For when a young couple finds a boy asleep on their porch, their lives take an unexpectedly joyous turn.When John and Marta found the boy on the porch, they were curious, naturally, as to why he was there-and they didn't expect him to stay, not at first, but he did stay, day after day, until it seemed as if he belonged, running and smiling and laughing his silent laugh, tapping and patting on every surface as he made his music, and painting-with water, with paint, with mud-those swirly swirls and swings and trees.One day a young couple wakes to find a boy asleep on their porch. Unable to speak, the boy cannot explain his history. What kind of person would leave their child with strangers? All they know is that they have been chosen to care for this boy. And as their connection to him grows, they embrace his exuberant spirit and talents. The three of them blossom into an unlikely family, and John and Marta and the boy begin to see the world in brand-new ways. Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech delivers a poignant story of finding family when you least expect it.

    Gallado whose talents in magazine, book design and illustrating were first honed in the old and defunct Philippines Herald and Manila Times. From there, he became Art Director of The Asia Magazine and subsequently a series of publishing firms in Hong Kong, including Asian Finance, Ltd., Pacific Communications, Ltd., Communication Management Ltd., and Flair Publishing Asia Ltd., before returning to Manila, where he has held several one-man exhibitions of his paintings, the most recent of which was a collection of pen and ink drawings. Bert Gallardo's flair for drawing recommends this book to young artists.These four stories as crafted by the country's foremost novelist are meant for children but in reality, they are also for adults. Readers will find in these stories the author's familiar themes as depicted in his longer fiction. F. Sionil Jose's latest distinction comes from Chile—The Pablo Neruda Centennial Award.

    Abandoned and set adrift on a small boat when she was just hours old, Crow's only companions are Osh, the man who rescued and raised her, and Miss Maggie, their fierce and affectionate neighbor across the sandbar.Crow has always been curious about the world around her, but it isn't until the night a mysterious fire appears across the water that the unspoken question of her own history forms in her heart. Soon, a chain of events is triggered, leading Crow down a path of discovery and danger.

    About the AuthorAuthor of the best-selling Penny Rushmore novels, including “A Sandwich Short of a Picnic”, Felicity Price has also written several other published novels, the John Britten biography “Dare to Dream” and a couple of company histories. Sandwiched (like Felicity's fictional character Penny Rushmore) between the emotional turmoil of elderly parents, teenagers, a demanding career and a badly-behaved spaniel, Felicity similarly tries to juggle with jelly and often feels it slither between her fingers.

    Holly Hobbie's intricate watercolors evoke the small kitten's hardscrabble life as powerfully as they do his blissful one. This story tugs the heartstrings and is a testament to the importance of pet adoption and the powerful ways that pets connect with their people.

    She has rings in her ears and she sometimes comes to school in a little wagon."Kizzy Lovell is a gypsy girl. She has her gran and her horse, Joe, and she doesn't need anything else. Then Gran dies, her wagon burns, and Kizzy is left all alone - in a community that hates her.

    Now younger children can get in on Mama Raccoon's secret and find comfort in A Kissing Hand for Chester Raccoon, a board-book adaptation of the original picture book. Chester could feel his mother's kiss leap straight into his heart. "With a Kissing Hand," said Chester's mom, "We'll never be apart." "Just press your hand upon your cheek and feel that loving glow. It's Mommy saying, 'I love you,' wherever you may go." The Kissing Hand has become a children's classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents. A Kissing Hand for Chester Raccoon conveys the heart of the story in rhyming verse, perfect for read-aloud and easy for even the little ones to remember and recite. With illustrations by Barbara Gibson that capture the warmth and beauty of the original artwork, toddlers now share in the benefits from Mrs. Raccoon's secret for making a child feel safe and secure.

    Batchelder medal for most oustanding children's book in translation.Escaping Nazi Germany on the kindertransport changes one girl's life foreverAt the start of World War II, ten-year-old Franziska Mangold is torn from her family when she boards the kindertransport in Berlin, the train that secretly took nearly 10,000 children out of Nazi territory to safety in England. Taken in by strangers who soon become more like family than her real parents, Frances (as she is now known) courageously pieces together a new life for herself because she doesn't know when or if she'll see her true family again. Against the backdrop of war-torn London, Frances struggles with questions of identity, family, and love, and these experiences shape her into a dauntless, charming young woman.Originally published in Germany, Anne Voorhoeve's award-winning novel is filled with humor, danger, and romance.

    And now YOU can help! My Magical Words is the experience your child needs to grow their self-love and build their confidence. It’s a first book of positive affirmations where children will learn to say I AM statements that empower them to know they are special, loved, smart, beautiful, strong, healthy, and more. Your special time with your children will soar to a whole new level as you show them that words have power and what they say about themselves is important. Teaching your children positive self-talk at an early age will lay the foundation for future success! Get the little loves in your life a copy today!If you loved other books to inspire young thinkers to greatness such as What Would Danny Do?, I Can Handle It, The Wonderful Things You Will Be, or I Wish You More, then this book will be the perfect addition to your child’s library collection.

    In a slightly magical world where everyone has a Talent, eleven-year-old Cady is an orphan with a phenomenal Talent for cake baking. But little does she know that fate has set her on a journey from the moment she was born. And her destiny leads her to a mysterious address that houses a lost luggage emporium, an old recipe, a family of children searching for their own Talents, and a Talent Thief who will alter her life forever. However, these encounters hold the key to Cady's past and how she became an orphan. If she's lucky, fate may reunite her with her long-lost parent. Lisa Graff adds a pinch of magic to a sharply crafted plot to create a novel that will have readers wondering about fate and the way we're all connected.

    It seems the sisters need Maud to help stage elaborate séances for bereaved, wealthy patrons. As Maud is drawn deeper into the deception, playing her role as a "secret child," she is torn between her need to please and her growing conscience – until a shocking betrayal makes clear just how heartless her so-called guardians are. Filled with tantalizing details of turn-of-the-century spiritualism and page-turning suspense, this lively historical novel features a winning heroine whom readers will not soon forget.

    Vicky Austin and her siblings must adjust to the presence of a new member of the household-Maggy Hamilton, who is orphaned when her father is killed in a plane crash. Maggy is at first petulant and spoiled, but gradually opens her heart to the Austins to become one of the family.

    Activities to be used in the classroom to accompany the reading of Charlie and the chocolate factory by Roald Dahl.NB: This is NOT the novel, but a teacher's guide

    They're too weird! Would anyone else's mother tie-dye every pair of underwear in the house? Would anyone else's father perform the famous oyster trick by sucking an oyster up his nose with a horrible noise and spitting it out of his mouth--in a restaurant? No--except maybe the parents of the weirdest, craziest, most unappealing kid in Guy's whole class, Bob-o. But Bob-o's parents are as normal as parents come--just like Guy. This gives Guy food for thought, especially when he finds out that he and Bob-o have the same birthday, and were born in the same hospital! Guy and his best friend Buzz are determined to find out the truth about what really took place the day Guy and Bob-o were born. Readers will delight in Weeks's humorous yet sensitive handling of this classic adolescent phase--the search for identity.00-01 Texas Bluebonnet Award Masterlist

    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.