Search results for ""astra publishing""

Kid seeks dog. Dog seeks kid. In this charming and imaginative tale of friendship, picture book readers will delight in what it means to have a furry best friend.For as long as she can remember, Joy has wanted a dog. It doesn’t matter what kind: big, little, spotted, curly. She wants one so fiercely, she makes dogs out of snow, seashells, or whatever’s at hand! However, none of the dogs Joy makes are quite what she yearns for. The seashell dog washes away, and the snow dog melts into a puddle. Little does Joy know that her perfect dog friend is just around the corner—wishing just as fiercely for a kid—and waiting to be discovered.Award-winning artist Hadley Hooper creates a world that is both timeless and magical as she weaves ink, paint, and collages made from vintage etchings together in a style that perfectly complements the classic feel of Jump for Joy. Readers will rejoice in this satisfying kid-meets-dog story, and will savor returning to this world again and again.

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“A courageous novel, beautifully imagined and written.” —Elena Lappin, The Washington Post"De Cespedes' work has lost none of its subversive force”—The New York Times Book Review* "De Céspedes’s melancholy testament to a hidden life feels timeless and vital." —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)From the author of Forbidden Notebook, Alba de Céspedes, a richly told novel she called “the story of a great love and of a crime.”As she looks back on her life, Alessandra Corteggiani recalls her youth during the rise of fascism in Italy, the resistance, and the fall of Mussolini, the lives of the women in her family and her working-class neighborhood, rigorously committed to telling “her side of the story.” Alessandra witnesses her mother, an aspiring concert pianist, suffer from the inability to escape her oppressive marriage. Later, she is sent away to live with her father's relatives in the country, in the hope she’ll finally learn to submit herself to the patriarchal system and authority. But at the farm, Alessandra grows increasingly rebellious, conscious of the unjust treatment of generations of hardworking women in her family. When she refuses the marriage proposal from a neighboring farmer, she is sent back to Rome to tend to her ailing father.In Rome, Alessandra meets Francesco, a charismatic anti-fascist professor, who ostensibly admires and supports her sense of independence and justice. But she soon comes to recognize that even as she respects Francesco and is keen to participate in his struggle to reclaim their country from fascism, this respect is unrequited, and that her own beloved husband is ensnared by patriarchal conventions when it comes to their relationship. In these pages, De Céspedes delivers a breathtakingly accurate and timeless portrayal of the complexity of the female condition against the dramatic backdrop of WWII and the partisan uprising in Italy.

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A Michelle Obama Reach Higher Fall 2022 reading list pickA Library Journal "BEST BOOK OF 2022""Aguon’s book is for everyone, but he challenges history by placing indigenous consciousness at the center of his project . . . the most tender polemic I’ve ever read." —Lenika Cruz, The Atlantic "It's clear [Aguon] poured his whole heart into this slim book . . . [his] sense of hope, fierce determination, and love for his people and culture permeates every page."—Laura Sackton, BookRiotPart memoir, part manifesto, Chamorro climate activist Julian Aguon’s No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies is a collection of essays on resistance, resilience, and collective power in the age of climate disaster; and a call for justice—for everyone, but in particular, for Indigenous peoples.In bracing poetry and compelling prose, Aguon weaves together stories from his childhood in the villages of Guam with searing political commentary about matters ranging from nuclear weapons to global warming. Undertaking the work of bearing witness, wrestling with the most pressing questions of the modern day, and reckoning with the challenge of truth-telling in an era of rampant obfuscation, he culls from his own life experiences—from losing his father to pancreatic cancer to working for Mother Teresa to an edifying chance encounter with Sherman Alexie—to illuminate a collective path out of the darkness.A powerful, bold, new voice writing at the intersection of Indigenous rights and environmental justice, Julian Aguon is entrenched in the struggles of the people of the Pacific to liberate themselves from colonial rule, defend their sacred sites, and obtain justice for generations of harm. In No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies, Aguon shares his wisdom and reflections on love, grief, joy, and triumph and extends an offer to join him in a hard-earned hope for a better world.

