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The Tent Mouse and the RV Mouse


Loretta Sponsler - 2019
    While Thomas Tent-Mouse loves to camp in his tent where he feels connected to nature, his cousin Harvey RV-Mouse loves to camp in his RV where he feels safe. Adventure awaits these outdoor-loving cousins, as they learn that it’s okay to like different things.   Fans of A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee, Llama Llama Loves Camping, and Curious George Goes Camping will love this camping book.Easy to follow storyline, beautiful illustrations, and likable characters – combined with a lesson that preferences differ. Strengthen the love for books and camping with this lovable story and rich illustrations. A fun read-aloud for families and elementary story time Books for kids ages 3-6 Books for early and emergent readers Ideal for camping theme lesson plans Loretta Sponsler is the author of Goodnight, Campsite.

The Most Beautiful Thing


Kao Kalia Yang - 2020
    Weaving together Kalia's story with that of her beloved grandmother, the book moves from the jungles of Laos to the family's early years in the United States.When Kalia becomes unhappy about having to do without and decides she wants braces to improve her smile, it is her grandmother--a woman who has just one tooth in her mouth--who helps her see that true beauty is found with those we love most. Stunning illustrations from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le bring this intergenerational tale to life.A deep and moving reflection on enduring hardship and generational love. . . . Poignant storytelling with stunning visuals.--starred, Kirkus Reviews A sincere narrative that centers on the power of family love.--starred, School Library JournalMinnesota Book Award Finalist, ALA Notable Children's Book, New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, NPR Best Book of the Year

Pop the Bubble!


Mary Eakin - 2016
    Children will love creating a bubble, playing with it and of course they’ll want to pop the bubble! Encouraging imagination with exciting interactive elements will make this a wonderful read-aloud experience.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers


Fred Rogers - 2019
    Through songs, puppets, and frank conversations, Mister Rogers instilled the values of kindness, patience, and self-esteem in his viewers, and most of all, taught children how loved they were, just by being themselves. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood reimagines the songs from the show as poetry, ranging from the iconic "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" to the forgotten gems. The poems deal with topics such as difficult feelings, new siblings, everyday routines, imagination, and more.

Wonderful You: An Adoption Story


Lauren McLaughlin - 2017
    This lovely poem illuminates the role of an adopted child's birth mother, respecting her choice to give her child to a loving family. We follow a mother's journey as she carries her child, searches for deserving parents, and ultimately creates a new family. The story offers a version of the process that is full of warmth, care, and joy.An adoptive mother herself, author Lauren McLaughlin was glad for an opportunity to memorialize her family's own fairy tale, and Meilo So's ethereal illustrations breathe magic into an already wondrous experience.

Just Like a Mama


Alice Faye Duncan - 2020
    Mama Rose is tender and sweet—everything a child could wish for in a parent. But she is also as stern and demanding as any good parent should be. In the midst of their happy home, Carol Olivia Clementine misses her mother and father. While she longs to be with them, she also learns to embrace the love that is present. Mama Rose becomes her “home.” And Carol Olivia Clementine concludes that she loves Mama Rose “just like a mama.”This sweet read-aloud is, on the surface, all about the everyday home life a caregiver makes for her young charge: Mama Rose teaches Carol Olivia Clementine how to ride a bike, clean her room, tell time. A deeper look reveals the patience, intention, and care a child receives in the arms of a mother whose blood is not her blood, but whose bond is so deep, so unconditional, that it creates the perfect conditions for a child to feel safe, successful, and deeply loved.

To the Moon and Back: A Childhood Under the Influence


Lisa Kohn - 2018
    As a child, she knew the ecstatic comfort of inclusion in a cult and as a teenager the torment of rebelling against it. As an adult, Lisa struggled to break free from the hold of abuse—battling her own addictions and inner-demons and searching her soul for a sense of self-worth. Told with spirited candor, TO THE MOON AND BACK reveals how one can leave behind such absurdity and horror and create a life of intention and joy. This is the fascinating tale of a story rarely told in its full complexity.

Hair Story


NoNieqa Ramos - 2021
    Written in rhythmic verse, this picture book follows two friends, a non-Black Boricua girl and a Black girl, as others first try to tame their tresses and eventually celebrate their gorgeous, natural hair.

What's the Worst that Could Happen?


Yewande Daniel-Ayoade - 2020
    But Kayla could only imagine the worst-case scenarios as she tried to make friends at her new school. Will Kayla overcome her fear of rejection? Or will an overactive imagination get in the way?'What's the Worst that Could Happen?' tackles the subject of social anxiety in children with a deft, yet gentle hand. Children with social anxiety will find Kayla very relatable. Adults that struggled with shyness as children will also see themselves reflected in this book.

