For readers of Alma and How She Got Her Name and The King of Kindergarten, this story will help kids just starting school transform from timid caterpillars into beautiful butterflies so they can love who they are.
On Vanessa's first day of school, her parents tell her it will be easy to make friends. Vanessa isn't so sure. She wears her fanciest outfit so her new classmates will notice her right away. They notice, but the attention isn't what she'd hoped for. As the day goes on, she feels more self-conscious. Her clothes are too bright, her feather boa has way too many feathers, and even her name is too hard to write.
The next day, she picks out a plain outfit, and tells her mom that her name is too long. She just wants to blend in, with a simple name like the other girls--why couldn't her parents have named her Megan or Bella? But when her mother tells her the meaning behind her name, it gives her the confidence she needs to introduce her classmates to the real Vanessa.
'This classic school story offers a full range of emotions and situates this life-loving Black child in affirming family and school settings. A welcome addition to every shelf.'--Kirkus
'Bright, childlike mixed-media illustrations with a variety of patterns will appeal to youngsters, and the idea of a name having a meaning will be new to many children.'--Booklist
'A hopeful celebration of individualism and an ode to recognizing one's inner specialness.'--Publishers Weekly
From the beloved author of the MR. TERUPT and PERFECT SCORE series comes this stand-alone middle-grade novel about a girl who is dealing with the tragic loss of her best friend, and the dog that helps her forge new friendships and find happiness once again.
Twelve-year-old Thea and her family are moving to a new town for a fresh start--her parents' bright idea. To Thea, it feels like running away. She lost her best friend, Charlie, in a tragic accident, and in the painful aftermath, she has gone mute. Her two younger sisters, however, are excited about moving, especially after their dad promises that the family will get a rescue puppy. This doesn't change Thea's mind, though, until Jack-Jack bounds into her life and makes it clear that he is no ordinary dog. As she bonds with Jack-Jack, and as the dog's mischievous ways steer her toward someone she can confide in, Thea opens up to the possibility of new friendships and forgiveness, and comes to believe in what cannot be fully explained.
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE CLIQUE invites us into a new middle school--this time for girls learning to tame their animal powers. The newest student Sadie might become the next Queen of the jungle after she is invited to join The Pack!
Don't be fooled. . . . Charm House isn't like any other charm school. Charm stands for Center for Human-Animal Reform and Manners. Every girl who boards there has an animal light inside her that is wild and needs to be tamed.
New girl Sadie just wants to stay out of trouble and blend in. When she learns she has the fiercest animal light of all, she is invited to join the group of it girls known as the Pack, led by Lindsey, the school's queen of the jungle. Soon Sadie is consumed by social drama and her secret feelings for an off-limits private-school boy. Charm House is supposed to protect them, but danger looms when someone starts to threaten the girls. Is the school in jeopardy--or is someone trying to tear the Pack apart?
From the U.S.'s foremost indigenous children's author comes a middle grade verse novel set during the COVID-19 pandemic, about a Wabanaki girl's quarantine on her grandparents' reservation and the local dog that becomes her best friend
Malian loves spending time with her grandparents at their home on a Wabanaki reservation. She's there for a visit when, suddenly, all travel shuts down. There's a new virus making people sick, and Malian will have to stay with her grandparents for the duration.
Everyone is worried about the pandemic, but Malian knows how to keep her family and community safe: She protects her grandparents, and they protect her. She doesn't go outside to play with friends, she helps her grandparents use video chat, and she listens to and learns from their stories. And when Malsum, one of the dogs living on the rez, shows up at their door, Malian's family knows that he'll protect them too.
Told in verse inspired by oral storytelling, this novel about the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the ways Malian's community has cared for one another through plagues of the past, and how they keep caring for one another today.
Cougars have been spotted nearby, but they haven't hurt the ranch horses - yet. So Samantha is outraged when a neighboring rancher vows to kill the mountain lions on sight.
Her family's horses may be safe, but out on the range Sam spots a wild young stallion without a herd. Being alone puts this horse in danger. Sam is determined to protect the rebellious mustang and still save the cougars.
