Search results for ""astra publishing house""

“This is . . . real literature, pure and honest.”—Vladimir Nabokov"The scintillating English-language debut from Felsen . . . [is] a fittingly volatile record of ruinous desire. —Publishers WeeklyOnce considered the 'Russian Proust', Yuri Felsen tells the story of an obsessive love affair set in interwar Europe in Deceit, an experimental novel in the form of a diary that is an as-yet-undiscovered landmark of Russian émigré literature.We meet our unnamed narrator in Paris in the 20s, where he finds himself an expat after the Russian Revolution. At a friend’s request he meets the beautiful, clever socialite Lyolya, also a recent exile from Russia. What begins as casual friendship quickly turns into fascination and obsession, as Lyolya gives mixed signals and pursues other men. Our narrator, emerging from a depression, is soon overwhelmed by the very idea of her, which begins to contour all of his observations, thoughts, and feelings. While Lyolya continues to live a life unencumbered by the forces of social convention, and history, our narrator’s revelations, written in diary form, grow increasingly painful, familiar, and rich with psychological introspection.Quite unlike any other writer in the Russian canon, Felsen evokes in poetic and idiosyncratic prose not only the Zeitgeist of interwar Europe and his émigré milieu, but also the existential crisis of the age.

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"A witty, toothy, family saga, unashamedly intellectual . . . that, like youth, seems to have it all—energy, aspiration, and self-delusion." —Catherine Taylor, Financial Times"MEET SWEDEN'S SALLY ROONEY" —The Times of London"A wry bestseller that reads like the effortlessly chic European cousin of Fleishman is in Trouble." —The Telegraph of London"Poised at the intersection of life and art, reality and imagination, [Collected Works] blends the thrill of mystery with the curiosity and depth of philosophical inquiry." —The New Yorker"Collected Works . . . is as insatiable in its read as it is insightful to modern challenges of family, memory, and finding purpose." —Matthew Bedard, Flaunt"[A] sweeping and complex drama of family, art, and sacrifice . . . Readers will be captivated." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review"A richly evocative work from a major new talent." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review A compelling mystery and poignant bildungsroman for readers of Karl Ove Knausgård, Collected Works is a novel about love, power, and art—and what leads us to make the pivotal decisions that change the course of our lives.Martin Berg’s wife, Cecilia, disappeared years ago. His memories of their carefree college days seem ever out of reach, and the intellectual curiosities that once made him the object of her desire have given way to midlife uncertainty. The methodical and quiet life he’s made for himself and his adult children couldn’t be further from the one he dreamed of in his youth, when the manuscripts lying around his apartment were flush with promise and his ailing publishing house was still new.Perhaps nothing reminds Martin of these failures more than his friend Gustav Becker, a wildly successful painter who’s returned to Gothenburg on the eve of his career-defining retrospective. Gustav, meanwhile, is hurting too. His obsession with Cecilia’s inexplicable disappearance had made his art hagiographic, fixated on her image. When posters for Gustav’s retrospective plaster Cecilia’s face on major billboards across the city, Martin’s daughter Rakel learns a haunting fact that points toward her mother’s whereabouts. She and her brother chase this clue across time, memory, and Europe to discover why Cecilia abandoned her family, with the imagined hope that the question of what makes a person leave can ever be answered.Collected Works, a major hit in Sweden, sold over 100,000 copies in its first year in print, instantly making Lydia Sandgren a literary sensation. Winner of the 2020 August Prize for Fiction, the novel is set to publish in 17 territories.

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A yet-untranslated essay collection on the importance of critical thought, from one of the foremost Chinese intellectuals of the 1990s. Wang Xiaobo’s Pleasure of Thinking is an essay collection as riotous as it is contemplative. Between rollicking anecdotes about living between the East and West and serious musings on the intellectual situations at home and abroad, Xiaobo examines modern life with the levity missing from so much of today’s politico-cultural discourse. In “The Maverick Pig,” he considers the existential differences between humans and livestock. In “Tales From Abroad: Food,” he recounts the culture shock of discovering American diets while studying at Carnegie Mellon. Several pieces focus on literature, with notable essays devoted to Italo Calvino, Bertrand Russell, and Ernest Hemingway, whom Xiaobo admired greatly. Others are more personal in nature, ranging from a meditation on getting mugged, to the consideration of the question: why do I write? Controversial, hilarious, and inimitable, Pleasure of Thinking is a delightful celebration of Wang Xiaobo’s unique critical perspective.

