The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks


Joanna Cole - 1986
    Frizzle, the strangest teacher in school, takes her class on a field trip to the waterworks, everyone ends up experiencing the water purification system from the inside.

Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever


Mem Fox - 2001
    With passion and humor, acclaimed author and internationally respected literacy expert Mem Fox tells readers how she herself became aware of the astonishing effects that reading aloud and bonding through books have on very young children.She speaks of when, where, and why to read aloud and demonstrates how to read aloud to best effect and how to get the most out of a read-aloud session. She walks readers through the three secrets of reading which together make reading possible. She gives guidance on defining, choosing, and finding good books and closes with tips on dealing effectively with the challenges that sometimes arise when children are learning to read.Filled with practical advice, activities, and inspiring true read-aloud miracles, this book is a must for every parent-and for anyone interested in how children learn to read.

Manners Mash-Up: A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior


Tedd ArnoldAdam Rex - 2011
    Each spread illustrates a setting from kids' everyday lives (and the potential blunders they may commit there) and the text emphasizes the right behavior. From the dinner table to the doctor's office, from the playground to the pool, this irreverent book will help kids navigate any social scenario with utmost grace. Or at least without too much embarrassment.

Being at Your Best When Your Kids Are at Their Worst: Practical Compassion in Parenting


Kim John Payne - 2019
    Educator and family counselor Kim John Payne, author of Simplicity Parenting, offers techniques that simply and directly shift these damaging patterns in communication and parental behavior. These grounded and practical strategies will help you: • Slow down the interaction • Be more in control of your reactions • Open up a much wider range of helpful responses • Sense what your child’s deeper needs are even though they are misbehaving • Respond in a way that gives your child a feeling of being heard and still puts a boundary in place Payne’s meditative approach can be done anywhere, anytime; it lifts you out of old, unwanted patterns of action-reaction and prepares you so that the voice you speak with is closer to the parent you want to be. His concrete and simple techniques can help you, and your children, be at your best, even in the most challenging of times.

Sergeant Reckless: The True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero


Patricia McCormick - 2017
    They had no idea that the skinny, underfed horse had one of the biggest and bravest hearts they’d ever known. And one of the biggest appetites!Soon Reckless showed herself more than willing to carry ammunition too heavy for the soldiers to haul. As cannons thundered and shells flew through the air, she marched into battle—again and again—becoming the only animal ever to officially hold military rank—becoming Sgt. Reckless—and receive two Purple Hearts.This is the first picture book from award-winning novelist Patricia McCormick, sumptuously illustrated by acclaimed artist Iacopo Bruno.

And Then They Stopped Talking to Me: Making Sense of Middle School


Judith Warner - 2020
    Some of this is inevitable; there are intrinsic challenges to early adolescence. But these years are harder than they need to be, and Judith Warner believes adults are complicit.With piercing insight and compassion, Warner walks us through a new understanding of the role that middle school plays in all our lives. She argues that today's helicopter parents are overly concerned with status and achievement--in some ways a residual effect of their own middle-school experiences--and that this is worsening the self-consciousness, self-absorption, and social "sorting" so typical of early adolescence.Tracing a century of research on middle childhood and bringing together the voices of social scientists, psychologists, educators, and parents, Warner shows how adults can be moral role models for children, making them more empathetic, caring, and resilient. She encourages us to start treating middle-schoolers as the complex people they are, holding them to high standards of kindness, and helping them see one another as more than "jocks and mean girls, nerds and sluts."Part cultural critique and part call to action, this essential book unpacks one of life's most formative periods and shows how we can help our children not only survive it, but thrive.

Simple Happy Parenting: The Secret of Less for Calmer Parents and Happier Kids


Denaye Barahona - 2019
    Discover the benefits of a few, carefully curated toys; easy, nourishing meals around the family table; and simple (yet positive) discipline. Children are imaginative, inventive and curious – and it is by allowing them the space and freedom to grow and develop that parents best enable them to flourish. This natural approach to family life is not only good for your child, it is good for parents too. Once we free ourselves from the pressures of perfect we are all able to embrace a more balanced and fulfilling life. Packed full of straightforward solutions, Simple Happy Parenting is a refreshing voice of calm support for all parents seeking a better, simpler way.

