Search results for ""Astra Publishing""

A curious little country bird longs to see the bright lights, big city. But is he ready for the hustle and bustle? Little bird is curious to fly beyond the boundaries of his little forest. Though his mother warns him to stay with hisfriends, Little Bird takes off on his own, looking for adventure. When he arrives in the city he doesn't know what to make of all the noises and the commotion. Before long he's feeling frightened and homesick. Luckily for him, hisfriends had been checking up on him the whole time. This adorable book shows the universal pull childrenfeel to go off on their own, even as they long to stay tethered to home.

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A boxful of brand-new crayons is overjoyed when a boy named Lucas brings them home and starts using them to make pictures. Except that Lucas never, ever uses the white crayon for anything, and when he decides he needs a new set of crayons, that white crayon is still as tall and as clean as the day it was bought. Poor white crayon feels so dejected. But when a girl named Olivia stumbles upon the fresh white crayon, she’s delighted. She draws her own kinds of pictures, and this white crayon is exactly what she needs.

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Filled with activities, Comics: Easy as ABC is a fun way for young readers to effortlessly and playfully start thinking like writers and artists. This simple guide is also aimed at parents, teachers, and librarians: all will enjoy learning the ABCs of this popular and rapidly growing medium.Children kindergarten-age and up are shown how to use basic shapes to make faces, eyes, noses, and design their own characters. Ivan Brunetti’s funny and incisive advice on the language of comics (panels, lettering, balloons, and so much more) naturally leads budding artists and writers into thinking about their characters, settings, and prompts. A section with essential tips on how to read comics with young children rounds out the package. Featuring advice from master cartoonists and star authors—including Geoffrey Hayes, Eleanor Davis, Art Spiegelman, and many others.

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Winner of the 2022 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults AwardThis thrilling title for young readers blends science, history, and medical mysteries to tell the story of the assassination and ultimately horrible death of President James Garfield.James Abram Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, was assassinated when he was shot by Charles Guiteau in July 1881, less than four months after he was elected president. But Garfield didn't actually die until 80 days later. In this page-turner, award-winning author Gail Jarrow delves into the fascinating story of the relationship between Garfield and Guiteau, and relates the gruesome details of Garfield's slow and agonizing death. She reveals medical mistakes made in the aftermath of Garfield's assassination, including the faulty diagnoses and outdated treatments that led to the president's demise. This gripping blend of science, history, and mystery—the latest title in the Medical Fiascoes series—is nonfiction for kids at its best: exciting and relevant and packed with plenty of villains and horrifying facts.

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This beautiful poetry collection introduces readers to the art of found poetry as the poet writes a 37-line poem, "Nest," then finds 160 smaller poems within it.What can you find in a poem about a robin's nest? Irene Latham masterfully discovers "nestlings" or smaller poems about an astonishing variety of subjects--emotions, wild animals, natural landmarks on all seven continents, even planets and constellations. Each poem is a glorious spark of wonder that will prompt readers to look at the world afresh. The book includes an introduction detailing the principles of found poetry and blackout poetry, and a section of tips at the end. The joyous creativity in this volume is certain to inspire budding poets.

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In this tasty collection, J. Patrick Lewis displays the breadth and depth of his talent, giving readers of any and every sensibility something to make them laugh out loud. He stirs humor into an astonishing array of subjects—from animals to school to dragons to food. And he delivers them in a remarkable variety of forms, including riddles, limericks, nonsense rhymes, parodies, anagrams, story poems, haiku, and more. Baked in Lewis's brilliant imagination and sprinkled with Matthew Cordell's warm, witty drawings, the result is a collection to delight the taste buds.

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40 Highlights Hidden Pictures puzzles await kids in this engaging interactive story about work on a construction site. An oversized board book with 40 flaps to lift and explore, it’s a perfect gift for children ages 2-5 who are fascinated by big machines and construction, as well as those excited to go to school.Follow busy workers and noisy machines—including a dump truck, cement truck, excavator and more—as they build a brand-new school in this Hidden Pictures Lift-the-Flap Book. Under the flaps there are clues to the hidden objects in each unique Hidden Pictures scene. Preschoolers will get a kick out of learning the jobs of different construction vehicles, while simple rhyming text tells kids what the vehicles are doing. Lifting the flaps gives fine motor skills a workout, too. The last scene shows kids pretending to operate their own construction site, sparking young readers’ imaginations. Every illustrated scene includes 8 easy-to-lift flaps, and each puzzle is specially created for younger children to help develop early skills in vocabulary, concentration and attention to detail.