A House on Stilts: Mothering in the Age of Opioid Addiction


Paula Becker - 2019
    Paula Becker’s son Hunter was raised in a safe, nurturing home by his writer/historian mom and his physician father. He was a bright, curious child. And yet, addiction found him. More than 2.5 million Americans are addicted to opioids, some half-million of these to heroin. For many of them, their drug addiction leads to lives of demoralization, homelessness, and constant peril. For parents, a child’s addiction upends family life, catapulting them onto a path no longer prescribed by Dr. Spock, but by Dante’s Inferno. Within this ten-year crucible, Paula is transformed by an excruciating, inescapable truth: the difference between what she can do and what she cannot do.

A Brave Face: Two Cultures, Two Families, and the Iraqi Girl Who Bound Them Together


Barbara Marlowe - 2019
    This is a story of the astonishing power of self-sacrificial love.On a typical Sunday morning in 2006, Barbara Marlowe saw a photo that changed her life: a photo of four-year-old Teeba Furat Fadhil, whose face, head, and hands had been severely burned during a roadside bombing in the Diyala Province of Iraq. Teeba’s eyes captivated Barbara, and she yearned to help this child who had already endured more pain and suffering than anyone should bear.Because surgeons were fleeing the war-torn country, Teeba would be unable to receive much-needed treatments if she stayed in Iraq. With powerful faith and determination, Barbara overcame obstacle after obstacle to bring Teeba from Iraq to the United States for medical treatments.A Brave Face explores the connection forged between Barbara and Teeba’s Iraqi mother Dunia over the past decade—a deep bond between two mothers that has flourished despite the distance, the strife of war, and the horrors of Al-Qaeda and ISIS. With chapters written by Teeba, now a young woman, and Dunia, the three women recount the story of courage and sacrifice that bound them together.A Brave Face contains the messages that:Tremendous trust can cross borders and war zonesTragedies can turn into miraclesLove can be found in the most unexpected of placesIn the end, this is a story of hope. A story of building bridges. A story of the always astonishing power of self-sacrificial love.

The Pie Life: A Guilt-Free Recipe for Success and Satisfaction


Samantha Ettus - 2016
    Now is the time for you to banish the guilt and start living a life you love! Havingworked withthousands of womenover the past two decades, Harvard MBA and best-selling author Samantha Ettus shares the secrets for how you can sustain a thrivingpersonaland professional life at the same time.Incorporating personal stories from hundreds of women including TV writer and producer Shonda Rhimes, news anchor Gayle King, Wall Street maven Sallie Krawcheck, Barnard College President Debora Spar, entrepreneur Liz Lange and Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Anne Fulenwider, The Pie Lifewill turn everything you know about work/life balance on its head.Transform your life into one that is more satisfying, rich, and delicious than you ever thought possible and join the thousands of women already living The Pie Life.Samantha Ettus@samanthaettushttp: //www.samanthaettus.com "

The Orphan of India


Sharon Maas - 2017
    On a trip to India, they fall in love with Jyothi: a small, shy girl, whose family has been ruined by poverty. Jyothi has been living on the streets of Bombay, seeking comfort in the music she hears around her. When her mother is involved in a tragic accident, Jack and Monika are determined to adopt the orphan child. Eventually they return to England, but Jyothi finds it difficult to adapt to her new home. She feels more alone than ever and music becomes her solace once more. Even when Jyothi’s extraordinary musical talent transforms into a promising career, she still doesn’t feel like she belongs. Then a turbulent love affair causes her to question everything. And Jyothi realises that before she can embrace her future, she must confront her past...

Mahatma Gandhi


Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara - 2019
    Inspired by this idea, he led peaceful protests to free India from British rule and unite the country - ending violence and unfair treatment. His bravery and free-thinking made him one of the most iconic people of peace in the world, known as 'Mahatma' meaning 'great soul'. This inspiring story of the 'Father of India's' life features a facts and photos section at the back.

Jacob's School Play: Starring He, She, and They


Ian Hoffman - 2021
    Learning that individuals are more nuanced than how others see them is a developmentally important milestone, and helps foster respect of one's self and one's peers."Making space for everyone is no small task. Seeing one another, asking the right questions, and honoring how each person walks through the world is something learned, but not often enough taught... this is not a book about conflict or being accepted by others for who you are. It's about classmates each embracing that their experience is not the only experience and that every person fits beautifully into this world in their own way. I'm so grateful that children in every classroom will have the opportunity to see themselves and their friends represented in Jacob's School Play. That's so needed and so beautifully done in this book."--Matthew Winner, The Children's Book PodcastPraise for Jacob's Room to Choose: Mentioned in The Wall Street Journal ALA Rainbow Book List Selection Recommended by Psychology Today "An empowering and uplifting tale...perfect icebreaker for young students to have meaningful conversations about gender identity and community."--The Advocate