Children’s / Teenage general interest: Communities, places and peoples

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 SynopsisDo you know the difference between a fact and an opinion? It can be a hard thing to understand. Some things are facts - like the number of robots in this book. Other things are opinions - like which robot would make the best friend, or which robot dances best. And sometimes to tell the difference between a fact and an opinion, you need to wait to get more information - that’s because facts can be proven true or false, and opinions are things you feel and believe - but that you can’t prove. Mike Rex introduces young readers to the very important distinction between facts and opinions, and he reminds us that it is nice to listen to one another’s opinions, and to stand up for the facts!Trade Review* “Charismatic robots populate this primer for kids growing up in an era when facts are considered debatable and opinions are oft expressed loudly and without empathy. Rex tackles a very serious topic infrequently addressed in kids' books: how to tell the difference between provable facts and far-less-provable opinions. To do this, Rex employs a handful of colorful and chatty robot pals who run through enough examples to make the distinctions clear. . . . Via a series of reboots, the robots learn how to respect opinions and engage in compromise. It's a welcome use of skill-building to counter an information landscape filled with calls of ‘Fake news!’ and toxic online discourse. . . . Perhaps most importantly, Rex's robots demonstrate that in the absence of enough information, it's perfectly fine to wait before acting. Vital information for young media consumers; it couldn't be timelier.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review“'Do you know the difference between a fact and an opinion?' Rex (Eat Pete!) creates an essential picture book for the times, with a cast of digitally rendered robots as his eager-eyed, rambunctious object lessons. . . . He offers more tips. Listen to other opinions, reboot the dialogue, and find common ground. Rex and his robots ultimately make a fun, cogent argument for informed and civil conversation. These robots could teach grown-ups a thing or two.”—Publishers Weekly“What a good idea! Show little ones how to tell facts from opinions—and do it with robots! The digital artwork features jaunty, colorful robots who bring up various topics and ask if they are fact or opinion. The colors of robots? That's a fact. . . . Which robot is more fun? That's an opinion. There are even questions, readers are shown, that can't be answered because more information is needed. The engaging robots, the simple text, the clean, crisp pages, and, of course, the question-and-answer format that gives young ones the chance to think and decide for themselves. . . . Parents, teachers, and librarians will find lots of uses for this, and even those working with somewhat older children can use it as a discussion starter.”—Booklist “Starting with the basics of discerning facts from opinions, the discussion becomes surprisingly complex, as Rex explores the times when we have to wait for more information in order to claim something as a fact. Most important, he finishes up by explaining the importance of respecting the opinions of others. Rex’s word choice and sentence structure make this title ideal for a young audience, while his critical thinking questions and repetition of concepts ensure that this text will be a useful purchase for any teacher. Rex’s large, vibrant robots add whimsy to the discussion. Their goofy, solid-color frames pop against the white background, making it ideal for large group sharing. A must-buy.”—School Library Journal

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Book Synopsis¡Edición en español y rimada del libro multicultural para primeros lectores acerca de la amistad y del hogar alrededor del mundo! Un libro perfecto para primeros lectores y para leer en voz alta. Su mensaje: «Los niños, no importa en qué parte del mundo, son iguales», es ideal tanto para el hogar como para la escuela. Sus encantadoras ilustraciones, realizadas por la galardonada ilustradora Katie Kath, contribuyen a ampliar la visión del mundo del niño! Creada por Dr. Seuss, la colección de libros para primeros lectores (Beginner Books) anima a los niños a leer ellos solos con palabras sencillas y divertidos dibujos que dan sentido a la lectura. Las ediciones rimadas en español de los clásicos de Dr. Seuss, publicadas por Random House, brindan la maravillosa oportunidad de disfrutar de sus historias a más de treinta y ocho millones de personas hispanohablantes en Estados Unidos. Los lectores podrán divertirse con las ediciones en español de The Cat in the Hat (El Gato Ensombrerado); Green Eggs and Ham (Huevos verdes con jamón); One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (Un pez, dos peces, pez rojo, pez azul); The Lorax (El Lórax); Oh, the Places You'll Go! (¡Oh, cuán lejos llegarás!); How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (¡Cómo el Grinch robó la Navidad!); The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (El Gato Ensombrerado ha regresado); I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! (¡Yo puedo leer con los ojos cerrados!); Horton Hears a Who! (¡Horton escucha a Quién!); The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (Los 500 sombreros de Bartolomé Cubbins); There's A Wocket in My Pocket! (¡Hay un Molillo en mi Bolsillo!); Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? (¡El Sr. Brown hace Muuu! ¿Podrías hacerlo tú?); Ten Apples Up On Top! (¡Diez manzanas en la cabeza!); What Pet Should I Get? (¿Cómo podré decidir qué mascota elegir?); Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories (Yoruga la Tortuga y otros cuentos); ¡Oh, piensa en todo lo que puedes pensar! (Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!); ¡Cuántos, cuántos pies! (The Foot Book); ¡Feliz cumpleaños! (Happy Birthday to You!); y Ven a mi casa (Come Over to My House). A rhymed Spanish edition of Dr. Seuss's multicultural Beginner Book about home and friendship! A great choice for beginning readers as well as for read-alouds, the message of this book—that kids are the same all over the world—makes it ideal for home or classroom use. With charming artwork by award-winning illustrator Katie Kath, it's perfect for expanding a child's worldview!Originally created by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books encourage children to read all by themselves, with simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning.

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