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Included in Smithsonian Magazine's Ten Best Children’s Books of 2022In this real-life adventure, daredevil and groundbreaking journalists Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland race against each other–and the clock–as they circle the globe by ship, train, and foot. Join these two stereotype-shattering reporters as they prove that not only is traveling around the world possible, but that women are just as curious, capable, and courageous as any man.Nellie Bly was an energetic and eager reporter, but she wasn't able to think of a good story for her editors. Wishing she was on the other end of the earth, Nellie had an inspiration–she would travel around the world, just like in the fictional adventure book Around the World in Eighty Days. When a fellow journalist, Elizabeth Bisland, heard about Nellie's plans, she decided to up the stakes–by beating Nellie in her own race! This exciting American history story about two pioneering women who paved the way for equality will inspire young readers. The perfect choice for parents and teachers looking for:Books for kids ages 7 - 10 about women's historyFeminist picture books about historical women, and daring books for girlsAmerican history books for kids

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This picture book biography tells the story of Meg Lowman, a groundbreaking female scientist called a "real life Lorax" by National Geographic, who was determined to investigate the marvelous, undiscovered world of the rainforest treetops. Meg Lowman was always fascinated by the natural world above her head — the colors, the branches, and, most of all, the leaves and mysterious organisms living there. Meg set out to climb up and investigate the rain forest tree canopies — and to be the first scientist to do so. But she encountered challenge after challenge. Male teachers would not let her into their classrooms, the high canopy was difficult to get to, and worst of all, people were logging and clearing the forests. Meg never gave up or gave in. She studied, invented, and persevered, not only creating a future for herself as a scientist, but making sure that the rainforests had a future as well. Working closely with Meg Lowman, author Heather Lang and artist Jana Christy beautifully capture Meg's world in the treetops.

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This important yet little-known civil rights story focuses on Roberto Alvarez, a student whose 1931 court battle against racism and school segregation in Lemon Grove, California, is considered the first time an immigrant community used the courts to successfully fight injustice. A must-read for young activists, or for anyone interested in standing up for what's right. Roberto Alvarez’s world changed the day he could no longer attend Lemon Grove Grammar School in the small, rural community where he lived near San Diego, California. He and the other Mexican American students were told they had to go to a new, separate school—one where they would not hold back the other students. But Roberto and the other students and their families believed the new school’s real purpose was to segregate, to separate. They didn’t think that was right, or just, or legal. Based on true events, this picture book by Sibert award-winning author Larry Dane Brimner and Pura Belpré honor award-winning illustrator Maya Gonzalez follows Roberto and the other immigrant families on their journey.

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Discover the electrifying untold stories of the pioneering and groundbreaking women of Old Hollywood in this nonfiction book perfect for young movie buffs and budding feminists alike. While recent phenomena like #OscarsSoWhite have reminded us that Hollywood can be an unfriendly place to people of colour and to women, they have been an integral part of the industry from the beginning. In the early twentieth century, women from all walks of life fought against sexism and racism to succeed in Hollywood as actors, directors, costume designers, editors, and stuntwomen. From well-known, glamorous starlets like Mary Pickford and Lillian Gish, to under-appreciated trailblazers like Anna May Wong and Hattie McDaniel, acclaimed author Susan Goldman Rubin shows that movies wouldn't be the same without the women who succeeded against the odds and built Hollywood from the ground up. Filled with fascinating photographs and little-known facts, this rigorously researched book begins with a foreword from a Hollywood insider.

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Follow Polly Bee as she flies to flowers, finds pollen and nectar, and helps make sticky honey in this stylish and fact-filled picture book, part of the new “Follow My Food” series that looks at the ways different foods are made.How is honey produced? And how does it get from the farm to the kitchen table? This simple story provides young readers a glimpse into a day in the life of a worker bee. From flower to hive to table, this engaging story will help kids understand where their food comes from, and it’s ideal for teaching them about sustainability and the environment. Featuring attractive collage-style art and rich vocabulary, the book also includes information on beekeeping, fun facts about bees, and a simple recipe.

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From budgeting to spending, from credit cards to gift cards, this new early chapter book series tackles and explains big financial topics for kids, Dollars to Doughnuts!When Lucy’s aunt gives her a card—the plastic kind—for her birthday, Lucy knows just the blinged-out sweatshirt to spend it on. She plunks the card down at the store, but, cringe, it comes up short! Wait, what’s the difference between a gift card and a credit card? In this early chapter book designed to help kids decipher finance facts and fallacies, Lucy and her best friend, Julian, find out about the pros and cons of gift cards versus credit cards.