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“His is a voice that must be heard.” —Patti Smith“A poetic rush to madness. . . a stunning, original voice as lyrical as it is unnerving."—Alan Weisman, author of The World Without Us and Countdown"In the shadow of catastrophe, Markiyan Kamysh writes with all of youth’s wayward lyricism, like a nuclear Kerouac." —Rob Doyle, author of ThresholdA rare portrait of the dystopian reality of Chornobyl, Ukraine, as it was before the Russian occupation of 2022.Since the nuclear disaster in April 1986, Chornobyl remains a toxic, forbidden wasteland. As with all dangerous places, it attracts a wild assortment of adventurers who feel called to climb over the barbed wire illegally and witness the aftermath for themselves. Breaking the law here is a pilgrimage: a defiant, sacred experience.In Stalking the Atomic City, Kamysh tells us about thieves who hide in the abandoned buildings, the policemen who chase them, and the romantic utopists who have built families here, even as deadly toxic waste lingers in the buildings, playgrounds, and streams. The book is complete with stunning photographs that may well be the last images to capture Chornobyl’s desolate beauty since occupying Russian forces started to loot and destroy the site in March 2022.An extraordinary guide to this alien world many of us will never see, Kamysh’s singular prose that is both brash and bold, compared to Kerouac and gonzo journalists, captures the understated elegance and timeless significance of this dystopian reality.

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"[A] vibrant and punchy novel . . . Through Falero’s lovable characters, readers will meditate on violence and respectability within the death-trap of runaway capitalism. Head-on against the grim indignities of an unequal world, Falero’s poetic novel embraces humor and empathy." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)A modern picaresque novel and vivid satire on social mobility where the lives of two Brazilian supermarket stock clerks are upturned after their small-time marijuana business takes off.In the favelas of Porto Alegre, Brazil, marijuana is hard to come by. Supermarket stock clerks Pedro and Marques spend their days unloading trucks, restocking shelves, and dreaming of a better life, of breaking the cycle of poverty that has afflicted their families and their community. Well-acquainted with the drug dealers in their neighborhood and seeing an opportunity to earn a little extra cash, they decide to start a weed-dealing operation. The economic hierarchies of Porto Alegre are turned upside down as, almost accidentally, the two men build a thriving enterprise and get rich, quickly. Distribution grows from dime bags to kilos, and Pedro and Marques begin to plan for a future where low-wage work will never again be a necessity for them and their families. All too soon however, their operation starts attracting outsider attention, and cracks in their carefully crafted and seemingly untouchable world begin to show, culminating in one final, lethal showdown. A witty, voice-driven, and electrifying portrait of poverty and a canny examination of the ethics of drug dealing and low-wage labor in the underbelly of Brazil, Pedro and Marques Take Stock is a contemporary picaresque novel of class and crime.

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In this acclaimed story collection, Chilean transgender performer and author Ivan Monalisa Ojeda delivers an irreverent, honest and full-throated love song to New York City from the perspective of a group of trans Latinx immigrant friends who walk the streets, smoke crystal meth, compete in beauty contests, look for clients on their impossibly high heels, and fall prey to increasingly cruel immigration policies. Drawing from his/her own experience as a trans performer, sex worker, and undocumented immigrant, Ivan Monalisa Ojeda chronicles the lives of Latinx queer and trans immigrants in New York City. Whether she is struggling with addiction, clashing with law enforcement, or is being subjected to personal violence, each character choses her own path of defiance, often responding to her fate with with irreverent dark humor. What emerges is the portrait of a group of friends who express unquestioning solidarity and love for each other, and of an unfamiliar, glittering and violent, New York City that will draw readers in and swallow them whole. On every page, Ivan Monalisa's unique narrative talent is on display as he/she artfully transforms the language of the streets, making it his/her own -- rich with rhythm and debauchery. This bold new collection positions Ojeda as a fresh and necessary voice within the canon of world literature.

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Kids love jokes--reading them, learning them, and sharing them. This four-book collection of rib-tickling, laugh-out-loud jokes paired with hilarious black-and-white cartoons is guaranteed to bring loads of giggles to children and their grown-ups. A perfect size and format for busy kids on the go, Highlights Joke Books bring a wide array of family-friendly joke and humor books to kids. Our joke books provide tons of laugh-out-loud moments for kids and their friends and family. They are also a great choice for reluctant readers.

