The Amish first came to Pennsylvania in the early 1700s, and to this day preserve a religious and "plain" life-style. As part of her household chores, Naomi looks after the chickens with her little sister, Ruth.One day Naomi and Ruth find an abandoned egg near the road. This is no ordinary chicken egg, though. In fact, surrounded by the simplicity and austerity of their Amish ways, this egg is almost "fancy." Naomi decides this special egg must be hatched. And when it is, it's plain to see that this is no ordinary chick!The girls manage to keep the chick, dubbed Fancy, a secret... until the day of the Vleckes' frolic, or community working bee. On this day, Naomi is to receive a white organdy cap, a family tradition, as a reward for her hard work and responsibility. But on this day, too, Fancy decides to introduce himself to the community.The results are a sheer delight, pure and simple. Patricia Polacco's passion has taken her into the heart of Amish country in search of a story. In this unabridged reading of her award-winning book, her lively voice, accompanied by her beautiful artwork carry this story of discovery and growing up into the hearts of all who listen and turn its pages.

    An eight-year-old girl, "The Great One," and her six-year-old brother, "The Pain," state their cases about each other and who is best loved by their parentsAn IRA-CBC Children's Choice.

    Children are filling the road. "Will they give us a notebook?" Thomas asks. "Will they give us a pencil?""Will I learn to read?"But when he and the other children arrive at the schoolyard, they find no classroom, no desks. Just a teacher. "We will build our school," she says. "This is our first lesson."James Rumford, who lived in Chad as a Peace Corps volunteer, fills these pages with vibrant ink-and-pastel colors of Africa and the spare words of a poet to show how important learning is in a country where only a few children are able to go to school.

    “You definitely have a mind of your own,” said Chester’s mother. “That’s one way to put it,” said Chester’s father.Luckily Chester’s best friend, Wilson, likes doing things just the same way as Chester. When they cut their sandwiches, it's always diagonally. When they ride their bikes, they always use hand signals. If Chester is hungry, Wilson is too. They're two of a kind—until indomitable Lilly, who has her own way of doing things, moves into the neighborhood. Because Lilly has her own way of doing things!Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, the nationally bestselling and celebrated creator of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Kitten's First Full Moon, and Chrysanthemum, Chester's Way is a classic picture book about friendship for kids ages 3-7. With sweet good humor and charming pictures, the book's themes of making new friends, accepting others, and trying new things resonate when curled up with a parent or at story time.

    He crawls like a catfish, blows bubbles like a swamp monster, but he doesn’t swim in the town pool with me. He’s not allowed. Joe and John Henry are a lot alike. They both like shooting marbles, they both want to be firemen, and they both love to swim. But there’s one important way they're different: Joe is white and John Henry is black, and in the South in 1964, that means John Henry isn’t allowed to do everything his best friend is. Then a law is passed that forbids segregation and opens the town pool to everyone. Joe and John Henry are so excited they race each other there...only to discover that it takes more than a new law to change people’s hearts.

    Jimmy's boa constrictor wreaks havoc on the class trip to a farm.

    The oxcart man packs his goods - the wool from his sheep, the shawl his wife made, the mittens his daughter knitted, and the linen they wove. He packs the birch brooms his son carved, and even a bag of goose feathers from the barnyard geese.He travels over hills, through valleys, by streams, past farms and villages. At Portsmouth Market he sells his goods, one by one - even his beloved ox. Then, with his pockets full of coins, he wanders through the market, buying provisions for his family, and returns to his home. And the cycle begins again."Like a pastoral symphony translated into picture book format, the stunning combination of text and illustrations recreates the mood of 19-century rural New England."--The Horn Book

    An American sailor courts a young Japanese woman and each tries, in secret, to learn the other's way of eating.

    . . no matter where you may live.” This stunning picture book is the perfect gift for parents of a new baby.“This loving book will be something to treasure."' –Booklist"The quiet narrative is so intensely felt it commands attention. . . . a lyrical celebration." –Kirkus Reviews

    In this poignant story, the counting rope is a metaphor for the passage of time and for a boy's emerging confidence in facing his blindness.

    The amazing tricks two American soldiers perform on a borrowed bicycle are a fitting finale for the school sports day festivities in a small village in occupied Japan.

    After their home is destroyed by a fire, Rosa, her mother and grandmother save their coins to buy a really comfortable chair for all to enjoy.

    "An ideal complement to Native American and Texas studies..." Booklist

    A book that, along with its fun, truly illustrates the American scene.

    Embittered and suspicious from the war, the people hide their food and close their windows tight. That is, until the clever strangers suggest making a soup from stones. Intrigued by the idea, everyone brings what they have until-- together, they have made a feast fit for a king! In this inspiring story about the strength people possess when they work together, Muth takes a simple, beloved tale and adds his own fresh twist.