Children's Books for Parents and Teachers

Elephants Cannot Dance!

cindy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:11:36 +0000

In Elephants Cannot Dance! Piggie tries to teach Gerald some new moves. But will Gerald teach Piggie something even more important?

The Lemonade War

cindy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:05:40 +0000

As the final days of summer heat up, so does a sibling showdown over a high-stakes lemonade stand business. Jessie and Evan Treski compete to see who will make $100 first off of their respective lemonade stands. Full of surprisingly accessible and savvy marketing tips for running a stand (or making money at any business) and with clever mathematical visuals woven in, this sensitively characterized novel subtly explores how war can escalate beyond anyone’s intent.

Code of the Clans (Warriors Series)

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:42:37 +0000

The secrets behind the warrior code will finally be revealed. An ominous sign from StarClan that signaled the need to patrol borders . The unexpected help from a warrior ancestor that cemented the importance of elders. A secret coup that led to a deputy’s new role. A medicine cat’s pleas that stopped a spree of interClan bloodshed and many more never-before-told stories!

Missing Sisters

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:34:17 +0000

Twelve-year-old Alice, an orphan who has never been adopted because of her physical handicap and difficult personality, is shocked to discover she has an identical twin sister living nearby.

Extra Credit

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:27:51 +0000

It isn’t that Abby Carson can’t do her schoolwork, it’s just that she doesn’t like doing it. And that means she’s pretty much failing sixth grade. When a warning letter is sent home, Abby realizes that all her slacking off could cause her to be held back — for real! Unless she wants to repeat the sixth grade, she’ll have to meet some specific conditions, including taking on an extra-credit project: find a pen pal in a foreign country. Simple enough (even for a girl who hates homework).

Abby’s first letter arrives at a small school in Afghanistan, and Sadeed Bayat is chosen to be her pen pal…. Well, kind of. He is the best writer, but he is also a boy, and in his village it is not appropriate for a boy to correspond with a girl. So his younger sister dictates and signs the letter. Until Sadeed decides what his sister is telling Abby isn’t what he’d like Abby to know.

As letters flow back and forth between Illinois and Afghanistan, Abby and Sadeed discover that their letters are crossing more than an ocean. They are crossing a huge cultural divide and a minefield of different lifestyles and traditions. Their growing friendship is also becoming a growing problem for both communities, and some people are not happy. Suddenly things are not so simple.

Fancy Nancy: Tea Parties

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:22:31 +0000

Fancy Nancy knows how to throw quite a bash. From what to serve, how to decorate, and which fun-filled activities to do with guests, this party-planning guide provides all the tips readers need for hosting any kind of tea party.

Sloppy Joe

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:07:58 +0000

When it comes to being messy, Sloppy Joe is a pro! He slurps, spills, slouches, talks with his mouth full, and never, ever tucks in his shirt. But being messy has its challenges. So Sloppy Joe sets out to become Neat Joe, only to learn that being messy is a part of who he is — and his family loves him for it!

Publishers Weekly

Sugar Plum Ballerinas: Plum Fantastic #1

cindy — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:15:17 +0000

Alexandrea Petrakova Johnson does not want to be a beautiful ballerina, and she does not want to leave her friends in Apple Creek. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop her ballet-crazy mother from moving them to Harlem, or from enrolling Al at the Nutcracker School of Ballet.
Life is hard when you’re the new ballerina on the block, and it’s even harder when you’re chosen to be the Sugar Plum Fairy in the school recital! Not only is Al a terrible dancer, but she’s also got a rotten case of stage fright! Al’s ballet classmates are going to have to use all the plum power they’ve got to coach this scary fairy!

McDuff Saves the Day

cindy — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:48:22 +0000

When Fred and Lucy’s delectable picnic is devoured by an army of creepy crawly critters, McDuff sets out to find some lunch for his family. With his nose to the ground, the determined Westie bumps into Mr. DiMaggio, who just happens to have more food than he knows what to do with! When a starving Fred and Lucy are invited to share Mr. DiMaggio’s picnic, new friendships blossom, appetites are satisfied, and McDuff is hailed hero of the day on 4th of July!

Umbrella Summer

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:21:37 +0000

Annie Richards knows there are a million things to look out for—bicycle accidents, food poisoning, chicken pox, smallpox, typhoid fever, runaway zoo animals, and poison oak. That’s why being careful is so important, even if it does mean giving up some of her favorite things, like bike races with her best friend, Rebecca, and hot dogs on the Fourth of July. Everyone keeps telling Annie not to worry so much, that she’s just fine. But they thought her brother, Jared, was just fine too, and Jared died.

It takes a new neighbor, who looks as plain as a box of toothpicks but has some surprising secrets of her own, to make Annie realize that her plans for being careful aren’t working out as well as she had hoped. And with a lot of help from those around her—and a book about a pig, too—Annie just may find a way to close her umbrella of sadness and step back into the sunshine.

