Offers excerpts from the diary of William Bircher, a fifteen-year-old Minnesotan who was a drummer during the Civil War, along with sidebars, activities, and a timeline of the era. Read more
A Caldecott Honor Medal recipient and the illustrator of nearly 100 children's books, Melissa Sweet delivers the charming story of Tony Sarg, the man known as ''America's Puppet Master.'' With delightful, rhyming prose, Sweet takes listeners back to the 1920s to meet the designer who created the first helium-filled balloons for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Celebrating the fun and playfulness of Sarg's popular creations, Balloons Over Broadway brims with all the joy of one of America's most beloved traditions. Read more
“Raina Telgemeier fans will lap this up.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books A laugh-out-loud funny and empowering graphic memoir about growing up and finding your voice. Twelve-year-old Cindy has just dipped a toe into seventh-grade drama—with its complicated friendships, bullies, and cute boys—when she earns an internship as a cub reporter at a local newspaper in the early 1970s. A (rare) young female reporter takes Cindy under her wing, and Cindy soon learns not only how to write a lede, but also how to respectfully question authority, how to assert herself in a world run by men, and—as the Watergate scandal unfolds—how brave reporting and writing can topple a corrupt world leader. Searching for her own scoops, Cindy doesn’t always get it right, on paper or in real life. But whether she’s writing features about ghost hunters, falling off her bicycle and into her first crush, or navigating shifting friendships, Cindy grows wiser and more confident through every awkward and hilarious mistake. Read more
Harriet Tubman escaped slavery, helped dozens make it to freedom, and then became an abolitionist and women’s rights advocate. Here’s the remarkable life story of an American hero, told in an exciting graphic novel format. Harriet Tubman lived an incredible life, one more heroic than any comic book superhero. In 1849 she escaped slavery for the first time. Then she headed back into the South, helping about 70 slaves find freedom on more than a dozen dangerous journeys along an elaborate abolitionist network called the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman: Fighter for Freedom! is the latest in the Show Me History! collection, previously featuring the stories of real-life American luminaries such as Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Like the rest of Show Me History!, and befitting her almost unbelievable life, Fighter for Freedom! is presented in full-color, graphic novel format—a long-form comic book. Read more
Whatever the season Whatever the weather My friends and I had Simple fun all together In this delightful illustrated book for children, a father tells his son about all of the fun and exciting things he did when HE was a kid. This book provides the perfect springboard for fun and meaningful conversations . The enjoyable story line, detailed illustrations, and ''Can you find...'' feature will keep children coming back to I was Once A Kid, Too ... again and again. Read more
From writing a script for a puppet show to designing a treasure map, this helpful guide introduces various forms of writing and encourages children to attempt to try their hand at creating original work of their own through activities, suggestions, and fun projects. Simultaneous. Read more
He didn't fit the mold―so he made a throne instead. At just four years old, Reza Farahan left Iran for what was supposed to be a quick family trip to Los Angeles. But while he was soaking up the California sun, revolution erupted back home, and Reza's short stay turned into permanent exile. Caught between cultures, identities, and expectations, Reza was an outsider in every sense of the word. He was a half-Muslim, half-Jewish, gay Persian kid just trying to survive 1980s America―a place that saw him as a threat, even when all he wanted was to belong. But with an unapologetic spirit and bold personality, Reza was never destined to simply fit in. He was meant to shine. Reza eventually became the larger-than-life, fan-favorite star of Bravo's Shahs of Sunset , where he served looks, shade, and cultural pride in equal measure. And now Reza is opening up about the journey that took him from closeted teen to reality TV royalty, from hiding his truth to owning every inch of his spotlight. Heartfelt, hilarious, and deeply human, Memoirs of a Gay Shah is the story of how one outcast boy grew into a confident man by reclaiming every part of himself―his culture, his identity, his queerness―and decided to live not just authentically, but extravagantly. Read more
Newbery Medalist Paul Fleischman reflects on his childhood with his award-winning father, Sid Fleischman, and details his own path to becoming a writer in this memorable book that is part memoir, part travelogue, and part reflection on craft and creativity. No Map, Great Trip is an excellent choice for aspiring authors, language arts classrooms, and fans of Gail Carson Levine s Writing Magic. Acclaimed author Paul Fleischman considers how growing up with a father who was an award-winning author helped to shape and inspire his own career. Paul and Sid Fleischman are the only father-son Newbery Medalists in history, and life in the Fleischman home was extraordinary. Readers will feel like part of the family in this humorous and aspirational chronicle. Paul Fleischman is the author of the Newbery Award-winning Joyful Noise and the classroom classic Seedfolks, as well as many other acclaimed and beloved titles. His books are taught and performed in classrooms across the country. Part memoir, part travelogue (young Paul travels from California to New Hampshire by himself), part writing book, and part reflection on art and creativity, this inspirational book includes black-and-white photographs, as well as writing tips and prompts just right for budding authors. No Map, Great Trip is a great gift for young writers, language arts teachers, and fans of Jack Prelutsky s Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry and Ralph Fletcher s A Writer s Notebook. Read more
Rosa Parks was the courageous thinker and leader known as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement. Long before the Montgomery Bus Boycott made her famous, she was a social justice activist and organizer. In honor of her work, she received a Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Read more
Poignantly told from a young boy’s perspective, the popular and award-winning memoir centered on a Mexican family working California’s fields is now a powerful graphic novel that will appeal to readers of Illegal and They Called Us Enemy . An honest and evocative account of a family’s journey from Mexico to the fields of California—and to a life of backbreaking work and constant household moves—as seen through the eyes of a boy who longs for education and the right to call one place home. A popular choice for community reads, as well as school curricula and curriculum adoptions, Francisco Jiménez’s award-winning memoir, now brought to life in Celia Jacob’s beautiful and resonant artwork, is a powerful story of survival, faith, and hope. Read more
A warmhearted and tender true story about a young girl finding beauty where she never thought to look. When young Kalia wants ice cream, she has to make do with ice cubes from the freezer. When she wants a new dress for the first day of school, her mother gives her a few coins to spend on candy at the corner store. And when she wants meat for dinner, she must settle for a piece of bone that flavors the family’s soup. Finally, Kalia becomes tired of longing for what she cannot have. When she asks for braces to straighten her crooked teeth, which her family cannot afford, it is her grandmother―a woman who has just one tooth in her mouth―who helps her see what is truly beautiful. Drawn from author Kao Kalia Yang’s childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this moving picture book portrays a family with little money―and a great deal of love. Weaving together Kalia’s story with that of her beloved grandmother, the book moves from the jungles of Laos to the family’s early years in the United States. Stunning illustrations from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le bring this intergenerational tale to life. "A deep and moving reflection on enduring hardship and generational love. . . . Poignant storytelling with stunning visuals."―starred, Kirkus Reviews "A sincere narrative that centers on the power of family love."―starred, School Library Journal Minnesota Book Award Finalist, ALA Notable Children's Book, New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, NPR Best Book of the Year Read more
In this young adult autobiography, Tony Hawk shares the stories from his life that have helped him become a skateboarding hero. Hawk speaks of being a super-competitive ′demon′ child who found peace while on a skateboard. Classmates teased him because of his interest in an ′uncool′ sport. Instead of retaliating with violence, he practised even more. With his story, he will inspire a younger generation of fans to stand up for what they believe in and follow their dreams. Ages 8-12 Read more
