Children

A little boy explains to Mama Slug how to teach Little Slug to read. Here are a few of his reading rules: Attach labels to Little Slug’s favorite things; Read out loud to him; Point out words that repeat; Sound out words; Make a vocabulary list; Be patient! And, of course, it helps if Little Slug can see the book, so prop it up and set him on a rock! David Slonim’s hilarious acrylic and charcoal illustrations and Susan Pearson’s witty text show that reading can be fun in this wonderful read.

 

Words, sentences, and even worse, paragraphs fill up books. Ugh! So what’s a reluctant reader to do? This clever and playful read-aloud breaks the fourth wall and will have all readers coming back for laughs again and again!

 

Kindness counts. Adults need to read more children’s picture books like this one. This book encourages us to lead with kindness and curiosity, remembering that the most important thing we can do in life is to keep going. Remember: it’s okay to be afraid or to sometimes wander down the wrong path.

 

With wonderful artwork from one of my favorite illustrators, Peter Reynolds, this is a great read aloud to share with students about everyday courage: believing in ourselves, speaking out, trying new things, asking for help, and getting back up no matter how many times we may fall. 

From beloved Newbery Honor winner and three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Rita Williams-Garcia comes a powerful and heartfelt novel about loss, family and love. Clayton feels most alive when he’s with his grandfather, Cool Papa Byrd, and the band of Bluesmen – he can’t wait to join them, just as soon as he has a blues song of his own. But then the unthinkable happens. Cool Papa Byrd dies, and Clayton’s mother forbids Clayton from playing the blues. And Clayton knows that’s no way to live. Armed with his grandfather’s brown porkpie hat and his harmonica, he runs away from home in search of the Bluesmen, hoping he can join them on the road. But on the journey that takes him through the New York City subways and to Washington Square Park, Clayton learns some things that surprise him.

Yikes! Mr. Wright announces that word endings will be tackled after lunch. The suffixes written on Mr. Wright's board are in a tizzy. How can they defend themselves and prove that suffixes are helpful? The creators of Punctuation Takes a Vacation, Nouns and Verbs Have a Field Day, and Silent Letters Loud and Clear, have concocted another memorable language arts picture book.

A young panda's feet walk, run, swing, and splash through the day in this charming story for preschoolers that is also an ode to imaginative play.

Ten-year-old Kai feels like he’s got this junior protector thing down. But when he fails to prevent his mom and sister from being kidnapped, Kai isn't sure he’s cut out for the job. Delphi is finally starting to feel at home in Pineapple Cove. But when she discovers an underwater world that just feels right, she questions where she truly belongs. Together, Kai and Delphi must face their fears, journey to an underwater world, and rescue Kai’s family, before time runs out in this second entry of Bowman’s The Legend of Pineapple Cove series.

A team of genetically enhanced extinct animals embark on top-secret missions around the world in this first entry of The Extincts graphic novel series.

Frankie and Sal have already played every sport and board game invented, baked and eaten batches of cookies and painted a zillion pictures. What’s left to do? Nothing! Ten seconds of nothing! Can they do it? Makes for a wonderful interactive read aloud in class or at home in bed.

Do dinosaurs still walk among us? Sure, no one has seen one, but if alligators, whales, and even birds still exist, then dinosaurs must still roam among us, right? Readers, dinosaur lovers, and educators alike will roar with laughter in this dinosaur picture book for kids that blends STEAM concepts with hilarity, clever chaos and fun illustrations by Andy Elkerton.

Emma Gatewood’s life was far from easy. In rural Ohio, she managed a household of 11 kids alongside a less-than-supportive husband. One day, at age 67, she decided to go for a nice long walk…and ended up completing the Appalachian Trail. Amazing true story I had never heard before.

Henry Alfred Grummorson is the great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of Arthur, King of Britain. On his sixth birthday, adorned with a helmet and sword, Henry goes in search of adventure. He challenges a fire-breathing dragon to a fight, but the dragon prefers a game of blowing smoke rings. A cyclops wants only to have a staring contest. Even the griffin will not engage in “a battle to the uttermost” of the type Henry desires. Desperate for a real battle, strength against strength, might against might, Henry seeks out the fearsome leviathan. Has he met his match at last – or might he find something he didn’t know he was looking for? Where has this book been hiding? I loved it!

The adorable mini-pigs and Instagram sensations Prissy and Pop star in their very own picture book! All Pop wants to do is go to the beach, but Prissy has other plans. After a trip to the garden, a stop at the market and a zip through the playground, will silly Pop ever get his wish? Join these two little piggies on a fun-filled adventure in this full-color photographic picture book.

. Is it possible to eat snowballs doused in ketchup – and nothing else – all winter? Can a washing machine wash dishes? By reading the step-by-step instructions, kids can discover the answers to such all-important questions along with the book's curious narrator. Here are 12 "hypotheses," as well as lists of "what you need," "what to do" and "what happened" that are sure to make young readers laugh out loud as they learn how to conduct science experiments (really!).