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Always My Brother
Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictIn ALWAYS MY BROTHER, by Jean Reagan, Becky and her brother John were best buddies, telling jokes, caring for their dog Toby together, and playing soccer. John was always there to cheer her up and help her out--until he died. Becky wishes everything could go back to the way it was. When she is surprised and feels guilty about enjoying a friend's birthday party, her mom wraps reassuring arms around her and says, "Don't you think he'd want you to laugh, even now?" She gradually realizes that she can still enjoy the things that they used to do together and that the memories of John continue to make him part of their family. -
Give a Goat
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictWhen Mrs. Rowell's class is inspired by a rainy-day book to reach out with helping hands, wonderful things happen. Not the least of these wonderful things is a combined, enthusiastic effort by the entire class to reach a common goal. In this true story readers will discover even the smallest good-will efforts are rewarded with positive results. Humorous illustrations show the philanthropic process from inspiration through brainstorming to getting down to work, collecting funds and celebrating success. Give a Goat is a template for adults and children who want to work together to experience the satisfaction of giving to others and making a difference in the world. -
Island Birthday
Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Modern Family, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictLife on a remote Maine island can be frustrating for a typical kid who misses the conveniences that mainland residents take for granted. Riley soon realizes that everything he needs for a great birthday is already right at hand, and an island birthday is special in many ways. -
Keep Your Ear on the Ball
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictIn KEEP YOUR EAR ON THE BALL, by Genevieve Petrillo and illustrated by Lea Lyon, everybody wants to help Davey. "Let me open that." "Do you want to hold my hand?" Davey has one answer for all, "Thanks, but no thanks." Davey is blind--and he is perfectly capable of doing everything on his own. His well-meaning classmates stop offering help when they see how able Davey is. They respect his self-reliance--until he tries to play kickball. After several missed kicks and a trampled base keeper, no one wants Davey on his team. Working together, the children figure out a way to offer help that respects Davey's unique abilities and his desire for freedom. In this seamless tale, based on a true story, the children realize that interdependence can be just as important and rewarding as independence. -
Lucy’s Family Tree
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Modern Family, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictIn LUCY'S FAMILY TREE, by Karen Halvorsen Schreck, when Lucy comes home from school with a family tree assignment, she asks her parents to write her a note to excuse her from the task. Lucy's adoption from Mexico makes her feel as though her family is too 'different', but her parents gently and wisely challenge Lucy to think some more about it and to find three families that are the 'same'. As Lucy ponders her list of school and family friends who are 'normal', she comes to realize that there are many different kinds of families. -
Melena’s Jubilee
Middle Grade, New Releases, Pre-k to Kindergarten, Children's Books, Ages 3 to 5, Ages 6 to 8, Modern Family, Multicultural, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictAfter being sent to bed early the previous night, Melena wakes up to a new day with a song in her heart. -
Most People
New Releases, Children's Books, Ages 3 to 5, Ages 6 to 8, Global Empathy, Modern Family, Multicultural, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictAVAILABLE JULY! You may order this title now and receive it as soon as it's available. The world can be a scary place. Anxious adults want children to be aware of dangers, but shouldn’t kids be aware of kindness too? -
Muskrat Will Be Swimming
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Global Empathy, Native American, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictMUSKRAT WILL BE SWIMMING, by Cheryl Savageau, is a quiet tale of a Native American girl who, with gentle guidance from her grandfather, learns to find strength, not fear, in her identity as a Native person living in an Anglo society. Beautifully illustrated and complete with a Seneca creation story, Muskrat Will Be Swimming demonstrates how the ancient stories of Native American cultures are used to help today's children find their way in the world. It is a treasure for all who have ever dealt with the fear of being different. -
NO! I Won’t Go To School
New Releases, Pre-k to Kindergarten, Ages 3 to 5, Ages 6 to 8, Modern Family, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictZombies, monsters, and dragons stalk this book’s pages. Cries of despair echo through them. Prisons and dungeons lie in wait. Is this a nightmare? Is it an apocalypse? Well, yes—because it’s the day before our narrator’s first day of school, and all entreaties to his mother are falling on deaf ears. -
One of Us
Anti-Bullying, Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictIn ONE OF US, by Peggy Moss and illustrated by Penny Weber, Carmen tells Roberta on her first day at a new school that she's one of them. Roberta gladly sits with the rest of the straight-up-hair girls until she hears they don't play on the monkey bars. Roberta loves the monkey bars and leaps at the chance to swing with the monkey-bar posse, until she hears they don't carry flowered lunch-boxes like she does. Roberta moves from group to group, just trying to be herself, until it seems she doesn't fit in anywhere. Then Roberta discovers some kids just like her, everyone's different and they like it that way! -
Opening Day
Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictIn OPENING DAY, by Susan Bartlett, we learn that Sam's best friend Eric loves to hunt. His whole family hunts--even his mom and grandma! But Sam's mom is a vegetarian, and his dad prefers to buy his meat at the supermarket. Sam wants to make up his own mind, and with his parent's support he works hard to get his hunting license so he can join Eric and his dad for opening day. Although he feels great to be one of the crowd at the opening-day breakfast, once he sees a deer in the woods, he wonders if he really wants to shoot an animal. And if he decides hunting is not for him, will Eric still be his friend? -
Our Friendship Rules
Anti-Bullying, Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictAlexandra and Jenny have been best friends for a long time. But when Alexandra is momentarily dazzled by the glamour of a new girl at school, she's willing to do almost anything to get to be the cool girl's friend. Ultimately, she tells her best friend Jenny's biggest, most important secret and just like that, Alexandra is in. And Jenny is out. -
Playing War
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictPLAYING WAR, by Kathy Beckwith, is a book about understanding what war can be like for families, and that it’s not a game, it’s also a sensitive story about the power of friendship and how children can learn from one another. -
Rubio and Julienne: A Sweet and Cheesy Tale
New Releases, Pre-k to Kindergarten, Children's Books, Ages 3 to 5, Ages 6 to 8, Multicultural, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictRubio Fromage sat in his father’s cheese shop and longed to taste the beautiful fruits in the window of the fruit shop across the street. Julienne Chéri sat in her mother’s fruit shop and longed to taste the delectable wheels and savory wedges in the window of the cheese shop across the street. -
Say Something
Anti-Bullying, Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving ConflictIn SAY SOMETHING, by Peggy Moss, there are some children who push and tease and bully at the local school. Sometimes they hurt other kids by just ignoring them. The girl in this story sees it happening, but she would never do these mean things herself. Then one day something happens that shows her that being a silent bystander isn't enough. Will she take some steps on her own to help another kid? Bright, fluid, realistic watercolors illustrate the story, set in a school with lots of diversity. Resources at the end of the book will help parents and children talk about teasing and bullying and find ways to stop it at school.