The luminous garden scenes and playful language in this tale of late-blooming self-discovery tell the story of Holly Bloom, a girl who wants nothing more than to be a great gardener, but simply doesn’t seem to have the knack. Despite suggestions and support from her green-thumbed mom and siblings, Holly just can't get her garden to bloom. She waters and fertilizes and uses all the right gardening tools, but her daffodils don't grow and her daisies keep drooping. Armed with a positive attitude and unwavering perseverance, Holly finally realizes that she does not need to grow flowers with soil and seeds to be a success. Inspired by her artistic father, she taps into her natural creative abilities and surprises everyone by growing her own unique garden—from paper, paste, pipe cleaners, and paint!

Holly Bloom's Garden

Children's Books

Parent, Nancy

Ashman, Sarah

Literature & Fiction

Flashlight Press

Full of warmth and gentle humor, this is the story of Westley, an imaginative, precocious boy, and his struggle with the intrusion of an unwanted new stepdad into the happy, comfortable family he and his mother have formed. When Westley's mother announces her engagement to Stan and asks Westley to be the “ring bear,” he feels confused, frustrated, and anxious about his changing family situation and his role in the wedding ceremony. Engaging his imagination, he envisions himself as a rascally bear who will wreak havoc during the ceremony and act out his mixed feelings about his mother and Stan. When his stepdad realizes the importance of Westley's imaginary world, he reveals his own sense of humor and fun by planning a special wedding treat for Westley that helps him transform himself into a willing ring bearer and stepson.

The Ring Bear

Slater, David Michael

This charming story presents a new way for young children to understand how to creatively embrace who they are, no matter what others think. Carla’s lunch box is filled with odd delights like the Olive, Pickle and Green Bean Sandwich, the Banana-Cottage-Cheese Delight, and the unforgettable Chopped Liver, Potato Chips, and Cucumber Combo. To Carla, they are delicious and creative lunches, but her teasing classmates are unconvinced and abandon her at the lunch table to eat her bizarre sandwiches alone. One day, however, tables turn when Buster—the worst tease of all—forgets his lunch on the day of the picnic and Carla thoughtfully offers him her extra sandwich. Her own spirited nature helps Carla teach her classmates that "unusual" can actually be good. Lively illustrations help showcase the book's messages of acceptance, tolerance, individuality, and creativity, and the funny plot and authentic dialogue are sure to make this tale a favorite among elementary school children. Carla's creative sandwich solutions provide young chefs-to-be with the inspiration to create sandwich masterpieces of their own.

Carla's Sandwich

Herman, Debbie

The Only One Club

This heartwarming story explores the many ways in which children feel unique and special. Mrs. Matthews's first grade class begins making Christmas decorations, but because Jennifer is Jewish, Mrs. Matthews allows her to make Hanukkah decorations instead. Jennifer enjoys the attention and creates "The Only One Club," of which she is the sole member. When her classmates want to join, she is resistant until she realizes that each of her friends is also "the only one" at something. As she inducts them into her club she reveals the unique qualities that make each of her classmates extraordinary. Through this touching story, young children are encouraged to discover and treasure their own uniqueness and to actively look for special qualities in others beyond race or culture. A medley of pencil, watercolor, acrylic paint, and pastel illustrations bring this inspiring and humorous tale to life.

Naliboff, Jane

Holidays & Celebrations

This story relates the painful and embarrassing aftermath of name-calling and bullying from the perspective of the bully. J. J. Jax has been tormenting an overweight boy named Patrick, calling him Pig-Pen and Porky, to the point that Patrick is now afraid to go to school. Learning of his son's behavior, J. J.'s father lectures him to stop bullying Patrick. When that approach fails, Mr. Jax tries another tack and shares an experience he had as a youthful bully and the consequences he recently faced as a result of his actions. Touched by his father's words, J.J. reaches out to Patrick in a school arm-wrestling contest and experiences the "alley oops" moment of empowerment and self-esteem that comes from doing the right thing. Snappy dialogue highlights the harmful, lasting effects of bullying and the importance of finding common ground toward conflict resolution. Believable contemporary illustrations bring the story to life with expressive body language.

Alley Oops

Levy, Janice

Activities, Crafts & Games

When the coolest kid in the class drops by David's house after school, David is worried about how popular, zany Ruben Plotnick will react upon meeting unpredictable Grandma Rosie. Will he make fun of her to his classmates? Will he imitate her whispery voice? What will he do if Grandma Rosie suddenly wants to dance? To his surprise, and relief, David learns that although Ruben may be a joker, he has an instant rapport with Grandma Rosie and accepts her odd behavior. In fact, when Grandma Rosie calls out, "Nate, let's waltz!" Ruben gallantly and proudly dances around the kitchen with her. This heartwarming story of senility and school-age embarrassment reveals the importance of looking beneath the surface to really get to know someone. By accepting Grandma with all of her quirks, Ruben shows that he has a warm heart and can be a true friend.