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An instant bestseller in Korea and the follow up to the international bestseller, Please Look After Mom; centering on a woman’s efforts to reconnect with her aging father, uncovering long-held family secrets.Two years after losing her daughter in a tragic accident, Hon finally returns to her home in the countryside to take care of her father. At first, her father only appears withdrawn and fragile, an aging man, awkward but kind around his own daughter. Then, after stumbling upon a chest of letters, Hon discovers the truth of her father’s past and reconstructs her own family history. Consumed with her own grief, Hon had been blind to her father’s vulnerability and her family’s fragility. Unraveling secret after secret and thanks to conversations with loving family and friends, Hon grows closer to her father, who proves to be more complex than she ever gave him credit for. After living through one of the most tumultuous times in Korean history, her father’s life was once vibrant and ambitious, but spiraled during the postwar years. Now, after years of emotional isolation, Hon learns the whole truth, from her father’s affair and involvement in a religious sect, to the dynamic lives of her own siblings, to her family’s financial hardships. What Hon uncovers about her father builds towards her understanding of the great scope of his sacrifice and heroism, and of his generation as a whole. More than just the portrait of a single man, I Went to See My Father opens a window onto humankind, family, loss, and war. With this long-awaited follow-up to Please Look After Mom—flawlessly rendered by award-winning translator Anton Hur—Kyung-Sook Shin has crafted an ambitious, global, epic, and lasting novel.

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"It's precisely Soto's refusal to be 'weighted' down by decades of genre tradition, to instead turn the trope on its head and in doing so remind us that no-one but ourselves is coming to save us, that makes This Weightless World such an exciting and radical novel." —Ian Monde, Locus"Set in Silicon Valley and Chicago, This Weightless World considers questions of morality in a world where people feel powerless in the face of formidable systemic forces." —Laura Adamczyk, A.V. ClubA literary debut subverting classic sci-fi tropes set in gentrified Chicago, Silicon Valley, and across the vastness of the cosmos.From the streets of gentrified Chicago, to the tech boom corridors of Silicon Valley, This Weightless World follows a revolving cast of characters after alien contact upends their lives.We are introduced to Sevi, a burned-out music teacher desperate for connection; Ramona, his on-again, off-again computer programmer girlfriend; and Sevi’s cello protégé Eason, struggling with the closure of his high school; after a mysterious signal arrives from outer space. When the signal—at first seen as a sign of hope—stops as abruptly as it started, they are all forced to reckon with its aftermath. In San Francisco, Sevi fights to find meaning in rekindled love; and Ramona–determined to build an AI to prevent mankind’s self-destruction–begins to feel the weight of past mistakes. And in Chicago, Eason measures his commitment to an estranged childhood friend against the chance of escaping neighborhood troubles.A dazzling deconstruction of science-fiction tropes, This Weightless World looks to the past for a vision of the future.

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With the emotional undertow of Ocean Vuong and the astute political observations of Natalie Diaz, a powerful poetry debut exploring the effects of racism, war and colonialism, queer love and desire. In their breathtaking international debut, Aaiún Nin plumbs the depths of the lived and enduring effects of colonialism in their native country, Angola. In these pages, Nin untangles complexities of exile, the reckoning of familial love, but also reveals the power of queer love and desire through the body that yearns to love and be loved. Nin shows the ways in which faith and devotion serve as forms of oppression and interrogates the nature of home by reclaiming the persistent echoes of trauma. A captivating blend of evocative prose and intimate testimony, Nin speaks to the universal vulnerability of existence.

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This playful picture book demonstrates key math concepts to children in a merry story featuring the Arithmechicks, ten math-loving chicks.The Arithmechicks have invited their new friend Mouse for a sleepover. When Mama says it's time for bed, the clever chicks decide it's time to prolong the fun instead! During the story, readers are invited to count and take away during everyone's favorite game of hide-and-seek—and to find Mouse, who hides in a different place in each illustration -- until all settle down for bed in the warm, cozy conclusion. The book is the perfect introduction to essential math for young children and their caregivers. It includes a helpful glossary that defines the eight arithmetic strategies the chicks use throughout the story.

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An ideal gift for children who love animals, this picture book is a celebration of Poem in your Pocket Day and a charmingly illustrated collection of playful poems about 19 different creatures.Fascinating information about the animals (yes, sea otters have pockets!) tucked into short, lively poems and bright, bold artwork make this collection perfect for National Poetry Month—or any day of the year.In honor of Poem in Your Pocket Day, a child imagines the poems animals might carry in their pockets, if they had pockets. What would a hummingbird write? A fox? A sea otter? These poems capture the essences of animals furry, feathery and finny, exploring what makes each unique. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird sings with its wings, Red Fox's poem is a fiery tail flashing in the dark, and Sea Otter’s poem is its secret pocket. Which poem will capture the heart of the child narrator? A poem about loving animals, of course!