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Classic Latin American folktales get an update in this new collection by celebrated author Liniers!New York Times bestselling author and Eisner Award winner Liniers brings his exuberant cartooning style and irrepressible sense of humor to the spooky folktales of his childhood, telling three from across Latin America: the Iara, a mermaid (or a pink dolphin?) who lures young men to her underwater domain in the Amazon basin; La Lechuza, an enormous owl with the face of a woman, who terrorizes people who venture out after dark (a legend found in Mexico, Chile, and Uruguay); and La Luz Mala, a spooky, evanescent light that menaces gauchos and other travelers on the Argentine pampas. Liniers animates these thrilling tales with lighthearted twists. Combined with informative backmatter on their ecological, cultural, and historical background and a bibliography, these old stories will come alive for all young readers, from those who have grown up hearing them to those

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A poetic tribute to the victims of the racially motivated church bombing that served as a seminal event in the struggle for civil rights. In 1963, the eyes of the world were on Birmingham, Alabama, a flashpoint for the civil rights movement. Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the United States. Civil rights demonstrators were met with police dogs and water cannons. On Sunday, September 15, 1963, members of the Ku Klux Klan planted sticks of dynamite at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, which served as a meeting place for civil rights organizers. The explosion killed four little girls. Their murders shocked the nation and turned the tide in the struggle for equality. A Jane Addams Children's Honor Book, here is a book that captures the heartbreak of that day, as seen through the eyes of a fictional witness. Archival photographs with poignant text written in free verse offer a powerful tribute to the young victims.

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The out-of-this-world outlook of a down-to-earth bear! Explore the world through the eyes of Benjamin, a bear who takes his silly way of doing things very seriously. In the third book about Benjamin's adventures, author PHILIPPE COUDRAY continues to delight readers by bending the rules of common sense and breaking the laws of physics. Pull up a chair, grab a friend, and open your mind—today's forecast is for BRAIN STORMS!Praise for Philippe Coudray's Benjamin Bear series:* "A marvel of economy in setup, delivery, and payoff."—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW* "This book rewards what six-year-olds are already good at (scrutiny), encourages a new skill (reading), and enlarges the imagination (heaven)."—The Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW"A visually formatted joke book to inspire thinking as well as laughs."—Kirkus Reviews"A must-have for early readers who would like to try a graphic novel or comic." —School Library Journal

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A Best Kids' Book Awards winner: "You’ve got company, Dr. Seuss."—Good Housekeeping Is it a worm? Is it a snake? No! It’s a caterpillar . . .. . . and it’s on its way to one of the most magical transformations in the insect world, from a crawling digestive tube to a fluttering glasswing, luna moth, or monarch on its journey across thousands-of-miles. In the latest addition to KEVIN MCCLOSKEY’s beloved Giggle and Learn series, young readers will explore how caterpillars morph into the many different moths and butterflies that help pollinate our world. Growing up is scary, but caterpillars can lead the way!

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When a cat-loving family decides to bring home a pet, their quest reveals the highs and lows of everyday family life in this heartwarming story—perfect for kitten lovers and everyone who’s ever longed for a pet.Finally, it's time for this family to adopt a pet of their own! But big decisions remain to be made. The two children, Tulip and Rosie, definitely want a kitten. But Daddy insists an older cat is best. No one can agree about what name to give the new family member, either. When Mommy and Rosie visit a shelter to choose their pet, yet another problem arises and they must go home empty-handed. This deftly paced story from best-selling author Emily Jenkins—winsomely narrated by Mommy, who just wants to find peaceful solutions—highlights themes of finding family unity among realistic conflict and overcoming disappointment. Readers will rejoice along with the family as, finally, they welcome home their very own, absolutely wonderful kitten.

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Tiny Spoon Vs Little Folk is all about taking silly seriously! A fall-off-your-high-chair funny picture book starring a spoon, a fork, and the baby they both want to feed, perfect for fans of The Bad Seed. “Time to feed the baby!” yells clock. Tiny Spoon is ready for the job! But who’s this pointy guy? “I’m Little Fork. I feed the baby, too!” Wait. What? This isn’t going to get ugly, is it? (Nah!) Who’s known baby longer? (Spoon) Who’s good at stabbing and poking? (Fork) Who comes from the best family? (Both families are rather impressive.) Who does baby like better? (Neither. Turns out Baby likes throwing both utensils across the kitchen, and that’s exactly what baby does.) Now it's going to take cooperation—not competition—to make their way back to baby. And when they do get back, they'll still have to feed the baby. Anyone who has ever tried to feed a baby knows it ain't easy—but does it have to be this hard? Beautifully illustrated and fun for parent and child

