Showing titles in Difficult Discussions

The email arrives Sunday night: Do exactly what I say, when I say it, or I will reveal your secret. On Monday morning, seventh graders Owen, Gemma, Ally, and Todd, who have nothing in common and barely know each other, must work together and follow the instructions of an anonymous blackmailer. None of them want to go along with the blackmailer's strange instructions, but each of them have a secret they must protect at all costs.

An instant New York Times bestseller! A “dazzling debut” (Booklist, starred review) middle grade fantasy about a girl caught between the realms of the living and the dead who gets lost in the Underworld—perfect for fans of Greenwild and Rick Riordan. Senka lives between the realm of the...

When four orphaned siblings must flee their town in the middle of the night to avoid being split up, a boxcar in the woods becomes their new home. Thanks to their practical skills, a helpful stray dog, and the kindness of strangers, the brothers and sisters are able to build a new life together. Acclaimed voice actor Jim Weiss reads Gertrude Chandler Warner's 1924 novel with warmth and humor.

Trouble is brewing at Margaret's Academy of Tea and Brewing, and unlucky Misha has one chance to fix it with the recipe for the perfect enchanted cup of chai, in this magical, heartfelt, and funny adventure about the power of believing in yourself, perfect for fans of A Taste of Magic and The...

Lizzie St. Claire wants to be invisible. Forced to move out of her home, she and her mom now live in a transitional housing shelter, Good Hope, until they can get back on their feet. She just wants to keep her head down at Good Hope and her new school so that she doesn’t have to admit the real reason she and her mom lost everything. But at the nearby Birchwood Stables, some new friends - along with the arrival of a frightened pony named Fire - help Lizzie to open up and accept help from those around her, even if it means she’ll have more to lose if things change again.

In the 1930s, Black singer Marian Anderson was not allowed to perform at Constitution Hall. But with help from Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson staged an amazing concert at the Lincoln Memorial and became an activist for civil rights.

While serving school detention in the soup kitchen at St. Mary's Church, Sammy finds herself the prime suspect in the theft of Father Mayhew's ivory cross. But there have been other robberies at the church recently, and as Sammy attempts to discover the real thief, all the suspects appear to be religious figures who are above suspicion. That is, until Sammy cuts through disguises to uncover an enormous heist!

Perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia, Thanhha Lai, and Rebecca Stead, internationally bestselling author Nadia Hashimi’s first novel for young readers is a coming-of-age journey set in modern-day Afghanistan that explores life as a bacha posh—a preteen girl dressed as a boy. Obayda’s...

Caren Stelson brings Sachiko Yasui's story of surviving the atomic bombing of Nagasaki to a young audience. Sachiko's family home was about half a mile from where the atomic bomb fell on August 9, 1945. Her family experienced devastating loss. When they returned to the rubble where their home once stood, her father miraculously found their serving bowl fully intact. This delicate, green, leaf-shaped bowl—which once held their daily meals—now holds memories of the past and serves as a vessel of hope, peace, and new traditions for Sachiko and the surviving members of her family.

Read by the author. Through a simple conversation between a boy and a tree, country-music star Granger Smith shares an incredibly powerful and deeply moving story filled with life lessons on loss, grief, and the strength gained in finding the light and the will to move forward with joy and...

As a young teacher on Martha’s Vineyard, Mary Lambert feels restless and adrift. So when a league of missionaries invite her to travel abroad, she knows it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. Paris is home to a pioneering deaf school where she could meet its visionary instructors Jean Massieu and Laurent Clerc—and even bring back their methods to help advance formal deaf education in America!

When Peggy saves a stray dog from near-death, a beautiful friendship begins. Peggy and Beau are inseparable – the only thing that can ever come between them is war. Peggy is evacuated to the safety of the coast, but Beau is left behind in the city, where he becomes the most extraordinary and unlikely of war heroes. Night after night, as bombs rain down and communities are destroyed, Beau searches the streets, saving countless families. But then disaster strikes, changing Peggy’s life forever.

Includes audiobook-exclusive extended emotional learning content! Kids have big feelings, but none of their feelings are too big for God. In this children’s book from licensed counselor Michelle Nietert and Tama Fortner, young readers will explore what it means to feel their sadness and...

A poor girl in medieval England gains a name, a purpose, and a future in this “delightful”* and beloved Newbery Medal-winning book. Now with a new cover! * “A truly delightful introduction to a world seldom seen in children’s literature.” —School Library Journal*, starred review *...

Two American athletes made history at the 1968 Summer Olympics, but not on the track. They staged a silent protest against racial injustice. Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze medalists in the 200-meter sprint, stood with heads bowed and black-gloved fists raised as the national anthem played during the medal ceremony.

Georgie has no idea what to expect when she, Mama, and Peaches are plopped down in the middle of small-town USA - a.k.a. Bogalusa, Louisiana - where Mama grew up and Great Aunt Vie needs constant care. Georgie wants to help out at the once famous family diner that served celebrities like the Jackson 5 and the Supremes, but everyone is too busy to show her the ropes and Mama is treating her like a baby, not letting her leave her sight.

Max finally meets her hero, Albert Einstein, as she dashes across glaciers, visits the Great Barrier Reef, and flies a solar-powered jet in a race to stop Global Warming—before it’s too late for Planet Earth. World Champions . . . GET OUTDOORS From racing across glaciers in...

Three years after being kidnapped as a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment to determine the cause of her deafness, Mary Lambert has grown weary of domestic life on Martha's Vineyard, and even of her once beloved writing. So when an old acquaintance summons her to an isolated manor house outside Boston to teach a young deaf girl to communicate, Mary agrees. But can a child of eight with no prior language be taught? And is Mary up to the task? With newfound purpose, Mary arrives only to discover that there is much more to the girl's story than she ever could have imagined.

In this empowering deconstruction of the so-called American Dream, a twelve-year-old Japanese American girl grapples with, and ultimately rises above, the racism and trials of middle school she experiences while chasing her dreams. As the daughter of immigrants who came to America for a better...

Kit’s story continues with the second book in her series. For Kit, the Depression has brought big changes: a houseful of boarders, tons of chores, and no birthday party. Then Aunt Millie arrives, and it looks as if her great ideas might turn things around for the Kittredges. But when Kit’s...