With winsome humor and a dash of small-town charm, Lisa Graff’s third novel is a touching look at rising above grief and the healing power of community.

Sugar Plum Ballerinas-Toeshoe Trouble #2 in series

cindy — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:24:02 +0000

Brenda Black prides herself on her logical and orderly mind. She studies anatomy books to get a twelve-year head start on medical school, and idolizes genius Leonardo da Vinci. But things go haywire when her spoiled cousin Tiffany comes to visit. At first Brenda tries to ignore Tiffany’s constant bragging. But when Tiffany implies that Brenda is not cultured enough to know who Miss Camilla Freeman is—Miss Camilla Freeman, the very famous prima ballerina—Brenda snaps. She tells Tiffany that not only does she know who Camilla Freeman is, but she happens to own an autographed pair of her toeshoes. So of course, Tiffany wants to see the shoes.

The only problem? The shoes belong to Ms. Debb, the headmistress of the Nutcracker School! Brenda’s anatomy books might get her into medical school, but they can’t get her out of this mess—for that, she’ll need the help of her Sugar Plum Sisters!

Cathy’s Key: If Found Call (650) 266-8202

cindy — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:14:22 +0000

Cathy has finally settled her curiosity about Victor—her off and on boyfriend—and his mysterious past. Suffice it to say that dating an immortal is far from easy! But now Cathy is stumbling across a trail of evidence pertaining to her own family—secrets about her father and the circumstances surrounding his death. Having an immortal boyfriend is sure to come in handy as her investigation continues, considering Cathy’s father is still alive. . . . Complete with evidence photos and a sixteen-page teaser for the third book, Cathy’s Key is sure to please!

Summer Skills: Grade K

admin — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:05:27 +0000

School is out for the summer, but keeping your child engaged in learning through the break will prepare him or her to excel during the next school year. This Summer Skills workbook reviews topics learned in pre-school and introduces skills that will be introduced in the kindergarden, helping your child to transition seamlessly from one grade to the next. Children will love the beautiful full-color illustrations and interesting activities on each page, and he or she will feel more confident about learning when school is back in session!

This book series includes:

Math, science, social studies, and language arts activities to keep your child entertained and interested in learning all summer long.
“Fast Fact” and “On Your Own” features that build upon the theme or activity on a page, helping to expand your child’s understanding of a topic.
A summer reading list and suggested activities to continue the learning long after the book is completed.
Perforations that make removing pages easy.

Summer Skills Daily Activity Workbook: Grade 1

admin — Sat, 30 May 2009 20:08:28 +0000

The Summer Skills Daily Activity Workbook series is dedicated to helping children not only review and keep fresh the skills they have learned throughout the previous school year, but also prepare for the new skills they will encounter at the beginning of the next school year. The first half of each book focuses on reviewing previously learned materials, and the second half introduces new concepts and terms, complete with instructions and examples for better understanding of new material.

Each workbook follows a 90-day format, alternating between math and reading/writing activities each day. These activities are presented using full-color illustrations and involve:

Puzzles
Mazes
Math applications
Word finds
Reading comprehension
Vocabulary practice

Summer Skills Daily Activity Workbook: Grade 2

admin — Sat, 30 May 2009 20:02:26 +0000

Each workbook follows a 90-day format, alternating between math and reading/writing activities each day. These activities are presented using full-color illustrations and involve:

Puzzles
Mazes
Math applications
Word finds
Reading comprehension

Vocabulary practice

The Graves Family Goes Camping

cindy — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:45:55 +0000

When the Graves family goes camping, so do all their ghoulish sidekicks—bats, spiders, and even their Venus flytrap. Yet nothing can prepare them for their latest companion: a fire-breathing dragon. The Graves family knows they’ve got to get rid of the dragon—especially after the giant beast accidentally soaks all the town’s fireworks just before the big Fourth of July celebration. The explosive solution is pure fun.

The Last Olympian

admin — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:18:58 +0000

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #5. All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of a victory are grim. Kronos’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time. In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

Magykal Papers

admin — Sat, 30 May 2009 18:16:25 +0000

Enter the world of Septimus Heap with this collection of previously unpublished papers.

This rich compendium includes: The private journals of Septimus, Jenna, and Marcia Overstrand. The best—and worst—places to eat as described in The Egg-on-Toast Restaurant Guide. Sirius Weazal’s Speedy Guides to the Palace, the Wizard Tower, and Wizard Way. Excerpts from the Pigeon Post Biography series and the Heaps of History series. Alther Mella’s Guide to Being Dead: Ten Handy Rules for New Ghosts. Beautiful maps, quirky flyers, funny letters, and much more!

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:25:03 +0000

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

Mailbox Mania

cindy — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:48:23 +0000

The Fourth of July is on its way, and Abby Hunter has big plans. As president of the Cul-de-sac Kids, she declares “Mailbox Mania” on Blossom Hill Lane. The kids decorate their mailboxes. And choose a judge to vote for the winner! Before long, the friends are fighting and everyone is upset. Then a mysterious gift shows up in each of their mailboxes. Who hid the presents there? And why?

