Family Reader

Mrs. Z’s class is holding a variety show, and everyone has signed up to demonstrate their special skills! Everyone, that is, except Ayana Ndoum. She’s good at reading, but someone’s already reciting a poem. She’s good at synchronized swimming, but they can't get a pool onstage. What could her act be? Before she can figure it out, she has an even bigger problem to deal with: Why is her dad at school? Turns out her dad is a variety show volunteer! He talks to everyone and asks too many questions. It’s embarrassing for Ayana, who likes to be quiet and help from the sidelines.

LEAVE ME ALONE: Fall Doing chores can be boring, but it is about to get a lot more exciting for Eric as Wind shows up and challenges him. It does not take long before chores seem less like work and more like fun! LEAVE ME ALONE is an exciting story to help teach children about the seasons. The story is set in fall and helps show children how it tends to be windy in the fall. It also helps them to see the fun in fall activities, such as raking leaves and playing hockey. Be sure to read LEAVE ME ALONE COLD WIND to see what Eric is up to in the winter. Suggested questions to ask children after...

It's 1880, and Kelly lives alone with her Papa, a lighthouse-keeper in Massachusetts. She longs to know more about her mama, and Papa has finally promised to tell her the truth on her 14th birthday. Before Kelly can learn much though, dangerous men - the notorious Blackburn brothers - arrive unannounced and take Papa away. Kelly is left alone and responsible for the lighthouse.

Ultramarathons. Bike sprints. Squats and deadlifts. Naps. Kitchen dance parties! All of it is in preparation for meeting Pequeno, the “Little One” growing in this strong mama’s belly. From first heartbeats and fluttery kicks to grinning grandparents and that first loud cry - pregnancy might just be the biggest workout yet! But there's nothing this mom and new baby can't tackle together as a team.

It isn't as though Moxy isn't grateful for all her Christmas presents. She's just not so thrilled that she has to write 12 thank-you notes. Not to mention that she promised her mother they'd all be done by today. And if they're not - well, there will be "consequences". Namely, Moxy won't get to leave tomorrow for the vacation of a lifetime. (A trip to California to attend a Star-Studded Hollywood Bash with the father she hasn't seen in three years.) Moxy's wild schemes to get her thank-you notes done in time are clever, poignant, and always hilarious.

Life hasn't been great for Jeff Hicks. After years at his beloved St. Catherine's, he's forced to spend eighth grade in the public middle school, which he hates. He's no longer speaking to his former best friend, Tom Bender, because of "that burned girl" Jessica Feeney. But worst of all, his family is changing, and it's not for the better. When his mom comes home announcing that she's lost her job, Jeff begins to worry about things far beyond his years.

Piper's dad - the Navy Chief - might be gone again, but Piper's got plenty to keep her busy at home: new neighbors, a spaceship beach house, a trip to New Orleans, and most important, the upcoming Gypsy Club pet show. Piper is determined to win, but teaching tricks to her dog seems nearly impossible. Bruna is simply unteachable! Or is she? Join Piper as she embarks on new and exciting adventures!

When the Lambchop family gets to Boston, Stanley is excited to go on a Duck Tour, eat lunch at Quincy Market, and see Fenway Park baseball stadium. Stanley even gets to be in a reenactment of American Colonist Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride. But Stanley has a problem. The Lambchops’ friend, Dr. Dan, is in town, too, and he’s giving a speech about his cure for flatness. And he wants Stanley to talk about being flat! But does Stanley want to change and be a regular kid, or would it be better to stay flat after all?

Ethan and Ella are excited to get to Paris - they've only ever seen pictures of the Eiffel Tower! After arriving, the twins receive an email from their beloved Grandpa Harry. He tells them that there's a secret bakery near the Louvre museum - so secret, in fact, that you need a password to get inside. Lucky for the twins, their dad wants to take them to see some artwork at the Louvre.

Evvie Chambers is doing her best to skate through the last month of high school to graduation. The only thing standing in her way is a biology report on foxes—and her teacher, Mrs. Audrey Dearborn. The same Mrs. Dearborn who’s been a thorn in Evvie’s side for years, refusing to acknowledge or accommodate her neurodiversity. Evvie would much rather be doing her report on Aretha, the octopus she cares for when she volunteers at the Minnesota Zoo but deviating from the exact assignment isn’t allowed—and Mrs. Dearborn isn’t going to make following the rules easy.

Arthur decides to make Mother and Father special Christmas cookies as a present. But when the cookies are finally finished, they are hard as rocks! Can Arthur think of a way to turn this disaster into the best Christmas present ever?

Ben Stratton and Bryony Nightingale. Everybody thought they’d be together forever. But when Ben leaves the small market town of Castle Clare to travel the world, Bryony is heartbroken, seeing his departure as the ultimate betrayal. Throwing herself into her work, Bryony is determined to forget Ben. Then, after six long years, the unexpected happens, and Ben returns, determined to win Bryony back.

There is nothing like the first experience of having a child, a life-changing experience that completely transforms the meaning of love. While all babies in the family are special, a new sibling can be an especially challenging emotional transition for the firstborn, and this unique story addresses those insecurities head-on in a most gentle and lyrical way.

Join Gem as he introduces his family. There are many feelings, emotions, and faces that we experience daily. This book seeks to assist our family to become more comfortable with their feelings. Have you ever felt or met any of these feelings before? Be sure to check in at the end with Gem, when you reach the end.

It’s the longest day of the year, and eighteen-year-old Brandy Bailey has just received the worst news of her life: She’s been accepted to a top nursing school, making her mother overwhelmingly proud. The thing is, Brandy wants to be an artist. She knows all the risks of chasing her dream. She’s heard them from her mother over and over. On top of that, Brandy’s annoying classmate from high school, the startlingly handsome Ben Nolan, is catching his far-fetched dream of being an actor.

Enjoy over 180 mind-blowing fun facts and 200 trivia questions about animals! Both kids and adults will be entertained for hours. We have discovered over two million species of animals on Earth! Each and every animal plays a crucial part in taking care of our planet. From the spiders in our homes to the blue whales in the ocean, every species is like a puzzle piece that fits together to create our home, planet Earth. Our trivia and fun facts will teach you everything you need to know. We share our planet with so many incredible creatures, and we still have so much more to discover!

No one thinks one or two snowflakes will amount to anything. Not the man with the hat or the lady with the umbrella. Not even the television or the radio forecasters. But one boy and his dog have faith that the snow will amount to something spectacular, and when flakes start to swirl down on the city, they are also the only ones who know how to truly enjoy it.

Piper Reed and her fellow Gypsy Club members are in need of a clubhouse. Raising money to buy one proves a challenge. Piper, being the resourceful fifth grader that she is, launches her own party-planning business and gets her first job throwing young Brady's birthday celebration. But things don't go as expected on the day of the big event. Fortunately for Piper, her friends and family come to her rescue!

In the tradition of Shel Silverstein, these poems bring a fresh new twist to the classic dilemmas of childhood as well as a perceptive eye to the foibles of modern family life. Full of clever wordplay - and toilet humor to spare - these 23 rhyming poems make for an ideal listening experience. Taking on the subjects of a bullying baseball coach and annoying little brothers with equally sly humor, renowned lyricist Rhett Miller's clever verses will have the whole family cackling.

In this heartfelt and universal story, a mother and daughter look forward to their special Saturday routine together every single week. But this Saturday, one thing after another goes wrong - ruining story time, salon time, picnic time, and the puppet show they'd been looking forward to going to all week. Mom is nearing a meltdown...until her loving daughter reminds her that being together is the most important thing of all.