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Each kindness makes the world a little better.

Chloe and her friends won't play with the new girl, Maya. Maya is different; she wears hand-me-downs and plays with old-fashioned toys. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her gang, they reject her. Eventually, Maya plays alone, and then stops coming to school altogether. When Chloe's teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship, and thinks about how much better it could have been if she'd shown a little kindness toward Maya.

"Pick whatever you like most. Then I’ll tell you its story."

Worm likes school...almost as much as he likes weekends. The best part of school for Worm is his teacher, Mrs. Mulch. When Mrs. Mulch misses a day of class, Worm and his friends discover that it's her birthday. Who knew teachers could take the day off? Who knew teachers had birthdays? Worm does know one thing--he has to figure out the perfect present.

Even as a little girl, Zora Neale Hurston was confident, charismatic, and determined to be extraordinary. As a proud young girl who grew up in an all-black community in Eatonville, Florida, she didn't experience the prejudice that many African Americans felt at the time. In fact, she was so self-confident as a child that she thought the moon followed her wherever she went. She arrived in New York at the height of the Harlem Renaissance and quickly gained recognition for her work, making friends such as Langston Hughes and Alain Locke.

Brrrr! The leaves are off the trees, and frost is on the ground. It's time for bugs to hunker down and hide out for the winter.

But Ant isn't ready to hunker down. Ant isn't ready to be all by herself for months on end. The thought of a long chilly season without her best friend, Honey Bee, is enough to make Ant shiver with dread. Can Ant brave the cold for one last surprise visit before the snow flies?

Whatever the outside weather might be, a friendship is going to have hot days and cold ones. Just as Ant and Honey Bee!

The Bronte sisters were the most extraordinary of literary siblings. In the nineteenth century, when women were discouraged from writing and publishing books, all three produced one or more novels now considered masterpieces. In "The Bronte Sisters," award-winning author Catherine Reef explores the turbulent lives of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne and offers insights into their passionate and timeless work.

Armed with a one-way ticket to New York City, small-town theater geek Nate is off to start rehearsals for E.T.: The Musical. It's everything he ever practiced his autograph for! But as thrilling as Broadway is, rehearsals—full of intimidating child stars, cutthroat understudies, and a director who can't even remember Nate's name—are nothing like Nate expects.

One warm night four children stood in front of a bakery. No one knew them. No one knew where they had come from.

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are orphans. Determined to make it on their own, they set out to find a safe place to live.

They discover an old, red boxcar that provides shelter from a storm. Against all odds, they make it into their home—and become The Boxcar Children!

Parvana felt the shadow before she saw it, as the man moved between her and the sun. Turning her head, she saw the dark turban that was the uniform of the Taliban. A rifle was slung across his chest as casually as her father's shoulder bag had been slung across hers...

The Talib kept looking down at her. Then he put his hand inside his vest. Keeping his eyes on Parvana, he drew something out of his vest pocket.

Parvana was about to squish her eyes shut and wait to be shot when she saw that the Talib had taken out a letter.

He sat down beside her on the blanket.

Learn about how our state borders were created and what is behind their definitions. This historical novel is an engaging and informative look at the geography of the United States of America.

Find the companion DVD here: How the States Got Their Shapes DVD

It's 1793, and there's an invisible killer roaming the streets of Philadelphia. The city's residents are fleeing in fear. This killer has a name—yellow fever—but everything else about it is a mystery. Its cause is unknown, and there is no cure.

Sophie gets mad, climbs a tree to calm down, and is soon ready to come home to her loving family. "The text is...brief, for it is Bang's double-page illustrations, vibrating with saturated colors, that reveal the drama of the child's emotions." - School Library Journal, starred review. "Bang's strong, nonproscriptive acknowledgment of a feeling most children will recognize will be welcomed." - Booklist, starred review
Caldecott Honor Book 2000

Fifty years after the Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, it remains the most-watched television event in history. When the Beatles burst onto the scene, they charmed the public with their mop-top haircuts, their playful wit, and their sweetly romantic rock songs—igniting Beatlemania, an intense fandom unlike any before.

When I was ten, one summer night,
The baby stars that leapt
Among the trees like dimes of light,
I cupped, and capped, and kept.

It takes only a few words, if they're the right words, to create a strong image. Whether listened to in the comfort of a cozy lap or read independently, the thirty-six very short poems in this collection show readers young and old that a few perfect words and pictures can make the world glow.

Thomas Jefferson is perhaps best known for writing the Declaration of Independence. But there's so much more to discover.