At each grade level, the lessons align with the Common Core State Standards Initiative for Speaking
and Listening.
The text exposes children to diverse cultures and fosters attitudes of curiosity and respect. Children learn how they are similar to their peers across the world, but also learn to explore and appreciate how they differ as well. What Does It Mean To Be Global? is a perfect starting point for relevant classroom activities.
Classroom activities in this instructional unit tap into children’s various perspectives including: their senses, their talents and interests, their shared languages, and their values.
The text provides an entry point for teachers to introduce children to the habits of mind and
action that support healthy brain growth. Your Fantastic Elastic Brain promotes several essential
messages, namely: what children do on a daily basis affects the growth of their brains; brains require
exercise and struggling to develop new skills contributes to brain growth; making mistakes
is a positive experience that contributes to healthy brain growth.
Based on a true story, the tale of one girl’s perilous journey to cross the U.S. border and lead her family to safety during the Mexican Revolution
It is 1913, and twelve-year-old Petra Luna’s mama has died while the Revolution rages in Mexico. Before her papa is dragged away by soldiers, Petra vows to him that she will care for the family she has left—her abuelita, little sister Amelia, and baby brother Luisito—until they can be reunited. They flee north through the unforgiving desert as their town burns, searching for safe harbor in a world that offers none.
Each night when Petra closes her eyes, she holds her dreams close, especially her long-held desire to learn to read. Abuelita calls these barefoot dreams: “They’re like us barefoot peasants and indios—they’re not meant to go far.” But Petra refuses to listen. Through battlefields and deserts, hunger and fear, Petra will stop at nothing to keep her family safe and lead them to a better life across the U.S. border—a life where her barefoot dreams could finally become reality.
**From the New York Times-bestselling author of The Nature of Witches and Wild is the Witch comes a lush, romantic, and unforgettable new fantasy full of sea magic, arranged marriages, and the choice between love and duty
**
Tana Fairchild’s fate has been planned out for her since the day she was born: marry the governor’s son and secure an unprecedented alliance between the witches and the mainlanders. But when Tana meets Wolfe, a member of the only remaining coven left practicing dark magic, she’s stunned to learn of his existence. She’s always thought the final coven disbanded ten years ago, completely eradicating the use of dark magic.
When unknown magic builds in Tana’s body and she’s unable to expel the magic on her own, she begs Wolfe for help. And as she practices Wolfe’s dark magic, she’s horrified to discover how naturally it comes to her. It makes her feel powerful. Alive.
Tana tries to rid herself of the memories of Wolfe and his magic, throwing herself into her courtship with Landon, the key to the alliance the witches have worked so hard for. With Tana’s covenant ball approaching, their engagement will be officially announced.
But when Tana’s family discovers her use of dark magic and her mother confides in her that the witches are losing control of the currents, and it’s only a matter of time before the sea swallows a mainlander. When that happens, Tana’s relationship with Landon could be the only thing that keeps the mainlanders from turning on the witches.
But Tana can’t stop thinking about Wolfe. And as the tide grows fiercer, and the witches’ relationship with the mainlanders more tenuous, Tana has to decide what’s most important to her: love, or duty?
From the best-selling creators of Unicorn Day comes a mer-tastic celebration as all sorts of sea creatures celebrate Mermaid Day!
*Hooray Hooray!
It’s Mermaid Day!
Shake your tailfin!
Splash and play!
Bubbles popping,
One, two, three,
Mermaid magic
Fills the sea!*
On Mermaid Day, the mer-queen throws a big bash. She decorates with seashell garlands and seaweed bows. Creatures of all kinds arrive. Dolphins dance, narwhals play ring toss. But who’s that lurking in the dark—is that a shark?
But mermaids know this shark won’t bite. He’s just shy. As night falls the guests say goodbye to a mer-mazing day.
From the best-selling creators of Unicorn Day comes a mer-tastic celebration as all sorts of sea creatures celebrate Mermaid Day!
*Hooray Hooray!
It’s Mermaid Day!
Shake your tailfin!
Splash and play!
Bubbles popping,
One, two, three,
Mermaid magic
Fills the sea!*
On Mermaid Day, the mer-queen throws a big bash. She decorates with seashell garlands and seaweed bows. Creatures of all kinds arrive. Dolphins dance, narwhals play ring toss. But who’s that lurking in the dark—is that a shark?
But mermaids know this shark won’t bite. He’s just shy. As night falls the guests say goodbye to a mer-mazing day.
**New in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling How to Catch series—can YOU catch a mermaid?
**
*Last week I saw a mermaid.
It’s not something I’d pretend!
I’d really like to catch her
so she could be my friend.
But how to catch a mermaid?
You don’t learn this in school.
We’ll need to build a gentle trap
and start near the tide pool.*
Many claim to have caught a mermaid, but can YOU? Perfect for summer, the newest title in the New York Times bestselling How to Catch series will have children and parents excited to see if these characters can actually pull off catching a mermaid!
The newest addition in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling How to Catch series—do YOU have the rad skills needed to catch the mystical Daddysaurus?
“Have you ever heard of the Daddysaurus?
Known for his kindness and bravery too?
