The Cast Off Kids

One hot summer's afternoon, two abandoned infants are brought to Trisha and Mike Merry's door, forlorn and afraid. Their mother walked out on them. (They don't remember her.) Their grandmother tried, but couldn't manage them. And now their young father has given up on them too. These cast-off kids desperately need somewhere to live and a family to love them. They've come to the right place. Trisha and Mike welcome them into their home and their hearts. There are now ten children under five in this household, where every day is filled with cuddles, fun . . . and more than a few challenges. After ten eventful years of love and laughter, they are reclaimed by their jealous mother, a stranger, who sets fire to their memories and sends them to a succession of care homes. Finally the younger one sets out on a quest to find the only two people who have ever loved him.

A tale of pirates, mutiny, and friendship on the high seas, perfect for fans of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle It’s 1663 and there is an extra passenger on board a Dutch merchant ship setting sail for the East Indies. Twelve-year-old Petra has stowed away to escape her abusive father. But she quickly realizes that surviving for months at sea will be impossible without help. So when Bram, the half-Dutch / Half-Javanese son of the ship’s carpenter, finds her hiding spot, Petra convinces him to help her stay hidden . . .and help disguise her as a boy. If Petra is discovered and exposed as a girl, she could be tossed overboard, or worse . . . returned to her father. And if Bram is exposed for helping her, he could lose the only home—and family—he has. As tensions rise on the ship, with pirates attacking, deadly illness, and even mutiny, Petra and Bram face impossible decisions that test their friendship and threaten their dreams of freedom. Told in alternating voices and filled with secrets and intrigue, this richly researched novel is historical fiction at its best.

One minute your child is fine. The next minute, a broken bone. Hours later, in a clunky cast. For weeks or months, sidelined from favorite activities. If your child is like Sammy, (s)he gets glum and grumpy as days slog by. Help is pages away in Sammy's Broken Leg (Oh, No!) and the Amazing Cast That Fixed It, a whimsical book to entertain a child in a cast for healing a broken bone, or in a spica cast for hip correction (hip dysplasia). Children in a cast will delight in a troupe of Kisses who cheer for Sammy and coach her to be patient. The Kisses are Sammy's secret: only she can hear them. How and when they whooshed into her life will amaze and amuse. It all goes to prove: One Kiss for a Boo-Boo. A Bazillion Kisses for a Cast! Lavished with colorful, quirky illustrations, Sammy's Broken Leg (Oh, No!) and the Amazing Cast That Fixed It is entertaining, educational and encouraging. The book: Gives children and families realistic expectations about weeks or months of healing time. Eases children's fears, calms parents' anxieties. Hands parents a tool to boost their child's (and their own) patience.

What really happened over the summer break? A curious teacher wants to know. The epic explanation? What started out as a day at the beach turned into a globe-spanning treasure hunt with high-flying hijinks, exotic detours, an outrageous cast of characters, and one very mischievous bird! Is this yet another tall tale, or is the truth just waiting to be revealed? From the team behind I Didn't Do My Homework Because . . . and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to School . . . comes a fantastical fast-paced, detail-rich illustrated summer adventure that's so unbelievable, it just might be true! Plus, this is the fixed-format version, which looks almost identical to the print edition.

It's the first day of school, and Camilla discovers that she is covered from head to toe in stripes, then polka-dots, and any other pattern spoken aloud! With a little help, she learns the secret of accepting her true self, in spite of her peculiar ailment.

A stunning visual tour of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, filled with exclusive interviews, on-set photography, and special introductions by director Tim Burton and Peculiar Children series author Ransom Riggs. Tim Burton's adaptation of the Ransom Riggs novel Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is one of the most anticipated films of the year—and this lavishly illustrated companion offers a thrilling behind-the-scenes look. Written and designed by two of Burton's longtime collaborators, this book chronicles every step in the making of the film—from script development and casting to concept art, set design, costumes, visual effects, and much more. Filled with exclusive interviews, on-set photography, and special introductions by Tim Burton and Ransom Riggs, this deluxe hardcover volume is a terrific gift for peculiars of all ages!

Nonverbal interactions are applied to trauma treatment for more effective results. The model of treatment developed here is grounded in the physical, psychological, and cognitive reactions children have to traumatic experiences and the consequences of those experiences. The approach to treatment utilizes the integrative capacity of the brain to create a self, foster insight, and produce change. Treatment strategies are based on cutting-edge understanding of neurobiology, the development of the brain, and the storage and retrieval of traumatic memory. Case vignettes illustrate specific examples of the reactions of children, families, and teens to acute and repeated exposure to traumatic events. Also presented is the most recent knowledge of the role of the right hemisphere (RH) in development and therapy. Right brain communication, and how to recognize the non-verbal symbolic and unconscious, affective processes will be explained, along with examples of how the therapist can utilize art making, media, tools, and self to engage in a two-person biology.

Winner of the Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature! Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Gene Luen Yang, New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, from award-winning author-illustrator Jerry Craft. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself? This middle grade graphic novel is an excellent choice for tween readers, including for summer reading. New Kid is a selection of the Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List. Plus don't miss Jerry Craft's Class Act!

“Kids are important… They need safe places to live, and safe places to play.” For some kids, this means living with foster parents. In simple words and full-color illustrations, this book explains why some kids move to foster homes, what foster parents do, and ways kids might feel during foster care. Children often believe that they are in foster care because they are “bad.” This book makes it clear that the troubles in their lives are not their fault; the message throughout is one of hope and support. Includes resources and information for parents, foster parents, social workers, counselors, and teachers.

ECPA 2020 Christian Book Award Finalist! You wouldn’t believe it, but . . . James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader, grew up mute. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Albert Einstein was bullied mercilessly in school. Beethoven’s mom almost aborted him. Life takes the strangest sharp turns—and sometimes, U-turns. Robert Petterson—popular speaker, storyteller, and author—has been a student for his entire life of what God is teaching us through those real-life U-turns. In this book, he compiles 365 amazing stories that teach lessons you won’t easily forget. Each entry is written in the rest-of-the-story style popularized by Paul Harvey. With The One Year Book of Amazing Stories, you’ll marvel at how God has used the lives of these ordinary people to change the course of human history.