Previously published as Sofia's Dream, this updated edition includes bonus back matter about pollution and the simple steps we can take to protect the Earth!"Young activist dreamers will appreciate the new perspective and environmental call to action."--Kirkus Reviews

    She had a tantrum (because of some injustices involving a purple shirt and breakfast cereal) and was banished to her bedroom before deciding to run away. Understanding that kids have ups and downs, Grace's mom wisely gave her daughter the space and time she needed to reach her own decision to return home—to open arms.The Day I Ran Away amusingly captures Grace’s mutable moods and childlike logic, making her a character readers care about and can relate to. Warm, humorous digital paintings offer fun details to keep little listeners busy. Kids can compare the bedtime and daytime scenes and try to figure out how Grace got that purple paw-pint on her cheek—and when it got washed away. They can mimic Grace’s facial expressions or copy her poses for some soothing bedtime yoga. And of course, they can create a safe place to run away to when the injustices of Pre-K existence become too much to bear. A pop-up tent in the yard and the haven beneath the dining room table are excellent run-away destinations, as long as you come home for dinner.

    Soon they blossom in their new home, strong and beautiful among hundreds of others just like them.

    Lynch’s gorgeous tale, he creates two worlds—underwater and above—to tell an epic and haunting love story.Jacob and his father are the only people who fish Lake Spetzia, which was formed when the river was dammed and their town was flooded. The villagers say the lake is haunted, but Jacob and his father don’t want to leave, because Jacob’s mother is buried in the cemetery below the water. As Jacob grows up, a village girl named Ellen falls in love with him, and he with her. But before they are married, Jacob disappears—lured underwater by the ghosts who inhabit the sunken village. Years go by, with Jacob held captive by the watery spirits and Ellen never giving up hope that she will find him, until a fateful night when Jacob sees the light of Ellen’s boat floating above. Can he break free and reach the surface? Masterful illustrations alive with achingly expressive characters and eerie underwater light bring readers into acclaimed creator P.J. Lynch’s rich world of love, loss, and hope.

    Watching over his sleeping son, the father reflects on the dangerous sea-crossing that lies before them. It is also a vivid portrait of their life in Homs, Syria, before the war, and of that city's swift transformation from a home into a deadly war zone. Impelled to write this story by the haunting image of young Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy whose body washed upon the beach in Turkey in September 2015, Hosseini hopes to pay tribute to the millions of families, like Kurdi's, who have been splintered and forced from home by war and persecution, and he will donate author proceeds from this book to the UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) and The Khaled Hosseini Foundation to help fund lifesaving relief efforts to help refugees around the globe. Hosseini is also a Goodwill Envoy to the UNHCR, and the founder of The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, a nonprofit that provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

    His parents Annie and Levi are struggling to make ends meet, both suffering with illness and poverty. Freddie is an outsider at school, misunderstood and angry. They need their luck to change.Unbeknown to his parents, Freddie holds the key to their future. He has a gift, a gift he has told no one about. If he can learn how to ovecome his fears, he could use it to change all their lives for ever ... Searching to overcome hardship and prejudice, can Freddie find love and happiness or will mistrust ruin his life?For fans of nostalgic saga, this is a gripping saga from the bestselling author of Solomon's Tale.

    \\ () // //(__)\\ SPIDERThe girl was no longer sleepy. Now, she was...AWAKE.In a brilliant debut, Mags DeRoma gives us an empowered young child who is trying to solve the biggest problem she's ever faced: how to get the spider out of her room without actually having to go near it.With bold cut-paper art, AWAKE is sure to stay with readers for a long time.

    Mimi's drab city neighborhood, complete with an empty dirt lot across the street, doesn't seem too promising. But then Vincent meets Toma, a boy who lives nearby, and things start looking up. Mimi has a mysterious box of “dirt balls” in her apartment. When she asks Vincent to get rid of them, the fun Vincent and Toma have throwing them into the lot becomes the start of a budding friendship. Then one day, they notice new shoots sprouting all over the lot. Maybe those balls weren't just made of dirt after all! Bestselling author Andrew Larsen brings a light touch and gentle humor to this picture book story about several kinds of growth --- of the boys and their friendship, the flowers in the newly thriving lot, and the community that comes together around it. Award-winning artist Anne Villeneuve's illustrations add a visual layer to the storytelling as they show the transformation from mostly gray to vibrant color, both literally, in the blossoming garden, and figuratively, in the now engaged neighborhood. This book highlights the value of connecting to nature, even in urban areas, and the sense of community that comes from civic engagement. It's an excellent choice for character education lessons on kindness, generosity and citizenship.

    Everyone in Sam's family wants her to say their name for her first word. To convince her, Mama sings, Papa tells a story, and Nana draws. Even their neighbor Mr. Theotopolous gets in on the action by performing an epic poem. Sam definitely has something to say, something urgent, but how can she make her family stop thinking about themselves and listen? When all else fails, she may have to take drastic measures . . . . This sweetly silly story is read-aloud fun for the whole family, from parents who may end up laughing at themselves to kids who will cheer Sam on to her triumphant finale.

    Over the moon with joy, they nourish and teach her. And when that baby grows into a child, she and the wolves know that she will be ready to make her way in the world. Because when a child is loved, she has everything she needs.• A classic fairy-tale premise told with warmth and an inclusive sensibility for all types of families to enjoy• A touching read-aloud books for families, caregivers, and classroom storytime• James Proimos has written and/or illustrated over 20 critically lauded children's books.This gently humorous story shows that families come in many forms, and that love is about both holding on and letting go.Fans of Finn's Feather, Wild, and Wolfie the Bunnie will find Over the Moon a delightful tale for all ages.

    And Mum's Jumper might be a way to keep her close.A simple, heartfelt and ultimately uplifting book for anyone coping with loss.

    While the baby can't do much, over time the big and little siblings become inseparable, playing and dancing, imagining and laughing. By each other's sides, they are smarter, kinder, and braver than they ever thought they could be. And they are forever sisters first.This exquisite celebration of the bond between sisters is inspired by the spirited childhood of Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush, authors of the #1 New York Times bestseller Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life.

     Ever wish friendship came with an instruction manual? A resourceful youngster follows step-by-step directions for constructing a robot to be her friend. The instructions make it sound so simple! But they also caution that sometimes a friendship doesn’t turn out as hoped for, as the girl discovers when her new friend unexpectedly unleashes an evil robot army on the city. Now she has to stop the robot and seriously reevaluate their friendship! In the end, the resilient heroine of this comical and clever tale not only saves the city, she finds a real and lasting friend where least expected.

    And the stick insect wants to swim like a whirligig beetle.One after the other, the denizens of bestselling author-illustrator Mies van Hout's vibrant garden landscape wish to be like somebody else. From the glowing firefly to the capable spider to the adorable ladybugs, each one brings something to be admired. And when the dragonfly wishes to be like a child who can run, play, laugh, and build, a world of possibilities opens up.A gentle but effective story for social emotional learning, If Only allows children to reach their own conclusions and acknowledge that while it’s common to compare ourselves to others, it’s best to remember and celebrate what we ourselves can do.