The Library

WSM Librarian
Meet Ms. Evelyn Gilbertson
“I have a BA in music and art, 2002 from Randolph Macon Woman’s College; Masters of Library and Information Science, 2004 from the University of South Carolina. I attended a Montessori School through 5th grade. I love being a part of the growth of so many readers in progress!”
Welcome to the
WSM Library!


From Toddler through Adolescence, WSM students visit the campus library every week. They are free to explore what entertains them or delve into a self-initiated research project.
The Librarian, Ms. Evelyn, guides students in library practices and how to search for their book of choice. Volunteers from our family community assist in checking out books every Wednesday morning.

WSM Book Fair
April 21-25
The WSM Book Fair will be located in the Main Campus hallway as you enter the front doors. Books will be on display all week, and purchases may be made during shopping hours or by appointment. All children, toddler through 2nd year elementary, must be accompanied by an adult when shopping at the Book Fair. 3rd years and up may use the WSM order form to bring in cash and a signed form to purchase books.
You may also shop in-store at Bookmarks during Book Fair dates. When you check out, please make sure to say you are shopping for the Winston-Salem Montessori Book Fair (or it won’t count)! The store is located in downtown Winston-Salem at 634 W. 4th St #110, behind Foothills Brewpub, and they are open seven days a week. See the Bookmarks website for more information (https://bookmarksnc.org/).
All sales benefit the WSM Library!
Shopping hours at school:
Monday-Friday
8-9am
11:45am-12:15pm
2:30-3:30pm
Evening Hours: Thursday, 2:30-6pm
Or by appointment (call the front desk or email Evelyn at evelyngilbertson@wsmontessori.org)
Volunteer to help setup or break down! Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45A9AA23A2FEC43-55153571-book
Wish lists and order forms for Elementary students:
Elementary students will visit the book fair on Monday, April 21 to browse the Book Fair and make wish lists. 3rd years and up may use the WSM order form to bring in cash and a signed form to purchase books..
Ordering for AP and Parenting books:
There will be one copy of each book on display for both AP and the parenting books to browse, and if you wish to purchase a book, you may fill out a Bookmarks order form. Books will arrive at school for pickup approximately one week after Book Fair (around May 5).

Board Books
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My Hair is Like Yours
By St. Clair Detrick-Jules
Board book
$8.99
Cornrows, curls, fros, and swirls! How do you wear your hair? Featuring photographs of real kids whose hairstyles match those of family and friends, little ones will love seeing themselves mirrored in these pages and in the world around them. Beautifully photographed by St. Clair Detrick-Jules and with vibrant illustrations by Tabitha Brown, this timeless children's book celebrates community and joyful self-expression.
*Starred review, School Library Journal
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Shapes
By Shelley Rotner and Anne Woodhull
Board book
$7.99
Stunning photographs by a National Geographic photographer invite children to look around and find a world of circles, triangles, squares, and more.
Beautifully photographed, a diverse group of children explore the unexpected shapes of everyday sights and objects. "Eggs, grapes, lemons and leaves. Jellybeans, seeds, sunglasses, and balloons." They're all ovals!
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Animal Adventures: Day in the Forest
By Alexandra Claire
Board book
$12.95
From the first light of dawn to the calm of evening, children will follow along with playful woodland critters—foxes, squirrels, rabbits, bears, and more—on their daily adventures. With vibrant, full-color images and sweet, rhythmic rhymes, this beautifully crafted book captures the magic of the forest and its lively inhabitants, making it a perfect addition to your child's bedtime routine.
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Tongues
By Katrine Crow
Board book
$8.99
Who has a dark tongue like this? A giraffe, of course.
Little ones will love to see the close-up photography and try to guess which animal the sticky, rough, black, split, and spiky tongues belong to.
Animals featured include: - a chameleon- a tiger- a giraffe- a snake- a penguin
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We Share This Earth
By Dan Saks
Board book
$8.99
A rhyming, heartfelt celebration of the worldwide community and the vital role it plays in young children’s lives.
This formative board book is an appreciation of our global community and the many ways in which it helps develop empathy, compassion, and collective responsibility. Specific examples of shared community are depicted across twelve countries, inviting young readers to connect with and acknowledge the importance of caring about and for one another, and the Earth we share.
Picture Books
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Angélica and la Güira
By Angie Cruz
Hardback
$18.99
Angélica has spent the summer in the Dominican Republic with her tías and primas, her grandparents, and their parrot, but soon she’ll have to say goodbye. The end of summer means returning home to start school on another shore. Before she leaves, her grandfather gives her the perfect gift. It's something with the power to make people dance as fast as the wings of a hummingbird: a güira. Angélica falls in love with this musical instrument, though nobody shares her enthusiasm at first. “What is that sound,” they say, “pennies inside a tin cup?” But on a hot, sunny day, in the land of Washington Heights, where the frío frío woman scrapes ice for a long line of customers and the men on the corner plunk dominoes on a makeshift cardboard table, Angélica shows her neighbors the power of la güira.
