Take the challenge! Stella Diaz takes the challenge on multiple levels. As a new fourth grader she must take on the challenge of more homework and social relationships – boy-girl dynamics and teamwork assignments. She also challenges herself in her two favorite areas – oceanography and art. But, oh my! Can she take the challenge of a new family dynamic? Can she fulfill her dreams?

During a crisis, how many things have to go right before you wonder if a larger plan is playing out? Survivors and rescuers confront this question in a dramatic, real-life story of survival. The writing is unrelentingly gripping, giving readers multiple perspectives as the storm rages, the waves rise, and the rescue plays out. (Includes mild language in very few quotes from individuals as they sha ...

An Aesopian tale by the beloved author of "Shrek." Befriended by a whale as he is drowning in the ocean, a mouse gets a chance to reciprocate years later in an equally unlikely situation. Full color.

"A rousing, rowdy tale pulsing with the rhythm of country music . . . The bouncy rhyme will be a pleasure for listeners and tellers as they pick up the twang and the barn-dance beat."--"Booklist."

The magnitude of the destruction caused by a massive explosion is matched by the kindness and generosity of Halifax's resilient citizens and people around the world. Stories of courage, survival, tragedy, and hope bring the facts of the event to life. A fascinating exploration of an unforgettable drama!

Young Livy returns to visit her grandmother in Australia after a five-year separation. Though she initially remembers little of the previous visit, her memories begin to return when she rediscovers her best friend, Bob, waiting in her closet. She soon realizes no one else can see Bob! Bob helps Livy begin to recover precious old memories as they make thrilling new ones together exploring the bush. ...

This fast-paced tale of two adventurers invites readers on a quest filled with mystery, danger, and a whole lot of excitement. As readers get to know Emily and James, they learn important lessons about choices and consequences, friendship, and what home really means. Whimsy and literary references mixed with technology make this story a modern classic. School drama and family conflict offer authen ...

This winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on as she ventures through a bitter cold snowstorm in William Steig's classic Brave Irene Brave Irene is Irene Bobbin, the dressmaker's daughter. Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn't feeling so well and can't possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she's made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown ...

Who knew? Rosa Parks started the Montgomery bus boycott in 1956, right? Well, no, she was preceded by sixteen-year-old Claudette Colvin who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. Claudette had grown up in rural Pine Level, Alabama, and moved to inner-city Montgomery as a young teen. She was nurtured by wise parents and wise teachers who gave her courage to see right from wrong and justic ...

A Newbery Honor Book and an ALA Notable Book, "Doctor De Soto" tells the story of a mouse who's also a dentist, written by the creator of "Shrek." Full color.

In 119 A.D., the Ninth Roman Legion marches north into the wilds of Britain--and disappears without a trace. Fifteen years later, Marcus Flavius Aquila, the son of the unit's commander, embarks upon a quest to recover the lost eagle standard of the Ninth.

Sparse text and contained drawings visually represent how truth, unadorned, lacks pretense but is firmly held by integrity. Ping's confusion while experiencing failure at something at which he normally excelled is an important part of this tale's lesson; he chose persistence over deception which proved the noblest decision.

Marting explores loss, grief, and loneliness by interweaving three seemingly disparate stories in alternating chapters. Readers follow heartbreaking and heartwarming moments of a stray dog, the tragedy and restoration of a family who suffers life-changing loss, and the growth of a boy who knows, especially after his best friend moves away, that a dog would fix his sad heart. While the mood is heav ...

Macaulay's clever use of not only showing the eye and its parts, but also playing an active role in the story's unfolding soccer match, gives the reader a greater sense of its inner workings and the purpose of its many parts. By the story's end, readers can more fully appreciate this organ's importance and its multi-layered protective construction. An effective primer.

How does a man decide to ignore life-threatening consequences in order to attempt the rescue of others? When a hurricane batters and breaks not one tanker, but two in half the same night, it leaves 84 seaman at its mercy. Survival is against all odds, and this story's authors pay relentless attention to detail and perspective that places readers in the midst of split-second decisions that risk eve ...

In this Caldecott Honor Book, it's 1935, and when her family can't make ends meet, young Lydia Grace is sent to live with her Uncle Jim, a baker in the city. However, Lydia takes her love for gardening with her and sets out to make grumpy Uncle Jim smile. Full color.

From battling toothaches while fighting the British, to having rotten teeth removed by his dentists, readers get a tongue-in-cheek dental history of the Father of His Country, who suffered all his life with tooth problems.

This Spanish translation of the historical novel "I, Juan De Pareja" is based on the life of Juan de Pareja, the black assistant to the 17th-century Spanish painter Velazquez. Newbery Medal Book.

Macaulay invites readers to enjoy a flight, then shows and describes the plane's behavior on takeoff, during flight, and landing. His masterful drawings include just enough detail to clearly illustrate difficult concepts. He adds visual metaphor to strengthen his points, and uses angles and cross sections to reveal unique plane parts and systems associated with an everyday flight. Macaulay makes l ...

Threatened by an unstoppable tide of invaders, the last of the Roman Auxiliaries are setting sail to leave Britain forever. But Aquila, a young legionnaire, chooses to stay behind, in order to join the fight to save his native land.