Search results for ""astra publishing""

EUREKA! Great things happen when science crosses history! Discover the all-true stories of your favorite inventions with this new multicultural STEM series that takes readers on a journey through time and around the world. A perfect choice for kids ages 4–8 who love to figure out how things work! Say "Cheese!" Around the world, millions of pictures are taken every second. Here is a "biography" of the camera, an essential invention that helps people capture the world around them! From the great Chinese thinker Mozi to Aristotle to Louis Daguerre and George Eastman, people have noticed the interesting effects of light passing through a small opening--the basic idea of a camera. Camera is a fun and informative look at an invention that makes a huge difference in our lives. This STEAM nonfiction title is part of the new Eureka! series, with each book focusing on one groundbreaking, world-changing discovery that millions of people use every single day.

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Twin sisters find themselves growing apart as they respond differently to their father’s postwar trauma, the NASCAR speedway in their town, and their new high school With home life destabilized by her father’s post-World War II trauma, Ellie Honeycutt seeks escape at the NASCAR speedway and in her dreams of travel and college. Meanwhile, her twin sister, Ida, clings to family and finds solace in her sketchbook. Their close relationship is threatened when they both fall for the same charming classmate at their new high school—but a devastating car accident renews the sisters’ deep bond, forcing them to reverse their roles. Set against the backdrop of the nuclear arms race and the 1952 presidential election, this middle grade historical fiction novel is a powerful story of sisterhood and growing up, told in the twins’ alternating voices.

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Nine kittens go on an exciting boating adventure that's a (funny) catastrophe in this playful picture book that demonstrates the key math concept of patterns. A crew of hungry kittens and their captain head to the lake to catch some dinner, but the fish have surprises in store for them. Even before the cats encounter the fish, they run into trouble. What happens when confused kitties paddle every which way? Or when they all lean in the same direction? A pattern is needed to avoid a catastrophe! Patterns are the foundation on which math is built. Using strong rhythm, clever wordplay, and countable characters, CATastrophe! is a fun read-aloud that also shows what patterns can do. Helpful backmatter will deepen readers' understanding and challenge them to find more patterns in this book and in our world. There's also much to find in the illustrations-including a dragonfly and worm that each appear twenty times.

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There's love for everyone in this sweet, rhyming story about a toddler and father who share an outing to the animal shelter, where they find a dog that's the perfect addition to their family!Frankie and Dad are going on an adventure! They head to the local animal shelter where they meet all kinds of dogs, until they find just the right one. But how will Kitty react to their new pet? Here is a charming, accessible story about adopting a pet and giving it a loving home that’s perfect for dog-and animal-lovers, and an ideal gift for any family considering pet ownership.

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The powerful poems in this poignant collection weave together multiple voices to tell the story of the March on Washington, DC, in 1963. From the woman singing through a terrifying bus ride to DC, to the teenager who came partly because his father told him, "Don't you dare go to that march," to the young child riding above the crowd on her father's shoulders, each voice brings a unique perspective to this tale. As the characters tell their personal stories of this historic day, their chorus plunges readers into the experience of being at the march—walking shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers, hearing Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech, heading home inspired.

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It's Sunday—ice cream day! But sometimes the ice cream truck turns down a different street. Can Jerron, A.J., and Cha crack the ice cream man's code? They want him to come their way! Tying into the popular Makers Movement, Makers Make It Work is a series of fun easy-to-read stories that focus on problem-solving and hands-on action. This charming story explores the Makers theme of Coding and includes explanatory sidebars and a computer coding-related activity for young makers to try themselves!

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For Luke, autumn in Florida feels weird. There are no changing leaves, no cider, and worst of all, no pumpkin chucking! But maybe he can engineer a way to bring pumpkin spice to the south. Tying into the popular Makers Movement, Makers Make It Work is a series of fun easy-to-read stories that focus on problem-solving and hands-on action. This charming story explores the Makers theme of Engineering and includes explanatory sidebars and a catapult activity for young makers to try themselves!

