The first novel by Newbery Award–winning author Nancy Willard: A stunning story of magic and miracles, and a testament to the enduring power of faith and loveBen and Willie Harkissian are twin brothers (think Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau) growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the eve of World War II. A baseball launched into the October sky sets in motion a series of events that transforms many lives. Ben leaves for the front and faces death—figuratively as well as...

Newbery Medal-winning author Nancy Willard's trilogy of adventure tales, now in one volume. Children won't be able to put down these stories of the journeys of a boy and his orange cat, Plumpet.Anatole has a knack for seeking and finding adventure, often with Plumpet, his orange cat, who is accustomed to ghost trains, amnesiac soldiers, flying horses, and wallpaper portals, just a few of the enchantments encountered along the way. From his perilous search for wild ...

Inspired by William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, this delightful collection of poetry for children brings to life Blake’s imaginary inn and its unusual guests.At this inn, dragons brew the tea, angels make the beds, and a rabbit shows you to your room.Whimsical Rhyming Poems: Follow the delightful verses that tell the tales of the Man in the Marmalade Hat, two opinionated sunflowers, and a tiger who needs a bed...

Newbery Medalist Nancy Willard is the author of many award-winning children's books. In this lyrical story, a man falls in love with a broom and they dance through the sky together-until one night the broom is stolen from its home. Someone else wants the powers of the broom for himself. Will the man be able to find his beloved broom and dance once again?

Birthday presents for mothers are never right-they're always too big, too small, or the wrong color. So when a young girl's mother simply asks for a homemade birthday cake, the girl thinks her troubles are over. Her happiness quickly disappears, though, when she hears the name of the cake her mother wants. The girl knows she won't find a High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake recipe in The Joy of Cooking. It will take a secret ingredient, a clumsy uncle, a grand p...

Anatole's adventure begins and ends quietly beside the rosy brick dollhouse in Uncle Terrible's living room. But everything in between the beginning and the end is like a 3-dimensional comic strip dream. Anatole is the only one who can rescue Uncle Terrible and his friend Rosemarie from the wizard Arcimboldo's enchantments. Everything depends on the outcome of a wacky game of checkers, the unweaving of a magical cloak, and a slightly dopey bat.

In this strong, appealing collection, Nancy Willard shares her passion for observing the mysteries of the natural world, particularly the flora and fauna of Cape Cod and the Hudson Valley, where many of these poems are set. We see, through her eyes, the coming of darkness to an empty orchard, the retreat of deer at dusk, and the breakup of a river with the onset of spring. Willard is also deeply engaged with the living creatures that populate her world. Her poems record her encounter with ...

The wallpaper above Anatole's bed is dotted with islands and shepherds and small boats decorated with roses. While gazing at the figures one afternoon, Anatole is sucked into the wallpaper itself. Includes the stories Gospel Train and The Wise Soldier of Sellebak.

Sam Theopolis entered the Woolman household like a clown with treasures up his sleeve. He kept the absent-minded Jessie from permanently checking out of reality, and he brought an inconceivable joy to Jessie's younger daughter and grandson. But just when the current of their lives seemed smooth and untroubled, tragedy struck like a squall. With eccentric characters reminiscent of Anne Tyler, Willard takes the reader on a quirky journey of the heart.

A young soldier during World War II attempts to save his own life and the lives of his boyhood friends by making an unusual wager with death: he pits his local sandlot team against some of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Is your child experiencing emotional distress because they are being bullied?Rise Above Bullying: Empower and Advocate for Your Child provides research-based and legally grounded guidance that will enable parents to gain greater insight into how to support their bullied child. This resource helps prepare parents on how to empower their child and advocate on how schools should take the necessary actions to get this harmful environment to stop. Professionals...

How to teach students online safety and citizenshipConcerns about children′s online safety have evolved from protecting them to focusing on encouraging positive social norms, transmitting effective skills, and encouraging students to be helpful allies. In fact, federal law now requires schools that receive funding to educate students about cyber safety. Nancy Willard integrates her expertise in risk prevention, law, and education to provide a collaborative...