You're not going to find a more heartwarming and dynamic duo than Pig and Mouse! Join Pig as he learns how to turn his "what if' worries from anxiety to optimism, all with the help of his loving friend Mouse.
Mouse has never had a friend quite like Pig. Pig is so incredibly kind, endlessly thoughtful and fabulously fun, but he also has a big secret... he's a tremendous worrier!
When Pig gets the brilliant idea to throw a party for Mouse and their friends, he can't help but think of everything that could possibly go wrong. After all, what if a lion eats all the invitations? What if nobody comes? Or worse, what if everyone comes and has an awful time?
This adorable story about friendship and the endless wonder of 'what if' is one that readers of all ages can relate to. This picture book is a great conversation starter in the home or classroom and a great way to talk to your children about worries or anxieties. Perfect for boys, girls, families and anyone who has ever had a worry or a wobble!
A half-magic girl learns about heroism and taking action when she and her sister confront a wizard who endangers others for her own gain. Even and Odd are sisters who share magic. Lately, though, it seems like that's the only thing they have in common. Odd doesn't like magic, and Even practices it every chance she gets, dreaming of the day she'll be ready to be a hero. When the hidden border between the mundane world the sisters live in and the magical land they were born in shuts abruptly, the girls are trapped, unable to return home. With the help of a unicorn named Jeremy, they discover a wizard is diverting magic from the border to bolster her own power. Families are cut off from each other on both sides of the border, and an ecological disaster is brewing. But the wizard cares nothing for the calamitous effects her appropriation of magic is having. Someone has to do something to stop her, and Even realizes she can no longer wait until she's ready: she needs to be a hero now.
The second book in the Emblem Island series from powerhouse author Alex Aster. In this tale Tor, Engle, and Melda must stop a band of cursed pirates from taking over their home. Tor is adjusting to life with the power of the Night Witch, especially with his best friends Engle and Melda by his side. But when a mysterious girl washes up on shore claiming a band of cursed pirates is on their way to Emblem Island, life changes fast. The girl, Gemma, is from an underwater city that was destroyed by the terrible Calavera pirates and she warns Tor they are now on their way to his home. The trio of friends must come up with a plan to stop the pirates from getting an ancient relic that would give them the ability to control the high seas, while also protecting all they love from the new danger.
Hi there, I'm Hank. Here's what you need to know about me: I don't try to make the kids in my class laugh, but somehow I do. Spelling is my worst subject. (Come to think of it, so are math and reading!) I try hard-I really do. So why does my brain always freeze into a Popsicle? When Hank is chosen to take care of the principal's pet frog over the weekend, he promises he can handle the job. But when he forgets to put the lid back on the tank, the frog escapes! Can Hank find the missing frog by Monday?
Hi there, I'm Hank. Here's what you need to know about me: I don't try to make the kids in my class laugh, but somehow I do. Spelling is my worst subject. (Come to think of it, so are math and reading!) I try hard-I really do. So why does my brain always freeze into a Popsicle? When Hank's sister, Emily, is upset that she can't have a reptile show at her birthday party, Hank comes up with a plan of his own. He'll disguise himself as the Westside Wizard and pull a snake out of thin air! But learning the trick is harder than he thought. Can Hank pull it off without blowing his cover?
A SYDNEY TAYLOR NOTABLE BOOK • Learn about the importance of vaccines and the scientific process through the fascinating life of world-renowned scientist Jonas Salk, whose pioneering discoveries changed the world forever.
Dr. Jonas Salk is one of the most celebrated doctors and medical researchers of the 20th century. The child of immigrants who never learned to speak English, Jonas was struck by the devastation he saw when the soldiers returned from battle after WWII. Determined to help, he worked to become a doctor and eventually joined the team that created the influenza vaccine. But Jonas wanted to do more. As polio ravaged the United States--even the president was not immune!--Jonas decided to lead the fight against this terrible disease. In 1952, Dr. Jonas Salk invented the polio vaccine, which nearly eliminated polio from this country. For the rest of his life, Dr. Salk continued to do groundbreaking medical research at the Salk Institute, leaving behind a legacy that continues to make the world a better place every day.
This compelling picture book biography sheds light on Dr. Salk's groundbreaking journey and the importance of vaccination.
