-
Sold outBlossoming Summer
When English thirteen-year-old Rosemary is evacuated to her grandmother in America at the start of World War II, she uncovers the family secret--they are Anishinaabe and passing as white. Life in England is all Rosemary has ever known. . . but as WWII changes the world, no one's life is left unscathed. Suddenly, she's sent away to escape the devastation of London. Her grandmother's house on Lake Superior is safe, but unfamiliar, especially as she discovers her parents have kept a tremendous secret. Rosemary and her family are Anishinaabe--and no one is supposed to know. Far from home but newly connected to a once-hidden part of her family, Rosemary develops a warm, close relationship with her grandmother... and a local boy whose love of gardening helps her to see the beauty in her unexpected circumstances. As Rosemary grows into her new life like a flower in bloom, she realizes that maybe she's not as far from home as she thought. Tender, sophisticated, and sweet, this is a beautiful story about memory, family, and identity. Rising Ojibwe author Anna Rose Johnson addresses the trauma of World War II and the legacies of hidden indigeneity alongside coming-of-age milestones like first crushes, new schools, and beginning to imagine the life you want. Hand The Blossoming Summer to fans of Christine Day, L.M. Montgomery, and Kimberly Brubaker Bradley! A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard SelectionSold out -
Sold outMemory Cake
While baking a special cake with her granddaughter, a Maltese grandmother revisits her memories of survival, hope, and life under siege during World War II. Every year, a young girl visits her Nanna on the tiny Mediterranean isle of Malta, and together they bake a cake. As they mix, stir and ice their chocolate confection, Nanna explains why the cake is so special: when she was a girl, she made it to celebrate the end of a WWII bombing campaign against her small country. As they talk, Nanna looks back on the layers of her life: the underground shelters, the bombs, the hunger--and the hope that helped her through her hardest times. Her granddaughter learns about Malta's enduring traditions, her family history--and her grandmother's recipe for happiness. Sharing the little-known history of the 'Siege of Malta, ' this gentle picture book celebrates all who dream of peaceful futures during times of war and uncertainty, and encourages readers to share family stories and memories--even the difficult ones. A note in the back shares the author's inspiration from her visits to her own Maltese Nanna and the real history of the of 'Siege of Malta', along with a recipe for Nanna's memory cake.Sold out -
Culture Creep: Notes on the Pop Apocalypse
"This book re-framed my entire adolescence. I highly recommend you read it." -- LING MA
From the critically acclaimed author of Dead Girls ("stylish and inspired"--New York Times Book Review), a sharp, engrossing collection of essays that explore the strange career of popular feminism and steady creep of cults and cult-think into our daily lives.
In seven stunning original essays, Alice Bolin turns her gaze to the myriad ways femininity is remixed and reconstructed by the pop culture of the computer age. The unlikely, often insidious forces that drive our popular obsessions are brilliantly cataloged, contextualized, and questioned in a kaleidoscopic style imitating the internet itself.
In "The Enumerated Woman," Bolin investigates how digital diet tracking apps have increasingly transformed our relationships to our bodies. Animal Crossing's soothing retail therapy is analyzed in "Real Time"--a surprisingly powerful portrait of late capitalism. And in the showstopping "Foundering," Bolin dissects our buy-in and complicity with mythmaking around iconic founders, from the hubristic fall of Silicon Valley titans, to Enron, Hamilton, and the USA.
For readers of Trick Mirror and How to Do Nothing, Culture Creep is a swirl of nostalgia and visions of the future, questioning why, in the face of seismic cultural, political, and technological shifts as disruptive as the internet, we cling to the icons and ideals of the past. Written with her signature blend of the personal and sharply analytical, each of these keen-eyed essays ask us to reckon with our own participation in all manner of popular cults of being, and cults of believing.