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Discover Bright Owl Books! This super simple beginning readers series, created by best-selling Step into Reading author and illustrator Molly Coxe, features vowel sounds – basic building blocks of reading – and only around 100 words in each book. With a note to parents and teachers at the beginning and story starters at the end, these books give kids the perfect start on educational success.Beetle eats three leaves. What can Weevil and Flea eat? This fun photographic easy-to-read story features the long “e” vowel sound.

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Discover the secret behaviors of a notoriously stinky mammal--the skunk--by following a family as the kits grow from infancy to adulthood.The celebrated Secret Life series continues with a determined mother skunk and her five kits. Young readers will learn about their hidden lives as the skunk kits grow and explore their world, escape predators, and hunt for food. Here is a story of family and survival packed with science terminology, depictions of skunk behavior, and information about skunks' habitats, diets, and sounds. And stunning illustrations invite readers to get closer than they ever could in reality to these skunks' secret lives.

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The step-by-step process of air travel from the perspective of a young girl on a trip with her parents is revealed in this informative picture book.With gorgeous, simple artwork and a clear, step-by-step explanation of the process of air travel, this book shows young readers how each worker at an airport and on a plane -- from the boarding agent, ground crew, flight attendants, pilot and copilot, and air traffic controllers -- contributes along the way to bring passengers safely to their destinations. The title has easy-to-read text and simple, graphic illustrations, as well as a sweet surprise ending -- the family brought along their dog, who earns wings for its first flight.

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In this fun-filled adventure, good-hearted Lola can't help getting into trouble. Her friends are all traveling for the Thanksgiving holidays, so she offers to dog-sit--but fails to mention this to her mom. Now, Lola is juggling her dog-sitting responsibilities with her worries. Will her parents discover the growing knot in her hair and cause her excruciating pain brushing it out? Will her grandmothers discover that she's lied to them every year about who makes the best pumpkin pie? Will Jack get so involved in his new babysitting and yard-work jobs that, like Mom and Dad, he won't have time for her anymore? Lola's worries, like the knot in her hair, grow greater until she finally has to stop hiding them and start untangling them.

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This emotionally resonant novel in verse by award-winning author Nikki Grimes celebrates choosing to be true to yourself.Garvey's father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading—anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend, and he is also overweight, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey's life changes. The chorus finds a new soloist in Garvey, and through chorus, Garvey finds a way to accept himself, and a way to finally reach his distant father—by speaking the language of music instead of the language of sports.

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Fifteen poems selected by acclaimed poet and anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins celebrate all of the grown-ups that children encounter during the course of a school day.Welcome to school, a building of brick "full of soul and heart," eager for students and staff to fill its halls with sounds. This anthology of fifteen poems celebrates the grown-up people that children encounter throughout the course of their school day: the school bus driver with her morning smile, the teacher who inspires imagination, the rarely seen, yet caring custodian, and the nurse who heals hurts, big and small. There's even a poem about the school building. Award-winning poet and anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins has compiled this marvelous collection featuring a variety of brand-new works by well-known poets and beautifully imaginative artwork by illustrator Ellen Shi.

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In this second book in the comic-horror The Goolz Next Door series, twelve-year-old Harold and his quirky neighbors contend with a legendary monster that lives in the nearby Mallow Marsh. Immediately picking up where A Bad Night for Bullies left off, Harold is now an official member of the Goolz team, comprised of eccentric horror author Frank Goolz and his daughters Suzie and Ilona (who is also Harold's kinda-sorta girlfriend). A set of twins has come to the Goolz for help in finding their missing mother, whom they believe has been taken by the monster rumored to live in the Mallow Marsh. When the (very real) monster bites Harold, his bizarre symptoms cause him to fear he is transforming into a monster himself. Then Suzie is taken, and it's up to Harold and Ilona to save her, prevent the formation of future marsh monsters, and stop Harold's own frightening transformation.