Americana Adventure

cindy — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:30:23 +0000

Celebrate the Fourth of July in a vibrant seek-and-find adventure. This fun-filled ode to America brims with patriotic spirit and more than 200 hidden objects to find. Tommy awakes on July Fourth to find a note from his eccentric Aunt Jeanne, promising a spectacular surprise if he unravels clues she has hidden for him. Tommy’s clues lead him on a magical cross-country trip through America’s great places and iconic traditions. From Times Square to Mount Rushmore, from a Mississippi riverboat to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Sleepytown Beagles Penny’s 4th Of July

cindy — Sat, 16 May 2009 12:56:45 +0000

Sleepytown Beagles, Penny’s 4th of July is the second book in the Sleepytown Beagles series. It takes your child on another journey into a peaceful and secure place where they can visualize and drift off to sleep. In this story, Penny shares the valuable lesson she learned about dealing with her fears. Enjoy this journey with the lovable characters of the Sleepytown Beagles.

Also check out: Sleepytown Beagles Differences and Sleepytown Beagles Oh Brother!

The Fourth of July Story

cindy — Sat, 16 May 2009 12:50:25 +0000

What happened on the Fourth of July long before there were fireworks and parades? Alice Dalgliesh takes young readers back to revolutionary times, back to the colonists’ desire for freedom and the creation of the Declaration of Independence.

Simple text captures the excitement of the era, telling how word of Independence travelled up and down the thirteen colonies, touching the lives of everyday people throughout the land.

Star Spangled Banner

cindy — Sat, 16 May 2009 12:45:14 +0000

Patriotic images of everything from historical events to baseball games to children marching in 4th of July parades accompany the words of our national anthem. This timely book brings a modern narrative to the song that was written more than 175 years ago.

Apple Pie Fourth of July

cindy — Sat, 16 May 2009 12:25:49 +0000

No one wants Chinese food on the Fourth of July, I say. We’re in apple-pie America, and my parents are cooking chow mein! . . . They just don’t get it. Americans do not eat Chinese food on the Fourth of July. Right?

Shocked that her parents are cooking Chinese food to sell in the family store on this all-American holiday, a feisty Chinese-American girl tries to tell her mother and father how things really are. But as the parade passes by and fireworks light the sky, she learns a lesson of her own.

Biscuit’s Fourth of July

cindy — Sat, 16 May 2009 12:20:39 +0000

Biscuit celebrates America’s birthday. There’s a parade and fireworks to watch, and lots of treats to share with friends and family. Unfold the flaps to see what surprises are in store this Fourth of July.

Llama Llama Misses Mama

cindy — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:09:58 +0000

Strange new teacher. Strange new toys. Lots of kids and lots of noise! What would Llama like to do?
Llama Llama feels so new . . . It’s Llama Llama’s first day of preschool! And Llama Llama’s mama makes sure he’s ready. They meet the teachers. See the other children. Look at all the books and games. But then it’s time for Mama to leave. And suddenly Llama Llama isn’t so excited anymore. Will Mama Llama come back? Of course she will. But before she does, the other children show Llama Llama how much fun school can be!

Meet Rebecca (American Girl Collection Series: Rebecca #1)

cindy — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:07:23 +0000

Rebecca Rubin is a lively nine-year-old girl growing up in a big Jewish family in New York in 1914. She dreams of becoming an actress, but her parents and grandparents have traditional ideas and don’t think young ladies should perform. When Rebecca learns that her cousins in Russia are in great danger and must escape to America, she puts on a show to raise money–until her disapproving grandmother steps in. Unexpectedly, Rebecca finds another way to earn money. But for her plan to work, she’ll have to keep it a secret. Includes an illustrated “Looking Back” essay about Jewish immigration and culture.

Rebecca and the Movies (American Girl Collection Series: Rebecca #4)

cindy — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:55:13 +0000

On her tenth birthday, Rebecca can hardly believe it when her cousin Max, the actor, invites her to come to his movie studio! Although her parents don’t approve of actors or movies, Mama relents and says Rebecca may go. When the camera begins to roll, Rebecca finds herself facing an opportunity she never imagined in her wildest dreams. Does she have the nerve for it? And what would her parents say if they knew? Includes an illustrated “Looking Back” section about the early days of silent movies.

Rebecca and Ana (American Girl Collection Series: Rebecca #2

cindy — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:21:03 +0000

At last, Rebecca’s cousin, Ana, has made the long journey from Russia to Ellis Island. It’s crowded with two families living in one small apartment, but Rebecca is happy to share everything with Ana. At school, she is determined to help Ana learn English. But when the teacher tells her to include Ana in a special performance, Rebecca panics–Ana’s broken English will ruin the show! As the big day draws near, Rebecca learns an important lesson about what matters most. Includes an illustrated “Looking Back” section about urban schools in 1914.