacy Taylor's critically acclaimed adult book Overground Railroad includes her own photographs of Green Book sites, as well as archival photographs and interviews with people who owned and used these facilities. The book also includes an author's note, endnotes, bibliography, timeline, and index.

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