-
Sold outClam Down: A Metamorphosis
In this wondrously unusual memoir, a woman retreats into her shell in the aftermath of her divorce, and must choose between the pleasures and the perils of a closed-up life--a transformation fable from an acclaimed 5 Under 35 National Book Foundation honoree. "A marvel and a delight . . . This is a book that will stay with me forever."--Leslie Jamison, author of Splinters ONE OF CHICAGO TRIBUNE'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR - A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: VULTURE, ELECTRIC LIT, SHELF AWARENESS We've all heard the story about waking up as a cockroach--but what if a crisis turned you into a clam? After the dissolution of her marriage, a writer is transformed into a "clam" via typo after her mother keeps texting her to "clam down." The funny if unhelpful command forces her to ask what it means to "clam down"--to retreat, hide, close up, and stay silent. Idiomatically, we are said to "clam up" when we can't speak, and to "come out of our shell" when we reemerge, transformed. In order to understand her path, the clam digs into examples of others who have embraced lives of reclusiveness and extremity. Finally, she confronts her own "clam genealogy" to interview her dad, who disappeared for a decade to write a mysterious accounting software called Shell Computing. By excavating his past to better understand his decisions, she learns not only how to forgive him but also how to move on from her own wounds of abandonment and insecurity. Using a genre-defying structure and written in novelistic prose that draws from art, literature, and natural history, Anelise Chen unfolds a complex story of interspecies connectedness, in which humans learn lessons of adaptation and survival from their mollusk kin. While it makes sense in certain situations to retreat behind fortified walls, the choice to do so also exacts a price. What is the price of building up walls? How can one take them back down when they are no longer necessary?Sold out -
Sold outSummer Is Here
Swish. Swish. Swish... Thwack! Bear and Mole are stepping up to the plate for summer baseball season--but what happens when Mole struggles to hit the ball? Finally, summer is here! Baseball-loving Mole suits up and hustles to the baseball diamond for a game with his best friend Bear. Mole is ready to play, and he's swinging for the fences! Swish. Swish. Swish. It's a swing and... a miss? Mole measures, wishes, grits his teeth, and swings--still, it's like he can't even see the plate! But with the gentle support of his friend Bear, lots of patience, and a new pair of glasses, Mole is ready to play all summer long. Will Hillenbrand's Bear and Mole series is the perfect choice for storytime sharing or reading aloud. Strong verbs, repetitive phrases, and fun-to-read sounds keep young listeners and readers engaged with the story, while the gentle illustrations add detail and quiet humor. This tender yet joyful homage to the endless excitement of summer and meaningful time with friends from an award winning author-illustrator is sure to be a home run with readers. Don't miss the other Bear and Mole titles, including Spring is Here, Off We Go!, All for a Dime, Kite Day, and First Star!Sold out -
That's How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor
From the Thurber Prize-winning author of What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker comes a pioneering collection of Black humor from some of the most acclaimed writers and performers at work today A critic explores the paradox of finding community in "the dozens" while grieving. A violent town ritual causes an all-too-familiar moral panic. An email thread between friends on why we need an updated Green Book but for public toilets. All across the nation, "Karens" become illegal overnight. These are just a few of the hilarious worlds contained in Damon Young's groundbreaking anthology featuring the best, funniest, and Blackest essays, short stories, letters, and rants. With words that roast, ignite, and burn while connecting to and coalescing around a singular thesis, That's How They Get You emphasizes how and why Black American humor is uniquely transfixing. This is a mixture of not just observational anxieties and stream-of-consciousness lucidities but also acute political clarity about America. Edited and with an introduction by Damon Young, the critically acclaimed author of What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker, the collection features new material from an all-star roster of contributors, including Hanif Abdurraqib, Mahogany L. Browne, Wyatt Cenac, Kiese Laymon, Deesha Philyaw, Roy Wood Jr., and Nicola Yoon.Sold out -
Sold outSold out -
Sold outFire Pups to the Rescue!
This perfect read-aloud for preschoolers combines three favorite things that young children love--puppies, firefighters, and fire trucks. When the fire alarm rings, everyone at the firehouse gets ready--especially the Fire Pups. With their keen sense of smell and sharp eyesight, these adorable Dalmatian heroes are prepared to protect a family and save the day! The engaging, interactive text calls out the sights and sounds associated with a fire rescue, while the story introduces concepts related to firefighting and fire safety, and there is bonus information at the end about the history of the Fire Dog.Sold out -
Sold outFirst Day Around the World
From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ibi Zoboi and artist Juanita Londoño, this lyrical celebration of the first day of school across every continent explores what going back to school looks like for children in countries around the world!
How do children around the world spend their first day of school?
Some eat warm akara for breakfast in Nigeria, while others unwrap lunches of kluski in Poland. In China, they practice intricate characters in special notebooks, and in Argentina, they learn each other's names in a sing-song memory game. No matter where in the world, every student has something new to look forward to on their first day!
From Ethiopia to Germany to India to Brazil, this lyrical text introduces young readers to the breakfast-to-bedtime routines, cultures, and landscapes that connect people across all continents.
Sold out -
Sold outGone Viral
For fans of the Legendary Alston Boys, an uproarious contemporary adventure story with a dash of fantasy about two friends who start a non-singing duo, go viral, and become unlikely international rock stars, bringing mindfulness to the middle school masses.
At Visalia Middle School, nothing exciting ever happens. For Jason and Sean, eating candy at recess and dreaming of a future filled with fame and fortune is usually the highlight of their day. But when Sean stumbles across a video of a composer's deliberately silent performance piece, the boys come up with an idea for a musical act that performs non-songs. And when a video of their first concert goes viral, the duo suddenly finds their dreams of stardom coming true--despite their lack of any musical talent.
Soon they're off on a globe-trotting adventure where, with the help of a cockatiel translator and an eleven-year-old talent agent, they unintentionally popularize the concept of quiet mindfulness and discover that fame can be fickle, but friendship is forever.
Sold out -
Sold outMost Magnificent Team
New for fans of the runaway bestseller The Most Magnificent Thing, a story about the ups and downs of working with others.