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How will Gregory find his way back to Dad? Swish-swoosh . . . Gregory draws a lion in the sand. "Don't go in the water, and don't leave Sandy," warns Dad. But the sandy lion grows a tail that gets longer and longer—and soon Gregory is lost on the beach. This wonderful read-aloud book brings to life a summer experience that is all too familiar for young children. Karen Williams's rhythmic text has been paired with Floyd Cooper's brilliant illustrations, revealing the trip down the beach entirely from a child's point of view. A gentle father-son bond is shown in both text and art, reassuring young readers even as they share in Greg's moment of worry at finding himself lost and alone.

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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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In this Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book, Children's Literature Legacy Award-winner Nikki Grimes explores though her celebrated poetry how a supportive teacher can be the key to unlocking a dreamer's imaginative power through creative writing.Gabby's world is filled with daydreams. However, what began as an escape from her parents' arguments has now taken over her life. But with the help of a new teacher, 'Gabby the dreamer' might just become 'Gabby the writer' and the words that once carried her away might allow her to soar. Written in vivid, accessible poems, this remarkable verse novel is a celebration of imagination, of friendship, of one girl's indomitable spirit, and of a teacher's ability to reach out and change a life.Coretta Scott King Author Honor bookNCTE Notable Children's Books in the English Language ArtsKirkus Reviews Best Book

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What would you wish for? This middle-grade novel exploring what it means to become a blended family is perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead's The List of Things That Will Not Change.12-year-old Winnie feels stuck. She's alone in a new town with a mom who doesn't seem to notice how miserable Winnie's new stepbrother and stepfather make her. One night, when Winnie makes a hasty wish, she nearly gets sideswiped by an odd bird, leading her to a strange oak tree with even stranger glowing leaves. Investigating the tree, Winnie discovers a nest of golden eggs with wishes inscribed on the shells. After Winnie accidentally breaks two of the eggs, the wishes come true. Winnie sneaks back to the tree to try to grant her own wishes. But when she realizes the wishes are coming true in unexpected and terrible ways, Winnie must find a way to fix everything. . . . .

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Ginger the Halloween witch has a big Christmas wish--a visit from Santa Claus. But Santa doesn't believe in witches--until Ginger's letter to him magically appears on his desk! This book is a perfect Christmas gift or stocking stuffer for kids.Ginger spends a lot of her time creating spells, and flying through the night on her broom. But she is different from the other witches -- because she also ADORES Christmas! Even with Ginger's good deeds and endless Christmas cheer, she's never received a single visit from Santa. What's a Christmas-loving Halloween witch supposed to do? In this twist on the Christmas holiday's traditional "believe" concept, Ginger's wish of a Merry Witchmas comes true thanks to some holiday magic and good cheer.

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The actions we take and the words we speak play a big part in who we are as a person. This empowering picture book shows children they can be the authors of their own life stories.No one can tell you who you are—it's all up to you! You write your story with your actions and words. This dynamic picture book for readers of all ages features lush illustrations that bring universal situations to light, including ways to be brave, bold, and kind, as well as knowing when you've made a mistake. A perfect gift for new parents, young graduates, as well as children and adults in any stage of their life, this is a book with a message: You are what you say and do.

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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. Boom! Thunder crashes, and the electricity goes out. Sammi is crushed. Her parents had a fancy dinner planned! But no lights doesn't mean no power. Can Sammi use sun power to save the day? 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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A tiny tugboat overcomes her fears of a turbulent storm to save a stranded barge in this timeless tale of persistence.When faced with a tough challenge, Little Scoot only tries harder. Sent into a gathering storm to rescue a barge that's run aground, Little Scoot is tempted to turn around. But though she's scared of the squall, she perseveres through thunder, lightning, blustery winds, and swamping waves, reminding herself "Little Scoot never quits!" This triumphant tale is a testimony to the power of determination.

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A curious and playful young cat goes about its very cat-like day―purring, peeking, swatting, sneaking―when a sound in the distance sparks an exciting exploration. Get ready for a surprise, Blue Cat! Using simple, brightly colored illustrations full of patterns and texture, Charlie Eve Ryan captures the spirit of youthful feline play, mischief, and love.

