Family Reader

Growing up in a remote part of Alaska, Ivan and September Crane know that autumn is an unpredictable season - days of clear blue skies can give way to fierce, sudden storms in a blink. They know the trouble signs: changes in the wind, the temperature, or even the color of the dawn. But somehow, this time, left alone when their fisherman father is delayed at sea, even their keen sense of their surroundings and the lessons they've been taught fail them.

Arthur decides to make Mother and Father special Christmas cookies as a present. But when the cookies are finally finished, they are hard as rocks! Can Arthur think of a way to turn this disaster into the best Christmas present ever?

No one thinks one or two snowflakes will amount to anything. Not the man with the hat or the lady with the umbrella. Not even the television or the radio forecasters. But one boy and his dog have faith that the snow will amount to something spectacular, and when flakes start to swirl down on the city, they are also the only ones who know how to truly enjoy it.

In her people-smart way, Kimberly Willis Holt introduces us to a Louisiana family: touching, lyrical, and always intriguing, their stories reveal the powerful connections between four generations. The journey begins in 1939 with Rose, who moves with her mother and siblings from rural Texas to live with their estranged grandfather in the Louisiana bayou.

Alex Harmon prefers running over sitting still reading. But when his aunt offers to pay him to point out the boring parts in her children's book, he figures it's an easy way to make 10 bucks. The problem is that her book is about a grumpy frog and a prize-winning zucchini. It doesn't have only a few boring pages...the whole thing is a lost cause.

The little old woman who lives in a book has lost her children! But instead of sitting around and waiting for them to show up, in a refreshingly empowering, feminist take on the classic tale, she departs on a mission to find her kids herself - even if it means popping into every other fairy tale and nursery rhyme in town!

Fifteen-year-old Simran "Simi" Sangha comes from a long line of Indian vichole - matchmakers - with a rich history for helping parents find good matches for their grown children. When Simi accidentally sets up her cousin and a soon-to-be lawyer, her family is thrilled that she has the "gift." But Simi is an artist, and she doesn't want to have anything to do with relationships, helicopter parents, and family drama. That is, until she realizes this might be just the thing to improve her and her best friend Noah's social status.

Twelve-year-old Pavi Sharma is an expert at the Front Door Face: the perfect mix of puppy dog eyes and a lemonade smile, the exact combination to put foster parents at ease as they open their front door to welcome you in. After being bounced around between foster families and shelter stays, Pavi is a foster care expert and runs a "business" teaching other foster kids what she's learned. With a wonderful foster family in mom Marjorie and brother Hamilton, things are looking up. Then Pavi meets Meridee: a five-year-old, who's getting placed at Pavi's first horrendous foster home.

Dove "Birdie" Randolph works hard to be the perfect daughter and follow the path her parents have laid out for her: She quit playing her beloved soccer, she keeps her nose buried in textbooks, and she's on track to finish high school at the top of her class. But then Birdie falls hard for Booker, a sweet boy with a troubled past...whom she knows her parents will never approve of. When her estranged aunt, Carlene, returns to Chicago and moves into the family's apartment above their hair salon, Birdie notices the tension building at home.

Dive into the universe of learning and adventure with "Fun with Astrophysics: Storytelling for the Whole Family," an enthralling book that blends imaginative storytelling with the intriguing world of astrophysics. Crafted by an experienced chemical engineer with a PhD, this book is a bridge connecting the complex realm of astrophysics with the eager curiosity of children.

As two sisters watch their friends’ families grow, they wish on a star for a sibling of their own…and a younger brother and a baby cousin arrive! The new family members aren’t exactly what the sisters expected, but with time and patience, the group soon becomes fabulously four—and lets their imaginations soar! Together they can be anything, and no matter what, they will always remember that love comes first.

Newbery Medal and Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner Cynthia Rylant creates an adorable family in The Lighthouse Family series chapter books. The mice children, Whistler and Lila, set out on an adventure into the mysterious forest. With a trusty compass, they are sure to find their way home until it falls out of Whistler’s pocket. A large eagle named Stanley finds the compass, becomes a dear friend, and gives the mice a view of the great forest they will never forget.

Stevie’s life is fluctuating rapidly. She's starting over in a brand-new middle school. Quiet and observant, it's hard for her to make friends. Plus, her mind is too occupied. The tension in her home is building as her parents' arguments are becoming more frequent. To top it all off, Stevie's older cousin Naomi is coming to live with the family in an attempt to keep her from a "bad" crowd—The Black Panthers.

After the overnight mega success of his dad's cookie store, twelve-year-old Ellis Johnson is on top of the world. He’s met celebrities, strangers stop “the Cookie Kid” on the street, and he’s even headed to NYC to be in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with his dad. Ellis is ready for his star turn, playing harmonica on national television—until his big break turns into the most embarrassing moment of his life.

Effective hand hygiene, whether before food, after the toilet, in the hospital, or following the handling of animals, is the single most important step in reducing infections. The message is an important one for all ages, especially young children, some of whom will become the healthcare workers and food handlers of the future. This audiobook quickly teaches children how to wash their hands with four fun stories set in everyday places: home, school, hospital, and petting farm.

El hermano de tío Vez se presenta por sorpresa en casa de Mattie. Si ya de por sí la vida en casa de los Butterfield es algo caótica, con esta visita inesperada lo será todavía más. Cuando el hermano de tío Vez se marcha, les deja un regalo de despedida sorprendente...Nada más y nada menos que un billete de avión para todos para ir a Australia a visitarlos.

Empieza un nuevo curso y, mientras va creciendo el bebé en la barriga de mamá, la familia Butterfield empieza a planificar unas navidades especiales.

El hermano de tío Vez se presenta por sorpresa en casa de Mattie. Si ya de por sí la vida en casa de los Butterfield es algo caótica, con esta visita inesperada lo será todavía más. Cuando el hermano de tío Vez se marcha, les deja un regalo de despedida sorprendente…Nada más y nada menos que un billete de avión para todos para ir a Australia a visitarlos.

Con los billetes que el hermano de tío Vez les regaló, toda la familia de Mattie se va a Australia de visita. Allí verán de muy cerca canguros y también emús. Además, disfrutan de la playa, aunque alguna vez aparezca un tiburón y suene la sirena. ¡Mattie está deseosa de poder contar todo lo vivido a sus amigos del cole!

In this young learners’ adaptation of his adult memoir Dear America, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and undocumented immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas tells his story, in light of the 12 million undocumented immigrants currently in the US.