At first, no one noticed when I stopped talking at school.
In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a young Hmong refugee navigating life at home and at school. Having seen the poor treatment her parents received when making their best efforts at speaking English, she no longer speaks at school. Kalia feels as though a rock has become lodged in her throat, and it grows heavier each day. Although the narrative is somber, it is also infused with moments of beauty, love, and hope.
This is a story for anyone who has ever struggled to find their voice.
Efrén Nava's Amá is his Superwoman--or Soperwoman, named after the delicious Mexican sopes his mother often prepares. Both Amá and Apá work hard all day to provide for the family, making sure Efrén and his younger siblings Max and Mía feel safe and loved.
But Efrén worries about his parents; although he's American-born, his parents are undocumented. His worst nightmare comes true one day when Amá doesn't return from work and is deported across the border to Tijuana, México.
Now more than ever, Efrén must channel his inner Soperboy to help take care of and try to reunite his family.
Anisa is super-excited about International Day and can't wait to share her mother's samosas with her class. But when someone else has the exact same idea, Anisa is crushed.
Going to her aunt's dholki party gives her an idea for the perfect activity instead--mehndi! There's only one problem: Anisa's best friend doesn't seem to like the idea. She doesn't even seem to like Anisa anymore.
Will Anisa ever get to enjoy International Day?
Twelve-year-old Charlotte Lockard and eleven-year-old Ben Boxer are separated by more than a thousand miles. On the surface, their lives seem vastly different--Charlotte lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while Ben is in the small town of Lanester, Louisiana.
Charlotte wants to be a geologist and keeps a rock collection in her room. Ben is obsessed with Harry Potter, presidential history, and recycling. But the two have more in common than they think. They're both highly gifted. They're both experiencing family turmoil. And they both sit alone at lunch.
During the course of one week, Charlotte and Ben--friends connected only by an online Scrabble game--will intersect in unexpected ways as they struggle to navigate the turmoil of middle school. The New York Times-bestselling novel You Go First reminds us that no matter how hard it is to keep our heads above troubled water, we never struggle alone.
Will is the only round kid in a school full of thin ones. So he hides...in baggy jeans and oversized hoodies, in the back row during class, and anywhere but the cafeteria during lunch. But shame isn't the only feeling that dominates Will's life. He's also got a crush on a girl named Jules who he knows he doesn't have a chance with, because of his size--but he can't help wondering what if?
Will's best shot at attracting Jules's attention is by slaying the Will Monster inside him by changing his eating habits and getting more exercise. But the results are either frustratingly slow or infuriatingly unsuccessful, and Will's shame begins to morph into self-loathing.
As he resorts to increasingly drastic measures to transform his appearance, Will meets skateboarder Markus, who helps him see his body and all it contains as an ever-evolving work in progress.
It's Pairing Day in Terrafamiliar! Marina has been waiting for this moment--anxiously--for as long as she can remember. Because today's the day she gets to bond with her animal familiar for life, like every other ten-year-old in the land.
Except after the ceremony ends, Marina doesn't have one. And she's not alone . . . four other girls also didn't get their animal companions. The leaders of Terrafamiliar realize something special is happening: Marina and the other four girls--Kit, Ember, Pippa, and Hailey--are called Mythics
In times of unrest, the Mythics must earn their Mythies--mythical beasts--in quests of courage. But danger lurks everywhere as there are others seeking this mysterious power. And only the Mythics can save Terrafamiliar!
Welcome to the imaginative brain of Omar!
Omar and his family have just moved, and he is NOT excited about starting at a new school. What if the work is too hard or the kids are mean or the teacher is a zombie alien?
But when Omar makes a new best friend, things start looking up. That is, until a Big Mean Bully named Daniel makes every day a nightmare! Daniel even tells Omar that all Muslims are going to be kicked out of the country . . . Could that possibly be true?
Luckily, Omar's enormous imagination and goofy family help him get through life's ups and downs.
Calla North and her mother Elizabeth live a quiet but happy life together. Elizabeth happens to be the world's leading expert on ducks--but unfortunately, being an expert on ducks doesn't always pay the bills (no pun intended).
When Elizabeth is offered a well-paid research trip to the Amazon, it's an opportunity too good to miss. But while her mother's off exploring, Calla winds up at boarding school. No adventures are likely to find her there--or so she thinks.
Then Calla receives the terrible news that her mother's plane has gone missing. Can Calla, her friends, and a motley crew of nuns defeat an evil new headmistress and find Elizabeth before it's too late?
Odette and Dillie are supposed to be enemies. Their kingdoms have been feuding since before they were born.
But when the two princesses meet each other at the lake that separates their castles, it's clear they were destined to be best friends. Odette--who lives with a curse that magically transforms her into a swan when the sun rises--is happy to find someone who treats her like everyone else. And Dillie has finally met someone who understands her dream of having an adventure instead of sitting on a throne.
When they discover that Odette's curse is the reason for tension between their families, they decide to follow an ancient legend that could lead them to someone who can set everything right. As they travel through enchanted lands, meet new allies, and fight terrible foes, Odette and Dillie are put to the ultimate test.
But when the time comes, will they choose their deepest wishes or the fragile fate of their world?
Can I do it?
I can't do it.
I want to do it.
I did it!
Simple text that new readers can read by themselves, along with delightful pictures in a comic format, show a little creature trying and trying again as they learn to ride a bicycle. All their friends help with supportive words of encouragement. "You did it!" their friends exclaim.
All it takes is a loving teacher to help a boy get control of his sizzling superpowers, in this vibrant picture book by bestselling author Derrick Barnes.
Bobby Beacon's got fire flowing through his veins. And now he's psyched to attend a new school that'll help him get a better grip on his powers. But right off the bat, his new teacher is not too welcoming. That causes Bobby's hot temper to land him in the principal's office. It ain't easy to stay calm when people don't seem to understand you and are always pushing you to the edge. Good thing Bobby gets moved to a class with an understanding teacher who clues him in on ways to calm himself and shows him that caring for others is its own kind of superpower. With her help-and some cool new friends-he just might be on his way to becoming the best version of himself possible.