Child Esteem

The tween years are an important time to learn and discover the world and shape who you will be in it. While these are exciting times, they can also be tricky. Preteens are dealing with big emotions and physical changes that they may not feel equipped to handle.

Holly, a grey squirrel, and her animal friends have accepted that they will never be wizards’ familiars. Though they are each magical, their powers are so offbeat—Holly herself can conjure pastries (and only pastries)—that no professional magic-worker would choose any of them as a companion for noble quests. So instead of going on adventures, they languish at the Shelter for Rejected Familiars, where they are known as “shelterlings.”

Marc shouldn’t have a single complaint as he finishes seventh grade. He’s done really well in his classes, his friends Kenny and Nathan have joined him at jiu-jitsu, and most important, he’s been staying on the Warrior Kid path. There’s just one problem and that problem is named Danny Rhinehart. It seems like every thing Marc does, Danny does better. Danny runs faster, can do more pull-ups, has jiu-jitsu moves that Marc can’t solve, and is even awesome in school. On top of all that, Danny is too nice—he smiles at everything and it drives Marc up a wall. Marc doesn’t know what to do.

Two choices, two storylines—one surprise ending! Will Sarah be brave enough to ask out her crush or will she lose her nerve? Both stories play out in this funny and heartfelt seventh book in the New York Times bestselling Emmie & Friends series.

Jimmy loves reading so much that he's inspired to start a book company for kids -- run by kids. It's a big dream for a twelve-year-old boy. Some would even say it's laugh-out-loud ridiculous!

Evie is happiest when she is healing people, diagnosing symptoms and prescribing medications, with the help of her devoted friend (and test subject) Wormy. So when Wormy unexpectedly proposes to her, she kindly turns him down; she has far too much to do to be marrying anyone. And besides, she simply isn’t in love with him.

Our confidence is what gets us through life. It’s our helmets, life jackets, seatbelts, and mouthguards. Seeing your child battle with low self-esteem and self-doubt is not easy, and your first inclination might be to lock them in a bubble and shield them from the harsh realities of life. But taking that approach will undoubtedly do them more harm than good.

The eighth book in the New York Times bestselling Emmie & Friends series, told from the alternating POVs of popular Anthony and timid Leah as they grapple with a bullying incident at school.

In this story based on the author's childhood, a young Black boy confronts his first experience of overt racism. In recounting the events to his grandfather, the young narrator asks: “How can she hate me when she doesn’t know me?” Grandpa offers wisdom and encouragement to the child, reminding him that another person’s hate does not change the fact that he is loved and that he matters. Tyler Merritt presents a message of love and acceptance that will resonate with young listeners and offer a starting point for conversations about racial equality between parent and child.

In starred reviews, Booklist has described Gerber's novels as "highly empathetic" and "truly inspiring" - Taking Up Space promises to be a realistic and compelling story about overcoming struggles with body image and learning that true self-esteem comes from within.

Fifth grader Patrick Lowe loves to draw. While he fills sheet after sheet with beautiful drawings, he imagines he is the indomitable White Knight, far removed from the problem that haunts him at school: he can't read. When he tries, the words blur, and he feels like he's suffocating. As a result, many of Patrick's classmates think he's stupid - and Patrick believes them.

Cody Lee Carson leaves his old self behind as he starts at a new school for his fifth-grade year. The new Cody is a brilliant author who keeps a journal to record this stunning transformation, but changing is not easy. Has Cody really left his old self behind?

Alice is ready for eighth grade, but she isn’t ready for this summer. All her friends are spending their days swimming in the neighborhood pool - all of them except Alice. Somehow neither curiosity about her widowed father’s new girlfriend nor the thrill of reading a forbidden book can distract her from her greatest fear: the deep end of the pool. Brimming with high spirits and courage, Alice the Brave tackles some of the biggest problems of growing up: conformity, popularity, and independence.

It's been almost a year since 18-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she's been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father's home, and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she's capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own.

There are 96 reasons why 13-year-old Genesis dislikes herself. She knows the exact number because she keeps a list. Genesis is determined to fix her family, and she’s willing to try anything to do so...even if it means harming herself in the process. But when Genesis starts to find a thing or two she actually likes about herself, she discovers that changing her own attitude is the first step in helping change others.

Of the identical twins, Iris has always been the grounded, capable, and rational one; Lark has been inventive, dreamy, and brilliant - and from their first moments in the world together, they’ve never left each other’s side. Everyone around them realized early on what the two sisters already knew: They had better outcomes when they were together. When fifth grade arrives, however, it's decided that Iris and Lark should be split into different classrooms, and something breaks in them both.

Though fashions may change, certain things never go out of style - like your favorite little black dress that can take you from a business meeting to a dinner party to a night on the town. But what makes it work is not the dress; it's how you present yourself while wearing it. A woman who is polite, well spoken, gracious, charming, and thoughtful is always welcome - though such women appear to be in short supply these days!

Join Lioness Leah Williamson, Arsenal and England women’s football player, as she shows girls that they can be a leader at any age, and that huge things can happen when they believe in themselves!

I wrote this book because it is the book that I needed when I started my journey to both understanding and overcoming my traumatic past. When I started I never expected what it would become. The short version is this: I come from a dark place, my ACE score is 10, and I attempted to take my own life twice, not to mention being morbidly obese and a drug addict at 12 years old. Today, I am happy, healthy, and driven towards being my best self every day. Why? Because I choose to Think Unbroken.

Meet Me in the Middle encourages young listeners to see how different the world looks from another point of view. Listeners will learn about Eager Eagle’s day and then Listeners will hear the same story from Patient Pig’s perspective. It’s a fun story about how real success comes from seeing how the other side does it.