Meet Birthday

A 52-page hardcover children's book celebrating the wildlife, geography and magic of Maine through the birthday stories and special wishes of animal friends, The Maine Birthday Book is from the imagination of Maine native, Tonya Shevenell, with watercolor illustrations by Laura Winslow.Birthday stories abound when a thoughtful chickadee asks his friends from all over Maine's woods, waterways and wilderness a special question: what do you wish for? Join Doodles, a puffin from Knox County; Socks, a black bear from Penobscot County; Chester, a snowshoe hare from Franklin County and the rest of the animal friends for a party to be enjoyed any day of the year.

It's a big day for Jenny Linsky, the shy little black cat of Greenwich Village, when her brothers, Checkers and Edward, take her out for her birthday. They pick up her notorious friends along the way, including the twins Romulus and Remus, who have brought a special present, and Pickles, the Fire Cat, who gathers everyone into his red fire truck to take them to the park. There they will invite friends and strangers to share a picnic supper and dance the night away. Join Jenny and her friends in their romp around town in this beautiful birthday story! Ages 4 and up.

One by one, ten cooks arrive to help bake a great big birthday surprise.

“Lovers who surmount the odds have always been intense emotional fodder, but rarely have we seen a story like Birthday...true and raw, haunting and undeniable.” —The New York Times Book Review Two best friends. A shared birthday. Six years... ERIC: There was the day we were born. There was the minute Morgan and I decided we were best friends for life. The years where we stuck by each other’s side—as Morgan’s mom died, as he moved across town, as I joined the football team, as my parents started fighting. But sometimes I worry that Morgan and I won’t be best friends forever. That there’ll be a day, a minute, a second, where it all falls apart and there’s no turning back the clock. MORGAN: I know that every birthday should feel like a new beginning, but I’m trapped in this mixed-up body, in this wrong life, in Nowheresville, Tennessee, on repeat. With a dad who cares about his football team more than me, a mom I miss more than anything, and a best friend who can never know my biggest secret. Maybe one day I’ll be ready to become the person I am inside. To become her. To tell the world. To tell Eric. But when? Six years of birthdays reveal Eric and Morgan’s destiny as they come together, drift apart, fall in love, and discover who they’re meant to be—and if they’re meant to be together. From the award-winning author of If I Was Your Girl, Meredith Russo, comes a heart-wrenching and universal story of identity, first love, and fate. “Beautifully written, Birthday is an altogether singular contribution to the gradually growing body of transgender literature and, indeed, to mainstream literature, as well.” —ALA Booklist, starred review

Quijana is a girl in pieces. One-half Guatemalan, one-half American: When Quijana's Guatemalan cousins move to town, her dad seems ashamed that she doesn't know more about her family's heritage. One-half crush, one-half buddy: When Quijana meets Zuri and Jayden, she knows she's found true friends. But she can't help the growing feelings she has for Jayden. One-half kid, one-half grown-up: Quijana spends her nights Skyping with her ailing grandma and trying to figure out what's going on with her increasingly hard-to-reach brother. In the course of this immersive and beautifully written novel, Quijana must figure out which parts of herself are most important, and which pieces come together to make her whole. This lyrical debut from Rebecca Balcárcel is a heartfelt poetic portrayal of a girl growing up, fitting in, and learning what it means to belong.

The story of an eager cockroach who gate-crashes a birthday party -- with hilarious results. For fans of I Don't Want to Be a Frog. It’s your birthday, and little do you know that an unwelcome guest has joined in on the festivities. A friendly cockroach has snuck undetected into the house, and has proceeded to join in on all of your fun party games. You were so excited to finally spot him napping on top of your birthday cake, having eaten his fill, that you couldn’t help but scream! You think he’s gone when your dad sucks him up in the vacuum cleaner . . . but with a birthday party this good, he’s going to be nearly impossible to keep away! This laugh-out-loud picture book from bestselling author Maggie Hutchings and acclaimed illustrator Felicita Sala is the perfect birthday gift for young readers.

The day Oscar turns six months old, Mum, Dad and Millie decide to celebrate. They take coat-hanger fairy wings, three tuna sandwiches and a chocolate cake with half a candle, and set off across the city for a picnic on Bellevue Hill. Once there, all the other people in the park join in for a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday" in this warm, gentle story of a family celebration on an urban, autumn day.

An imaginative young child has a wonderful time playing with a box he receives for his birthday. On board pages.

Jeffrey wants the planet Saturn for his birthday, along with all 47 of its moons. He plans to share his present with friends at school and his teacher, Mrs. Cassini. "For Creative Minds" section includes fun facts about Saturn and the Solar System.