The Bakers Dozen
by Amy Moore, Illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier
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.
Brilliant Bea
by Shaina Rudolph & Mary Vukadinovich, Illustrated by Fiona Lee
Despite her struggles with reading and writing, Beatrice is a natural and brilliant storyteller. With the help of a kind-hearted teacher, Beatrice uses an old-fashioned tape recorder so she can speak her words and then play them back, as a technique for learning in whole new way. With her new approach, Beatrice is able to show her classmates who she really has been all along.
This book is set in EasyReading, a dyslexia-friendly font.
Camping is a Terrible Idea
by Kirsten Pendreigh, Illustrated by Tiffany Everett
Cammie likes routines. She likes schedules. She likes things to happen on time and when she expects them. She likes order in her city life, her classroom, and at home with her family. When life is predictable, it is perfect. Then one day her father says that he has planned a weekend camping trip for their family. Camping? Oh no! Camping means messes and mishaps. Camping means chaos and calamity. No, no, no, Dad, warns Cammie. Camping is a terrible idea!
But her father doesn't change his mind and off they go. And sure enough, camping is chaos. There are trees with roots that trip, pesky biting mosquitoes, and campfire smoke that blows in one's face. Cammie wants to go home. But, as it turns out, Mother Nature has her own set of rhythms and routines, from sunrises and sunsets to ocean tides rolling in and out. There are calming nighttime sounds and reassuring orderly patterns in the night sky. Will Cammie find out that perhaps camping isn't as terrible as she expected?
Elinor McGrath, Pet Doctor: The Story of America’s First Female Veterinarian
by Jacqueline Johnson, Illustrated by Alette Straathof
I can do this! Elinor rolled up her sleeves. She was smart enough. She was strong enough. When Elinor McGrath decided she wanted to be a veterinarian, the world told her no. It was 1907, and that job was not considered suitable for women. Even after she was accepted into veterinary school, the 137 male students in her class made it clear she was not welcome. Yet despite constant criticism, Elinor persevered. She could see that the future was changing and was determined to show the world of veterinary medicine that accepting women wasn't the only change the profession needed.
Written by a small-animal veterinarian, Elinor McGrath, Pet Doctor tells the true story of the first woman veterinarian in the US. Backmatter highlights Elinor's career as well as other pioneering women vets from around the world.
Hazel is All That
by Chad Otis
Hazel has things all figured out—she is one clever girl. So, when she encounters a snarling dog in the park, she knows that dog is mean. And as her walk continues, she identifies a sweet dog, a sad dog, a naughty dog, and many more. But then something happens that leads Hazel to experience all kinds of different reactions herself, and she takes a second look at the dogs. Soon she sees that dogs—and people!—are not just one thing. We're each our own special mix of all sorts of emotions and behaviors. We're all that—and more. And what of the snarling dog? A surprise is in store for Hazel and the reader!
With whimsical, vibrant illustrations and easy-to-read text, Hazel Is All That is a beautiful reminder that a little bit of understanding makes a world of a difference.
Joy Ride
by Sherri Duskey Rinker, Illustrated by Ana Ramírez González
When a girl and her grandfather put their hearts into sprucing up an old bike by hand, neighborhood kids are less than kind in this tender story about bullying, peer pressure, and feeling the freedom to express yourself.
Needing something to fill up her summer days, Joy seeks out her granddad, who also likes to tinker, for something to do. Together they find the perfect project: sprucing up an old bike for Joy. From hardware stores to garage sales, the two find everything they need to transform this bike, little by little, into something that’s truly one of a kind. Ornamented with sparkles, a basket, and a brand-new bell, the bike is finally ready for Joy to ride it all over the neighborhood, filling the air with her own kind of music that exudes JOY.
But when a few kids take notice of Joy’s bike, and not in a good way, Joy makes an impulsive decision that ruins the dazzling bike she and Granddad worked so hard on. Joy realizes quickly, however, that trying to fit in can be boring, and it doesn’t make her feel JOY. Just maybe, with a heartfelt apology and Granddad’s help, she can get back on track to being true to herself. This touching story addresses the moments of uncertainty when trying to fit in with the crowd, and exclaims the joyful exuberance of self-expression.
The Little Green Swing
by Brenda Maier, Illustrated by Sonia Sánchez
Ruby's mind is always full of ideas.
On a windy day, she invites her brothers to help build something stupendous. But her brothers don't want to plan — they only want to play. As the wind huffs and puffs and blows their hasty efforts down, can Ruby prove that patience and persistence pay off?
Loosely adapted from The Three Little Pigs and brimming with pluck and fun, The Little Green Swing will inspire readers everywhere to make their own stupendous creations!
My Book and Me
by Linda Sue Park, Illustrated by Chris Raschka
Meet the child who loves books in this lyrical tribute to the joys of books and reading by Newbery medalist Linda Sue Park and featuring the jubilant illustrations of celebrated Caldecott artist Chris Raschka. My Book and Me invites us to reflect on beloved books which are friends we hold dear; books we read over and again; books that may take us to places afar to experience the world in different ways, and books that comfort and reassure us. This jubilant paean to literature is a celebration of our favorite authors, characters, and stories; those that we cherish the most and are friends for life . . . which books are your favorite?
The Perfect Plan
by Leah Gilbert
Maya dreams of building a fort-a special, comfy, cozy place to hide out and read, to dream and play. So she goes to work drafting plans and gathering all her supplies. But when she gets to the forest, she realizes she needs help. Thankfully, some new friends have just the right skills to make a perfect fort-building team. Will Maya's fort be everything she hopes? Or could it turn into something she never even imagined?
Leah Gilbert's story bursts with inspiration and life, celebrating creativity, leadership, perseverance, and the magic of working together to build a dream.
The Secret Gardens of Frances Hodgson Burnett
by Angelica Carpenter, Illustrated by Helena Pérez García
Frances could not believe her ears. How could Mamma make them move to the city? And how could Frances leave her country garden? Who would see the magic when the sweetbriar bloomed? Who would look for tigers in the rose bushes? Who would pick the strawberries?
Frances Hodgson Burnett―best known for writing The Secret Garden, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and The Little Princess―had a difficult childhood, losing her father when she was very young and moving with her family from England to Tennessee in hopes of a better life.
She’d been making up stories her entire life but didn’t try to write professionally until she was a teenager to help feed her family. Her first submissions to a magazine were published and she eventually became well known all over the world. This is Hodgson Burnett’s life story, told in lyrical prose evoking some of the same magic of her own stories.
Summer is Here
by Renée Watson, Illustrated by Bea Jackson
Summer is finally here, and she's bringing the most perfect day! From sunup to sundown, there's so much to do on this lovely summer day. With summer comes fresh fruit, sweet and tangy, jump ropes for leaping and dancing, and friends at the pool swimming and floating. Summer brings family cookouts under shady trees, gardens overflowing, and the familiar song of the ice-cream truck. This beautiful ode to all the season's sensations follows one girl's perfect day in an exploration of joy, family, friendship, sunshine, and wonder.
The Voice That Won the Vote: How One Woman’s Words Made History
by Elisa Boxer, Illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger
In August of 1920, women's suffrage in America came down to the vote in Tennessee. If the Tennessee legislature approved the 19th amendment it would be ratified, giving all American women the right to vote. The historic moment came down to a single vote and the voter who tipped the scale toward equality did so because of a powerful letter his mother, Febb Burn, had written him urging him to "Vote for suffrage and don't forget to be a good boy." The Voice That Won the Vote is the story of Febb, her son Harry, and the letter than gave all American women a voice.