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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. Arun and Keya find the perfect tree for a tree house. Too bad it comes with a battered bees' nest! These bees need a new home—right away! 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: Beekeeping).

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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.Unicorn and Mule play the blues. But Unicorn has too many music rules! This fun photographic easy-to-read story features the long “u” vowel sound.

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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.Kate and Nate baked a cake. Can they keep it safe from Snake? This fun photographic easy-to-read story features the long “a” vowel sound.

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Solve kid-sized dilemmas and mysteries with SCIENCE SOLVES IT! These fun science books for kids ages 5–8 blend clever stories with real-life science. Why did the dog turn green? Can you control a hiccup? Is that a UFO? Find the answers to these questions and more as kid characters dive into physical, life, and earth sciences. Javier has been waiting all winter for the hummingbirds to return. But one of them arrives early, while the weather is still cold. It's up to Javier to figure how to keep the nectar in the feeder from freezing solid! Books in this perfect STEM series will help kids think like scientists and get ahead in the classroom. Activities and experiments are included in every book!

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Twelve-year-old Bone, whose Gift allows her to see memories in everyday objects, must unearth her family's deepest secrets to find her favorite, missing uncle. This supernatural historical mystery is the final book in the critically-acclaimed and emotionally-resonant Ghosts of Ordinary Objects trilogy. In a southern Virginia coal-mining town in December 1942, Bone Phillips is learning to control her Gift: seeing the history of a significant object when she touches it. But one object is off limits: Uncle Ash's World War I dog tags, which hold memories of terror. When a body identified as Uncle Ash turns up inside the mines, Bone will need every ounce of courage she can summon to not only find her beloved uncle through the dog tags but prove that he isn't the thief the mine supervisor claims he is. The Truce is the riveting conclusion to the Ghosts of Ordinary Objects trilogy, with Bone facing her greatest challenge yet.

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A Washington Post Best Children's BookThis book for young readers explores in riveting detail the false panic created by the famous War of the Worlds radio broadcast from 1938—as well as the repercussions of "fake news" today. On the night of October 30, 1938, thousands of Americans panicked when they believed that Martians had invaded Earth. What appeared to be breaking news about an alien invasion was in fact a radio drama based on H. G. Wells's War of the Worlds, performed by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre players. Some listeners became angry once they realized they had been tricked, and the reaction to the broadcast sparked a national discussion about fake news, propaganda, and the role of radio. In this compelling nonfiction chapter book, Gail Jarrow explores the production of the broadcast, the aftermath, and the concept of "fake news" in the media.

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In this book, beloved author-illustrator Suzanne Bloom asks readers how they prepare for bed--from putting on jammies to asking for one more hug--then counts down to bedtime from ten terribly tired tigers to one really weary wombat. Each animal demonstrates a different bedtime ritual--skunks somersault into bunks and elephants curl up with their trunks--adding original and inventive rhymes and a clever counting-backward structure to the bedtime book genre. The lyrical, rhyming text combines with dreamy, colorful artwork to provide a perfect way for children to wind down from an active day in a book sure to become a new bedtime classic.

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Do you get books from a public library in your town or even in your school library? In many remote areas of the world, there are no library buildings. In many countries, books are delivered in unusual way: by bus, boat, elephant, donkey, train, even by wheelbarrow. Why would librarians go to the trouble of packing books on the backs of elephants or driving miles to deliver books by bus? Because, as one librarian in Azerbaijan says, "Books are as important to us as air or water!" This is the intriguing photo essay, a celebration of books, readers, and libraries.

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Keep puzzlers busy all winter long! This winter-themed collection is packed with over 100 types of puzzles and activities, including ever-popular Hidden Pictures puzzles. With bright illustrations, varied levels of complexity, and plenty of humor, this 144-page book is sure to challenge, entertain and amuse kids ages 6-9 with expertly crafted activities. This collection is brimming with brain-boosting challenges like mazes, number puzzles, wordplay, brainteasers and Hidden Pictures puzzles. With a wide range of kids' favorite activities delightfully designed around snow, sledding and more winter fun, this activity book is a perfect solution to winter-break boredom for the whole family. Kids love working to achieve a goal, and every puzzle solved encourages them to take on new challenges and builds their self-esteem. Solving puzzles also help kids with following directions and developing concentration, attention to detail and reasoning skills. Like all Highlights products, Puzzlemania Winter Puzzles is well thought out, well constructed and visually appealing in order to bring kids meaningful benefits and maximum fun.