We’re on a mission to catch him today
But we may need some help from YOU!”
The Catch Club Kids are at it again! This time, they’re out to trap the Daddysaurus—a mystical creature capable of such amazing acts of kindness, bravery, brilliance and humor. The kids try to trap the creature with all his favorite activities, but will they succeed? Maybe all they need is a little sweetness to make this awesome Daddysaurus appear!
Perfect for Father’s Day, this fun dinosaur picture book is filled with silly rhymes and illustrations sure to delight young readers and educators alike with STEAM concepts and classic hilarity and chaos.
**Using a cheeky guessing game format, Butt or Face? is a hilarious nonfiction picture book that teaches fascinating facts about animals! Are YOU ready to play?
**
Move over, Jeopardy, Family Feud, and The Price Is Right—this book will be your new favorite laugh-until-your-stomach-hurts family game! In Butt or Face, weird animals are introduced with a close-up photo. Kids must guess: are they seeing seeing…um…err… the bottom or the top?
Readers will learn about animals like Cuban Dwarf Frogs, whose backsides look like a pair of eyes, and the Mary River Turtle, which not only has a unique face, but even breathes through its butt! On every reveal page, kids can enjoy the animals’ complete photos and fascinating scientific facts, which explain how the critters’ camouflage and trickery help them to engage with their habitats.
Can YOU tell a butt from a face?
Can you catch the magical Loveosaurus? From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling How to Catch series comes an exciting Valentine’s Day treat about a rare new creature!
The Catch Club Kids are on the chase again, this time to trap an escaped dinosaur that wants to spread love and kindness. Blending exciting traps and STEAM concepts with hilarity and chaos to encourage reading, learning, and imagination, this charming adventure will delight young readers, families, and educators alike—and maybe inspire spreading some kindness too!
The Umbrella Academy meets It with a dash of The Craft in this stinging, feminist LGBTQIA+ horror debut about girls claiming their power
Finch Chamberlin is the newest transfer student to the ultra-competitive Ulalume Academy… but she’s also not what she seems. Before school started, Finch and her parents got into an accident that should have left her dead. But something monstrous, and ancient, and terrifying, wouldn’t let her die. Finch doesn’t know why she woke up after her heart stopped, but ever since she’s felt a constant pull to the town of Rainwater, like something on the island is calling to her.
Selena St. Clair rules Ulalume Academy. She’s careful not to let anyone get too close to her…until she meets Finch. The two girls are instantly drawn to one another, even though Selena fears letting Finch in truly will change everything.
One night Finch, Selena, and her friends accidentally summon a creature of immense power in the depths of the school. It promises to grant every desire the girls have kept locked away in their insecure hearts?but for a terrible price. As the cost of their wanting becomes more deadly, Finch and Selena must learn to work together to stop the horror they unleashed, before it consumes the entire island.
From the instant New York Times-bestselling author of The Nature of Witches comes an enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance about a young witch attempting to undo a terrible curse.
Iris Gray knows witches aren’t welcome in most towns. When she was forced to leave her last home after an illegal display of magic, she left behind a father who was no longer willing to start over. And while the Witches’ Council was lenient in their punishment, Iris knows they’re keeping tabs on her. Now settled in Washington, Iris she vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast and spending her days at the wildlife refuge with a witch-hating intern, Pike Adler.
Iris concocts the perfect curse for Pike: one that will turn him into a witch. But just as she’s about to dispel it, a bird steals the curse before flying away. If the bird dies, the curse will be unleashed and turn not just Pike, but everyone in the region, into a witch.
Iris begs Pike to help her track the bird, and they set out on a trek through the Pacific Northwest…and find they may like each other’s company more than they want to admit.
Jingle all the way in this all new Christmas story for kids from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling How to Catch series!
It’s Christmas Eve and Santa’s team is off to deliver presents when one of the trusted reindeer Comet decides to explore on her own… the perfect opportunity for our Catch Club Kids to trap her and prove Santa exists! Come along on this fun Christmas adventure to see if you can catch Comet! Poised to become a new holiday tradition, this merry picture book is filled with silly rhymes and illustrations sure to delight young readers and educators alike with STEAM concepts and classic hilarity and chaos.
*Reindeer fly on Christmas Eve and bring us all good cheer.
To catch one takes a special trap—will YOU meet one this year?*
Three characters with their own agendas converge in a town filled with mediums, where most residents make their living speaking to the dead…and there’s no such thing as resting in peace.
Russ Griffin has always wanted to be a fantastic medium. Growing up in the town of St. Hilaire, where most residents make their living by speaking to the dead, means there’s a lot of competition, and he’s always held his own. But Russ knows the town he loves is corrupt, and he’s determined to save it before the sinister ruling body, The Guild, ruins all he’s ever wanted.
Willow Rogers is St. Hilaire royalty. An orphan, raised by The Guild, she’s powerful and mysterious. But she has secrets that might change everyone’s fate. She’s done with St. Hilaire, done with helping spirits move on. She wants to end the cycle for good and rid the town of ghosts, even if that means destroying the only home she’s ever known.
