The Traveler's Gift: A Story of Loss and Hope


Danielle Davison - 2019
    But one day, his father's ship doesn't return, and Liam's love of stories fades. Then the Traveler, a mysterious old man who spins stories with a magical beard like a tapestry, arrives, reminding Liam of his father. They embark on the Traveler's final voyage together, and before the journey ends, the Traveler passes on his magical gift to Liam.Woven with themes of loss, discovery, and friendship, this poignant tale captures the unexpected magic of shared stories and refound hope.

Life Is Like the Wind


Shona Innes - 2014
    A Big Hug series offers a gentle and direct approach to the emotional issues that children face. Written by a clinical child psychologist, these books encourage youngsters to share and discuss tough topics with family and friends.Life is Like the Wind introduces the concept of death to young readers by likening life to the ever-moving wind. When the wind is present, things move and fly and flutter about. When the wind goes away, things become very still.Life is like the wind.When life goes away, the body is very stillThe body cannot move or feelor do anything anymore.Where does life go when it goes from the body?From there, the authors explore the feelings we have when a loved one's life goes away, how we cope with missing them, and how we can celebrate their memory. It also introduces the various things people believe happens to a life that has moved on. Endearing illustrations of animals enjoying, missing, comforting, and honoring one another do a wonderful job of conveying the message that although life is very precious, when it is time for the life to leave, it will go.

The Secret of the King


Rachel Ann Nunes - 2005
    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.

The Heart and the Bottle


Oliver Jeffers - 2010
    Then one day something occurred that caused the girl to take her heart and put it in a safe place.However, after that it seemed that more things were empty than before. Would she know when and how to get her heart back?

Ida, Always


Caron Levis - 2016
    Ida is right there. Always.Then one sad day, Gus learns that Ida is very sick, and she isn’t going to get better. The friends help each other face the difficult news with whispers, sniffles, cuddles, and even laughs. Slowly Gus realizes that even after Ida is gone, she will still be with him—through the sounds of their city, and the memories that live in their favorite spots.Ida, Always is inspired by a real bear friendship.

Maya and the Rising Dark


Rena Barron - 2020
    Twelve-year-old Maya is the only one in her South Side Chicago neighborhood who witnesses weird occurrences like werehyenas stalking the streets at night and a scary man made of shadows plaguing her dreams. Her friends try to find an explanation—perhaps a ghost uprising or a lunchroom experiment gone awry. But to Maya, it sounds like something from one of Papa’s stories or her favorite comics.When Papa goes missing, Maya is thrust into a world both strange and familiar as she uncovers the truth. Her father is the guardian of the veil between our world and the Dark—where an army led by the Lord of Shadows, the man from Maya’s nightmares, awaits. Maya herself is a godling, half orisha and half human, and her neighborhood is a safe haven. But now that the veil is failing, the Lord of Shadows is determined to destroy the human world and it’s up to Maya to stop him. She just hopes she can do it in time to attend Comic-Con before summer’s over.

Bolivar


Sean Rubin - 2017
    Sybil knows that there is something off about her next door neighbor, but she can't seem to get anyone to believe her. Everyone is so busy going about their days in the busy streets of New York City that they don't notice Bolivar. They don't notice his odd height, his tiny arms, or his long tail. No one but Sybil sees that Bolivar is a dinosaur. When an unlikely parking ticket pulls Bolivar into an adventure from City Hall to New York’s Natural History Museum, he must finally make a choice: continue to live unnoticed, or let the city see who he really is.

The Accidental Apprentice


Amanda Foody - 2021
    No danger required. But then Barclay accidentally breaks his town’s most sacred rule: never ever EVER stray into the Woods, for within the Woods lurk vicious magical Beasts. To Barclay’s horror, he faces a fate far worse than being eaten: he unwittingly bonds with a Beast and is run out of town by an angry mob. Determined to break this bond and return home, Barclay journeys to find the mysterious town of Lore Keepers, people who have also bonded with Beasts and share their powers.But after making new friends, entering a dangerous apprenticeship exam, and even facing the legendary Beast of the Woods, Barclay must make a difficult choice: return to the home and rules he’s always known, or embrace the adventure awaiting him.

Window


Marion Arbona - 2020
    As she gazes up at window after window in the buildings on her route - each one a different shape and size - she imagines what might be going on behind them. By opening the gatefold, readers will get to see inside her imagination. An indoor jungle. A whale in a bathtub. Vampires playing badminton.

Badger's Parting Gifts


Susan Varley - 1984
    His friends learn to come to terms with his death in an enchanting tale. With full colour illustrations throughout.

The Story of Little Black Sambo and The Story of Little Black Mingo


Helen Bannerman - 2009
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Cinderella Liberator


Rebecca Solnit - 2019
    In this modern twist on the classic story, Cinderella, who would rather just be Ella, meets her fairy godmother, goes to a ball, and makes friends with a prince. But that is where the familiar story ends. Instead of waiting to be rescued, Cinderella learns that she can save herself and those around her by being true to herself and standing up for what she believes.

Scritch Scratch


Lindsay Currie - 2020
    Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She’s a scientist, which is why she can’t think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she’s made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There’s something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour…he’s gone. Claire tries to brush it off, she must be imagining things, letting her dad’s ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her. Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something...and Claire needs to find out what before it’s too late.

The List


Patricia Forde - 2015
    Speak outside the approved lexicon and face banishment. The exceptions are the Wordsmith and his apprentice Letta, the keepers and archivists of all language in their post-apocalyptic, neo-medieval world. On the death of her master, Letta is suddenly promoted to Wordsmith, charged with collecting and saving words. But when she uncovers a sinister plan to suppress language and rob Ark’s citizens of their power of speech, she realizes that it’s up to her to save not only words, but culture itself.

Everybody Dies: A Children's Book for Grown Ups


Ken Tanaka - 2011
    Although meant for adults, Everybody Dies may be most effective when read to frightened parents by their children.