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With vibrant double-page spreads featuring a big rig at work on the road and minimal text explaining what the driver, Dad, does along the way, the audience rides along with the big red truck from morning until day's end, when father and son are together again.

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Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award Winner“An engaging and accessible account” for young readers about the Freedom Riders who led the landmark 1961 protests against segregation on buses (School Library Journal) On May 4, 1961, a group of thirteen black and white civil rights activists launched the Freedom Ride, aiming to challenge the practice of segregation on buses and at bus terminal facilities in the South.The Ride would last twelve days. Despite the fact that segregation on buses crossing state lines was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1946, and segregation in interstate transportation facilities was ruled unconstitutional in 1960, these rulings were routinely ignored in the South. The thirteen Freedom Riders intended to test the laws and draw attention to the lack of enforcement with their peaceful protest. As the Riders traveled deeper into the South, they encountered increasing violence and opposition. Noted civil rights author Larry Dane Brimner relies on archival documents and rarely seen images to tell the riveting story of the little-known first days of the Freedom Ride.

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Flashlight Night is an ode to the power of imagination and the wonder of books. Three children use a flashlight to light a path around their backyard at night; in the flashlight’s beam another world looms. Our heroes encounter spooky woods, a fearsome tiger, a time-forgotten tomb, an Egyptian god, a sword-fighting pirate, and a giant squid. With ingenuity, they vanquish all, then return to their tree house—braver, closer, and wiser than before—to read the books that inspired their adventure.

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Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book Here is the riveting dual biography of two little-known but extraordinary African-American Union soldiers in Civil War history—George E. Stephens and James Henry Gooding. Stephens and Gooding not only served in the Massachusetts 54th Infantry, the well-known black regiment, but were also war correspondents who published eyewitness reports of the battlefields. Their dispatches told the truth of their lives at camp, their intense training, and the dangers and tragedies on the battlefield. Like the other thousands of black soldiers in the regiment, they not only fought against the Confederacy and the inhumanity of slavery, but also against injustice in their own army. The regiment’s protest against unfair pay resulted in America’s first major civil rights victory—equal pay for African American soldiers. This fresh perspective on the Civil War includes an author’s note, timeline, bibliography, index and source notes.

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This collection of laugh-out-loud poems explores the daily life of insect students and staff at Crawly School for Bugs.Welcome to Crawly School for Bugs! Termites, stink bugs, gnats, and every insect in between attend this buzzy school where crickets take classes like "How to Be Annoying in 4 Easy Steps." Some students struggle with the temptation to eat fellow classmates, while others deal with a mosquito nurse who always wants to draw blood, or attempt to make friends despite their own microscopic size. With funny illustrations by Julie Bayless, these humorous poems by award-winning author David L. Harrison are perfect for poetry fans and bug enthusiasts alike.

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In this unusual collection, poems and photographs focus on shapes in nature. Some shapes are found in familiar places: A circle is the sun and a crescent is the moon. But there are imaginative surprises too: an alligator's tooth is a triangle and a frond's shadow forms a square. Related shape words—round, halo, sphere, etc.—are scattered throughout the spreads. This collaboration captures the beauty of shapes in nature in a playful way.

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Humorous comparisons and playful artwork teach children the unusual ways that a variety of animals—from woodpeckers to snakes to bats—use their tongues to find food, eat, and clean themselves.In this nonfiction picture book, kids will learn about the woodpecker, which uses its tongue to burrow for insects under tree bark; the okapi, which can wash its face and ears with its tongue; and the octopus, which uses its tongue to drill holes in shells. Through bright, playful collage artwork, readers can imagine what it would be like to have a tongue like a sword, like a straw, or like a party blower, among many other silly and illuminating comparisons. The back matter expands on each animal tongue's unique abilities and includes information about other fun tongues, too.