*Starred reviews, Booklist and School Library Journal
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Being Home
By Traci Sorell
Hardback
$18.99
Today is a day of excitement—it’s time to move! As a young Cherokee girl says goodbye to the swing, the house, and the city she's called home her whole life, she readies herself for the upcoming road trip. While her mother drives, the girl draws the changing landscape outside her window. She looks forward to the end of the journey, where she'll eat the feast her family has prepared, play in the creek with her cousins, and settle into the new rhythm of home.
With warm, expressive artwork and spare, lyrical prose, the story of a young girl’s move toward rather than away from home unfolds.
Best Picture Book of 2024 (Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, New York Public Library, Common Sense Media)
*Starred Reviews, Kirkus, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Shelf Awareness, BCCB
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Smiling Eyes
By Linda Sue Park
Hardback
$19.99
For an enthusiastic little boy, an ordinary day is filled with the joys and surprises of seeing and being seen. All around him, people are using their eyes: big eyes, small eyes, eyes that are open wide, or shut tight, or even winking! With irresistible rhymes and warm, inviting art, this ode to eyes by Linda Sue Park and Lenny Wen will delight the youngest of readers.
*Starred Review, School Library Journal
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L is for Love
By Atinuke
Hardback
$17.99
L is for lemons, and L is for lingering before leaving home. L is for everything to look at along the way: lightning and lazy lions and a lonely leopard. L is for the loud, large city where you will sell your sunny fruit—L is for Lagos! L is for the light streaming out of your windows as you arrive home late at night. And best of all . . . L is for love. Part buoyant alphabet book, encouraging toddlers’ first sounds and words, and part immersion in the joyful bustle of a busy Nigerian marketplace, this outing from Atinuke and Angela Brooksbank is a feast for the senses brimming with rich detail and visual humor.
*Starred Reviews, Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly
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The Book that Almost Rhymed
By Omar Abed
Hardback
$18.99
What do you do with an interrupting sibling? Especially when she's stepping all over your story with wild ideas that don’t. Even. Rhyme. Knights riding rockets? Dancing pirates? Who’s ever heard of a fire-breathing armadillo?! But when this big brother realizes his sister just might be improving his yarn—and doing it with an impressive surprise of her own—it's clear what you do with an interrupting sibling. You share the narrative! Turns out adventure is way more fun when you build it together, rhyme by daring rhyme.
*Starred Reviews, Booklist, School Library Journal, BookPage
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Gravity is Bringing Me Down
By Wendelin Van Draanen
Hardback
$18.99
When Leda wakes up by falling out of bed, she knows that gravity is in a very bad mood. Again.
Sure enough, she struggles with stumbles and bumbles at home, trips and blips on the bus, and bashes and crashes in the classroom. But a lesson on gravity helps her understand what’s really going on. And after a visit to a science center, Leda's mood is lifted...just in time for her to tumble-- happily!--into bed.
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The Book that Can Read Your Mind
The Book that Can Read Your Mind
By Marianna Coppo
Hardback
$17.99
This is not an ordinary book—it’s a magical one! Lady Rabbit goes beyond pulling a rabbit out of a hat or making herself disappear. For her next act, she will READ YOUR MIND! That's right: You pick a member from the magician's adorable audience—don’t tell which one you’ve chosen—and this book will guess who it is!
*Starred Review, Booklist
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What Happened to You?
By James Catchpole
Hardback
$18.99
What happened to you? Was it a shark? A burglar? A lion? Did it fall off? A boy named Joe is trying to play pirates at the playground, but he keeps being asked what happened to his leg. Bombarded with questions and silly suggestions, Joe becomes more and more fed up...until the kids finally understand they don't need to know what happened. And that they’re wasting valuable playtime!
Based on the author’s real childhood experiences, this honest, funny, and authentic picture book is an empowering read for anyone with a disability, and for young readers learning how best to address differences.
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book
*Starred Reviews, Kirkus, The Horn Book -
This is How We Play
By Jessica Slice and Caroline Cupp
Hardback
$18.99
A jubilant, inclusive, luminously illustrated picture book that features families at play, each with a family member who has a disability.
With love and adaptation, this is how we play! This joyful read-aloud with an empowering refrain, from disability rights activists Jessica Slice and Caroline Cupp, demystifies and respects how disabled people and their families use adaptive, imaginative, and considerate play so everyone can join in the fun.
*Starred Review, Publishers Weekly
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Not a Smiley Guy
By Polly Horvath
Hardback
$18.99
From the day he’s born, Ernest has few complaints. His family is lovely; the world has a lot to offer. He’d like there to be more elephants around, but hey, you can’t have everything. Ernest is just as happy as the next guy.
The trouble is, everyone around him is obsessed with smiling. His parents smile when he learns to walk, when he learns to talk, when he learns to button up his snowsuit. But smiling just isn’t for Ernest, and they can’t let it go. When drastic, elephant-related measures are taken, and Ernest still doesn’t smile, the whole family learns that sometimes loving someone means meeting in the middle.
Equal parts deadpan and genuine, Not a Smiley Guy is an ideal conversation starter for kids just discovering that we each have our own ways of showing how we feel. Readers who struggle to be understood will resonate with Ernest’s good-natured exasperation.