Radical Unschooling: A Revolution Has Begun


Dayna Martin - 2009
    It is different from homeschooling in that children are not forced to follow curriculum lessons and tests. Radical Unschooling philosophy focuses on trust of a child's innate ability to learn without coercion and invites children to explore their passions. The parent's role is to facilitate their interests and curiosity. The book focuses also on the evolutionary aspect of parenting and human consciousness. We are parenting and educating our children today to succeed in a joyful, productive life by following their passions, not someone else's agenda.

Venom Doc: The Edgiest, Darkest, Strangest Natural History Memoir Ever


Bryan Grieg Fry - 2015
    He’s been bitten by twenty-six venomous snakes, been stung by three stingrays, and survived a near-fatal scorpion sting while deep in the Amazon jungle. He’s received more than four hundred stitches and broken twenty-three bones, including breaking his back in three places, and had to learn how to walk again. But when you research only the venom you yourself have collected, the adventures—and danger—never stop.Imagine a three-week-long first date in Siberia catching venomous water shrews with the daughter of a Russian war hero; a wedding attended by Eastern European prime ministers and their machine-gun-wielding bodyguards and snakes; or leading a team to Antarctica that results in the discovery of four new species of venomous octopi. Bryan’s discoveries have radically reshaped views on venom evolution and contributed to the creation of venom-based life-saving medications. In pursuit of venom, he has traveled the world collecting samples from Indonesia to Mexico, Germany, and Brazil. He’s encountered venomous creatures of all kinds, including the Malaysian king cobra, the Komodo dragon, and the brush-footed trapdoor spider. Bryan recounts his lifelong passion for studying the world’s most venomous creatures in this outlandish, captivating memoir, where he and danger are never far apart.

Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood


Tony Hillery - 2020
    Once In a big city called New York In a bustling neighborhood There was an empty lot. Nevaeh called it the haunted garden. Harlem Grown tells the inspiring true story of how one man made a big difference in a neighborhood. After seeing how restless they were and their lack of healthy food options, Tony Hillery invited students from an underfunded school to turn a vacant lot into a beautiful and functional farm. By getting their hands dirty, these kids turned an abandoned space into something beautiful and useful while learning about healthy, sustainable eating and collaboration. Five years later, the kids and their parents, with the support of the Harlem Grown staff, grow hundreds of pounds of fruits and vegetables a year. All of it is given to the kids and their families. The incredible story is vividly brought to life with Jessie Hartland’s “charmingly busy art” (Booklist) that readers will pore over in search of new details as they revisit this poignant and uplifting tale over and over again. Harlem Grown is an independent, not-for-profit organization. The author’s share of the proceeds from the sale of this book go directly to Harlem Grown.

Hacking School Libraries: 10 Ways to Incorporate Library Media Centers into Your Learning Community (Hack Learning Series Book 20)


Kristina A. Holzweiss - 2018
    They are places for research, refuge, and reflection--where students create, collaborate, communicate, and develop skills in critical thinking and compassion. Learn 10 ways to create the library learning environment that every child deserves. In Hacking School Libraries, 2015 School Librarian of the Year, Kristina A. Holzweiss, and 2017 Sensational Student Voice Award finalist, Stony Evans, bring you 10 practical hacks that will help you create a welcoming and exciting school library program. They show you how to rethink your library to become the hub of the school community, whether you are a veteran librarian or just beginning your career. Hacking School Libraries isn't just for librarians. It's for any educator who wants to learn how to transform your learning space provide hands-on learning opportunities empower your students bring curriculum to life differentiate instruction effectively raise funds advocate for modern school libraries establish global connections celebrate reading What the experts say: "When I learned that Kristina and Stony were writing a book to fit into one of my favorite series, I was so excited and couldn’t think of a better duo to do so! School librarians will find Hacking School Libraries such an amazing read and resource in so many ways. The hacks found in this book are terrific for any grade level and will help guide librarians to make a difference in their library, school, and community!" -Shannon McClintock Miller, Teacher Librarian and Iowa Future Ready Librarian Spokesperson "Authors Kristina Holzweiss and Stony Evans are two of the most respected thought leaders and practitioners in the school library field. Their book, Hacking School Libraries, is an essential resource for any modern-day library media specialist. It is filled with actionable tips and strategies that anyone can easily implement tomorrow." -Laura Fleming, Library Media Specialist, bestselling author of Worlds of Making and The Kickstart Guide to Making Great Makerspaces Grab Hacking School Libraries today, and incorporate library media centers into your learning community tomorrow.

