Bullying is a major problem for kids everywhere. Readers will develop word recognition and reading skills while learning about what bullying is and how it affects people. They will also find out how to avoid being on either side of a bullying relationship, as well as how to react if they notice other people being bullied. Additional text features and search tools, including a glossary and an index, help students locate information and learn new words.
For many years, Monday through Friday, Miss Anderson has walked to Parkland School, eager to begin her day's work in her classroom. She is a devoted teacher, beloved by the many children she has taught over the years. Theschool and her students mean everything to her. After one holiday weekend, Parkland School suffers a devastating flood. Burst pipes send water pouring into classrooms and the library. The school must close for repairs. But it's not just the building that has been damaged. New supplies and materials, especially books, are needed. But there isn't enough money to do it all. Miss Anderson cannot bear to think of her beloved school closed and her students left without materials. What can she do to help? And when the answer comes to her, Miss Anderson knows what to do and whom to ask for assistance.
On November 21, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons set sail from a small northern Michigan town across Lake Michigan. Affectionately dubbed the "Christmas Tree Ship," this was an annual trek for the Rouse Simmons. With its cargo of Christmas trees, the ship was bound for Chicago. There Captain Herman Scheunemann would sell the trees for 50 cents or $1.00 and even gave many away to needy families. But the schooner never makes its destination. The Rouse Simmons, with all hands and cargo, disappears into the cold waters. The ship's wreckage is not found until 1971. Drawing from stories told by her grandfather, author Carol Crane weaves a fictional tale based on the true events of the doomed schooner. And she explains how the captain's widow went on to continue his tradition of delivering holiday trees to Chicago.
In 1850 the Detroit River was a major track along the Underground Railroad -- the last step to freedom. The journey across the river was dangerous, especially in winter and especially for a 12-year-old boy. When Louis's father left him in charge of the farm he offered his son this advice, "If you don't know what to do, just do what you think I would have done." Louis relies upon his father's words of wisdom when a runaway slave and her two children come looking for safe passage.
Segregated Charleston, SC, 1955: There are 62 official Little League programs in South Carolina -- all but one of the leagues is composed entirely of white players. The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars, an all-black team, is formed in the hopes of playing in the state's annual Little League Tournament. What should have been a time of enjoyment, however, turns sour when all of the other leagues refuse to play against them and even pull out of the program. As the only remaining Little League team in the state, Cannon Street was named state winner by default, giving the boys a legitimate spot in the Little League Baseball World Series held in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. While the Cannon Street team is invited to the game as guests, they are not allowed to participate since they have not officially "played" and won their state's tournament. Let Them Play takes its name from the chant shouted by the spectators who attended the World Series final.
No matter how hard he tries, Ian Goobie can't do the things that the other children in his class can do. Then he finds a rock, a rock that fits perfectly into his pocket, a rock that touches all his senses and whisks him away into a whole other world. From then on, as long as he has a rock in his pocket, Ian Goobie can begin to cope with his daily challenges. That is until he stuffs so many rocks in his pockets that his pants fall down right outside in the schoolyard.
Brave and smart and big at heart. Kylie Bell may be the smallest one in her first-grade class, but when it comes to standing up to mean ol' bully-boy Rusty Jacks, her courage is monumental. Life isn't easy when you can't reach the water fountain, but Kylie Bell's big heart and good manners prove that sometimes it takes the most courage to do what's right. Frank Dormer's playful art extends the funny animal metaphors and appeals to both girls and boys. This book is good for your brain because: Building character, Problem solving, Bullying
A question scritches and scratches at the back of Emma's throat. Emma is a curious kid. She loves to ask questions - and she loves the silly answers that her grandmother always gives. But now Emma has a very important question, one that she is bursting to ask, one that scritches and scratches at the back of her throat. Her grandmother is sick and has to stay in the hospital. Emma wonders if Grandma will still be able to read to her kindergarten; if she will still make up funny stories over bagels on Wednesdays; if she will still be able to watch her after school. But mostly Emma wonders if Grandma is going to die. Emma's Question helps families to answer the question that all kids face at one time or another. Geared toward young children, the story uses gentle humor and simple explanations to describe what is happening to Grandma in the hospital. Funny, sweet illustrations show the depth and closeness of Emma and Grandma's relationship. Dealing With Loss, Family, Intergenerational
Everyone knows that sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach just before diving into a new situation. Sarah Jane Hartwell is scared and doesn't want to start over at a new school. She doesn't know anybody, and nobody knows her. It will be awful. She just knows it. With much prodding from Mr. Hartwell, Sarah Jane reluctantly pulls herself together and goes to school. She is quickly befriended by Mrs. Burton, who helps smooth her jittery transition. This charming and familiar story will delight readers with its surprise ending. Fun, energetic illustrations brighten page after page with the busy antics surrounding Sarah Jane. First Day Jitters is an enchanting story that is sure to be treasured by anyone who has every anticipated a first day of school.
A cowboy poet who can't rope, whip, or ride? Who ever heard of that? Slim knows he could be a real cowboy if the ranch hands would just give him a chance. Action-filled drawings capture the excitement of a cattle run to Dodge City. This book is good for your brain because: Poetry, Problem Solving, Determination.
Sandpiper finds her daily stroll on the beach interrupted by Whale, who boasts that he is ruler of the sea. Sandpiper responds with equal bravado, asserting her rights to the sand and seawater. Soon the rivals are calling in their cousins, and the beach and sea are filled with shorebirds and sea mammals of every stripe. The standoff grows ominous as Whale leads his cousins in an assault on the beach, eating the sand from under the birds. Sandpiper retaliates by ordering her cousins to drink up the ocean. Soon the landscape is filled with fish, crabs, and sea creatures gasping for survival. How will this end? The outcome of this timely yet timeless nature tale suggests that we are all connected in the ecological chain.
A wise rabbi uses a pillow full of feathers to teach a gossipy villager a lesson on what happens when a person's reputation and trust are harmed by someone's negative, mean-sprited remarks.
Two artists, two styles, and one book that may not be big enough for the both of them. See, Ink (the mouse) likes things to be clean and precise. Scribbles (the cat) is the opposite. But while there should be plenty of room for each of them to make their art without getting in each others way, or on each others nerves, THEY CAN'T MANAGE THAT! And from there paint splatters, ink goops, pencils get broken and brushes go wild until...it's not a work of art, IT'S A MESS! Discovering that they are no longer having any fun, the duo tentatively tries to collaborate instead of clobber, and, thus, a disasterpiece becomes a masterpiece. Include a giant fold-out and a detachable sketchpad. With this much creative friction, will this disaster-piece ever become a masterpiece?
