Miss Betti knew wholesome, nourishing food. She also knew the kids in Detroit's public schools were not getting wholesome, nourishing lunches. Luckily, as Detroit's school lunch lady, Miss Betti had the power to make a change. She started small--with fresh apples and sweet potato fries--but soon she was filling lunch trays with a rainbow of tasty choices. And then, Miss Betti looked toward some of the empty city lots across Detroit. She started an urban gardening program to teach students about growing fruits and veggies--filling schools' salad bars with fresh fare.
When Ai Lin starts school, none of her classmates can say her name. The children make several attempts, but they still cannot pronounce it properly. They ask Ai Lin if they can just call her by another name. It's not that important, right? But Ai Lin knows the significance of her Chinese name. No, it can't be changed. Her name is part of her identity and heritage. Her name was chosen not only for what it means, but also for how it sounds. It ties her to her family--present and past--and to its traditions.
Little Ghost lives in a very cozy, very crowded attic with his big family. He can't find any peace and quiet for reading his books or practicing his booos. So, he sets out to find somewhere a little more quiet with a little more space. But it isn't long before Little Ghost starts to feel a little lonesome. Luckily, his family isn't far behind.
A story about finding your passion--and jumping aboard! Do you know that feeling when you discover something amazing? Gus has that feeling. When Gus and his family go on an outing and take the city bus to get there, Gus realizes he LOVES the bus. And from that moment on, Gus learns everything he can about buses and tries to turn every outing into a bus outing.
On September 25, 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman to be a Supreme Court Justice in United States history. But who was Sandra Day O'Connor? By challenging the assumptions of what women could and should do, Sandra opened the doors for others to do the same. Sandra Day O'Connor was the first, but her work ensured that she would not be the last!
Yasi and her best friend Mina love playing under the pomegranate tree in the courtyard of their apartment building in Tehran. When the air sirens start howling, the girls rush to their homes to safety. Yasi doesn't understand the war with Iraq, but she knows it isn't good. The girls reunite in the morning, but Yasi lets her friend know her family has decided to move to the United States. Mina wishes they could go too. When the girls part, Mina gives Yasi a special gift to help her remember their friendship, their tree, and Tehran.
When two siblings head outdoors on a nighttime hike, they experience the awe-inspiring wonders that take place in the natural world when most people are sleeping. From the night sky with its glorious celestial displays to the nocturnal insects and animals that only venture out in the dark, there's an abundance of activity going on once the sun goes down and the stars come out. Tree frogs chirp their throaty songs, bats soar after buzzing mosquitoes, and a Luna moth flutters on its angel-like wings. But finally, it's time to head back home to a cozy bed, and dream of the next night's outdoor adventure.
The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival takes place on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, ushering in the start of summer. On the night before the Dragon Boat Festival, a young boy asks his grandfather how the dragon boat races first began. His grandfather tells him that legend has it that the races started in the ancient time of the Dragon King, when every lake and river had a guardian dragon.
For Jasper, life as a sasquatch isn't too bad. He has a nice house in the woods where he lives alone. Just the way he likes it. Being around other animals can be a little stressful. So Jasper keeps to himself, and life is good, even if some days are a bit lonely. To keep himself busy, Jasper decides to grow a turnip garden. It's hard work but it's very satisfying. With caretaking, the garden should yield a bountiful crop of yummy turnips. But one morning, just as the turnips are almost ready for harvest . . . disaster! Hungry deer have swooped in to eat Jasper's garden!
After traveling down a winding road, a pickup truck pulling a trailer stops at a farm. When the trailer opens, an old horse steps out. Old Blue, alone, unsure, and trying hard to be brave, has arrived at a horse rescue farm. But what will happen here?
On a chilly spring day, Goose and Gander flap down toward a little island just beginning to thaw out after a long winter. It is here that they will build a nest, lay eggs, and wait. And wait. And...wait. For the goslings to arrive. During all that waiting--through sun and snow, day and night--Goose keeps their eggs warm, while Gander protects the little island.
In the 1940s, the ground rumbled as they thundered across the United States, 25 600-ton steam locomotives called Big Boys. These mammoth engines were built to pull trains transporting soldiers and freight, supporting the war effort. When less-expensive diesel-electric engines became popular, Big Boys were pulled from service, either to be scrapped or sent to museums and other venues as exhibits. Big Boy 4014 pulled her last train in 1959. She spent most of her retirement in California at an outdoor train museum. People came from around the world to visit, marveling at her size. But one day in 2013, a different group of visitors came to see Big Boy 4014. This group wondered what it would take to get her back on the tracks. May 9, 2019, would be the Golden Spike Celebration, the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. Could Big Boy 4014 be restored in time for the celebration? Would she ever roll on the rails again?
The work at The Bakers Dozen bakery goes like clockwork--all twelve bakers have a job to do, and the jobs are completed without a hitch. When a new chef shows up looking for a spot on the team, and with a tempting treat too, the bakers insist The Bakers Dozen is "twelve, no more!" Even if the doughnuts do look delicious... Luckily, the new chef knows something surprising about a baker's dozen. This fun, rhyming read includes a doughnut recipe--and reminds readers that the more, the merrier!
One boy tries his hardest to do what is expected of him, but his brain just refuses to cooperate. Today it's a DINOSAUR! And tomorrow a raging bull. Who knows what might come next? In the midst of a hurricane-brain, his family pulls him back to calmer waters. The boy learns to use his unique moods and mind-sets to their best advantage, stay flexible, and, when in doubt, ask for help. This Own Voices, Own Stories Grand Prize Winner gives readers an authentic glimpse into what life can feel like for kids with autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergent traits.