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A Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor BookPerfect for kids interested in animals, science, and the world of their backyard, this photographic story of a day in the life of a wolfsnail offers a dramatic introduction to a little-known predator and the impact it has on habitats where it does not belong.On a typical day, the wolfsnail hunts its prey: other snails. Big, strong, and fast (for a snail), the wolfsnail has a taste for meat, and in some areas, it is called the cannibal snail. On the prowl, the wolfsnail finds the slime trail of a smaller snail and follows the path toward its prey. When the chase ends and the dramatic feast is done, nothing remains of the smaller snail... except an empty shell. Slithering and suspenseful, this enlightening book also includes amazing facts about the wolfsnail and a glossary.

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In her own voice, acclaimed author and poet Nikki Grimes explores the truth of a harrowing childhood in a compelling and moving memoir in verse.Growing up with a mother suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and a mostly absent father, Nikki Grimes found herself terrorized by babysitters, shunted from foster family to foster family, and preyed upon by those she trusted. At the age of six, she poured her pain onto a piece of paper late one night - and discovered the magic and impact of writing. For many years, Nikki's notebooks were her most enduing companions. In this accessible and inspiring memoir that will resonate with young readers and adults alike, Nikki shows how the power of those words helped her conquer the hazards - ordinary and extraordinary - of her life.

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Introduce children to physics through play, poetry, and a puppy in this joyous celebration of how physics matters in our everyday lives.This remarkable picture book explores scientific concepts (gravity, magnetism, electricity, friction, etc.) through the story of the relationship between a child and a puppy. Acclaimed author Lisa Westberg Peters’s poems convey concepts in a way that children will remember—often with humor. Who could forget the various phases when they’re presented in the form of a dog—solid when eating dinner, liquid when pouring herself into her basket, and gas when leaping erratically after a fly? Serge Bloch’s whimsical illustrations extend the humor—and the love—in this tale of a child, a dog, and the energy that abounds in their world.Extensive notes at the end of the book define and explain the physics subjects included in the poems.

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Newbery Honor BookNational Book Award finalistCoretta Scott King Author Honor BookBoston Globe–Horn Book AwardFlora Stieglitz Straus AwardBeautiful verse explores agricultural scientist George Washington Carver's life and many achievements, from his work as a botanist and inventor to his unsung gifts as a painter, musician, and teacher. George Washington Carver was determined to help the people he loved. Born a slave in Missouri, he left home in search of an education, eventually earning his master's degree. When Booker T. Washington invited Carver to start the agricultural department at the all-black-staffed Tuskegee Institute, Carver truly found his calling. He spent the rest of his life seeking solutions to the poverty among landless Black farmers by developing new uses for soil-replenishing crops such as peanuts, cowpeas, and sweet potatoes. This STEAM biography reveals Carver's complex and profoundly devout life.

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Winner, 2023 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry AwardCapturing the shock and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic through the eyes of Garvey, a beloved character, Nikki Grimes’s newest novel in verse shows readers how to find hope in difficult times.Garvey’s finally happy—he’s feeling close to his father through their shared love of music, bullies are no longer tormenting him, and his best friends Manny and Joe are by his side. But when the schools, stores, and restaurants close because people are getting sick, Garvey’s improved life goes into lockdown as well. And when Garvey’s father gets sick, Garvey must find a way to use his newfound musical skills to bring hope to both his father and himself. Moving, powerful, and beautifully told, this remarkable novel shows readers how even small acts have large reverberations, how every person can make a difference in this world, and how—even in the most difficult times—there are ways to reach for hope and healing. Nikki Grimes is a New York Times bestselling author who has won the ALAN Award for outstanding contributions to young adult literature, the Children's Literature Legacy Award, the Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, and NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. She has also received several ALSC Notables, a Coretta Scott King Author Award, Coretta Scott King Author Honors, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honors, a Printz Honor, and a Sibert Honor.

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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!Without glasses, everything can be a blur! Here is a "biography" of glasses, an essential invention that helps people see clearly.Ever since someone first noticed that a jar of water magnified what was behind it, people have worked to improve their vision. Glasses 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, each book focusing on one groundbreaking, world-changing discovery that millions of people use every single day.

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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!Who likes bikes? Just about everyone! Here is a "biography" of bicycles, an essential invention that keeps people rolling! From the first spark of an idea of a new way to get around to the spread of bicycles throughout the world, Bicycle 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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An ideal birthday or baby gift, Grow is a triumphant celebration of how young animals -- and people -- grow into unique individuals.What would it be like to grow from an acorn into an oak, a tadpole into a frog, or a fawn into a deer? You would stretch your limbs into the sky, jump from puddle to pond, and spring from path to forest. Children learn to do these things and more as they grow from tiny babies into individuals unlike anyone else in this whole dazzling world. Life is full of change; this reassuring picture book honors the changes that make you unique. Grow is a glorious ode to the wonders of growing up.