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For fans of Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggie and Pigeon series, this clever and hilarious story stars Cat, who starts out perfectly content and relaxed, and Duck, who infuriates him by meowing like a cat instead of quacking like Cat thinks he should. Written completely in dialogue, this minimalist text is fun to read aloud and easy enough for newly independent readers to enjoy on their own. Humorous and deceptively simple artwork highlights the characters' personalities, showing Duck's quirkiness and good humor and Cat's rising frustration as Duck impersonates a variety of animals, refusing to concede that he is, indeed, a duck. Duck's silliness will appeal to children who enjoy pretend play, and older siblings will relate to Cat's annoyance as Duck refuses to leave his side. Ideal for multiple readings, here is a concise, funny story by award-winning author Sharon G. Flake with playful details in the artwork and humor that never fades.

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WINNER, The Center for Fiction First Novel PrizeBrooklyn Public Library Book Prize LonglistA Best Book of 2023 - NPR, Electric Literature, Largehearted Boy, Black Girl Nerds, Le Noir Auteur"An absolute triumph." —Michael Schaub, NPR "Astonishing." —Kiese Laymon, MacArthur Fellow and author of Long Division "What a beautiful, haunting and hued narrative of American living. I’m in love with this story." —Jacqueline Woodson, MacArthur Fellow and author of Another BrooklynA poignant debut for readers of Jesmyn Ward and Jamel Brinkley, We Are a Haunting follows three generations of a working class family and their inherited ghosts: a story of hope and transformation. In 1980’s Brooklyn, Key is enchanted with her world, glowing with her dreams. A charming and tender doula serving the Black women of her East New York neighborhood, she lives, like her mother, among the departed and learns to speak to and for them. Her untimely death leaves behind her mother Audrey, who is on the verge of losing the public housing apartment they once shared. Colly, Key’s grieving son, soon learns that he too has inherited this sacred gift and begins to slip into the liminal space between the living and the dead on his journey to self-realization.In the present, an expulsion from school forces Colly across town where, feeling increasingly detached and disenchanted with the condition of his community, he begins to realize that he must, ultimately, be accountable to the place he is from. After college, having forged an understanding of friendship, kinship, community, and how to foster love in places where it seems impossible, Colly returns to East New York to work toward addressing structural neglect and the crumbling blocks of New York City public housing he was born to; discovering a collective path forward from the wreckages of the past.A supernatural family saga, a searing social critique, and a lyrical and potent account of displaced lives, We Are a Haunting unravels the threads connecting the past, present, and future, and depicts the palpable, breathing essence of the neglected corridors of a pulsing city with pathos and poise.

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For readers of Rachel Cusk and Jenny Odell, a lyrical work of autofiction that explores the dissolution of boundaries between the self and our earth as we head towards ecological catastrophe.“Emergency is an incisive kaleidoscope of past and present, nature and industry, stillness and pace, collapsing all into a tapestry of consciousness.” —Ayşegül Savaş, author of Walking on the Ceiling Emergency is a novel about the interconnectedness of all life on Earth. Our narrator is at home during lockdown, where she ponders both past and present. She remembers her 1990s childhood in rural Yorkshire. She recalls a kestrel hunt, helping a farmer save a renegade bull, and days playing with her best friend, Clare. In her village, neighbors argue, keep secrets, care for one another, and try to hold down jobs. Fox cubs fight in the woods, plants compete for space, a quarry slowly falls apart, and we see a three-legged deer who likes cake. With painterly vision, Hildyard evokes the bygone, pre-internet world of her schooldays, whose irretrievability signals at something far greater than fleeting youth. With urgent intimacy, Emergency asks us to look at the essential; the people who help define us, animals, local and global ecologies, and to consider what the slow disappearance of Hildyard’s and our own native environment might mean for humanity at large. A requiem for the English countryside, a story of remote violence, and a work of praise for a persistently lively world, Daisy Hildyard’s Emergency reinvents the pastoral novel for the climate change era.

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*NOW WITH A DETAILED READING GROUP GUIDE* A haunting WWII memoir of two sisters who survived Auschwitz that picks up where Anne Frank's Diary left off and gives voice to the children we lost.On March 28, 1944, six-year-old Tati and her four-year-old sister Andra were roused from their sleep and arrested. Along with their mother, Mira, their aunt, and cousin Sergio, they were deported to Auschwitz. Over 230,000 children were deported to the camp, where Josef Mengele, the Angel of Death, performed deadly experiments on them. Only a few dozen children survived, Tati and Andra among them. Tati, Andra, and Sergio were separated from their mothers upon arrival. But Mira was determined to keep track of her girls. After being tattooed with their inmate numbers, she made them memorize her number and told them to “always remember your name.” In keeping this promise to their mother, the sisters were able to be reunited with their parents when WWII ended. An unforgettable narrative of the power of sisterhood in the most extreme circumstances, and of how a mother’s love can overcome the most impossible odds, the Bucci sisters' memoir is a timely reminder that separating families is an inexcusable evil.