A new school is being built, and it will take a parade of builders and bricklayers, plumbers and painters, and more, to get the job done. This bouncy, rhyming story set to the snappy tune of "This Is the Way," will give readers a closer look at some of the tradespeople and machinery that help build the communities we live in.
Tallulah is ready to start her work as the Great Lakes' first official mermaid! After taking the pledge to protect and care for the lakes, she's off--caring for the various creatures that call the Great Lakes home, keeping the water and shores safe and clean, helping the boats navigate the waterways, and more! Backmatter includes information on how readers can become an honorary mermaid themselves!
On a farm, each season arrives with new jobs to do--crops to plant, animals to tend to, and fields to harvest. Readers get an insider's look at what spring, summer, fall, and winter look like on a family farm, from adorable baby animals to rumbling tractors and pumpkins to pies.
One pine cone hangs in wait at the top of a tall lodgepole pine--for forty years it waits. But it watches as a small spark flickers into flame. It watches as the flames whip into a forest fire, sending animals fleeing. It watches as the flames grow higher and hotter--until the pine cone cracks open. As the fire cools and dies, the pine cone finally drops its seeds into the soil. Soil that has been made rich by the fire, warmed by the sun that can reach the forest floor once more. And from that destructive start, comes new life once more.
Ava does not love dresses. They poke and pinch, squish and squash. They just do not feel good to her. But after Ava and her family are invited to a quinceañera celebration, her mother thinks they need to go shopping for a new dress. After trying on dress (too itchy) after dress (too poofy) after dress (too silly), Ava finally finds what she does want to wear. It's a bright and sparkly tuxedo pantsuit. It's perfect! Her mother tells her that she will be the only girl not wearing a dress. And that's just fine with Ava. But what happens when they get to the party?
On the eastern plains of Taiwan, a young girl and her mother pick wild greens before a rainstorm drenches them and their garden. When she goes to pull at the roots of a spiky, stalky weed, she learns that the plant is not what it seems. A lyrical story that shows young readers how to appreciate the bounty of nature and the beauty of identity. Chinese and Pinyin translations are included in pages and backmatter features additional information on the indigenous Amis people of Taiwan. An Own Voices, Own Stories award winner and Junior Library Guild Selection.
At the end of a warm, dark night in the rainforest, dawn starts to break. Soon, animals will rise to greet the day. But not everyone is waking up. Some animals haven't even been to bed yet! Small brown bats have been busy all night, swooping and looping through the starry skies. Now it is time for them to settle in among the trees. But one baby bat wants to stay up and play. How will her mother convince her it's time to close her eyes and go to sleep? Lyrical text and soft, soothing illustrations show little readers that from bath time to lullabies, getting ready for bed looks very similar for bat babies and human babies alike. Fascinating scientific facts and photos from the Smithsonian Bat Lab showcase the amazing lives of bats and reveal how they are not so different from humans in their family behavior.
Topanga the dog gets blamed for everything, but she's here to tell you that the only reason the household works at all is because she's the one in charge. Topanga wakes the family up, takes Big Guy for a run, gets the kids off to school on time, and chases off that trouble-making raccoon. And that's not all! Will Topanga's family ever realize what a giant role she plays in their lives? Maybe not before it's time for her to go back to bed, she has another big day tomorrow after all.
Mardy and Olaus Murie fell in love in--and with--Alaska. Then set out on an adventure across the Arctic for Olaus's work as a biologist, encountering the beauty and danger of the wilds along the way. They learned from Indigenous communities to appreciate the interconnectedness of all living creatures and understood that the way humans were moving in on wild land was threatening the natural world. So they shifted the focus of their work to conservation, fighting to protect the land and animals--and lobbying for the creation of what finally became the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, nine thousand square miles of protected land! Mardy and Olaus's story of passion and hard work will inspire all readers to fan their spark of purpose into flame. Backmatter includes additional information on Mardy and Olaus, their legacy, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and more.
Each season has its own qualities that set it apart. Winter, with its stark-white crust of snow, turns even a mundane scene into a sparkling fairyland. Spring, along with her many shades of green, brings a promise of new beginnings. Summer gifts us with long, lazy days of endless blue skies and the scent of freshly mown grass. But fall has a magic, a secret, all its own. It offers a kaleidoscope of textures, smells, and colors. But what's behind those glorious colors we see among the treetops and upon the leaf-covered ground? Are leaves more than what they seem? Through engaging text and charming artwork, young readers are invited to explore how and why leaves change color. And perhaps, after fall's secret is revealed, we learn something about ourselves and our own distinct beauty. Back matter delves into the science behind photosynthesis.
In 1873, at the age of 21, Jan Ernst Matzeliger immigrated to America, having left all that was familiar behind in South America. He arrived with hopes and dreams of a bright future in this new country. Though Jan had no formal training, he was highly skillful with tools and machinery, having worked in his father's mechanic shops. But no one wanted to hire a Black immigrant who didn't speak English. Yet Jan didn't give up. He finally got a job at a shoe factory. As Jan learned the process and craft of shoemaking, he envisioned a new machine, a lasting machine, that would help produce more shoes more efficiently. People scoffed at Jan's idea, telling him it wasn't possible. But he wasn't deterred. Despite many obstacles, after years of planning, drawing, and experimenting, Jan is finally ready to demonstrate his lasting machine. And his invention will change the shoe industry forever. The little-known story of Jan Matzeliger and his machine comes to life for young readers.
