Lives West

A charming and innovative tale about a plucky little bird, from the award-winning author-illustrator of Fox the Tiger. Listeners will delight in following Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith.

In this extraordinary new tale from Peter H. Reynolds, Jerome discovers the magic of the words all around him—short and sweet words, two-syllable treats, and multisyllable words that sound like little songs. Words that connect, transform, and empower.

Discover a joyful reminder of the ways that every child is unique and special, from the beloved creator of The Dot, Happy Dreamer, and New York Times bestseller, The Word Collector. Here, Reynolds reminds listeners to "be your own work of art." To be patient, persistent, and true. Because there is one, and only one, YOU.

Oliver is a young transient orca swimming with his family off the east coast of Vancouver Island, BC. One day, during a family hunting episode, he ignores his family and chases an otter on his own. In the process he tangles with a ferry boat and ends up injured and beached.

Violet longs for the time when her family was connected: before life, distractions, and technology pulled them all away from each other. They used to gather at the table, with food and love, to make memories, share their lives, and revel in time spent together. But now her family has been drifting apart, and with nobody to gather around it, the table grows smaller and smaller. Can Violet remind her family of the warmth of time spent together, and gather around the table once more?

Ruby's mind is always full of ideas. One day, she finds some old boards and decides to build something. She invites her brothers to help, but they just laugh and tell her she doesn't know how to build. "Then I'll learn," she says. And she does! When she creates a dazzling fort that they all want to play in, it is Ruby who has the last laugh. This modern spin on the timeless favorite The Little Red Hen celebrates the pluck and ingenuity of young creators everywhere!

Wishes tells the powerful, honest story about one Vietnamese family's search for a new home on the other side of the world, and the long-lasting and powerful impact that makes on one of the youngest members of the family. Inspired by actual events in the author's life, this is a narrative that is both timely and timeless. Told through the eyes of a young girl, the story chronicles a family's difficult and powerful journey to pack up what they can carry and to leave their world behind, traveling to a new and unknown place in a crowded boat.

While driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's Chinese immigrant parents spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. They stop the car, grabbing rusty scissors and an old paper bag, and the whole family wades into the mud to gather as much as they can. At first, she's embarrassed. Why can't her family just get food from the grocery store, like everyone else? But when her mother shares a bittersweet story of her family history in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged—and the memories left behind in pursuit of a new life.

When her gym class must face the school rock-climbing wall, Tanisha is discouraged. Her muscles are weak, and she knows she'll never reach the top like Cayla. But maybe strength is about more than just muscles. With help from her family, Tanisha learns that by showing up, speaking up, and not giving up, she can be strong, too. And that people are the strongest when they work together and trust each other.

Ruby's mind is always full of ideas. One day, she finds some old boards and decides to build something. She invites her brothers to help, but they just laugh and tell her she doesn't know how to build. "Then I'll learn," she says. And she does! When she creates a dazzling fort that they all want to play in, it is Ruby who has the last laugh. This modern spin on the timeless favorite The Little Red Hen celebrates the pluck and ingenuity of young creators everywhere!

In this classic story from Eric Carle, Hermit Crab grows out of one house after another as he searches for the perfect home. Children who must change schools, move to a new town, or even graduate to a new grade in school will relate to Hermit Crab’s situation and take heart as they see that growing up isn’t really so scary after all.

Bob Barner's lush book about the sea is filled with incredible fishy facts about vertebrates, invertebrates, endoskeletons, and exoskeletons.

La Paz is a happy but noisy village. A little peace and quiet would make it just right. So the villagers elect the bossy Don Pepe as their mayor. Before long, singing of any kind is outlawed. But there is one noisy rooster who does what roosters are born to do - he sings!

The best-selling creators of Exclamation Mark! introduce a triangle, circle, square, and rectangle who celebrate the gift of friendship. This joyous book rejoices in the simple beauties of friendship, and reminds listeners of all ages that it's good to have a group of pals.

When Grace's teacher reveals that the United States has never had a female president, Grace decides to be the first. And she immediately starts off her political career as a candidate the school's mock election!

Journey back to the very first Thanksgiving Day, when two societies came together to feast and honor the earth's bounty in peace.

Two friends, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, get together for tea and conversation. They recount their similar stories fighting to win rights for women and African-Americans.

It's the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone's just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself. What will the children do once they come?

La Paz is a happy, but noisy village. A little peace and quiet would make it just right. So the villagers elect the bossy Don Pepe as their mayor. Before long, singing of any kind is outlawed.

This is the story of one brave family: Mildred Loving, Richard Perry Loving, and their three children. It is the story of how Mildred and Richard fell in love, and got married in Washington, DC. But when they moved back to their hometown of Virginia, they were arrested (in dramatic fashion) for violating that state's laws against interracial marriage. The Lovings refused to allow their children to get the message that their parents' love was wrong, and so they fought the unfair law, taking their case all the way to the Supreme Court - and won!