Children’s / Teenage fiction and true stories

Book SynopsisTummy full, story read, Yawn, stretch, time for bed. . . . Now one more kiss and one more hug, I drift to sleep, safe and snug. A classic bedtime ritual experienced through a baby's eyes, this book conveys safe sleep practices in a gentle, rhythmic way. A perfect gift for new families, it was created for Charlie's Kids Foundation, whose mission is educating families about SIDS prevention.

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Book SynopsisA child''s delight in a new pair of shoes is the same all over the world, whether the shoes are patent-leather sandals, straw alpargatas, deerskin moccasins, or wooden clogs.?For Mako, a little Japanese girl, the new shoes were clogs painted with red lacquer that shone beautifully. This is the story of what happened after she cracked the new clogs playing the weather-telling game and so longed for a bright, shiny new pair to replace them that she almost did a dishonest thing.The warmth and quiet understanding of the grandmother who, remembering her own temptations as a little girl, recalls this story for her granddaughter, makes A Pair of Red Clogs especially moving. Kazue Mizumura''s charming illustrations are as delicate and graceful as the story itself.

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Book SynopsisBlink your eyes and twinkle your fingers to help decorate the tree in this stylish interactive picture book from Kinfolk founding art director, Amanda Jane Jones Hooray! It’s time to decorate the tree! Can you help? Clap to turn on the lights. Twinkle your fingers to add some ornaments. Shake to add some more. (But not too hard; you don’t want to break one!) This interactive picture book allows little helpers to trim the tree again and again, all season long.Trade ReviewWith the clapping, singing, tapping, and shaking children will be doing as this story is told, it’s a sure hit for the Christmas holidays for both readers and the audience. * School Library Journal *This book becomes a safe space where young children can share the fun of decorating a Christmas tree. * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisDoug doesn’t like hugs. He thinks hugs are too squeezy, too squashy, too squooshy, too smooshy. He doesn’t like hello hugs or goodbye hugs, game-winning home run hugs or dropped ice cream cone hugs, and he definitely doesn’t like birthday hugs. He’d much rather give a high five - or a low five, a side five, a double five, or a spinny five. Yup, some people love hugs; other people don’t. So how can you tell if someone likes hugs or not? There’s only one way to find out: Ask! Because everybody gets to decide for themselves whether they want a hug or not.Trade ReviewPraise for Don't Hug Doug:A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the YearAn ALA Notable Children’s BookA Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year“A simple but effective lesson for children learning their own personal boundaries.” —TODAY“Don’t Hug Doug can make kids feel better about their own boundaries, and challenge them to understand the comfort of others. But really, it gives grown-ups something to consider, too.” —Boston Globe* “A cheerful approach to basic consent . . . An excellent update on the golden rule: treat people how they want to be treated.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review* “A gently humorous picture book that kindly, effectively highlights the importance of asking others before initiating physical contact.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review“Simple and effective in showing young viewers how to establish bodily autonomy . . . A great starting point for a conversation about boundaries and how to set them.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books“A fun way to deliver the truth of different strokes for different folks.” —Booklist“It’s great to see . . . boundaries [of consent and personal autonomy] talked about, and Don’t Hug Doug does it in a way that’s both reinforcing and fun to read.” —The A.V. Club

