A beautiful read full of symbolism that invites us to open our gaze to the present moment, conveying a powerful message: life is here and now.An enigmatic young woman roams the streets of Paris on her bicycle every day. Immersed in her work, she goes to her studio relentlessly. Only the meows of her beloved Max can bring a smile to her face every evening. A very special narrator has taken notice of her, unable to resist following her footsteps and noticing what u...

Winner at the 2014 International Latino Book Awards. A stunning picture book about the life of a mute Comanche young boy who brought unity and togetherness among all of the Native American tribes through his magical silent tales.The boy with the feather headdress told stories without saying a word. The boy whose legs formed the shape of a heart communicated with that special language that comes from within. With his hands, his face, his smile and his eyes, he cou...

Winner at the 2011 Living Now Book Awards. A touching and sensitive story for all ages about accepting differences and dealing with the loss of a loved one.On a spring night, under the light of the full moon, a little lamb was born. Molly, her mother, decided to call him Lambkin. Lambkin was a very special sheep, and as time passed, it became more apparent that he was nothing like the other lambs. While his friends were dressed with white, long wool, the little o...

Gold Medal at the 2012 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. With lyrical, stirring text and stunning, evocative artwork, The Sky of Afghanistan offers a moving ode to dreamers, to peace, and to finding hope for ending war once and for all.In a country ravaged by war, a girl looks up at the sky, closes her eyes and her imagination begins to soar, far away from hatred, from sadness. She flies up high, high above into the sky, until she envisions that long-awai...

In her own singularly beautiful style, Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech intricately weaves together two tales, one funny, one bittersweet, to create a heartwarming, compelling, and utterly moving story of love, loss, and the complexity of human emotion.Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle, proud of her country roots and the "Indian-ness in her blood," travels from Ohio to Idaho with her eccentric grandparents. Along the way, she tells them of the story of Phoe...

Best-selling author, Susan Beth Pfeffer, delivers a riveting companion to Life As We Knew It in this enthralling tale that follows seventeen-year-old Alex Morales as he fights to survive in the aftermath of apocalyptic events in New York City.Alex Morales is an average high schooler focused on his after-school job, helping his dad out with building superintendent responsibilities, and getting good grades so he can make it into an Ivy League college. But when the moon alter...

Two teenagers discover true love aboard the doomed ocean linerElizabeth Farr never wanted to return to America. During her family’s vacation abroad, she has fallen in love with England, and is despondent when her father refuses to let her stay. Returning to New York means having her debut into society, and that means a swiftly arranged marriage. Elizabeth will never go to college, never learn to be a reporter—as she sees it, her life is over as soon as the Tita...

From a Newbery Medal–winning author, an "exciting novel" about a colonial girl's experience during the French and Indian War ( Saturday Review).In the year 1754, the stillness of Charlestown, New Hampshire, is shattered by the terrifying cries of an Indian raid. Young Miriam Willard, on a day that had promised new happiness, finds herself instead a captive on a forest trail, caught up in the ebb and flow of the French and Indian War.It is a harrowi...

If they saved the swan together, could she then save her friend? In a heartbeat, in a wingbeat, it happens. Isla's father falls. They're racing across the fields, following the swans flying in to winter at the lake like they do every year, when something goes wrong. And before she can even catch her breath, they're in the back of an ambulance, she's holding his hand. At the hospital, upset and scared, Isla meets Harry. Unlike the boys at school, he doesn't laugh when she tells him about he...

A Newbery Honor Book. " A gripping, compassionate portrayal of a boy's struggle with conscience" by the bestselling author of My Mother Is Mine ( Kirkus Reviews).While on a bike trip, Joel's best friend Tony drowns while they are swimming in the forbidden, treacherous Vermilion River. Joel is terrified at having to tell of his disobedience and overwhelmed by his feelings of guilt, even though the daring act was To...

In July 1940, a British government-sponsored program called Children's Overseas Reception Board -- or CORB -- was set up to send children from Britain to Canada and other Commonwealth countries, in order to rescue them from the bombings of British cities.The City of Benares was a luxury liner that was recruited in September 1940 to transport 90 of these children to Canada, along with the ship's regular passenger complement. A convoy of ships including The City of Benares set off from Liver...

Barry Wolverton's masterful middle-grade debut, Neversink, is an epic tale of some very un-epic birds, a fast-paced and funny story of survival, friendship, and fish, in the vein of Watership Down and Kathi Appelt's The Underneath.Along the Arctic Circle lies a small island called Neversink, home to a colony of odd-looking seabirds called auks, including one Lockley J. Puffin. With their oceanfront views and plentiful supply of fish, the auks have few concerns—few, save for Lockley...