One particular day, a young boy's unique differences make an impactful difference in the community. Adam, a young boy with Down Syndrome, and his dog Up enjoy breakfast when news footage of last week's storm flashes across the screen. The mayor then appears to communicate that there is still so much more work to do in the storm recovery efforts. She encourages people of the community to get, "Up and at 'em!" Adam innocently mistakes the mayor's command for Up and Adam. With Up in the wagon and Adam pulling in tow, the dynamic duo set out in the streets of their community to lend a helping hand to anyone they come across. After a day of service, they head home to bake cookies and head straight to the boardwalk, passing them out with a smile to passersby, including Madam Mayor. She congratulates Adam for his kindness and community service. During Up and Adam's nighttime routine, Adam thinks about all the different people he helped earlier in the day. That thought makes him smile, and he realizes just how important a pair of smiles and helping hands can make a difference. This thoughtful story is an excellent example of text that can teach a powerful message of celebrating individuality, volunteerism, and caring for one's community. The delicate and detailed illustrations complement this heart-warming story, and it aims to be a treasured book amongst primary and elementary classrooms. The story also highlights the benefits of inclusivity of different people, a valuable lesson for the book's audience to absorb. Highly recommended for school and classroom libraries as it's an inspiring story about how the power of two helping hands and a smile can cultivate a beautiful community spirit.

Prepare for an imaginative look at the outside world in this charming nature activity book. From using leaves and flower petals to create a fairy fashion show to making berry ink, each activity stirs the imagination. Learn to prepare a feast of bird-safe foods to share with your local feathered friends or locate interesting spider webs and draw your own on the page of the book. This includes some classic activities, such as making a leaf rubbing, along with fresh and new ideas such as making a doll from grass. The activities can be completed in any order and range from painting to poetry, leaf collection to quietly observing. Packed with over sixty activities to do outside or using materials collected outdoors, this book will help kids learn to see the natural world around them in a more attentive way. The broad range of activities means the book will have ideas for almost any kid to enjoy. More an art guide than a science book, this journal allows kids unstructured interaction with nature. There's a lot of emphasis on curiosity and exploration, which invites readers to explore the world around them at their own pace and gives lots of room to focus on any child's specific interests. This journal is a great resource for anyone looking to explore nature in art or parents looking for unusual summer activities for their children.

Sitting beside the stormy sea, young Erin listens to her father's tales of the legendary storm goose. This mighty white bird is Erin's father's protector, who helps guide him over the mighty waves that he encounters while fishing off the Shetland Islands of Scotland. Erin often plays with a kite made by her father that takes the form of the mighty storm goose's wings. Then, one day while her father is out fishing, Erin realizes that a terrible storm is brewing. When the storm strikes, Erin knows that the storm goose will protect her father. But when Erin's father does not return for days, she begins to worry. The wind-swept waves refuse to calm, and they bring forth a wounded bird that is an actual storm goose. Erin helps the bird, and together they begin to heal and adjust to a world where storms can harm them and even separate them from their dearest loved ones. Eventually, the storm goose heals and sets out once again to live its life and protect Erin's spirit. While in her earthly life, Erin will never see her father again, she knows in her very bones that the coming of the storm goose means that she will heal and find out the meaning of this loss. Told with a lovely calmness and offering a poignant and lyrical look at the issue of grief, the story of the storm goose is a wonderful metaphor for the types of pain that all too many children experience. Written and illustrated by Fiona Halliday, the tale of the storm goose is one that combines beauty and pathos to offer children a perspective grounded on hope in the face of loss. While the fictional Erin will never again see her father alive, her experiences in helping the storm goose to heal are symbolic of the types of emotional growth necessary for children to cope with the loss and pain they experience. Told with great empathy and illustrated in a way that captures the mythology of the story, this is a touching book and one that should be read carefully and with compassion in mind.

I am Golden tells the story of a young Asian American girl growing up in America. She is rooted in the culture of her ancestors but also celebrates the beauty of the country her parents have moved to. While written toward children of Asian heritage, it will also be helpful, entertaining, and informative for anyone to read. It provides children of Asian heritage a straightforward, caring look at the richness of their heritage, and the beauty of their birthplace. It deals with issues of racism, speaking plainly about the historical and current experiences of Asian Americans. As these truths are plainly stated, the racist attitudes of others are seen for what they are, and the courage, love, dignity, and joy of Asian American children are celebrated. Underlying the story's unique focus on the Asian American experience is the universal experience of parents, and their desire to protect, encourage and embolden their children and ultimately to see them thrive. The book is full of beautiful illustrations which provide a positive, artful way of combating prejudice and reinforcing the book's message.