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Book SynopsisEver 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 neighbour, 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.Trade Review“In her debut novel, Starfish, Lisa Fipps confronts diet culture and fat phobia head-on. . . . The book reads as if Ellie herself is writing these poems, which are accessible and engaging.”—The New York Times Book Review* “Fipps bursts onto the middle-grade scene with her debut, a verse novel that shines because of Ellie’s keen and emotionally striking observations. As she draws readers in with her smart and succinct voice, Ellie navigates the difficult map of knowing she deserves better treatment while struggling with the conflict that's necessary to achieve it. Fipps hands her young narrator several difficult life lessons, including how to self-advocate, how not to internalization of the words of others, and what it means to defend yourself. Ellie's story will delight readers who long to see an impassioned young woman seize an unapologetic victory.”—Booklist, starred review* “Fipps’ verse is skillful and rooted in emotional reality. The text places readers in Ellie’s shoes, showing how she is attacked in many spaces—including by strangers on public transit—while clearly asserting that it’s other people who need to change. . . . Make room in your heart for this cathartic novel”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review* “Affirming representation of fatness. . . . Fipps’s use of verse is as effective as it is fitting; Ellie dreams of becoming a storyteller and poet ‘to help people feel what it’s like/ to live in/ someone else’s skin.’ A triumphant and poignantly drawn journey toward self-acceptance and self-advocacy.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review* “A charming novel in verse about a girl struggling with self-worth. . . . Once readers start, it will be difficult for them to put this book down. Ellie’s story is heartbreaking and raw at times, and Fipps paints a realistic picture of bullying in a world that equates thinness with beauty. . . . True joy comes in watching Ellie gain confidence in herself and standing up to the bullies, even when they’re family. . . . A must-have for libraries serving teens and tweens.”—School Library Journal, starred review“In this free-verse novel, Fipps is laceratingly authentic about the kind of ‘teasing’ and ‘help’ that Ellie is constantly subject to, and the family dynamic, wherein her father dislikes her mother’s treatment but rarely intervenes, is sadly believable. . . The intense focus mirrors a lot of experience, and readers will be glad to see Ellie eventually ‘starfishing—starting to claim my right to take up space.’”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books“This beautiful, heartbreaking, and powerful novel-in-verse would pair well with media literacy lessons on body imagery, bullying, and victim shaming. The story is very engaging and readers will not want to put it down. School guidance counselors, school psychologists, and social workers will appreciate the realistic portrayal of Ellie’s therapist and the benefits of therapy for children and adults.”—School Library Connection “Ellie’s simple and powerful free-verse poems intensify her emotional turmoil and smoothly destroy stereotypes (‘They think I’m unhappy / because I’m fat. / The truth is, / I’m unhappy because / they bully me / about being fat’). Her strength in accepting herself and learning to defy her Fat Girl Rules is an inspiring reminder to all readers that they deserve to ‘take up space.’”—Horn Book“Readers will rejoice as Ellie gains the strength to confront bullies with intelligence and honesty, and refuses to allow other people’s cruelty to shape her life.”—Padma Venkatraman, award-winning author of The Bridge Home“This is a big beautiful book about a big beautiful girl. Meet Ellie, who looks in the mirror and sees someone lovable. Now, if only the rest of the world (and especially her own mother and brother) could see what Ellie sees. This is a story about the colossal cruelty that’s hurled at her because of her weight, and how, with colossal strength, Ellie manages to triumph. An honest, heartbreaking, hilarious novel-in-verse from a debut author with a delicious voice.”—Sonya Sones, author of What My Mother Doesn’t Know“Lisa Fipps’s spot-on verse gives Ellie a wrenchingly real voice that sings with humor, pain, and hope. Prepare yourself: Once you read this book, your heart will never be the same.” —K. A. Holt, author of House Arrest

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Book SynopsisThe #1 New York Times bestselling Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel is now available in a book and toy set!This book and toy set comes with a bite-sized 7.5 x 7.5 copy of Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel and two 4 dragon plush toys. Storytime just got twice as fun!Our dragons' favorite snack is in danger of going extinct in this laugh-out-loud, time-traveling sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Dragons Love Tacos.

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Book SynopsisCelebrate diversity and natural Black hair with this bright, joyful level 1 Step Into Reading book that will have girls everywhere repeating the book's chorus: "I love being me!"Girls will love seeing strong, happy reflections of themselves in this vibrant, rhyming, Step 1 reader about the joy of being a girl. Full of positive affirmations and bright scenes of girls enjoying their favorite activities, such as reading, soccer, cooking, swimming, and gardening, this easy reader promotes girls' self-esteem and smarts.Step 1 Readers feature big type and easy words for children who know the alphabet and are eager to begin reading. Rhyme and rhythmic text paired with picture clues help children decode the story.Look for all the books in the Happy Hair series:• Happy Hair• Cool Cuts• I'm Growing Great• Smart Sisters• I Am Born to Be Awesome! (Step Into Reading)

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Book SynopsisLift the flaps for a highly amusing hide-and-seek game! Randolph isn't very good at hide-and-seek, and where he thinks are the best hiding places will have young readers squeal with delight as they lift the flaps to find him. Where's Randolph? is an irresistible board book; children will want to play hide-and-seek with Randolph again and again! • Fun family read-aloud books • Books for children aged 0 to 3 • Books for toddlers and preschool children

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