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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. With bright, eye-catching art and explanatory sidebars with additional information on the topic, these books show kids how to use their hands, their heads, their creativity, and their problem-solving skills to overcome every challenge facing them. 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. With the Makers Make It Work series, any kid can be a Maker! Each book also includes an activity for young makers to try themselves. (Topic: Engineering)

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We all know there are four seasons in a year. But HOW do we know? Join intrepid young scientist-adventurer Joulia Copernicus on a journey around the world as she explains with humor and wit how we know what causes the seasons.Winter, spring, summer, fall -- we all have a favorite season. But what makes the seasons happen in the first place? Ellie Peterson's clear, concise language and bold, kid-friendly illustrations bring science to life through narrator Joulia Copernicus, a strong and adventurous kid scientist. Kids will laugh while learning at the same time about the science behind the changing of the seasons throughout the year.

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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. With bright, eye-catching art and explanatory sidebars with additional information on the topic, these books show kids how to use their hands, their heads, their creativity, and their problem-solving skills to overcome every challenge facing them. Leo is the king of slime. He even has his own slime-making business! His parents just ask him to keep up his grades. The only problem? Science class! With the Makers Make It Work series, any kid can be a Maker! Each book also includes an activity for young makers to try themselves. (Topic: Chemistry)

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Written in the same vein as the recent best-selling titles I DISSENT and SHE PERSISTED, here is a nonfiction picture book biography of trailblazer Belva Lockwood, the first woman lawyer to argue in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Belva was a lawyer, activist and presidential candidate who devoted her life to overcoming obstacles and demanding equality for women.Activist Belva Lockwood never stopped asking herself the question Are women not worth the same as men? She had big dreams and didn't let anyone stand in her way--not her father, her law school, or even the U.S. Supreme Court. She fought for equality for women in the classroom, in the courtroom, and in politics. In her quest for fairness and parity, Lockwood ran for President of the United States, becoming the first woman on the ballot. In this riveting nonfiction picture book biography, award-winning author Kate Hannigan and celebrated artist Alison Jay illuminate the life of Lockwood, a woman who was never afraid to take the floor and speak her mind.

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Shiny, huge, heavy machinery rolls onto the job site-the bulldozer, excavator, loader, and other construction vehicles all have important tasks to accomplish. Through double-page spreads of colorful digital artwork and succinct text, the reader witnesses the transformation of an empty lot to a community park orchestrated by the construction foreman with the help of some of the mightiest of machines.

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Heck is used to getting by on his own; his mother is unreliable, at best. But even a boy with a rich imagination is going to have a tough time managing when he and his mother find themselves without a home. It's a good thing Heck has wit, strength, and a lot of optimism.

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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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This clever collection of poems offers a word for each of the twenty–six letters— E for elevator, I for igloo, S for science—followed by a brief, playful definition. The subject of the poems are wide–ranging, and young readers will enjoy discovering the word or words in each poem that start with the featured letter.

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The first time fourteen-year-old Harlan Q met his grandfather, he was laid up on a porcelain prep table at the local funeral home with a grin on his face—like he was getting the last laugh. His will leaves a chunk of money and a Cadillac convertible. The catch? His body must be buried in Las Vegas. With little money, Harlan Q convinces his Bible-thumping father to load the corpse in the back of their station wagon and take the road-trip to honor his grandfather's wishes. Along the way they pick up Warrior, a Hollywood-bound, Zen-minded actor-in-training. He surprisingly helps Harlan begin to understand his thoughts and life—separate from the thinking of his father—during a covert stop at his late grandfather's bar, Long Gone Daddy's.

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Highlights for Children's often-imitated, never-equaled Hidden Pictures puzzles have delighted children—and adults—for over 67 years. This irresistible book is packed with more than 100 black-and-white classic puzzles, each carefully designed to engage and entertain children while honing their concentration skills and attention to detail. With more than 1,200 objects to find, this book provides kids of all ages with hours of puzzling fun. A surefire hit with Hidden Pictures fans who just can't get enough!

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How can you turn an empty box into a time machine? This comical story featuring endearing characters with vivid imaginations celebrates creativity and ingenuity. Samantha the anteater simply can’tbelieve it when her friends Grant the aardvark and Antoine the armadillo tell her they plan to build a time machine.Can they really make such a thing from a big old box and a bunch of “hoozie-doozies”? Samantha has her doubts, but is willing to jump in and help her friends fulfill their plan in an unexpected way.

