All Books
Meeting My Anxiety
Joycelyne Guerra, Tammi Croteau Keen, Elisa Silverglade Rader
Synopsis: This is the children's book for EVERYONE. Adapted from her original poem, Meeting My Anxiety is Elisa Silverglade Rader's personal story of how she learned to recognize and manage her own anxiety. Artist Joycelyne Guerra's vibrant illustrations open the doors to a child's understanding, but make no mistake - these books are for everyone and anyone who experiences anxiety. The Companion Book, also available on Amazon, offers even more for all ages, from coloring pages to meditations to real stories from people of all ages about their own experiences with anxiety.Elisa's Anxiety is like a bully who follows her around. Join Elisa as she learns how to make friends with her anxiety and to listen to her own voice.
Publication Date: 11/29/18
Age Level: Any Age
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
The Sofa Monster
Molly Allman-Smith
Synopsis: Sammy wasn’t the bravest seven-year-old. In fact, he still slept with a nightlight on and a teddy bear. But, even his parents wouldn’t believe that there was a Sofa Monster. The Sofa Monster is made of a hodge-podge of things that he had lost in the cushions of the sofa. What does it want from him? What will he do?
Publication Date: 11/06/18
Age Level: 5 - 8
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Blended
Sharon M. Draper
Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Isabella’s blended family is more divided than ever in this thoughtful story about divorce and racial identity from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Out of My Mind, Sharon M. Draper.

Eleven-year-old Isabella’s parents are divorced, so she has to switch lives every week: One week she’s Isabella with her dad, his girlfriend Anastasia, and her son Darren living in a fancy house where they are one of the only black families in the neighborhood. The next week she’s Izzy with her mom and her boyfriend John-Mark in a small, not-so-fancy house that she loves.

Because of this, Isabella has always felt pulled between two worlds. And now that her parents are divorced, it seems their fights are even worse, and they’re always about HER. Isabella feels even more stuck in the middle, split and divided between them than ever. And she’s is beginning to realize that being split between Mom and Dad is more than switching houses, switching nicknames, switching backpacks: it’s also about switching identities. Her dad is black, her mom is white, and strangers are always commenting: “You’re so exotic!” “You look so unusual.” “But what are you really?” She knows what they’re really saying: “You don’t look like your parents.” “You’re different.” “What race are you really?” And when her parents, who both get engaged at the same time, get in their biggest fight ever, Isabella doesn’t just feel divided, she feels ripped in two. What does it mean to be half white or half black? To belong to half mom and half dad? And if you’re only seen as half of this and half of that, how can you ever feel whole?

It seems like nothing can bring Isabella’s family together again—until the worst happens. Isabella and Darren are stopped by the police. A cell phone is mistaken for a gun. And shots are fired.
Publication Date: 10/30/18
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Journey of the Pale Bear
Susan Fletcher
Synopsis: A runaway boy befriends a polar bear that’s being transported from Norway to London in this lyrical and timeless adventure story about freedom, captivity, and finding a family.

The polar bear is a royal bear, a gift from the King of Norway to the King of England. The first time Arthur encounters the bear, he is shoved in her cage as payback for stealing food. Restless and deadly, the bear terrifies him. Yet, strangely, she doesn’t harm him—though she has attacked anyone else who comes near. That makes Arthur valuable to the doctor in charge of getting the bear safely to London. So Arthur, who has run away from home, finds himself taking care of a polar bear on a ship to England.

Tasked with feeding and cleaning up after the bear, Arthur’s fears slowly lessen as he begins to feel a connection to this bear, who like him, has been cut off from her family. But the journey holds many dangers, and Arthur knows his own freedom—perhaps even his life—depends on keeping the bear from harm. When pirates attack and the ship founders, Arthur must make a choice—does he do everything he can to save himself, or does he help the bear to find freedom?

Based on the real story of a polar bear that lived in the Tower of London, this timeless adventure story is also a touching account of the bond between a boy and a bear.
Publication Date: 10/02/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
The Flight of Swans
Sarah McGuire
Synopsis:

Based on the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale Six Swans, The Flight of Swans follows Ryn's journey to save her family and their kingdom.

Princess Andaryn's six older brothers have always been her protectors—until her father takes a new Queen, a frightening, mysterious woman who enchants the men in the royal family. When Ryn's attempt to break the enchantment fails, she makes a bargain: the Queen will spare her brothers' lives if Ryn remains silent for six years.

Ryn thinks she freed her brothers, but she never thought the Queen would turn her brothers into swans. And she never thought she'd have to undo the Queen's spell alone, without speaking.