A girl and her dog are ready to make something. She gathers her supplies, and they head to her favorite workspace - only to discover that her neighbor, along with her cat, got there first! Hmm, well, maybe they could make something together? Magnificent idea! So the girl starts cutting, hammering and gluing, while her neighbor considers, measures and calculates. Her neighbor believes in always measuring twice and cutting once, but the girl thinks that takes way too long. Tensions start to rise as it becomes clear they have very different styles of working. And even different ideas about exactly what they're making! Can they ever work things out as a team?
Blending humor with empathy to strike just the right note, Ashley Spires perfectly captures the emotional ups and downs of working with others in this celebration of collaboration in the creative process. As the girl perseveres through technical and emotional challenges, she learns that mistakes don't mean failure and setbacks are just part of the route to success. This amusing and inspiring picture book is part of the Most Magnificent franchise that includes books, a TV series and an award-winning short film. The series is a favorite among educators because of its growth mindset focus, and this title highlights another important theme in the classroom: teamwork.
Sold out -
Sold outMarvelous Now
A National Bestseller! This calming companion to the bestselling The Magical Yet and The Curious Why is a marvelous introduction for young readers to mindfulness and keeping your cool. Missed the bus? Flubbed a test? Got overwhelmed in a crowd? When you're feeling big feelings or having a bad day, it can be hard to calm your racing mind and stay present. The Marvelous Now gives kids the tools to see that this is the moment where you need to be! Through accessible, rhythmic verse by Angela DiTerlizzi and colorful, joyful illustrations by Lorena Alvarez Gómez, the Now will help young readers learn to regulate their emotions, reset, and reach their happy place. Don't miss the other books in the acclaimed series:
The Magical Yet
The Curious WhySold out -
Sold outGood Knight
This adorable good night picture book told with bouncy rhyme, cheerful illustration, and the comedic high-fantasy feel of The Princess Bride and Brave is perfect for tucking in rambunctious little jousters, even when they insist on sleeping in their armor.
Once upon a bedtime. . .
It's time to sleep in the castle: the drawbridge has been pulled up, the dragons are snoring puffs of smoke, and the hounds have settled down by the fire. But the littlest knight in the kingdome isn't ready to go to bed just yet.
In this gentle, delightful rhyming text punctuated with pleas for "FIVE MORE MINUTES" and declarations that "I'M NOT--YAWN--TIRED," we see a good night ritual of winding down, brushing teeth, doing one last joust, and, eventually, falling asleep that will help even the most reluctant adventurers put pillows under their heads.Sold out -
Sold outBeinoni
In a Beinoni time there should be no war, no terrible illness, no crime. Even if that also means there won't be any great discoveries, any cures, anything extraordinary. Ezra believes that's worth fighting for.
In fact, he's been training most of his life to fight a battle to determine whether Beinoni time continues, or gives way to a more violent, less certain future. He is the Nivchar, the chosen one, with the sign of the scales on his skin. When he comes of age at his bar mitzvah, so too will the gurya, a fiery beast of uncertain form, emerging from a cave to conquer, destroy, and herald a time of conflict. But Ezra begins to sense that something is very wrong. His friends, his neighbors, the whole world is losing the careful, even balance he's come to expect in a Beinoni time. It was always uncertain whether he'd be able to best his terrifying, magical foe. But now, is it even possible?Sold out -
Sold outGate, the Girl, and the Dragon
A New York Times and IndieBound bestseller!
A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year!
A Kirkus Best Book of the Year!
A BCCB Best Book of the Year! This gorgeous DELUXE LIMITED EDITION available while supplies last―featuring stenciled designed sprayed edges, as well as a foil case stamp and designed endpapers. This must-have special edition is only available on a limited first print run while supplies last in the US and Canada only. From award-winning and bestselling author of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Grace Lin comes a gorgeously full-color illustrated story about a lion cub and a girl who must open a portal for the spirits, based on Chinese folklore. Jin is a Stone Lion--one of the guardians of the Old City Gate who is charged to watch over humans and protect the Sacred Sphere. But to Jin, those boring duties feel like a waste of time. What isn't a waste of time? Perfecting his zuqiu kick, scoring a Golden Goal, and becoming the most legendary player of all the spirit world. But when Jin's perfect kick accidentally knocks the Sacred Sphere out through the gate, he has no choice but to run after it, tumbling out of the realm he calls home and into the human world as the gate closes behind him. Stuck outside the gate, Jin must find help from unlikely allies, including a girl who can hear a mysterious voice and a worm who claims he is a dragon. Together, they must find the sphere and return it to the world beyond the gate...or risk losing everything. Award-winning and bestselling author Grace Lin returns with another gorgeously illustrated adventure story about duty, love, and balance--expertly written in the vein of the Newbery Honor winner and modern classic Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Based on Chinese Folklore, this beautiful novel features ten full-page pieces of stunning full-color art, as well as intricate chapter header illustrations.Sold out