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Dad + lad + red sled = magic! In this warm story, a boy and his father venture outside for a winter night of sledding. Climbing aboard their red sled, they zoom down the hill under a starlit sky before—with spirits lifted high—returning home for a mug of hot chocolate. Patricia Thomas's loving story, affectionately illustrated by Chris L. Demarest, is told with utmost simplicity in rhyming pairs of words.

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Who knew there was a problem with not being scared of monsters? The hero of this story knows it—all too well. Because he's not scared, the monsters think he's one of them. And now, they're way too friendly. They want to share everything! Which is, of course, a disaster. Good thing there's a terrified little brother to come to the rescue. With an understated text and hilarious illustrations, this picture book will have kids laughing away their fears.

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Kids often spot woolly bear caterpillars creeping across the ground in fall, but these furry-looking creatures seem to disappear as quicklyas they pop up. Where do they come from in autumn, and where do theygo? In fact, they live throughout North America all year long. In vividstorytelling style, Laurence Pringle uncovers the secret life of the woollybear caterpillar, following one caterpillar as she feasts, tiny and hidden, inthe tall summer grass; molts and grows; then sets off on the fall journeywhere she's most likely to be seen. Packed with surprising details (did you know that woolly bears can survive freezing temperatures by producinga natural antifreeze?), this book will appeal to every child who's been luck yenough to spy one of these beloved caterpillars—and to anyone who'd like to.

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Seed. Soil. Sun. With these simple ingredients, nature creates our food. Noted author Cris Peterson brings both wonder and clarity to the subject of agriculture, celebrating the cycle of growth, harvest, and renewal in this American Farm Bureau Foundation's Agriculture Book of the Year.

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Perfect for any young reader interested in music, families who love music, and a must-have staple for music classrooms, this funny picture book is an amusing introduction to the instruments in an orchestra, featuring clever rhymes and whimsical illustrations. Meet a shy fellow! He’s hard to notice, but he’s right at the side of the room listening to a duet for cello and viola. But look again -- our shy fellow suddenly has an urge to swallow a HUGE cello, which is precisely what he does. And he doesn't stop there! He also swallows a harp, a saxophone, and a fiddle while trying to satisfy his voracious appetite for musical instruments. But when he swallows a teensy, tiny, little bitty bell, you won’t believe what happens! In this take-off on a classic children’s song, kids will laugh out loud and learn all about musical instruments with this story that’s a melodious mix of fun and frivolity.

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Come to the grand opening of the Face Bug Museum where readers can join an insect crowd to see amazing close-up photographs of bug faces, meet the bugs featured, and participate in interactive museum exhibits. In this innovative book of poetry, drawings, and photographs, J. Patrick Lewis's sly, humorous poems introduce readers to each of fourteen bugs. Kelly Murphy's black-and-white drawings create a funny visual story about two beetle friends gleefully exploring this memorable museum. In addition, awe-inspiring, dramatic (very) close-up photos of bug faces decorate the museum walls. A book of poetry and photographs and a picture-book story rolled into one, Face Bug is a unique collaboration.

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Whales are among the world's most captivating creatures. The humpback whale can grow up to fifty feet in length. The blue whale is a giant that can grow to a length of one hundred feet. Its tongue weighs as much as an elephant! Yet all whales aren't enormous, and there are many kinds, from the beluga, with its white skin, to the narwhal, with its seven-foot-long tusk. Join Laurence Pringle as he introduces a variety of whales and describes efforts to save these magnificent creatures from extinction. With bold, realistic illustrations by Meryl Henderson, this journey to the undersea world unveils the mysterious world of these mammals in the ocean.

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Imagine climbing into an elephant, sitting inside a sombrero, or working inside a basket. These things are possible with mimetic architecture—structures that mimic other objects. From north to south, from east to west, buildings designed to look like beagles, baskets, and binoculars dot the American landscape. In this fascinating nonfiction picture book, discover a variety of eye-catching, head-turning buildings beginning with our nation's oldest functioning example, Lucy the Elephant, to one of our youngest, a beagle named Sweet Willy. Though different in size, shape, and color, these buildings have one thing in common: they all grab your attention.