This brand-new biography collection is not to be missed! Toted as a biography of famous sisters, it is much more. It is an anthology of legends, world history, stories, and biographies. Organized chronologically from the beginning of antiquity until now, folklore and stories of sisters are woven together to create a complete book. The authors skillfully introduce lesser-known figures in early times, as well as leaders in current fields of study. For example, readers learn of Cleopatra and her sister Arsinoe in ancient Egypt and of their tumultuous relationship. The authors include historical notes of not just the sisters, but Egyptian history and other important information. Each biography includes footnote captions with extra information about the families, the era, and the region. The artwork is magnificent and is created by a variety of different artists, often from the culture represented on the page. Even more brilliantly, the book is seamless, the artwork's style contiguous from page to page, adding only to the depth of the content. Teachers can use this wonderful resource to teach geography, world history, personal stories, and much more. Kids will also enjoy this book as an independent read. Included is a complete table of contents, glossary, author's note, and an index. This high-level, captivating text is made readable and engaging for elementary and middle school students and comes highly recommended.

In the middle of the San Francisco Bay lies an island—the home of the infamous Alcatraz prison. One prisoner who resided at Alcatraz when it existed as a penitentiary was Elliott Michener, a man who was arrested for counterfeiting money. During his nine years on the island, Elliott went from being a man determined to escape and return to his unlawful ways to being someone who found beauty in plants and the hard work that comes with gardening. Through careful efforts and opportunities afforded to him at the right moments, Elliott found his way back into the working world where he ultimately became an honest citizen. This biographical account of one man's life of reformation is a complicated and interesting discussion of how meaningful work can alter the trajectory of an inmate's life. Written for elementary school-aged readers, the narrative includes short blocks of text adjacent to colorful, descriptive illustrations in order to appeal to a wide range of readers. While the context of the story is multifaceted, it is presented in a way that will resonate with readers of all ages. Full-page illustrations comprise most of the book and are carefully adorned to reflect Elliott's feelings during significant moments in his life; the happier he is, the more color surrounds him. At the end of the book, readers will find a message from the author commenting on the prison system and injustices that exist not only in the treatment of inmates overall but also in the lasting racial bias that tends to resurface. Readers are encouraged to carefully consider the realities of prison life within the context of justice and equality throughout the story. This is a thought-provoking and compelling picture book biography for elementary school-aged readers.

Parents and teachers alike will rejoice at the simplicity of using this book as a teaching tool for science. Kids will love it because they will conduct hands-on experiments that will leave them wide-eyed and smiling. A one-page biography of each of the 25 physicists contains information about their childhood, their interests, and their contributions to the scientific world. A lab experiment that relates to the physicist and their discoveries follows the biography. The lab explanation is brief, but thorough, and includes a list of materials, safety tips, and step-by-step instructions or protocol. There is also an information box for "creative enrichment" and a box dedicated to explaining the physics behind each lab and why it works. Most materials are easy to find and could be handled in a home or on a small school budget. Among others, this book includes physicist Lise Meitner who discovered nuclear fission. The lab which correlates with Meitner requires glue, baking soda, contact lens solution, and beads (or similar). These items help students create their own liquid droplet model of nuclear fission. Another example is Christine Darden and her contributions to aerodynamics, particularly in aircraft wing design. The accompanying lab guides students through creating two types of paper airplanes and comparing their ability to fly. This title will help kids learn and have fun at the same time!

The Weird Sisters come to town in this charming new short fantasy novel. Hildegurp, Yuckmina, and Glubbifer arrive with their cat Graymalkin and set up a brand-new pet emporium. Who doesn't need fire ants or scorpions as a pet? The trio meets different members of the town: Jessica, who comes in looking for her kid. Cosmo Keene, self-imposed sheriff, full of suspicion. Chelsea Oh, looking everywhere for her glasses, and many other amiable characters. Then, the sisters find a note. It's missing many words, but the message is clear: someone wants the sisters to leave town: or else! The threesome, along with Jessica try to figure out who sent the note, where Jessica's kid has gone, and why there's a casserole dish in the middle of town. The book is full of hilarious misunderstandings, puns, and humor. With a nod to the MacBeth witches and their Hurly-Burly stew, this book will tickle the funny bone. Young readers will enjoy this hilarious, light story, with pencil-sketch illustrations throughout. Included in the back of the book is an original recipe for Hurly-Burly stew.

For much of her life, Joan's grandmother told her she was a monster, but it wasn't until one fateful summer day when she was sixteen years old that she discovered her grandmother was telling her the truth. And Nick, the beautiful boy she's in love with? He's the hero destined to destroy the monsters. Joan's family is one of several families with the ability to travel through time, by stealing time from humans. After a massacre led by Nick kills most of her family, Joan is thrust into the confusing and unfamiliar world of time traveling, with only the son of her family's nemesis as her guide. But as they jump through time trying to hide from Nick and his companions, they begin to uncover a conspiracy that may just change the way everyone thinks about time. Len's new series turns the hero legend upside down and adds a new twist to time travel stories. A fast-paced plot full of action and intrigue will keep readers interested. Joan is a well-developed character with divided loyalties, willing to push conventional boundaries to save her family and uncover the truth. There's the hint of a love triangle that will likely get further developed later in the series. Give this to fans of Cassandra Clare and Sally Green.