Publication Date: 10/01/18
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Ivy and Bean One Big Happy Family
Sophie Blackall, Annie Barrows
Synopsis: Annie Barrows' bestselling chapter book series, Ivy & Bean, is a classroom favorite and has been keeping kids laughing–—and reading—for more than a decade! With more than 5 million copies in print, Ivy & Bean return with a brand-new book for a new generation!

Ivy & Bean are back . . . and they are funnier than ever!

Ivy's worried. She's read a lot of books about only children, so she knows that they are sometimes spoiled rotten. They don't share their toys. They never do any work. They scream and cry when they don't get their way. Spoiler alert! Ivy doesn't have any brothers or sisters. That's why she's worried. How can she keep from getting spoiled? She could give away all her clothes, but she'd probably get in trouble. She could give away all her toys, but she likes her toys. There's really only one solution: she needs a baby sister, on the double! Luckily, Ivy and Bean know just where to get one.
Publication Date: 08/28/18
Age Level: 5 - 8
Genre: Adventure
Minds and Signs
Rebecca Rose Orton
Synopsis: Minds and Signs is a primer about cognitive linguistics designed for preteens who are curious about how the mind works and about American Sign Language.
Publication Date: 04/29/18
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Nonfiction
Anna and the Food Forest
Stephanie Hrehirchuk
Synopsis:

The third book in the series, Anna and the Food Forest, finds Anna determined to grow a garden. But when a field trip to a sister school reveals that some kids in Anna's city don't have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, Anna turns her determination into action. As with the first books in the series, Anna and the Earth Angel and Anna and the Tree Fort, every print copy sold plants a tree. Thank you for helping Anna to grow a forest!

Publication Date: 04/24/18
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
The Hummingbird
Jacob Devlin
Synopsis: In the aftermath of the great battle that left Wonderland in ruins, Crescenzo DiLegno and his two best friends have reunited with their families in Florindale, but the war wages on in every kingdom. The Order of the Bell is scattered, presumably left to the mercy of Queen Avoria, whose grip on the New World grows tighter every day. Cities have already fallen, the shadows have spread, and a fortress of nightmares has appeared in the heart of New York City. Determined to take back his home and restore order to the worlds, Crescenzo must rally all the people he's met from his adventures, from the troubled prince to the rebellious Lost Boys, and storm Avoria's castle of illusion. The Carver's war against the wicked Ivory Queen brews to an explosive finale, but dark secrets about her true nature have yet to emerge, and not everybody will be prepared to survive them.
Publication Date: 02/21/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
American Panda
Gloria Chao
Synopsis: An incisive, laugh-out-loud contemporary debut about a Taiwanese-American teen whose parents want her to be a doctor and marry a Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer despite her squeamishness with germs and crush on a Japanese classmate.

At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents' master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.

With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can't bring herself to tell them the truth--that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.

But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?

From debut author Gloria Chao comes a hilarious, heartfelt tale of how unlike the panda, life isn't always so black and white.
Publication Date: 02/06/18
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Humor
Chick in a Basket
Tracy Hand, Libby Szwarc, Jennifer Stone, Kim Detherage, Heather Evans
Synopsis: Introducing Chick in a Basket, "The Easter Bunny on the Shelf" which incorporates Good Deeds. It teaches children responsibility and kindness and is an annual adventure that parents and children will look forward to every year at Easter. Please welcome Agent Chick and his Golden Egg into your home and let the fun begin! www.chickinabasket.com
Publication Date: 01/21/18
Age Level: 5 - 8
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Shadow Rise
Audrey Grey
Synopsis: Terrorist. Rebel. Traitor. One rash decision during the Shadow Trials led to unspeakable horrors that left innocents dead, friends injured and hunted by the Empire, and Maia Graystone imprisoned in the Tower at the Archduchess’s mercy. Unsure if Riser Thornbrook survived, Maia must find a way to battle the Empire from within its own walls and escape so she can fulfill the promise to her father and stop the asteroid. But when she breaks free and joins Nicolai's Rebel army, she discovers she’s been branded a traitor. With war between the Rebels and the Empire looming, old alliances shifting, and suspicion hanging over her head, she must fight in the Rebel Blood Courts—and win command—to regain their trust. Only problem is, first she has defeat the reigning champion, someone she knows all too well. Will Maia’s emotions lead to her defeat, or will she rise up and claim her victory?
Publication Date: 12/15/17
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Series
Pablo and Birdy
Alison McGhee, Ana Juan
Synopsis: A boy who drifted into the seaside town of Isla as a baby searches for answers about where he and his parrot came from in this charmer of a tale laced with magical realism from New York Times bestselling author Alison McGhee.

