Self Child

Kathryn Erskine won the National Book Award for her mesmerizing novel Mockingbird. In The Absolute Value of Mike, a young man grows up during an unlikely adventure. Despite his best efforts, Mike has a hard time communicating with his calculus-loving father - and having a math learning disability certainly doesn’t help. But when Mike is sent to Pennsylvania to work on an engineering project, the young man learns valuable lessons from the colorful characters he meets.

An Na has earned critical raves for her young adult fiction. She has won the Michael L. Printz Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award. In The Fold, she examines the complications surrounding teenage plastic surgery. Joyce is thrilled when her aunt becomes suddenly wealthy. But when her aunt decides Joyce needs a makeover, Joyce must decide if she is ready to go under the knife to become the popular swan she's always wanted to be.

A sleepy town on the coast of Maine is the last place where 13-year-old Manuel wants to spend his summer vacation. He'd give anything to be back in New Haven, with the greatest pizza in the world and a twelve-theater Cineplex around the corner from his house. So far the only thing that Manuel has found to do is watch Zeke, a cranky, old lobsterman, unload his boat, while a one-legged seagull perches nearby. But Manuel soon discovers that even sleepy New England towns can bring trouble.

Following the death of her mentally ill mother, 11-year-old Zoë moves to North Carolina to live with her uncle, a metal sculptor named Henry. It doesn’t take long for the sharp-tongued Zoë to warm to some of the town’s eccentric residents, including a woods dwelling teenager, who helps Zoë in unexpected ways.

This tender, contemplative book is about growing up. It's about parents giving their children the gifts, no matter how quiet or small, to succeed and to navigate the world on their own. And it's about the connection that binds a parent and child...because no matter how far they fly or who they become, they will always have home.

Madeline Finn asks her mother for a puppy every single day. Finally, Mom says yes, and Madeline Finn chooses Star, one of the puppies born to Mrs. Dimple's dog Bonnie. Then Mrs. Dimple tells Madeline Finn about animal shelters - a place many other pets come from. After a visit to their local shelter, Madeline Finn has some questions. Does anyone play with the shelter dogs, or snuggle with them, or read to them? Questions lead to answers, and ideas, and soon Madeline Finn and her human and animal community discover that there are lots of ways for small people to make a big difference.

This rhythmic, read-aloud title is an unbridled celebration of the self-esteem, confidence, and swagger boys feel when they leave the barber's chair - a tradition that places on their heads a figurative crown, beaming with jewels, that confirms their brilliance and worth and helps them not only love and accept themselves but also take a giant step toward caring how they present themselves to the world. Crown is a high-spirited, engaging salute to the beautiful, raw, assured humanity of black boys and how they see themselves when they approve of their reflections in the mirror.

Freddie Bonbon is the most amazing baker in town, and somebody loves his cakes so much they've stolen them! Who could have done such a thing? And when superstar cat Cookie goes missing too, it looks as though the town has a mystery on its hands...could Freddie's little dog, Flapjack, be the one to solve it? Freddie is a likable and positive character who promotes the idea that you don't need superpowers or magic to succeed - you just need to try hard and do your best.

A little too smart, a little too fat, Bobby Goodspeed has always been a go-along-to-get-along kind of guy. But when his friend Addie decides to tackle the student council elections, Bobby finds himself changing in ways he never could have imagined in this tender, touching, utterly hilarious novel of life as a middle school misfit.

Your past is not your future. It is a tool that has helped you along the way. Now is the time to work with your inner child to rise above your internal limitations, rewrite your story, and reclaim who you are meant to be. If you want to become who you are meant to be and heal the echoes of your past, download this audiobook today.

Benjamin Banneker wasn't just a scientist. He was also an author, astronomer, and mathematician. Young listeners will discover how this self-taught man came to be one of the first important African American intellectuals.

James Patterson's hilarious story of perseverance and courage shows everyone's favorite troublemaker, Rafe Khatchadorian, the star of the Middle School series, learning to become a leader at long last. After a rough summer, Rafe is heading back to the dreaded Hills Village Middle School, the site of the very worst years of his life. And as if that's not bad enough, he's learned that he's going to be held back a year unless he can prove himself on an outdoor survival excursion.

Maya's nervous about fifth grade. She tries to keep calm by reminding herself she knows what to expect. But then she learns that this year won't be anything like the last. For the first time since kindergarten, her best friends Jada and MJ are placed in a different class without her, and introverted Maya has trouble making new friends. She tries to put on a brave face since they are in fifth grade now, but Maya is nervous! Just when too much seems to be changing, she finds a robot named Ralph in the back of Mr. Mac's convenience store closet.

Naomi is petrified of the talent show her school is putting on. She can't be out there alone in front of all those people... not without serious stage fright. How will she manage? The answer arrives in a mysterious box -- a ventriloquist's dummy that transforms Naomi from a shy girl into a natural performer. It all goes well... until Naomi starts to want the stage for herself. When the dummy strikes back it raises the question -- who's controlling who?

Herc Beal knows who he's named after—a mythical hero—but he's no superhero. He's the smallest kid in his class. So when his homeroom teacher at his new middle school gives him the assignment of duplicating the mythical Hercules's amazing feats in real life, he's skeptical. After all, there are no Nemean Lions on Cape Cod—and not a single Hydra in sight. Missing his parents terribly and wishing his older brother wasn't working all the time, Herc figures out how to take his first steps along the road that the great Hercules himself once walked.

Fuchsia Fierce is a bold name for a bold girl. She is never afraid to stand up for herself and lives by a simple motto: "Though she be but little, she is fierce!" Fuchsia proves that you can be a tiny girl who is tough, smart, and confident.

Tricia is good at everything she does, but she wants to find her best talent. Tricia tries lots of activities. Will she find her best?

Alex is a marvelous little boy who is just like other people in some ways, such as getting angry sometimes, but also unique because of his special laugh, his grizzly hugs, and his own interesting thoughts.

Kelly roams the outskirts of the forest with her friends while they attempt to collect various bugs for a science assignment. Soon, a particularly rare butterfly catches her eye and she wanders into the woods in hot pursuit until it suddenly disappears. When Kelly turns back, she realizes she is completely turned around with no idea how to get back to her friends.

Emma braids her hair. She curls it. She wears striped socks. She wears a pink dress and tights. But she still looks just like her dad. Emma needs a new look! Or does she?