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The perfect gift for young soccer fans, this picture book features twenty-two imaginative poems that capture all aspects of the world's most popular sport.From the coach who inspires players to fly like the wind, to the shin guard that begs to be donned, to soccer dreams that fill the night, Soccerverse celebrates soccer. Featuring a diverse cast of girls and boys, the poems in this collection cover winning, losing, teamwork, friendships, skills, good sportsmanship, and, most of all, love for the game. Elizabeth Steinglass cleverly incorporates thirteen different poetic forms throughout the book, defining each in a note at the end, and Edson Ikê's bold artwork is as creative as the poems are surprising.

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School Library Journal Best Book of the YearNSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade BookAmerican Farm Bureau Foundation for Education Recommended Book Besides being a general and the first president of the United States, did you know that George Washington was also a farmer? Here's a look at America's first President as he's rarely seen.George Washington was the first leader of our country—but he was also an inventor, scientist, and the most forward-thinking farmer of his time. As he worked to make the new country independent, he also struggled to create a self-sufficient farm at Mount Vernon, Virginia. Excerpts from Washington's writings are featured throughout this nonfiction picture book, which also includes a timeline, resource section, as well as essays on Washington at Mount Vernon and his thoughts on slavery. Both the author and illustrator worked closely with the staff of Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens to render an accurate portrait of Farmer George at work.Nebraska Farm Bureau Children’s Agriculture Book of the YearOhio Farm Bureau’s Children’s Book AwardA Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Book of the YearKansas State Reading Circle Recommended Reading List

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Selected by noted anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins, this collection of all-new poems is written from the points of view of personality-filled punctuation marks, and is a memorable introduction to grammar for kids (adults, too!)In this land of punctuation, the exclamation mark is a superhero who tells a story chock-full of bops and bams, the comma lets you pause to enjoy the weather, and the period is where you must come to a full stop--or else the Grammar Police will get you. With humor and imagination, A Bunch of Punctuation makes it easy to remember the jobs of the various punctuation marks. Award-winning poet and anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins has compiled a unique collection of poems featuring brand-new works by well-known poets, accompanied by inventive artwork by illustrator Serge Bloch.

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The barn is old. The boards are beaten. A hundred years of wind and rain have taken their toll. When you step inside, you can smell the hay and horses. It's a beautiful place, this barn, in its rugged way. But now it's time for the barn to come down. Fortunately, the barn will not be crushed by the blade of a bulldozer. It will be dismantled slowly, piece by piece, by the barn savers. The barn savers, a father and son, take care to save everything--the joists, the rafters, the flooring, the roofing. In this way, the barn will never be gone. Somewhere parts of it may live for another hundred years. This is the hope of the barn savers. Linda Oatman High's story quietly celebrates something beautiful and something old, as a father and son bring down a barn with hard work and respect. Ted Lewin's dramatic illustrations pay homage to the old barn in all its gray and weathered glory.

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Fourteen Mother-Goose rhymes enjoyed by generations of children are creatively presented as "poem pairs"—with a twist!—in this playful poetry picture book. Mother Goose has a few secrets tucked in her feathers! Did you know that the shoe loved the Old Woman and her many children? And that the three blind mice weren’t actually blind, only near-sighted? Or that Humpty Dumpty fell when skateboarding on a wall? Featuring wildly different voices and perspectives, this terrific read-aloud features with stunning illustrations and hilarious details. The book includes the original Mother Goose rhymes, endnotes that briefly describe their history, and an introduction that invites readers to imagine their own poems from unusual perspectives and "create magic."