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Amelia Bloomer ListThe world is full of great things to be and do! Meet Aliki, Belinda, Chris, and 23 more girls who are imagining what they will be when they grow up—from astronaut to zookeeper. What would you like to be when you grow up? An astronaut? A ballet dancer, a computer whiz? The world is full of great things to do. But like Aliki, Belinda, Chris, and the other girls in this book, you have to have a dream. Eve Bunting’s breezy, rhyming text, with lively illustrations by Suzanne Bloom, invites girls to “dream any dream you want to dream.”

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Perfect for every baseball fan, here is the story of New York Yankees baseball great Joe DiMaggio’s longest hitting streak in baseball history.In the summer of 1941, Yankee center fielder Joe DiMaggio and his favorite bat, Betsy Ann, begin the longest hitting streak in baseball history. But when Betsy Ann goes missing, will DiMaggio keep hitting? Set on the brink of World War II, this is a spellbinding account of a sports story that united the country and made DiMaggio a hero, at a time when one was profoundly needed. Barb Rosenstock's action-packed text and Terry Widener's powerful illustrations capture DiMaggio's drive as well as his frustration. The book also includes headlines, quotes, stats, and a detailed bibliography.

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Famous female athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias had one driving goal: to become the greatest athlete who ever lived. But there was more to Babe than just sports.Babe had a meteoric rise -- to famed basketball player, Olympic medalist, and top female golfer. But her life included many controversies surrounding her upbringing, personality, marriage, and even her early death. This action-packed true story of a woman ESPN ranks as #10 of the top North American athletes of the twentieth century is a fascinating biography of a historical sports figure. Ideal for Women's History Month, the book includes personal and professional photographs, quotes, a bibliography, and an index.

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Did you know that octopuses can eject ink in the shape of a ghostly octopus or detach a wiggling arm while jetting away to safety? Or that their skin can change color for camouflage? Octopuses are the subject of this latest installment of the successful Strange and Wonderful series. Covering the entire life cycle of these mysterious ocean dwellers and their anatomical details and behavioral quirks, Laurence Pringle's investigation of octopuses is both a comprehensive and accessible introduction and resource.

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Goose and Bear are back in this classic friendship story about choosing one friend over another.It's playtime! Bear and Goose are having fun. Then Little Fox joins in – and somebody gets left out. Feelings are bound to get hurt. But as this gentle story shows, the solution lies in including friends, not excluding them. As in her previous Bear and Goose stories, Suzanne Bloom's latest book deals with a familiar aspect of friendship and how to solve problems.

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The classic poem in a newly illustrated edition. Paul Revere and his famous ride were immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in a poem published in 1861, more than eighty years after the even. Longfellow wrote the poem at the time of the Civil War. He hoped that his story of an ordinary citizen who comes to the aid of his country would stir patriotic feelings and support for the Union. He was right. In face, if it hadn't been for Longfellow, Paul Revere may have remained a local legend. The poem fired the imaginations of Americans and a national hero was born. This illustrated edition of the classic poem features vivid oil paintings by Monica Vachula, whose research into period and place can be seen in the smallest detail. A concluding note by historian Jayne Triber, author of A True Republican: The Life of Paul Revere, explores the poem and Paul Revere's place in American history.

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In the nineteen fifties and early sixties, Birmingham, Alabama, became known as Bombingham. At the center of this violent time in the fight for civil rights, and standing at opposite ends, were Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor. From his pulpit, Shuttlesworth agitated for racial equality, while Commissioner Connor fought for the status quo. Relying on court documents, police and FBI reports, newspapers, interviews, and photographs, author Larry Dane Brimner first covers each man's life and then brings them together to show how their confrontation brought about significant change to the southern city. The author worked closely with Birmingham's Civil Rights Institute as well as with Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and his wife to bring together this Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, ALA Notable Children's book, and Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of the Year.

