And Sammy, who boasts that he is King of the Playground, is there most of the time. If he catches Kevin on the swings or the slide or the monkey bars, Sammy says, he will do awful, terrible things to him. Kevin tells his dad what Sammy says and they talk it over. And then one day Kevin gets his courage up and goes to the playground even though Sammy says he can't come in. Even though Sammy tells him to go home. Even though Sammy says he will put Kevin in a cage with bears in it. Will Kevin stay, or will he go home? How will he deal with Sammy?

    Included are:MERCY WATSON TO THE RESCUEMERCY WATSON GOES FOR A RIDEMERCY WATSON FIGHTS CRIMEMERCY WATSON: PRINCESS IN DISGUISEMERCY WATSON THINKS LIKE A PIGMERCY WATSON: SOMETHING WONKY THIS WAY COMES

    He excels at helping his fellow animals look shipshape and feel their best, no matter how unruly their locks. Whatever the coiffure quandary, Maxwell is your monkey. He tames Baboon’s curls, styles Lion’s mane, and trims Bear’s beard, exclaiming each time: “Your hair’s the best I’ve seen today!”All’s well until Elephant comes in, feeling sad because he has no hair. Can Maxwell help? Of course! After some careful thinking, he devises a solution to help even Elephant feel his best.Cale Atkinson’s bright, cartoon-like digital illustrations beckon readers into Maxwell’s world in this playful tale. Rhyming text, speech bubbles, and a refrain make this story a fun read-aloud accessible to early readers. Full of personality and style, Maxwell has a genuine charm and enthusiasm for helping others that kids will find immediately contagious.LEVELINGGrade Range: PreK–3Fountas & Pinnell: JReading Recovery: 17Lexile: AD 520LCOMMON COREL.1.1,1f,2,2a,2d,4,4a,5,5a,5dRF.1.1,2,3,3a,3b,3f,4,4a,4b,4cSL.1.1,1a,1b,1c,2,4,5,6W.1.1,3,5,6,8RL.1.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10

    Tino and Teeny are two lovestruck bunnies living a mere hop, skip, and jump apart. If only they could overcome their shyness and be friends! Tino has an idea: leave a tender letter for Teeny in the hollow log. Soon after, Teeny has the same thought. But before each can discover the other's note, it starts to rain. And when a family of cold, wet mice seeks shelter in the log, what better to keep them warm than letters, chewed, chomped, and shredded just so?Luckily, the sun returns and, realizing what they've done, the matchmaking mice help Tino and Teeny piece together their true feelings.

    A great introduction to books through well-known nursery rhymes and interactive text. Singing songs and rhymes is the perfect way to bond with your baby and share quality time. It also aids language development by introducing them to the natural sounds and patterns of speech. Combining these with actions also stimulates the brain and helps muscle development.

    This chunky board book is a visual feast from one to twelve. Young children will love finding and counting all of the garden treats. Every other page introduces a new plant into the mix until ultimately all twelve plants are featured together in the final, abundantly overgrown garden. "Counting in the Garden" is sure to appeal to eco-conscious parents and their "green" little kids.

    Dynamic black-and-white artwork of children bowing, kicking and sailing through the air contrasts with their brilliantly colored karate belts in this rhythmic read-aloud that explores the action and philosophy of karate.

    In HAMMERTOWN, poet Peter Culley re-imagines his home town of Nanaimo, British Columbia, not as it is, but as it might be imagined in the mind of a Parisian who had rarely left his city. This is Culley's fifth book of poetry.