Getting to Know Ruben Plotnick

Rosenbluth, Roz

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Carla trae sándwiches raros a la escuela. Obviamente, sus compañeros de clase tienen mucho que decir al respecto. –¡Es asqueroso! –dice Héctor. –Es repugnante –dice Leslie. –Es grotesco –dice Martín. Pero la valiente Carla, que posee una buena dosis de autoestima, no está de acuerdo. –Es diferente –responde–. Es creativo, es único y lo hice yo misma. A sus compañeros de clase no les causa buena impresión y se alejan de su lado en la mesa del almuerzo, dejándola sola con sus sándwiches extraños y originales. Héctor es el más malvado de todos, y el día del picnic de la clase dice que el espectacular Delicioso de lujo de Carla es un Gusanoso de lujo. Como es de esperar, Carla está muy molesta pero cuando Héctor descubre que ha olvidado su almuerzo, ella le ofrece generosamente uno de sus sándwiches extra. Al final, el hambre de Héctor pesa más que sus temores. Prueba un bocadito, ¡y le encanta! Muy pronto todos hacen fila para probar un bocado, y descubren con sorpresa que algo “inusual” en realidad puede ser fantástico. Carla no sólo convierte a los burlones en degustadores, sino que también los inspira a preparar sándwiches creativos. This charming story presents a new way for young children to understand how to creatively embrace who they are, no matter what others think. Carla's lunch box is filled with odd delights like the Olive, Pickle, and Green Bean Sandwich; the Banana–Cottage Cheese Delight; and the unforgettable Chopped Liver, Potato Chips, and Cucumber Combo. To Carla, these are delicious and creative lunches, but her teasing classmates are unconvinced, abandoning her at the lunch table to eat her bizarre sandwiches alone. The tables turn, however, when Buster—the worst tease of all—forgets his lunch and is surprisingly delighted when thoughtful Carla shares one of her sandwiches with him.

El sándwich de Carla (Spanish Edition)

A grandfather's death inspires his grandchildren to create a book of wishes in this sensitive portrayal of dealing with the loss of a loved one. When Anna and her little brother Joey hear the sad news about their Poppy's death, they begin to think about what they would do if they could have one more day with him. They smile thinking about Poppy’s crazy birthday hat, giggle at the silly songs Poppy used to plunk out on the piano, and laugh out loud at the weekly chicken-soup game they played with him at the deli. As the list grows into a pile, the pile becomes a booka book of wishes for one more day with Poppyor, as their mother explains, a memory book of the love and fun they shared with him, since all of their wishes have already come true. This treasured memento celebrates Poppy’s life and helps Anna and Joey keep his memory alive for years to come.

Wishes for One More Day

Pastor, Melanie Joy

Writers' League of Texas Teddy Children's Book Award 2007 winner, short works
2008 Storytelling World Resource Award winner
As her Grandpa naps on the sofa, Lizzie minds the family antique store. When the extravagantly rich Mrs. Bradley Larchmont III enters the shop and begins a buying spree, she refuses to leave without bargaining for an unexpected item . . . Lizzie’s Grandpa! As the stakes rise, Lizzie imagines all of the fabulous things she could buy with the money she is offered. But what fun would a sailboat, an ice cream parlor, or an amusement park be without Grandpa? Readers will enjoy the clever play between gray tones and vivid color that illustrates Lizzie’s growing conflict. This farcical storyline, coupled with vibrant paintings, ultimately stresses the importance of family and friendship over material possessions and selfish, money-driven desires.

Grandpa for Sale

Enderle, Dotti

Sansum, Vicki

Lucy and her grandfather are the focus of this poignant and warm story that teaches that wrinkles are badges of happiness rather than signs of age. Lucy asks Granddad, “Why doesn't your skin fit you? It’s all crinkly,” to which he replies, “Those crinkles are called wrinkles,” each of which he got when he smiled especially big. As Lucy traces Granddad’s joy-filled face, he describes his memories and shares the cause of each line—his wedding day, Lucy’s mother’s birth, precious moments from her childhood, and Lucy’s birth, among others. Beautiful drawings recreate each thoughtful memory, and the recollections showcase an intimate bond between the two generations.

Grandfather's Wrinkles

England, Kathryn

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