Reviews
Jacob's School Play: Starring He, She, and They
“A learning opportunity for readers outside the nonbinary experience.”—Kirkus Reviews View →
Layla's Luck
“It’s more than luck that wins the day. . . . An effective boost of self-confidence for little ones.”—Kirkus Reviews View →
Jacob's School Play: Starring He, She, and They
“I’m so grateful that children in every classroom will have the opportunity to see themselves and their friends represented in Jacob’s School Play. That’s so needed and so beautifully done in this book.”—Matthew Winner, The Children’s Book Podcast View →
How Are You, Verity?
“Verity must navigate the titular question’s multiple social meanings in this personal-feeling story, which draws on the author’s experiences. . . . Barron’s flattened, unlined renderings stylishly play with shape, pattern, and, aptly, perspective.”—Publishers Weekly View →
The Hugging Tree: A Story about Resilience
“Wong’s delicate artwork touchingly conveys the tree’s lonesome and perilous circumstances . . . . Organized into verselike passages . . . with rhyme schemes emerging then being abandoned, but the tree’s strength and transformation should have emotional impact for View →
Jacob's Room to Choose
“The students set out to create new, inclusive bathroom signs: ‘I have to pee, so let me be!’ one reads. Ms. Reeves just might be the real star in the story, as she models how limiting traditional views of gender can be.”—Publishers Weekly View →
Jacob's School Play: Starring He, She, and They
“Gentle and effective in showing one child eventually comprehending a classmate’s nonbinary identity.”—Publishers Weekly View →
How to Handle Stress for Middle School Success: Kid Confident Book 3
“Guerra provides readers helpful information on where stress comes from, as well as tools and tips for how they can manage it . . . [T]his volume is highly practical and will be encouraging to middle schoolers in need of support. Directions for new exercises or strategies are well… View →
How to Manage Your Social Power in Middle School: Kid Confident Book 1
“In a time of rising anxiety and emphasis on SEL, this book aims to equip readers to bolster self-confidence and agency to take action for healthier relationships and selves and successfully hits the mark.”—School Library Journal View →
Like Ability: The Truth about Popularity
“A reader-friendly guide to breaking down the components of popularity and likability and helping readers achieve their goals. . . . Concise, accessible chapters unpack the phenomenon of popularity and offer exercises and worksheets that lead readers to a greater understanding of… View →
Lobe Your Brain: What Matters about Your Grey Matter
“An overview of the brain and nervous system. . . . Kid-friendly examples abound as they trace the brain’s various parts. . . . A matter-of-fact introduction to typical brains.”—Kirkus Reviews View →
Mindful Bea and the Worry Tree
“Addresses anxiety with mindfulness . . . brought to life in the watercolor-and-ink illustrations as long fronds of a malevolent willow tree that leave poor Bea in tangles. . . . [I]nformative for parents.”—Kirkus Reviews View →
Lucy in the City: A Story about Developing Spatial Thinking Skills
“First-time author Dillemuth’s encouraging tone and Wood’s easygoing cartoons emphasize Lucy’s capability and independence, even in a frightening situation, and appended materials and activities invite readers to consider their own neighborhood… View →
Mindful Bea and the Worry Tree
“Worry is sometimes inevitable, Silver suggests, but learning relaxation techniques . . . can go a long way toward empowering readers.”—Publishers Weekly View →
Like Ability: The Truth about Popularity
“Gives practical solutions without sounding clichéd. . . . This is a refreshing take on a timeless subject. Most teens will be encouraged and reassured by the discussions of likability versus status. Graphic organizers allow readers to think through or note important points. This… View →
Mapping My Day
“The playful cartoon artwork is simple enough to allow young readers to absorb the mindfulness and geographic reasoning lessons that are demonstrated on each page . . . An excellent addition to geography collections.”—School Library Journal View →
My Anxious Mind: A Teen's Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic
“According to the authors, one in 20 teens in the U.S. suffers from extreme anxiety. If you know one, you could do a lot worse than handing over this reassuring manual. Short enough to read in a couple sittings and imbued with an optimistic tone that rarely talks down, the book… View →
My Singing Nana
“A tender tribute to families who have loved ones suffering from dementia.”—Kirkus Reviews View →
My Singing Nana
“Mora does an admirable job portraying a family dealing with the long-term reality of dementia . . . [T]he book is worthwhile purchase that provides valuable talking points about dementia and Alzheimer’s with young children.”—School Library Journal View →
My Singing Nana
“A winning story that also serves as a useful family resource.”—Publishers Weekly View →
Hush Harbor: Praying in Secret
“Banks’s highly stylized paintings are wonderfully expressive and amplify the deep emotion of the situation. Her palette of yellows and browns shows people who are swathed in moonlight yet avoids the dimness that night scenes sometimes have. An extensive author’s note View →
Used Any Numbers Lately?
“Youngsters will enjoy searching out the numbers in each picture and identifying how they are used. This book could easily lead to many stories from home and motivate students to look for numbers everywhere. With a wealth of possible uses in the curriculum, it has a place in… View →
Mousetraps
“. . .Maxie’s voice captures the insecurity and wish to fit in that color the adolescent years. . .” —School Library Journal View →