Search results for ""astra publishing""

Duck and the gang are camping out, in the fourth installment of the “cool” graphic chapter book series that Kirkus Reviews dubbed “a rad read!” Right on the heels of One Cool Duck #3: Summer Games, Duck, Cat, and the rest of the gang plan to camp out at the far-out fort! With a campfire roaring, they settle in to tell spooky stories. Duck tells the far-fetched tale of Scrambled Eggs the Possum. Locals say he still haunts the woods around the fort, and to keep your lights low while out in the woods at night. Or he might just appear looking for his . . . SCRAMBLED EGGS! Campfire fun follows when, disguised as a possum, Jeff scares the s’mores out of the whole gang!With laugh-out-loud dialogue and vibrant illustrations, Mike Petrik is back at it with Duck and the gang in his fourth installment in the One Cool Duck series.

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Duck and the gang want to build a cool hangout in the second book in this graphic chapter book series perfect for fans of Narwahl and Jelly.When the gang decides to build a hangout where everyone can chill together, there are supplies to gather, the puuurrrfect tree to find, and of course: an awesome name to pick! (Turkey wonders: What about the Doozy Den?) But when Cat tells the gang that tree forts aren’t cool, everybody’s feathers get ruffled—especially Duck’s. In three short chapters, perfect for readers just gaining confidence, Duck and his friends once again show Cat that being cool is never about being mean!Hippo Park graphic chapter books are ideal for beginning and newly independent readers, with approachable page counts, easy-to-follow paneling, and artwork that supports text comprehension.

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What's cool, anyway? Skateboards, pizza, arcade games—and being kind! This buoyant young graphic chapter book introduces Duck and pals, kicking off a series that makes real-life friendship issues fun.Duck is feeling pretty good about himself. He can flip on a skateboard, and he’s a great friend, too. Then Cat comes along and seems so cool, with his high scores on video games—but Cat also does some mean stuff nobody likes! Then Cat gets caught up a tree and needs help. In three short chapters, perfect for readers just gaining confidence, Duck and his pals show Cat that being cool includes helping others and not dissing your friends. Each character has a distinct way of speaking, and readers will love learning how to read and pronounce entertaining slang expression from the fifties and other "cool" eras.Hippo Park graphic chapter books are ideal for beginning and newly independent readers, with approachable page counts, easy-to-follow paneling, and artwork that supports text comprehension.

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An ALSC Notable Children's BookA wondrous introduction to one of the most beautiful connections between mathematics and the natural world—the Fibonacci sequence—through a series of stunning nature photographs.Discover the biggest mathematical mystery in nature—Fibonacci numbers! Named after a famous mathematician, the number pattern is simple and starts with: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13. Each number in the sequence comes from adding the two numbers before it. What's the mystery? The pattern crops up in the most unexpected places. You'll find it in the disk of a sunflower, the skin of a pineapple, and the spiral of a nautilus shell. This book brings math to life, celebrates science, and inspires kids to see nature through new eyes.

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Our Culture Magazine Best Book of 2023 “Rushton's work is generous, thoughtful, and honest, taking care neither to romanticize nor to disparage the choice to become a parent.” —Jenny Hamilton, Booklist (starred review)A bold feminist investigation into the mother of all questions; whether or not to become a parent in these turbulent times.Should we become parents? This timeless question forces us to reckon with who we are and what we love and fear most in ourselves, in our relationships, and in the world as it is now and as it will be.When Gina Rushton admitted she had little time left to make the decision for herself, the magnitude of the choice overwhelmed her. Her search for her own “yes” or “no” only uncovered more questions to be answered. How do we clearly consider creating a new life on a planet facing catastrophic climate change? How do we reassess the gender roles we have been assigned at birth and by society? How do we balance ascending careers with declining fertility? How do we know if we’ve found the right co-parent, or if we want to go it alone, or if we don’t want to do it at all?To seek clarity on these questions, Rushton spoke to doctors, sociologists, economists, and ethicists, as well as parents and childless people of all ages and from around the world. Here, she explores and presents policies, data, and case studies from people who have made this decision—one way or the other—and shows how the process can be revelatory in discovering who we are as individuals.Drawing on the depth of knowledge afforded by her body of work as an award-winning journalist on the abortion beat, Rushton wrote the book that she needed, and we all need, to stop a panicked internal monologue and start a genuine dialogue about what we want from our lives and why.

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Michael Deagler is the real deal. —Percival Everett, 2023 Windham Campbell Prize recipient and author of Dr. NoDon’t worry about what Dennis Monk did when he was drinking. He’s sober now, ready to rejoin the world of leases and paychecks, reciprocal friendships and healthy romances—if only the world would agree to take him back. When his working-stiff parents kick him out of their suburban home, mere months into his frangible sobriety, the 26-year-old spends his first dry summer couch surfing through South Philadelphia, struggling to find a place for himself in the throng of adulthood.Monk’s haphazard pilgrimage leads him through a city in flux: growing, gentrifying, haunted by its history and its unrealized potential. Everyone he knew from college seems to be doing better than him—and most of them aren’t even doing that well. His run-ins with former classmates, estranged drinkin

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For readers of Dilla Time and Music Is History; the definitive biography of MF DOOM, charting his life, career, and eventual immortality.

