Growing Kids

Twelve-year-old Charlie Nebraska wants two things he can't get: to make the local baseball team and to have life return to the way it was before his father died two years earlier in the Korean War. When Charlie meets Luther Peale, a stranger who quietly and mysteriously arrives in Charlie's small Iowa town, the two strike up a friendship. Luther is a former Negro Baseball League player, and he agrees to coach Charlie's fledgling neighborhood baseball team. But many of the town's white residents are suspicious of Luther because of his skin color.

Hurricane is quiet while her Aunt Claire is a force of nature with very particular ideas—and a host of Latin sayings to back them up. When Hurricane gets stuck living with her, she retreats into herself...until a series of unexpected friends, including a mangy cat, help her find her voice in a whole new way.

Emily is the ringleader for her school podcast, Cedarview Speaks—Sponsored by CoastFresh! But her plans for middle-school fame and social media influence are derailed when Amelie joins her eighth-grade class. The new arrival has a seemingly endless supply of confidence and a gift for leading people. Or leading them astray, as far as Emily's concerned. Emily puts her old-fashioned sense of etiquette into practice. Rather than confronting Amelie, she focuses her energy on creating a podcast story about an upcoming climate march. But her story is censored by the school principal.

There are twelve kids in the seventh grade at Fawn Creek Middle School. They’ve been together all their lives. And in this small factory town where everyone knows everything about everyone, that’s not necessarily a great thing.

The true life story of Michael Elihu Colby and his childhood days at Manhattan's Algonquin Hotel. His grandparents Mary and Ben B. Bodne had traded their Southern oil fortune for the legendary but faded Algonquin and restored the hotel's former glory. Their efforts led to a remarkable renaissance and attracted an overflow of celebrities from the ridiculous to the sublime.

Transform your child’s social awkwardness into confidence and connection at each stage of their development.... It’s a no-brainer that you want the best for your kid, right? Love, care, and all those essential ingredients that create a fulfilling childhood? Check, check, and check! And yet, there seems to be a missing piece...a gap that needs to be filled. Your child is having a tough time connecting with others or struggling to make friends. They seem a tad uncomfortable in social situations and find it hard to express themselves or understand others.

Parker Nelson can’t wait for summer camp. She’ll have fun and make amazing memories, far away from the bullies who made seventh grade unbearable. But then something terrible happens: The mean girl who made life a living nightmare is in Parker’s cabin. Soon all the other girls turn on Parker, too—no one wants to be her friend. Except Jenny. Jenny’s the only one who is willing to listen. The only one who understands. The only one who feels the same way Parker does: that there's a deep, dark secret to making friends and she’s the only one who doesn't know it.

Lottie lives in Vivelle, a vibrant city where life exists in brilliant technicolor and nearly everyone is born with magic, including Lottie. But when tragedy strikes, color is stripped from Lottie’s heart and from the world around her. Taken in by her reclusive uncle, Lottie moves into Forsaken, a vast manor located in the gray wasteland between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead. There, Lottie discovers more secrets and mysteries than she ever dreamed possible. Even so, she is filled with nothing but despair.

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.

Unlock the power of a positive mindset with this comprehensive collection of 2,000 affirmations designed specifically for tweens and teens. This collection, spanning 40 vital aspects of your child's life, acts as both a coach and a companion, guiding your child through the challenges and adventures of school and life.

Is your child navigating a maze of emotions and challenges, and you're at a loss on how to guide them through? Enter "Positivity is my Superpower," more than a children's book, it's an emotional blueprint for life's ups and downs. Meet Lucas, a young boy who embodies the fears, anxieties, and uncertainties that every child faces, especially when confronting a life-changing event like moving to a new city.

Max’s first year of middle school hasn’t been easy. Eighth-grade hotshot Johnny Pro torments Max constantly, for no other reason than Max is fat and an easy target. Max wishes he could fight back, but he doesn’t want to hurt Johnny . . . just make him feel the way Max feels.

During the school day, fifth-grader Allie West is an outsider. Everyone knows the principal's kid might tattle to her mom! But after school, Allie is an insider. She's friendly with the janitor, knows the shortest routes around the building, and hangs out with the Afters, a group of misfits whose parents are teachers at their school. Although Allie secretly loves her insider life, she's sick of being an outsider—so she vows to join the Pentagon, the popular math team led by her ex-best friend. But can Allie change her status without betraying where she really belongs?

When the Kudo Kids travel to New York City for the first time, they're ready to hit the ground running and see the sights. But the siblings quickly realize that they're excited for very different reasons - Mika wants to take photos of iconic landmarks and visit a famous camera store, while Andy can't wait to try out an escape room that one of his friends told him about.

The Kudo Kids have never been to Japan before, so they can't believe they get to attend the Summer Olympics there. The siblings plan to eat tons of delicious Japanese food, watch every event they can, and win a super-popular new game called OlympiFan. Developed by a mysterious former medalist, OlympiFan brings players together from all over the world to search Tokyo for virtual medals and clues to the creator's identity. Andy loves puzzles, and he's determined to crack this one.

Across the valley, a drumbeat echoes. For ten days, the drum will call the mountain ryus to war, including the samurai kids from the Cockroach Ryu. Only Japan’s feudal emperor can stop the war, so Niya and Sensei Ki-Yaga set off on a grueling journey with all the Cockroaches, whose firm friendship and unusual skills must be put to the test in order to beg the Emperor to maintain peace. Sensei Ki-Yaga is respected and wise, but unfortunately, the last time he encountered the Emperor, the Emperor threatened to cut off his head.

There's no one more blunt, more opinionated, or more outspoken than the average teen. Except, of course, Bill O'Reilly, veteran star journalist, anchor of the most watched cable news program on TV, New York Times best-selling author, husband, father of two, and former teacher.

If you ask Delphinia Baker, she’d tell you she has all the family she needs. Sure, her mom passed away when she was young, her dad is often away on deployment, but even though Del has never had anyone she can call her people, she has always had her grandmother—and that’s enough. Besides, having no roots just makes it that much easier when you have to move again. All of that changes, though, when Gramma falls ill and Del is sent to stay with her great-grandmother. Del has never even heard of Nana Rose, and she has no interest in spending the summer on a hot island off the South Carolina coast.

In this heartwarming tale, young listeners embark on an adventure alongside Mia, an endearing character brimming with curiosity and respect. Through her journey, children discover the significance of personal space, consent, and the art of recognizing boundaries. With a delightful relatable scenarios, young minds will be enchanted as they accompany Mia on her voyage of discovery.

Newbery Honor Award - winning author Mavis Jukes is back with a lovable new character named Carson. His father moves him to a new town in Northern California, where he'll be the new kid in class - friendless and alone, except for his beloved stuffed moose (named Moose, of course). As Carson settles into his new surroundings, a series of delightful mishaps start to occur: the class pet, a rat named Mr. Nibblenose, gets lost to surprising results; the culprit of a mysterious lunch theft might actually be something that's not human at all; and when his beloved Moose goes missing, Carson makes his first new non-stuffed animal friend.