The seaside town of Isla has many stories, the most notable being the legend of the Seafaring Parrot. Locals claim that the Seafarer remembers every sound, every whisper, cry, laugh, or snort ever uttered. But, though there have been rumored Seafarer sightings, no one has actually seen the bird before. Other stories surround a boy named Pablo, who had washed up on shore in a blow-up swimming pool as an infant with only a lavender parrot as a companion. Now, on the eve of his tenth birthday, the stories are repeated.

“At first I thought it was a huge fish,” Emmanuel, the man who found and took Pablo in, says. Pierre, the baker’s guess was a good one: Perhaps Pablo has come from an undiscovered country, one unknown to the rest of the world. Maybe the inhabitants there lived in tree houses, or underground. Or maybe he’s a pirate baby. But Pablo wants the truth, and the only one who might know it is Birdy, his parrot. After all, she was there, holding onto the raft. But unlike most birds who live in Isla, Birdy can neither talk or fly. Or, at least, she never has. Until…one day, when strong winds begin to blow—winds similar to the ones that brought Pablo to shore—Birdy begins to mutter. Could Birdy be a Seafaring parrot? If she is, then she will be able to tell Pablo the true story of where he came from—of who tied him so lovingly and safely to that raft? But, if she is, that also means the second part of the Seafarer myth is true…that Seafaring Parrots will, eventually, fly away.

As Pablo is buzzing with questions, hopes, and fears, an old saying echoes in his mind: winds of change mean fortune lost or fortune gained. And while the winds rise in Isla, Pablo holds tight to Birdy. Would losing his companion, his dearest link to his past, be that loss?
Publication Date: 08/22/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
A Properly Unhaunted Place
William Alexander, Kelly Murphy
Synopsis: From National Book Award–winning author William Alexander comes a wryly humorous story about two kids who try to save their town by bringing back its ghosts.

Rosa Ramona Díaz has just moved to the small, un-haunted town of Ingot—the only ghost-free town in the world. She doesn’t want to be there. She doesn’t understand how her mother—a librarian who specializes in ghost-appeasement—could possibly want to live in a place with no ghosts. Frankly, she doesn’t understand why anyone would.

Jasper Chevalier has always lived in Ingot. His father plays a knight at the local Renaissance Festival, and his mother plays the queen. Jasper has never seen a ghost, and can’t imagine his un-haunted town any other way. Then an apparition thunders into the festival grounds and turns the quiet town upside down.

Something otherworldly is about to be unleashed, and Rosa will need all her ghost appeasement tools—and a little help from Jasper—to rein in the angry spirits and restore peace to Ingot before it’s too late.
Publication Date: 08/22/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
The Last Panther
Todd Mitchell
Synopsis: For animal lovers and fans of The One and Only Ivan and Hoot, this is the uplifting story of a girl who discovers a family of panthers that were thought to be extinct, and her journey to save the species.
 
Eleven-year-old Kiri has a secret: wild things call to her. More than anyone else, she's always had a special connection to animals.
 
But when Kiri has an encounter with the last known Florida panther, her life is quickly turned on end. Caught between her conservationist father, who wants to send the panther to a zoo, and the village poachers, who want to sell it to feed their families, Kiri must embark on a journey that will take her deep into the wilderness.
 
There has to be some way to save the panther, and for her dad and the villagers to understand each other. If Kiri can't figure out what it is, she'll lose far more than the panthers--she'll lose the only home she's ever known, and the only family she has left.

2018 Green Earth Honor BookColorado Book Award Winner
CAL Book Award Winner

"A powerful tale." --Kirkus Reviews
"Difficult to put down... An important addition on a timely subject." --School Library Journal

"Tackles an important theme in a compelling way...a fantastical tale with roots in real-world issues." --Booklist

"Earnest, heartfelt, and passionate, this book will likely inspire new environmentalists." --Bulletin

"A boldly original, profoundly wise, deeply moving book. It's a rare gift to any reader, as well as to our planet." --T. A. Barron, best-selling author of the Merlin Saga
Publication Date: 08/22/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Environment
The Crowns of Croswald
Synopsis: In Croswald, the only thing more powerful than dark magic is one secret...

For sixteen years Ivy Lovely has been hidden behind an enchanted boundary that separates the mundane from the magical. When Ivy crosses the border, her powers awaken. Curiosity leads her crashing through a series of adventures at the Halls of Ivy, a school where students learn to master their magical blood and the power of Croswald's mysterious gems. When Ivy s magic and her life is threatened by the Dark Queen, she scrambles to unearth her history and save Croswald before the truth is swept away forever.

Publication Date: 07/21/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction

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