Child Esteem

Parents will learn how stress affects parenting; how to offer self-esteem "damage control"; how to identify a "toxic" parent; how to help your child cope with failure; and the three keys to coaching your child towards solid self-esteem.

Tola lives in an apartment in the busy city of Lagos, Nigeria, with her sister, Moji, who is very clever; her brother, Dapo, who is very fast; and Grandmommy, who is very bossy. Tola may be small, but she’s strong enough to carry a basket brimming with groceries home from the market, and she’s clever enough to count out Grandmommy’s change. When the faucets in the apartment break, it’s Tola who brings water from the well.

Is your child constantly seeking perfection, afraid to make mistakes, or feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to excel? Many kids today struggle with perfectionism, which can lead to anxiety, stress, and even burnout. The Quest for Imperfection is a book designed for children and their caregivers to understand and tackle the challenges of perfectionism.

Francine needs a new bike, but all her parents can give her is her dad's old one...and it is ancient. When the bike disappears, Francine thinks her problem is solved, but she soon finds herself anything but relieved.

An American classic with a refrain that millions of kids love to chant: Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats. Wanda Gág's enchanting tale of the very old man who went off in search of the prettiest cat in the world for his wife and returned instead with millions to choose from has become an American classic, widely recognized as the first modern picture book. First published in 1928, it was a recipient of the 1929 Newbery Honor Award and has gone on to sell over a million copies.

Holly, a grey squirrel, and her animal friends have accepted that they will never be wizards’ familiars. Though they are each magical, their powers are so offbeat—Holly herself can conjure pastries (and only pastries)—that no professional magic-worker would choose any of them as a companion for noble quests. So instead of going on adventures, they languish at the Shelter for Rejected Familiars, where they are known as “shelterlings.”

The local community center is a second home to Anjali. It's where she met her best friends; it's her favorite spot for game and movie nights; and it's where she learned to play tabla. Anjali has so many happy memories there, but now the community center is closing! Unwilling to let the center shut down for good, Anjali is determined to keep the place open. Some people may say there's nothing she can do, but Anjali knows better—she can and must take action! There is no stopping her.

Moql's mother is Folk, one of those tiny fairies who live hidden from mere mortals, and her father is human. Young patrons will empathize as this tiny changeling experiences the fear, sadness, and danger of not belonging. Set against the backdrop of a charming medieval setting, this award-winning audiobook addresses problems that are still, sadly, quite contemporary.

Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything.

Having a pet dragon is very fun. You can teach your dragon to sit, stand, roll over, and you can even potty train him. But what if your dragon constantly worries that he’s not good enough, smart enough, fast enough, or good looking enough? What do you do? You teach him to love himself! You teach him that he’s special and unique just the way he is. You teach him that if he wants to be the best, just be the best at being himself.

In this book, you’ll meet seven girls who all face different challenges. Everyone reacts in the wrong way sometimes and makes bad decisions. But everyone also reacts in the right way sometimes and makes amazing decisions. We don’t always make the right call but by learning from our mistakes, we’re able to grow into the good. This book helps kids develop different qualities and skills.

Have you ever heard someone say, “You have to do this because everyone else is doing it!” or “If you don’t share, you’re a bad person!”? That’s bad reasoning—tricks people use to win arguments. But now, you can learn how to spot these mistakes and think smarter!

Told through the eyes of seven-year-old Walter, your youngster will hear how the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion encourage us all to remember the unrelenting tenderness and strength of absolute love and that our authentic self is the most powerful force in the universe. It all comes from a single day when Walter got to sit with his Grampy on a park bench, and the love between the two transformed Walter's life forever. This is a story worth sharing.

Starting with beatboxes and fingersnaps, an exuberant narrator introduces kids in his community to the powerful possibilities of rap, from turning “a simple phrase/into imagery that soars” to proclaiming, “this is a voice that represents me!” As Khodi Dill’s rhymes heat up, the diverse crew of kids gain self-confidence and a sense of freedom.

It’s the beginning of eighth grade, and Nat Beacon is nervous. Not only will she be the New Kid, but the New Kid in a Wheelchair. And the school year starts off rocky: No one seems friendly, and she can’t get to the cafeteria without help. But there are a few bright spots. Namely, her best friend, Hudson; her boyfriend (swoon!), Malik; and her very favorite thing: theater. This year, there’s a middleschool theater competition, and any production that wins their regional competition will get the chance to perform—on a real Broadway stage!

What if every child knew that the traits they might consider flaws or imperfections are their greatest gifts? What if they knew that what makes them “different” is actually their superpower? For that matter, what if every adult knew it, too? The Gift of Being Different is co-written by Monica and her 9 year old daughter Abigail. Inspired by Abigail's dyslexia diagnosis, this book explores the feelings that arise for children who do not learn in a typical manner and celebrates how those differences make them strong.

Listeners will laugh themselves silly as they learn to find their inner calm and settle for sleep—even when they wake in the night—as they also discover the difference between nocturnal and diurnal animals.

Mom never had long hair—she was told it was too wild. Grandma couldn’t have long hair—hers was taken from her. But one young girl can’t wait to grow her hair long: for herself, for her family, for her connection to her culture and the Earth, and to honor the strength and resilience of those who came before her.

Thirteen-year-old Nikki Doyle's dreams of becoming a basketball great feel within reach when she's selected to play on an elite-level club team. But in a league with taller, stronger, and faster girls, Nikki suddenly isn't the best point guard. In fact, she's no longer a point guard at all, which leaves her struggling to figure out who she is and how she fits in.

In this contemporary thriller, National Book Award Finalist and New York Times best-selling author Paolo Bacigalupi explores the timely issue of how public information is distorted for monetary gain, and how those who exploit it must be stopped.