Growing Kids

Having a pet dragon is very fun! He can sit, rollover, and play… He can candle a birthday cake, lit a campfire, or so many other cool things… But what if your dragon has trouble staying focused? What if he won't pay attention to his teacher in class and often look out the windows watching clouds go by instead? What if he often daydreams when the teacher is teaching? What if he is easily distracted during his soccer game? What if he always has trouble staying on task at home? What should you do? You teach him to focus!

On the way home from school one day, Sadie sees a super cool pair of roller skates sitting in a toy store window that she has to have but realizes she does not have enough money to pay for them. Through creative thinking and determination she works to reach her goals along the way realizing she holds the power within herself to make all her dreams come true!

Do you have a child who experiences anxiety? Nervous Ninja knows exactly what worry feels like and finds a sweet solution. Find out what happens in this fun social emotional learning (SEL) book about calming your anxiety and worries.

Poppy, Dash, Azumi, and Dylan may have made it out of Shadow House - but the grounds are a whole new nightmare. Someone they thought was a friend is hunting them, and there's no place that's safe now that they've woken the shadow creature. If they want to survive, they'll have to figure out once and for all what the house wants from them, and what - or who - they'll need to leave behind in order to escape...or risk being trapped within Shadow House forever.

Catholic priests don't generally have children, but Australian legend Father Chris Riley has brought up about 60,000 – and they're some of the toughest kids around. He regularly encounters some of the most troubled children on Earth – kids who have given up or refuse to talk to others, who steal, take drugs, see themselves as irredeemable failures, hate everyone and everything, self-harm, have been abused or abuse other kids, and prostitute themselves.

In book two of the Tree Street Kids series, Jack and his friends learn some survival skills at the church’s summer camp. They’ll need them! Determined to find Ruthie’s lost cat and protect Jack’s new puppy from Fang, the local wildlife, the kids head deep into the woods. Just when they think they’ve cornered the “enemy”, the kids realize someone has gone missing. Is Fang up to no good? Or will faith and friendship be enough to see the kids make it out alive?

When a teacher asks her class what one thing they would save in an emergency, some students know the answer right away. Others come to their decisions more slowly. And some change their minds when they hear their classmates’ responses. A lively dialog ignites as the students discover unexpected facets of one another - and themselves. With her ear for authentic dialog and knowledge of tweens’ priorities and emotions, Linda Sue Park brings the varied voices of an inclusive classroom to life through carefully honed, engaging, and instantly accessible verse.

Isaiah is now the big man of the house. But it's a lot harder than his dad made it look. His little sister, Charlie, asks too many questions, and Mama's gone totally silent. Good thing Isaiah can count on his best friend, Sneaky, who always has a scheme for getting around the rules. Plus, his classmate Angel has a few good ideas of her own - once she stops hassling Isaiah. And when things get really tough, there's Daddy's journal, filled with stories about the amazing Isaiah Dunn, a superhero who gets his powers from beans and rice. Isaiah wishes his dad's tales were real.

Amelia and her friends are taking part in a competition to visit Pumpkin Paradise Park - the most bloodcurding theme park ever! All they have to do is sell as many cookies as possible. But the creatures of Nocturnia have begun to act stranger than usual...no one can seem to remember anything - including their own names or even Amelia's big birthnight party! Where have everyone's memories gone? And how can Amelia save them when they have all forgotten who she is?

Ghoulia lives in Crumbling Manor with her Auntie Departed and spends most of her time playing with Tragedy, her beloved albino greyhound. But things aren't as easy as they seem for this little zombie girl - all she wants is a real friend. She tries to venture past the manor's walls, but she can't hide her pale green skin or the deep purple circles under her eyes. The other children will be afraid of her, and no one will want to be her friend. But when Halloween rolls around, Ghoulia hatches a brilliant plan.

For Rebecca Chin, babysitting has always been fun. But one night, a thunderstorm knocks the power out while she’s watching baby Kyle, and creepy things begin to happen in the house. A locked window opens by itself, mossy handprints streak the wall, and the baby begins acting strange. When she finds out that no one else in town was affected by the storm, Rebecca begins to wonder if something supernatural is going on. Fellow sitters Tanya, Clio, and Maggie help Rebecca unravel the mystery, only to discover something unbelievable.

Spinky is convinced that his family hates him and goes off to sulk in his hammock. His brother and sister try to make amends. His mom even brings him a beautiful tray of food. But nothing can get Spinky to stop sulking - not even a circus passing by on his street! Will Spinky ever cheer up?

What is stargazer, skateboarder, chess champ, pepperoni pizza eater, older brother, sister hater, best friend, first kisser, science geek, control freak Will Tuppence so afraid of in this great big universe? Jerry Spinelli knows.

Charlotte Andrews is perfectly fine being quiet - in fact, she prefers it. When she doesn't speak, people can't make fun of her stutter. But when she witnesses bullying on the school bus and doesn't say anything, her silence comes between her and her best friend. As if that wasn't bad enough, her parents signed her up for musical theater. Charlotte doesn't want to speak onstage, but at least she doesn't stutter when she sings. Then, just as she starts to find her voice, the arts program is cut. Charlotte can't stay silent anymore.

Grandpa's Fortune Fables features a 13-year old girl named Gail sharing her Grandpa's adventures to a faraway island, where he learned how to look after his money and become a very wealthy man. She is putting what she learned from him into action, and now has more money than most kids her age.

Fifth-grader Poppy McBean likes rules and order. She's a follower, and she's totally okay with that. And if you judge her for that, she's okay with that too! But after falling prey to her friends' bullying one too many times, Poppy makes a wish to be happy—and it comes true in a very unexpected way: She wakes up in the body of her cat, Mitten Man.

I have a unicorn for a pet. She’s my best friend. We do many cool things together - eating breakfast, racing across the meadow, then sliding down the rainbow, and a lot more.... But most importantly, my unicorn is very wise and smart and often sits with me for hours to talk about important things. Recently she taught me that I’m not only growing up with a bigger body, but I also need to grow my heart and soul.... She explained and encouraged me to develop a growth mindset, and how challenges makes me stronger.

Having a pet dragon is very fun. You can teach your dragon to sit, stand, roll over, and you can even potty train him. But what if your dragon is not responsible? What if he always says "It's not my fault!" and puts the blame on others for his mistakes? What do you do? You teach him that mistakes are not bad, as long as he learns from it.

Summer days are getting shorter and it's almost time for the first day of school for Llama! But Llama Llama isn’t ready for summertime to end. It's been full of backyard camping, family picnics, and ice cream with friends. All he wants is for summer to go on forever! He’s anxious about his first day back at school but maybe, with some help from his friends and Mama Llama, going back to school will be fun after all!

Melvin Robinson wants a strong, smooth He-Man voice that lets him say what he wants, when he wants - especially to his crush Millie Takazawa, and Gary Ratliff, who constantly puts him down. But the thought of starting high school is only making his stutter worse. And Melvin's growing awareness that racism is everywhere - not just in the South where a boy his age has been brutally killed by two White men, but also in his own hometown of Spokane - is making him realize that he can't mutely stand by.