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ALA Notable Children’s Book Kirkus Reviews “Best Children’s Book of the Year” Winner of the North Carolina Juvenile Literature Award Winner of the NAPPA Gold AwardA feisty tweenage orphan discovers what it means to love and be loved in this powerful coming-of-age novel about hope, redemption, and found family A headstrong girl. A stray cat. A wild boy. A man who plays with fire. Eleven-year-old Zoë trusts no one. Her father left before she was born. At the death of her irresponsible mother, Zoë goes to live with her uncle, former surgeon and famed metal sculptor, Dr. Henry Royster. She's sure Henry will fail her as everyone else has. Reclusive since his wife’s death, Henry takes Zoë to Sugar Hill, North Carolina, where he welds sculptures as stormy as his moods. Zoë and Henry have much in common: brains, fiery and creative natures, and badly broken hearts. Zoë confronts small-town prejudice with a quick temper. She warms to Henry’s odd but devoted friends, meets a mysterious teenage boy living wild in the neighboring woods, and works to win the trust of a feral cat while struggling to trust in anyone herself.In this award-winning coming-of-age tale for young readers, Zoë’s questing spirit leads her to uncover the wild boy’s identity, lay bare a local lie, and begin to understand the true power of Henry’s art. Then one decisive night she and the boy risk everything in a reckless act of heroism . . .

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Saddle up! We're headed for Deadwood. When Prometheus Jones wins a horse with the raffle ticket he got from Pernie and LaRue Boyd, he knows things won't go smoothly. No way are those two rednecks going to let a black man, even a freeman from the day of his birth, keep that horse. So as soon as things get ugly, he jumps on the horse, pulls his friend Omer up behind him, and heads off. They hook up with a cattle drive out of Texas heading for Deadwood, North Dakota. Prometheus is a fine hand with a horse and not so bad with a gun, and both skills prove useful as the trip north throws every twist and turn imaginable at the young cowpokes. The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones, a Voice of Youth Advocates Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers book, revives the famous "dime novels" about "Deadwood Dick" written by Edward L. Wheeler, which, in turn, were loosely based on the autobiography of the African American cowboy Nat Love.

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Countless acres of grassland stretch across the American West. Centuries ago, bison roamed the range freely and lived off the grass. By the nineteenth century, herds of cattle grazed the same land. And over time, much of he original grassland was either plowed and planted or trampled to dust, causing the topsoil to dry up and blow away. Today many ranchers have learned to manage their herds of beef cattle so that the damaged range has been transformed into productive grasslands with sparkling clear streams running through them. Montana Ranchers Bob Lee, Ray Marxer, and Tom Milesnick have won numerous awards for their innovative approaches to raising beef cattle and managing the western range. While creating a healthy environment and abundant grasslands for their cattle, they and other ranchers and farmers across the United States have provided quality habitat for wildlife. Author Cris Peterson has visited each ranch to learn firsthand about the philosophies of their owners as well as how the ranches are run. Photographer Alvis Upitis has captured the sheer beauty and magnificence of the open rangelands, the crystal clear streams, and the mountains that tower over them. Together, this award-winning author-photographer team presents an exciting portrait of a new approach to ranching and environmental conservation in the American West.

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Here is a story of Alice Coachman, the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal.When Alice Coachman was a girl, most White people wouldn't even shake her hand. Yet when the King of England placed an Olympic medal around her neck in 1948, he extended his hand to Alice in congratulations. Standing on a podium in London's Wembley Stadium, Alice was a long way from the fields of Georgia where she ran barefoot as a child. With a record-breaking leap, she had become the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. This inspirational picture book is perfect to celebrate Women's History Month or to share any day of the year.

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"Definitely the best cicada book for kids. Adults will appreciate it as well, as it is well written, factually accurate, and beautifully illustrated." —Cicadamania.com Discover why cicadas are all the buzz in the most complete, comprehensive book for kids about these noisy but harmless insects.Every year, annual cicadas emerge and pierce the air with their buzzing calls. Also every year, at least one brood of 13 or 17 year cicadas emerges in some part of the eastern or central United States. In Spring 2021, a group of 17 year periodical cicadas called Brood X will make their appearance in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Author Laurence Pringle and illustrator Meryl Henderson have created the story of this fascinating and often misunderstood insect, one that deserves to be protected.

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Another zany day at school. Judy is caught kissing Justin. Vanessa is eating paste. Mrs. Reilly, a teacher, turns into a ghoul from the dark side of the moon. And Ollie, the classroom mascot, who happens to be a seven-foot-long snake, is chasing Principal Poole. In other words, it's a day at school as imagined by Dave Crawley, author of the popular Cat Poems and Dog Poems. With lively illustrations by Liz Callen, this comical collection examines everything from taking tests, coming up with ever more original excuses for not doing homework, and the shock of seeing a teacher on a Saturday, buying groceries like an actual human being.

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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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