Bird Talk: What Birds Are Saying and Why


Lita Judge - 2012
    But what does all of the bird talk mean?Filled with gorgeous illustrations, this fascinating picture book takes a look at the secret life of birds in a child-friendly format that is sure to appeal to readers of all ages - whether they're die-hard bird-watchers or just curious about the creatures in their own backyards.

The New World, 1956 (A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Book 2)


Winston S. Churchill - 2013
      In the “wilderness” years after Winston S. Churchill unflinchingly guided his country through World War II, he turned his masterful hand to an exhaustive history of the country he loved above all else. And the world discovered that this brilliant military strategist was an equally brilliant storyteller. In 1953, the great man was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for “his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values.”   This second of four volumes exploring the history of this great nation explores the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, from the power struggles of the Tudor and Stuart families, the growth of the monarchy, the Protestant Reformation, England’s Civil War, and the discovery of the Americas. A History of the English-Speaking Peoples remains one of the most compelling and vivid works of history ever written.   “This history will endure; not only because Sir Winston has written it, but also because of its own inherent virtues―its narrative power, its fine judgment of war and politics, of soldiers and statesmen, and even more because it reflects a tradition of what Englishmen in the hey-day of their empire thought and felt about their country’s past.” —The Daily Telegraph

Parking Lot Rules & 75 Other Ideas for Raising Amazing Children


Tom Sturges - 2008
    “I wanted to be so much more than a casual observer of my son’s life as it went by me.” So Sturges asked a lot of questions. He picked up ideas, advice, and tips from parents, grandparents, even rock stars and sports legends–anyone who had unique insights to share. The result is this practical, inspiring “rule book” for raising healthy, happy, safe, cherished children. Philosophical, sensible, and empowering, these 76 ideas subscribe to a simple premise: It is impossible to respect a child too much, but it is worth the effort to try. The rules are organized into seven fields, arranged by subject, and will help parents, mentors, coaches, and anyone who has children, to deal with an array of situations in a kind, respectful, and encouraging way. • EVERYDAY: Let your children feel welcome and loved from the first moment he or she walks into a room. “Smile When You See Him” (rule #4) and leave no doubt that, at that moment, your child is the most important person in your world.• COMMUNICATING: Since yelling parents intimidate, and a calm tone inspires, “When You Get Upset, Whisper” (rule #22) –and make sure your message is heard.• MANNERS MATTERS: Follow “The Bill Walton Rule,” (rule #34) and if you can’t be on time, be early.• NO LOST CHILDREN: When a family or group travels together, obey “The Caboose Rule” (rule #43) by assigning an adult or older child to keep up the rear–and ensure that no little ones lag behind.• DISCIPLINES AND PUNISHMENTS: “The 10-Second Rule” (rule #49) prescribes the minimum amount of time you should wait before thinking about punishing your child for that D in English.• PAIN HAPPENS, NOW WHAT?: After your child experiences a little cut, bump, or scrape, say “Squeeze My Hand as Much as It Hurts” (rule #62); it is remarkable how their being able to “show” you will help to ease his or her pain.• PLAY SPORTS, PERIOD: When your children accomplish something great in their sports, using “The ESPN Rule,” (rule #67) tell the story in intimate detail and fill them with the belief that they can do it again and again.From the Hardcover edition.

Fed Fit: A 28 Day Food Fitness Plan to Jump-Start Your Life with Over 175 Squeaky-Clean Paleo Recipes


Cassy Joy Garcia - 2016
    With over 175 gluten-free and Paleo-friendly recipes, a 28-day food and fitness plan, portion guides, program guides and supplemental online tools, Fed & Fit provides readers a foundation for lasting success. Joy's recipes were hand selected to complement each of 'The Four Pillars' and include step-by-step instructions, full-color photos and personalized guides to help you achieve your individual wellness goals. Fed & Fit offers meal preparation guides and incorporates practical application tools that are centered around the 'Pillars' to ensure complete success and make transitioning to a healthy lifestyle a positive and rewarding experience.  Fed & Fit also features expert techniques and fitness recommendations from New York Times Bestselling author and fitness coach Juli Bauer.  Cassy Joy also incorporates detailed advice for parents, students, and professionals that can be tailored specifically to situational needs including: shopping lists, stocking your pantry, make-ahead tips, doubling recipes, cooking for just one and best practices for storage, freezing, and reheating Readers will walk away from Fed & Fit with a new, practical, lasting lease on their healthy lifestyle. They will feel empowered to make positive decisions and confident with a new mastery of obtaining life-long health.