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A collection of short stories moving through time and place, exploring the spaces where we haunt each other and ourselves through our choices, our institutions, and our dreams. Adam Soto, author of the debut novel This Weightless World, which Robin Sloan called “The social novel for the 21st century,” returns with Concerning Those Who Have Fallen Asleep. In the title story, a one-armed Harlem Hellfighter goes in search of his specially altered military uniform while Influenza ravages Philadelphia. In “Sleepy Things,” a man is bound to the bedside of his comatose girlfriend who haunts his mother’s dreams. In “Wren & Riley,” a couple travels to Wyoming to visit a childhood friend who killed her abusive husband. And in “The Vegetable Church,” a pair of Syrian sisters, refugees of the civil war, find themselves at a crossroads in the home of their European hosts while their dead father whispers to them words of comfort and guidance. The stories in Concerning Those Who Have Fallen Asleep, strange and unsettling, explore the quiet spaces where the living and the dead alike haunt one another through their choices, dreams, and institutions.

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"Delicately weaves generations of women to the lasting wounds of nuclear destruction and the hubris of war. A unique and unforgettable novel." —Kali Fajardo-Anstine, author of Woman of LightA literary thriller about the effects of nuclear power on the mind, body, and recorded history of three generations of Japanese women.Nine years after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster, Japan is preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. An unnamed narrator wakes up in a cold, sterile room, unable to recall her past. Across the country, the elderly begin to hear voices emanating from black stones, compelling them to behave in strange and unpredictable ways. The voices are a symptom of a disease called “Trinity.”As details about the disease come to light, we encounter a thread of linked histories—Prometheus stealing fire from the gods, the discovery of radiation, the nuclear arms race, the subsequent birth of nuclear energy, and the disaster in Fukushima. The thread linking these events begins to unravel in the lead-up to a terrorist attack at the Japan National Olympic Stadium. A work of speculative fiction reckoning with the consequences of the past and continued effects of nuclear power, Trinity, Trinity, Trinity follows the lives of three generations of women as they grapple with the legacy of mankind's quest for light and power.

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This award-winning debut novel by Iranian journalist Nasim Marashi follows the lives of three young women in Tehran over the course of two seasons as they pursue their wildly different dreams even as they discover that it may mean breaking with the past and endangering their longstanding friendship.Three recent college graduates in Tehran struggle to find their footing in this award-winning debut by Iranian journalist Nasim Marashi. Roja, the most daring of the three, works in an architecture firm and is determined to leave Tehran for graduate school in Toulouse. Shabaneh, who is devoted to her disabled brother and works with Roja, is uncertain about marrying a colleague as it would mean leaving her family behind. Leyla, who was unable to follow her husband abroad because of her commitment to her career as a journalist, is wracked with regret. Over the course of two seasons, summer and fall, in bustling streets and cramped family apartments, the three women weather setbacks and compromises, finding hope in the most unlikely places. Even as their ambitions cause them to question the very fabric of their personalities and threaten to tear their friendship apart, time and again Roja, Shabaneh and Leyla return to the comfort of their longtime affection, deep knowledge and unquestioning support of each other. Vividly capturing three very distinct voices, Marashi's deeply wrought narrative lovingly brings these young women and their friendship to life in all their complexity.

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This irresistible collection of dinosaur-themed Hidden Pictures puzzles and other activities--plus more than 50 puffy stickers--is perfect for every dinosaur-loving kid. Dinosaur puzzles and puffy stickers make an unbeatable collection! Young dinosaur lovers will love hunting for hidden objects in fun Hidden Pictures puzzles and solving other bright, engaging picture puzzles. Kids can also decorate each scene with the included puffy stickers--adding hats to Triceratops, mustaches to T. rex, and more. Get ready for prehistoric fun!

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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!Melty's has games! Pizza! Prizes! Albert and Leo promise to split everything evenly, from the food to the tickets to the prizes. But some things just can't be split. When it comes to one special prize--winner takes all! Every Mouse Math title includes back matter activities that support and extend reading comprehension and math skills, plus free online activities. (Math concept: Equal to, less than, greater than).

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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! 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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