Fun, Beautifully Illustrated Bedtime Story/Picture Book about Thoughtfulness and Good Manners for Beginner Readers, Ages 2-8

    Spooky castle, creaky floor -- who is opening the door?Is it a lurking, smirking Vampire? Or a howling, growling Werewolf? One by one, a ghoulish gang climbs onto this super jet-fueled broomstick for a frightfully fun flight on Halloween night.Want to hop aboard? There might be room for just one more. But beware -- Laura Krauss Melmed's cumulative rhyming story and Henry Cole's hilarious illustrations will take you on the ride of your life!

    With the help of a new library card and through the transformative power of books, what started out as a dull day turns into one of surprises, ideas, and fun, fun, fun! Inspired by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Toni Morrison’s experience working in a library as a young girl, this engaging picture book celebrates the wonders of reading, the enchanting capacity of the imagination, and, of course, the splendor of libraries.

    He and his sister help prepare the fixings, and soon his friends and relatives bring their own dishes and merriment.At last, it's time to bring in Max's turkey. But watch out! Mom steps on a toy car and the turkey goes flying -- landing in the fishtank! How can there be Thanksgiving without a turkey?Abby Levine's humorous, rhyming story gets to the heart of the Thanksgiving celebration. Max and his family were first introduced in This Is the Pumpkin. The author lives in Illinois. Paige Billin-Frye lives in Washington, D.C.

    Someday he wants to hit a homerun like his hero, Jackie Robinson. But the kids on Bedford Avenue won't let him play. "You're just a squirt," they tell him. When he finally does get to play stickball with the others, he does so badly that he thinks they'll never let him play again. But then his grandma takes him to see Jackie in a real game, and Luke discovers that part of being a hero is never giving up, even when there are two strikes against you and the game seems out of reach. Rachel Isadora offers up a touching salute to 1950s Brooklyn, baseball, and one of the most inspiring players ever to take the field.

    The members of the Moore clan come together to celebrate the recent marriage of Myles and Marisa, but a dark secret from the past threatens to tear the family apart.

    He travels over the stream and through the high grass, back home where his parents with love and support tell him, "You're doubting yourself./ Fear is in the way./ Listen to your heart Buzzy/ Not what others say./ Ignore labels and limits Buzzy./ They seldom do good./ You start to think, 'I Can't, '/ when you should be thinking, 'I Could.'" Its vibrant illustrations and clear, thoughtful message make Buzzy the Bumblebee a motivating and heartwarming story for all ages. "He stopped doubting himself/ And didn't need to know, 'Why.'/ He believed once again/ And was able to FLY.

    With a few reminders from her loving family and after remembering what being the Fresh Princess is all about, she may just take the leap and jump right in!Written by celebrated author, blogger, and editor Denene Millner and illustrated by Gladys Jose, Fresh Princess is the perfect book to encourage kids to proudly stand out and be themselves!

    But he lived at a time before the Civil Rights Movement, when the rules weren't fair to African Americans. Even though Jackie was a great athlete, he wasn't allowed on the best teams just because of the color of his skin. Jackie knew that sports were best when everyone, of every color, played together. He became the first black player in Major League Baseball, and his bravery changed African-American history and led the way to equality in all sports in America.This engaging series is the perfect way to bring American history to life for young children, providing them with the right role models, supplemementing Common Core learning in the classroom, and best of all, inspiring them to strive and dream.

    So what does that one witch do? She goes around to visit all her fiendish friends, naturally; two cats, three scarecrows, four goblins, five vampires, six mummies, seven owls, eight ghosts, nine skeletons, and ten werewolves.At every stop they contribute ghoulishly tasty ingredients until the witch has enough to make a properly gruesome stew for her party. Then, of course, she must send out her invitations; to the ten werewolves, nineskeletons, eight ghosts, seven owls, six mummies…Count up and count down again as one witch gets ready for a fun-filled monster bash. Come along, they've got a special surprise waiting just…FOR…YOU!

    In fact, she’s a ninja! Ethan is soon the hit of the school when his grandma drops from the ceiling at show-and-tell, and teaches the kids karate moves and how to do backflips in slow motion. But when his grandma deflates his team’s soccer ball, everyone is upset—including Ethan. Why can’t he just have a regular grandma? But when Ethan tries out his new karate movesduring the championship game . . . he’s happy that his grandma isn’t ordinary.

    The bear cubs want to play, the little hedgehogs are hungry, the bunnies are peek-a-booing, the toadlets are singing—and their mamas are at their wits' end! Will Grandma Owl finally find a way to settle everyone down to sleep?Carole Lexa Schaefer's delightful wordplay and Vanessa Cabban's winsome illustrations evoke a playful woodland world where tots of all types try to elude bedtime—until wise Grandma Owl affirms with a story that the time is right to say goodnight.

    He wants to play! Henry really wants to read,, but how can he resist his big playful puppy?

    

    Particularly on that fateful Christmas Eve. . . First off, Santa steps out of bed and stubs his toe on a bowling ball. Then the elves shrink his Santa suit, Mrs. Claus puts him on a diet, and his reindeer nearly crash into the North Pole. When Santa finally reaches the first house on his list, his "bowl full of jelly" gets him stuck in the chimney! Things turn from bad to worse when he's chased by a Parisian poodle and slips on a rigatoni noodle. Santa is ready to throw in the towel, when at his very last house he is reminded of what Christmas is really about-the gift of love. This merrily irreverent picture book, brought to life by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, will tickle funny bones and touch hearts far and wide.