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Think of a world without cold drinks, ice cream, and frozen foods. Believe it or not, such a world DID exist! Learn all about this fascinating history in this nonfiction book. In the early 1800s, people began to harvest ice, store it in ways that limited melting, and transport it to homes and businesses. Eventually, almost everyone had an icebox, and a huge, vital ice business grew. In this riveting book, acclaimed writer Laurence Pringle describes the key inventions and ideas that helped the ice business flourish. He points to the many sources of ice throughout the East and Midwest and spotlights Rockland Lake, "the icebox of New York City," to offer a close-up look at the ice business in action. Pringle worked closely with experts and relied on primary documents, including archival photographs, postcards, prints, and drawings, to capture the times when everyone waited for the ice man and his wagon to deliver those precious blocks of ice.

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Winner of the Golden Kite Award for NonfictionThe remarkable tale of two young men during the Klondike Gold Rush, told through first-hand diaries, letters, and more—“excellent reading” for middle grade fans of The Call of the Wild and adventure stories (School Library Journal) As thousands head north in search of gold, Marshall Bond and Stanley Pearce join them, booking passage on a steamship bound for the Klondike goldfields. The journey is life threatening, but the two friends make it to Dawson City, in Canada, build a cabin, and meet Jack London—all the while searching for the ultimate reward: gold! A riveting, true, action-packed adventure, with their telegrams, diaries, and letters, as well as newspaper articles and photographs. An author’s note, timeline, bibliography, and further resources encourage readers to dig deeper into the Gold Rush era.

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Here is the story of Molly Williams, an African American cook for New York City's Fire Company 11 who is considered to be the first known female firefighter in U.S. history.New York City’s Fire Company Number 11 is in trouble. A deadly snowstorm is blowing, and many of the volunteers are sick in bed. When the fire alarm sounds, who will answer the call? Who will save the neighborhood? Molly Williams, the company’s cook, for one! Clapping a weathered leather helmet on her head, strapping spatterdashes over her woolen leggings, and pulling on heavy work gloves —it’s Molly, by golly, to the rescue. Young readers will enjoy plucky Molly Williams’s legendary adventure as they learn how fires were fought in the early 1800s.

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Here is the story of a Melissa Parkington, who longs to do something good -- and whose long and beautiful hair leads to the ultimate act of kindness and generosity.“Spectacular!” “Gorgeous!” “Fabulous!” These are some of the words people use to describe Melissa Parkington's hair, which is long, thick, and so shiny that it seems to sparkle. But Melissa Parkington would like to be known for more than her hair. Afterall, her hair isn't really an accomplishment. It just grows out of her head! Melissa wants to do something special, someting spectacular. But everything she tries doesn't seem to work out the way she plans. Then, one day, she discovers she can do something special — with her hair.

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Are kids going to love this book? Is a frog waterproof? The latest title in the popular Strange and Wonderful series delivers the awe-inspiring variety of the world's hoppiest amphibians. The goliath frog is more than a foot long. The tiny gold frog could sit on a dime. Some frogs have camouflage. Others wear bold colors warning their enemies that they are poisonous. Some frogs leap, others hop, one is a runner, and a few glide from tree to tree with their big, webbed hands and feet! Laurence Pringle's knack for choosing and presenting surprising facts and Meryl Henderson's gift for beautiful, realistic nature illustrations come together once again in a celebration of one of nature's most fascinating marvels.

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In pond, river, and ocean, as a solid, liquid, or gas, water is everywhere. But what does it evoke? What emotions are brought forth when we hear the crash of surf, see the rush of a stream, or feel the tickle of soap bubbles on our skin? In thoughtful poems, renowned author Jane Yolen takes a fresh look at water in all its forms, using photographer Jason Stemple's breathtaking pictures as inspiration. Waterfalls, steams, lakes, ocean waves, even bath water take on new meaning as poet and photographer examine these liquid landscapes through careful words and a camera's lens.

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Perfect for any young reader interested in music, families who love music, and a must-have staple for music classrooms, this funny picture book is an amusing introduction to the instruments in an orchestra, featuring clever rhymes and whimsical illustrations. Meet a shy fellow! He’s hard to notice, but he’s right at the side of the room listening to a duet for cello and viola. But look again -- our shy fellow suddenly has an urge to swallow a HUGE cello, which is precisely what he does. And he doesn't stop there! He also swallows a harp, a saxophone, and a fiddle while trying to satisfy his voracious appetite for musical instruments. But when he swallows a teensy, tiny, little bitty bell, you won’t believe what happens! In this take-off on a classic children’s song, kids will laugh out loud and learn all about musical instruments with this story that’s a melodious mix of fun and frivolity.

Read more less