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“[A] blistering psychological thriller.” —The New York Times Book Review"A compelling debut that fizzes with tension from start to finish, blending the subtle erudition of literary fiction with the drama and suspense of the very best thrillers. Masterful in its evocation of the complexity of mother-daughter relationships, this is a darkly fascinating, tightly plotted narrative from a writer to watch." —Harper’s Bazaar (UK)Just graduated from high school and waiting to start college at Oxford, Lily lives under the scrutiny of her volatile Singaporean mother, May, and is unable to find kinship with her elusive British father, Charlie. When May suspects that Charlie is having an affair, there’s only one thing that calms May down: a glass of perfectly spoiled orange juice served by Lily, who must always taste it first to make sure it's just right.As her mother becomes increasingly unhinged, Lily starts to have flashbacks that she knows aren’t her own. Over a sweltering London summer, all semblance of civility and propriety is lost, as Lily begins to unravel the harrowing history that has always cast a shadow on her mother. The horrifying secrets she uncovers will shake her family to its core, culminating in a shattering revelation that will finally set Lily free.Beautiful and shocking, Bad Fruit is as compulsive as it is thought-provoking, as nuanced as it is explosive. A masterful exploration of mothers and daughters, inherited trauma and the race to break its devastating cycle, Bad Fruit will leave readers breathlessly questioning their own notions of femininity, race and redemption.

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The Sellout meets Interior Chinatown in this satirical debut about a German Indian student whose world is upended when she discovers that her beloved professor who passed for Indian is, in fact, white. Nivedita (a.k.a. Identitti), a well-known blogger and doctoral student is, in awe of her supervisor superstar postcolonial and race studies professor Saraswati. But her life and sense of self are turned upside down when it emerges that Saraswati is actually white. Nivedita's praise of Saraswati during a radio interview just hours before the news breaks and before she learns the truth calls into question her own reputation as a young activist. Following the uproar, Nivedita is forced to reflect on the key moments in her life, when she doubted her identity and her place in the world. As debates on the scandal rage on social media, blogs, and among her closest friends, Nivedita's assumptions are called into question as she reconsiders the lessons she learned from her adored professor. In her thought-provoking, genre-bending debut, Mithu Sanyal enlisted the contributions and commentary of real life public intellectuals as if Saraswati were a real person. A darkly comedic tour de force, Identitti showcases the outsized power of social media in the current debates about identity politics and the power of claiming your own voice.

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This Halloween-themed collection of spooky Hidden Pictures puzzles and other activities--plus more than 50 puffy stickers--is the perfect treat for Halloween. Halloween puzzles and puffy stickers make an unbeatable collection. Young puzzlers will love hunting for hidden objects in fun Hidden Pictures puzzles and solving other bright, engaging Halloween-themed picture puzzles. Kids can also decorate each scene with the included puffy stickers, like adding costume pieces to animals, faces to pumpkins, and more. Get ready for spooky fun!

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This inspirational and dazzlin’ story of Dolly Parton—noted singer, songwriter, and humanitarian—follows her rise to fame, from her beginnings in East Tennessee to performing to thousands at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Dolly is a little girl with a BIG voice. Music fills Dolly’s heart so plumb full she has to let it out! She’ll even sing to her cornhusk dolls or a pen full of pigs. She makes her own drum from a pot and her own guitar from a broken mandolin. But what Dolly dreams of is performing for a real audience—people who would hear her sing, and applaud! And when she gets her big break at age ten, the soul-singin’ and big-dreamin’ Dolly discovers she’s scared to sing on stage in front of all those people. Will she summon up all of her courage and make it to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville? Young readers will learn about Dolly’s early history, her endless creativity, and her plucky perseverance in this entertaining picture book that’s perfect for fans of all ages.

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This lively STEAM picture book is about the life of Gene Stratton-Porter, a pioneering wildlife photographer and popular author from the late 19th and early 20th century, who showed the world the beauty of nature, especially birds, and why it was worth preserving.Gene Stratton-Porter was a farm girl who fell in love with birds, from the chickens whose eggs she collected to the hawks that preyed on them. When she grew up, Gene wanted nothing more than to share her love of birds with the world. She wrote stories about birds, but when a magazine wanted to publish them next to awkward photos of stuffed birds, she knew she had to take matters into her own hands. Teaching herself photography, Gene began to take photos of birds in the wild. Her knowledge of birds and how to approach them allowed her to get so close you could count the feathers of the birds in her photos. Her work was unlike anything Americans had ever seen before—she captured the true lives of animals in

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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!A dozen bugs? That’s a lot! Still, Albert is sure he’ll find all twelve on the class field trip to the insect zoo. After all he loves bugs. What he doesn’t love? Subtraction. But if he counts down, bug by bug, he might just win lunch with the famous entomologist, Arizona Brown! Every Mouse Math title includes back matter activities that support and extend reading comprehension and math skills, plus free online activities. (Math Concept: Subtraction)

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This exuberant picture book demonstrates key math concepts to children as ten math-loving chicks make a new friend.As the Arithmechicks slide down the slide, swing on the swings, and play hide-and-seek, they don't realize that a lonely mouse is copying them, longing to join in. However, when their basketball becomes stuck, the chicks discover that a two-inch-tall new friend is exactly what they need. In this heartwarming story, there are many ways to add up ten cheerful chicks--but a new friend is what makes them cheer. The book includes a helpful glossary that defines the eight arithmetic strategies the chicks use throughout the story, providing a playful introduction to essential math for young children and their caregivers.

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Even the smallest hippo can be a big help when he teams up with his friends in this imaginative picture book that will inspire young readers as they play their own games of make-believe.Little Hippo loves to play pretend, and today he’s going to be a shopkeeper! Little Hippo has a goal—he is determined to buy his mama a special gift. With goodies filling his shop, Shopkeeper Hippo is excited to see his many friends stopping by for a treat. Filled with silly animal antics and culminating in the beautiful bond between mother and child, this heartwarming story shows all readers the joy in being kind and the impact of being brave.

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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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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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