Asher Mullen lost his sister, and his parents can’t get over her death. They sought answers in St. Hilaire and were turned away. Now they want revenge. Asher is tasked with infiltrating the town, and he does that by getting to know Russ. The only problem is, he might be falling for him, which will make betraying him that much harder.
Russ, Willow, and Asher all have their own agendas for St. Hilaire, but one thing’s for certain, no one will be resting in peace.
This captivating book explores the real connection and communication that runs underground between trees in the forest. The well-researched details about trees’ own social network will help readers see that the natural world’s survival depends on staying connected and helping others—just like us!
Parents, teachers, and gift givers will find:
a beautiful story about our forests with scientifically accurate information
educational backmatter about this underground web of communication
a nature book that supports social emotional learning
The fascinating mycorrhizal fungi network runs underground through the roots of trees in the forest allowing for connection and communication. Readers will discover that trees have their own social network to help each other survive and thrive.
This captivating book explores the real connection and communication that runs underground between trees in the forest. The well-researched details about trees’ own social network will help readers see that the natural world’s survival depends on staying connected and helping others—just like us!
Parents, teachers, and gift givers will find:
a beautiful story about our forests with scientifically accurate information
educational backmatter about this underground web of communication
a nature book that supports social emotional learning
The fascinating mycorrhizal fungi network runs underground through the roots of trees in the forest allowing for connection and communication. Readers will discover that trees have their own social network to help each other survive and thrive.
Learn how to welcome new neighbors into your community, particularly when they might be far from home, in this uplifting and diverse picture book that champions human connection and inclusivity. After all, the world is everyone’s home and we’re one big family!
*When we see someone new in our neighborhood, how can we help them feel safe and loved and important?
How can we tell them, you’re not alone?
There are so many ways!*
From the creators of Miry’s List, the nonprofit that has helped thousands of refugees, Our World is a Family is an all-ages picture book exploring the complicated topic of human migration in a gentle, loving, and affirming way. It lightly touches on the reason people might leave their homes, like climate change or lack of safety, and inspires children to welcome their new neighbors into their communities with love.
Learn how to welcome new neighbors into your community, particularly when they might be far from home, in this uplifting and diverse picture book that champions human connection and inclusivity. After all, the world is everyone’s home and we’re one big family!
*
When we see someone new in our neighborhood, how can we help them feel safe and loved and important?
How can we tell them, you’re not alone?
There are so many ways!*
From the creators of Miry’s List, the nonprofit that has helped thousands of refugees, Our World is a Family is an all-ages picture book exploring the complicated topic of human migration in a gentle, loving, and affirming way. It lightly touches on the reason people might leave their homes, like climate change or lack of safety, and inspires children to welcome their new neighbors into their communities with love.
Learning is fun while discovering one of the most beautiful ecosystems in the world! Begin to appreciate the adorable baby animals in and around the coral reef like pufferfish that puff, gruntfish that grunt, and seahorses that flutter. Explore the world around you, and inspire a bond with nature through curiosity and wonder!
Parents, teachers and gift givers will find:
a book filled with baby animals from the coral reef.
educational backmatter about this habitat and the animals that live there.
a nature book to explore new and beautiful habitats!
The creative art will inspire many projects at home and at school! Kids will explore the coral reef habitat and learn about baby animals like octopus, clownfish, and more creatures around the ocean habitat in this bestselling book for young explorers!
From the award-winning author of Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, Alda P. Dobbs, comes a compelling new novel about building a new life in America. Strong and determined, Petra Luna returns in a story about the immigrant experience that continues to be relevant today.**
Petra Luna is in America, having escaped the Mexican Revolution and the terror of the Federales. Now that they are safe, Petra and her family can begin again, in this country that promises so much. Still, twelve-year-old Petra knows that her abuelita, little sister, and baby brother depend on her to survive. She leads her family from a smallpox-stricken refugee camp on the Texas border to the buzzing city of San Antonio, where they work hard to build a new life. And for the first time ever, Petra has a chance to learn to read and write.
Yet Petra also sees in America attitudes she thought she’d left behind on the other side of the Río Grande—people who look down on her mestizo skin and bare feet, who think someone like her doesn’t deserve more from life. Petra wants more. Isn’t that what the revolution is about? Her strength and courage will be tested like never before as she fights for herself, her family, and her dreams.
Petra’s first story, Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, was a New York Public Library Book of the Year and a Texas Bluebonnet Master List Selection.
Written by two brain experts, this STEM picture book is packed with fascinating science and fun facts about the importance of sleep that will have kids excited to get a good night’s rest!
Go to sleep and grow your brain!
During the day, your brain helps you do things like eat, walk, play with friends, and learn new things—and using your brain helps it stretch and get stronger. But did you know that you have the power to grow and train your brain just by going to sleep? In fact, while you’re resting, your brain is doing some of its most important work!
Learn about the important jobs your brain does at night like:
Locking in what you learned during the day
Resetting itself so that it’s ready when you wake up
Even taking a bath to make sure it’s clean and healthy!
Perfect for parents and educators, Good Night to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain is an excellent tool to teach kids about brain development, growth mindset, and the power of making healthy choices like getting enough sleep!