First published in 1921, the poem's message about the individual worth of those often overlooked strikes a familiar chord in a society struggling to come to terms with its own victims of homelessness, drug abuse, and alienation.The poem is made new with the addition of Greg Newbold's illustrations. Newbold's images -- which are rich in detail, and made even more so by his use of color and light and his painterly style -- evoke a bygone era that is old-fashioned, small-town, pleasantly nostalgic. Newbold's work in Touch of the Master's Hand has already been recognized by the Society of Illustrators and Communication Arts magazine with a 1996 Award of Merit.

    Her father has decided to move the family back to Oakwood, Kansas—where he grew up—in order to become the minister of the church there. New friends, new school, a new community, and a family of strangers await, and what's even worse, it's all smack-dab in the middle of Tornado Alley. Anna has always prided herself on being prepared (she keeps a notebook on how to cope with disasters, from hurricanes to shark bites), but she'll be tested in Oakwood! This beautifully written novel introduces a family who takes God's teachings to heart while finding many occasions to laugh along the way, and an irrepressible and wholesome ten-year-old who, with a little help from Midnight H. (her cat), takes control of her destiny.

    Dad has been away at WWII for longer than she can remember, and they begin their journey of reconnection through a hunting shirt, cherry pie, tender conversation, and the crow call. This allegorical story shows how, like the birds gathering above, the relationship between the girl and her father is graced with the chance to fly.

    In a small village in Tibet, his mother was his first great teacher of compassion. In everyday moments from his childhood, young readers begin to see that important lessons are all around us, and that they, too, can grow to truly understand them.With simple, powerful text, the Dalai Lama shares the universalist teachings of treating one another with compassion, which Bao Luu illustrates beautifully in vibrant color. In an increasingly confusing world, The Seed of Compassion offers guidance and encouragement on how we all might bring more kindness to it.

    Teachers will find- activities that highlight the book's main message and tie students' responses to reading, writing, speaking, listening, and representing- activities that connect the topic of the book to other curriculum areas- notes to teachers with suggestions on how to implement an activity, adapt the activity to different levels and interests, and involve the home and community- quizzes to help assess an individual student's comprehension- reproducible blackline masters for students to use as worksheets for an activity- 48 pages; 8 1/2 x 11 binder; B&W text; full-color cover

    Children of all ages will enjoy this enchanted tale of change by the wildlife-photographers/authors who created two "New York Times" bestsellers: "Stranger in the Woods" and "Lost in the Woods."

    But there are many ways to wear the King's armor; ways not even Javan and Lia understand until the King reveals a secret that makes the two young villagers the real heroes.

    But their owners, Danny and Griffin, don't treat them the same way. Pancakes has a lovely new home to play around in with wheels and tunnels. Waffles only has a small box. But when Waffles and Pancakes meet up again, they realize that there are more important things than material possessions.

    Poor Dad does not like cats, and he voices his opposition to the steady stream of stray cats that always seem to wind up on his doorstep—thanks to a cat-loving Mom who wants to save every stray she finds. In an effort to win Dad over, the little girl hides a tiny stray kitten in her hood and convinces Dad to just give it one small squeeze. Dad manages, with trepidation, to stick out his pinkie and pet the creature. But now that five cats have taken over his favorite chair, he becomes desperate and makes a visit to the pound. Dad returns happily with a big, fat puppy—everyone gets something that they want. With hilarious ink and watercolor illustrations, this picture book demonstrates the resourcefulness, love, and compromises of a pet-loving family.

    With appealing art and a universal theme, this book is sure to delight young readers. Full color.

    Nile Diary, like all his travelogues, gives us a wonderful reading experience.

    But it never rained rain and it never snowed snow and it never blew just wind. It rained things like soup and juice. It snowed things like mashed potatoes. And sometimes the wind blew in storms of hamburgers. Life for the townspeople was delicious until the weather took a turn for the worse. The food got larger and larger and so did the portions. Chewandswallow was plagued by damaging floods and storms of huge food. The town was a mess and the people feared for their lives. Something had to be done, and in a hurry.

    Once in a blue moon, a special pet comes along.When Mandy adopts the best cat at the shelter, she doesn't realize it has a big secret and an even bigger personality.

    When his best friend Ryan breaks his leg, Bubba tries to cheer him up. After getting into some mischief around the house, Bubba learns that every time he accidentally smiles, Ryan smiles too. In his efforts to smile, Bubba has to conquer his worst fear by facing the BROOM. In the end, Bubba finds out he had the ability to smile INSIDE him all along.

    Jacqueline Wilson's Happy Holidays is the perfect summer read for any fan! Don’t just spend your summer holiday with just one pal from Jacqueline Wilson’s world, hang out with a whole bunch of them! As well as puzzles, fun facts and activities this bumper book also features short stories from:Tracy BeakerHetty FeatherBeauty (from Cookie)Gemma (from Best Friends)Lily (from Lily Alone)Plus a holiday adventure with Tim and Biscuits from Cliffhanger! Whether you’re spending the day making sandcastles on the beach, or spending all your pocket money in the seafront arcades, it’s going to be an amazing summer with Jacqueline Wilson!