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!
Jump into the jazzy world of Acoustic Rooster! New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander takes young readers on a bebopping romp through the alphabet with Acoustic Rooster and his bandmates: Ella Finchgerald, Mules Davis, and Duck Ellington.
Discover the world of Kwame Alexander's Acoustic Rooster! The New York Times bestselling author tells Acoustic Rooster's story through lyrical, jazzy text--perfect for young readers. Meet Acoustic Rooster and his friends, Ella Finchgerald, Mules Davis, and Duck Ellington, as they perform in the big barnyard band competition.
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.
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?
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!
As the sun sets up north and the moon begins to rise over the lake, all kinds of creatures--from the black bear to a tumble of fox kits to a family like yours--begin their nighttime routines. This lyrical lullaby to up north, and the flora and fauna that call it home, is a beautiful ode to the most beautiful land.
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.
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.
One little bunny spends a merry day with a special loved one, baking, wrapping, playing, and preparing for Christmas. When family and friends arrive it's time for carols and hot cocoa around the fire. This sweet, cozy story reminds readers that the joy in the holiday season is being with the ones we love.
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.
The morning before Diez y Seis de Septiembre, Gloria's Papa wakes up with laryngitis. A disaster! The festivities cannot start without a loud grito to kick the party off--and a Hernandez has always yelled the grito for as long as anyone can remember. When Gloria offers her own grito--and Papa backs her up--the mayor has to agree. But what has she done?! How will she find the courage to yell the grito with the heart it needs? Gloria needs some help from her community and her Papa to find her voice.