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Shepherds have used dogs to protect livestock for thousands of years. But burros also have a natural instinct to protect, which makes them a perfect guardian animals as well. Meet Rena and Roo, a super dog-and-burro guardian team at work on a sheep ranch in Wyoming. The animals have a close connection with the sheep they protect, but it takes time and effort for Rena and Roo to grow to trust one another. In this companion book to her award-winning Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs, Cat Urbigkit uses simple, informative text and eye-catching photographs to show how Rena and Roo develop into guardian animals.

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Can you climb a tree without using arms or legs? Can you smell odors by wiggling your tongue in the air? Snakes can! Beginning with these simple questions, award-winning author Laurence Pringle invites readers to explore the remarkable abilities and lives of snakes. Snakes are legless reptiles, but thanks to their powerful muscles and hundreds of rib bones they can coil, creep, climb, and swim. Some can even glide through the air. Join Laurence Pringle in this NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book as he takes a look at some of the more than two thousand snakes that are found almost all over the world. A lively and informative text, joined with Meryl Henderson's bold and realistic art, explains how snakes hunt for food, move, shed their skin, give birth, and play important roles in nature. While snakes may look strange, this fascinating book shows why they are also wonderful creatures.

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Jane Addams Children's Honor BookNCTE Orbis Pictus Honor BookKirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of the YearThis nonfiction picture book focuses on Birmingham Sunday, a fateful day and significant part of the Civil Rights movement, and places it in historical context.Racial bombings were so frequent in Birmingham, Alabama that it became known as "Bombingham." Until September 15, 1963, these attacks had been threatening but not deadly. On that Sunday morning, however, a blast in the 16th Street Baptist Church ripped through the exterior wall and claimed the lives of four girls. The church was the ideal target for segregationists, as it was the rallying place for Birmingham's African American community, Martin Luther King, Jr., using it as his "headquarters" when he was in town to further the cause of desegregation and equal rights. Rather than triggering paralyzing fear, the bombing was the definitive act that guaranteed passage of the landmark 1964 civil rights legislation.

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At a school that sits on the edge of the Sahara, students are learning to speak English from a teacher who stands in front of a Webcam in North America. These students are learning in a virtual classroom. In another part of the world, kids aren't waiting to ride the bus to school—they are waiting to hop in a boat that will take them to a school that floats on a river. And some kids don't mind heights, especially those who attend a school on the slope of a mountain in the Himalayas, in one of the most remote corners of the earth. Margriet Ruurs contacted teachers and volunteers, many of whom took cameras in hand to photograph their schools and students. In this lively photo-essay, readers get to know students—from the arid plains of southern Afghanistan to the rain forests of Guatemala—who are pursuing their dreams of a brighter future.

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At every corner, down every block, a city percolates with people at work and play: girls jumping double Dutch, the shoeshine man polishing a pair of wing tips, boys heading toward the basketball court. Each neighborhood is filled with unique characters (the beautician, the barber, the short-order cook) and places (the storefront churches, the outdoor market, the park pool) - all as familiar as family. Carole Boston Weatherford pays tribute to these sights and sounds of urban life in twenty fresh and rhythmic poems. In quiet moments and lively street scenes, her work captures the excitement and diversity found in these places that have "no trees / to climb" but where people young and old still "reach for the stars." Dimitrea Tokunbo's vivid illustrations are sure to delight.

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Here's real help for math students. From abacus to zero property of multiplication, this handy reference guide for students contains more than five hundred common mathematical terms. Written in simple language and illustrated with hundreds of helpful photographs and drawings, Math Dictionary takes the mystery out of math.

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It's easy to make one,lying on your back in the newest snow.You move your arms like wings.Later you forget about your creation,go inside for a mug of hot chocolate.That's when she rises from the snowtakes a feathery breath, tries out her wings.So begins a poem about making a snow angel, but it might also refer to the mysterious way that a poem comes into being and takes on a life of its own. In this new collection, Ralph Fletcher shows us how you can write a poem about almost anything: a baby sister, a Venus's-flytrap, a failing grandmother, a squished squirrel, grammar homework, and more. These poems take us inside the creative process as they reveal both the playfulness and the power of poetry. More than anything, they invite us to pick up pen and paper and write some poems of your own.

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Meet Seaman, the Newfoundland dog who joined the Lewis and Clark expedition into the uncharted western wilderness. Seaman was much more than the faithful companion of Captain Lewis. Seaman risked his life many times and served the Corps of Discovery as a hunter, retriever, and guard dog. This richly detailed account of the expedition includes its planning, its adventures and discoveries, and its aftermath. During the trek from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back, every member of the Corps of Discovery suffered from hunger, insect bites, injuries, and close calls with death. Noted children's author Laurence Pringle follows the expedition closely and highlights the adventures of Seaman as they appear in the journals of Lewis and Clark. Pringle also offers evidence, first revealed in 2000, about what happened to Seaman after the journey's end. With intriguing sidebars, historical illustrations, journal excerpts, and original art, this account of the Corps of Discovery features the remarkable dog that was the expedition's most unusual member.

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Marta Enos is having a bad day. It begins when the wind blows her homework out the window and the dogs chew it to pieces. Her grandmother consoles her with a tortilla as "big and pale as a rising full moon," along with ancient words of advice. This charming story, set on a Papago reservation in southern Arizona near the Mexican border, offers Native American wisdom that helps children--and adults as well--put their problems in perspective.

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Now in paperback and filled with stunning full-color photographs, Steve Swinburne's concept book introduces children to the basics of shadows. He then leads them on a shadow hunt, playing a game called "Guess Whose Shadow?," in which young ones will discover there's more to shadows than first meets the eye.

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Take a wild ride with poet Sara Holbrook as she guides young writers in performing their poetry with style and pizzazz. With enthusiasm and a touch of irreverence, Ms. Holbrook, a performance poet herself, explains how to use voice, rhythm, attitude, movement, and other techniques to perform poetry in a group, duo, or solo. More than thirty poems are included for young readers to practice, as well as instructions for putting on a poetry jam at school or in the community.

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Each read-aloud book in the Mouse Math series focuses on a single, basic math concept and features adorable mice, Albert and Wanda, who live in a People House. Entertaining fiction stories capture kids’ imaginations as the mice learn about numbers, shapes, sizes and more. Over 3 million copies sold worldwide!What could be better than a Captain Slime penny? Albert needs two quarters to use the library's new penny-smashing machine. Luckily, Wanda has a great idea for how Albert can earn the money. Every Mouse Math title includes back matter activities that support and extend reading comprehension and math skills, plus free online activities. (Math concept: Counting money)

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The Milo & Jazz Mysteries stars two kid detectives-in-training who use STEM problem-solving skills as they race to unravel cases and save the day! Perfect for fans of Encyclopedia Brown, Cam Jansen and Nate the Great.When it's time to dig up the town time capsule, all that is found is a mysterious note…and a skeleton! To everyone's relief, "Herman" turns out to be the long-lost skeleton from the high school science lab. Can Milo and Jazz gather enough clues to find the missing capsule and solve a 75-year-old mystery? This ideal series for beginning readers making the transition to chapter books has incredible Super Sleuthing activities in each book, including hidden pictures, puzzles, mini-mysteries, and quizzes—plus free online activities.

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Each read-aloud book in the Mouse Math series focuses on a single, basic math concept and features adorable mice, Albert and Wanda, who live in a People House. Entertaining fiction stories capture kids’ imaginations as the mice learn about numbers, shapes, sizes and more. Over 3 million copies sold worldwide!The puddle is frozen and Albert can't wait to go mice skating! All the other mice are skating shapes. Wanda can make a circle, and the Mousely triplets can make a triangle. But can Albert make anything but trouble? Every Mouse Math title includes back matter activities that support and extend reading comprehension and math skills, plus free online activities. (Math concept: 2D Shapes)

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