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Cesaria Feels the Beat
By Denise Rosario Adusei
Hardback
$19.99
Cesaria is going to perform for the seaside Carnival. She skips past the beach barefoot, dressed in her favorite peacock leotard.
But when her dance director tells her she must put on her shoes to go on stage, Cesaria signs, “Peacocks don’t wear shoes!”
You see, Cesaria hears the music through the soles of her feet, but no one seems to understand…
…That is, until all the dancers take off their shoes, and learn to feel the music, just like Cesaria.
*Starred Reviews, Kirkus, Booklist, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly
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Mixed Feelings
By Liana Finck
Hardback
$18.99
This exploration of mixed and wide-ranging emotions is presented in illustrated vignettes and beautifully articulate text. Each spread portrays a specific scenario involving a child and a phrase that reminds readers (young and old) that not all feelings can be summed up in a single word, or occur singularly. The text “Mostly happy but a little sad” accompanies a child leaving for the beach, but waving goodbye to his dog. “Like I’m trying hard to have fun” shows a child at a loud party, covering their ears. In her trademark style and funny-because-it’s-real approach, Finck has created a deeply insightful book on feelings that validates the way we all experience the world.
Emerging Readers
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I Help
By Joe Cepeda
Paperback
$8.99
When a boy finds a canteen in his garage, he finds his superpower--helping everyone, from the postman to the local birds.
I walk.
I see a dog.
I help.
Very simple text and fun pictures support comprehension in this delightful book, ideal for new readers just starting out. Easy to read and brightly illustrated, this is a perfect book to read on their own!
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It Is Time: The Life of a Caterpillar
By Lizzy Rockwell
Paperback
$8.99
A caterpillar hatches, eats, becomes a pupa, weathers storms, and grows into a butterfly before flying away. An elegant, beautifully illustrated life cycle book that first graders can read on their own while learning basic science vocabulary.
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13 Stories About Harris
By Amy Schwartz
Paperback
$8.99
These short, charming tales-- all inspired by author Amy Schwartz's experiences as a parent-- capture a preschooler's sense of wonder and possibility, as well as the beauty of young friendships. With very short text supported by bright illustrations, this is an excellent storytime choice for young readers beginning to read on their own-- or a great choice to share together with the ones you love.
*Starred Reviews, School Library Journal, The Horn Book
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Am I a Frog?
By Lizzy Rockwell
Hardback
$15.99
A tadpole swims, breathes, eats, rests, climbs, and grows into a frog . . . when he jumps up and catches a dragonfly. An elegant, beautifully illustrated life cycle book by a highly regarded author and illustrator of books for young children.
*Starred Review, Booklist
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Parker Takes a Trip
By Parker Curry
Paperback
$5.99
Parker is going on a big adventure! She and her family are flying on a plane to visit her Papi and Nana in another country called Portugal. What will Parker see there? What will Parker do? No matter what happens, it’s sure to be an amazing trip.
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Grumpy Monkey: Too Many Bugs
By Suzanne Lang
Paperback
$5.99
When Norman shows Jim his pet butterfly, Butterfly-Butterfly, Jim is suitably impressed, especially when Norman spouts butterfly facts. Then Norman adds Beetle-Beetle 1 and Beetle-Beetle 2 and so many more to his menagerie. Now Norman spends all his time feeding and caring for his pets and doesn’t have time to play. Grumpy Monkey Jim feels left out. And when all the bugs have babies, Jim declares that Norman has too many and persuades his friend to set them free. But then Norman sees a ladybug…
Simple bug facts, easy-to-read words, and dynamic and humor-filled illustrations will lead young readers to a lifelong love of books.
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I Want to Be an Artist
By Laura Driscoll
Paperback $5.99
A Level 1 I Can Read story for the child who says, “I want to be an artist when I grow up!” And for any child interested in the many ways people can have a career making art. Visit art shows and workspaces with Papa and his grandchild, soaking in all the art along the way, in this Level 1 I Can Read My Community book ideal for early readers learning to sound out words and sentences.
Chapter Books
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Stella & Marigold
By Annie Barrows
Hardback
$15.99
From the creators of the New York Times–bestselling Ivy + Bean comes a fun and funny new series about two small sisters with very big imaginations.
Stella, who’s seven, is kind, a good storyteller, and ponders big questions like, what do animals think of people? Marigold, at four, tells imaginative stories (her mother calls them “fibs”) and likes to wear her favorite Halloween costume year-round. Stella and Marigold do all the regular things—like going to school, playing, getting sick sometimes, and visiting the zoo—but even the most regular things have a secret side.
*Starred Review, Kirkus, Booklist, Publishers Weekly
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Frankie and Friends: Breaking News
By Christine Platt
Paperback
$5.99
Frankie’s mama is leaving to cover a breaking news story. Frankie, Papa, and Frankie’s teenage sister, Raven, are all proud of Mama, even though they miss her when she’s away. But Frankie has a great idea: she can make her own news show! After all, Mama has told her that news is happening around her all the time. With a little assistance from her friends—including her doll Farrah, Robert the toy robot, and her tabby cat, Nina Simone—Frankie prepares for her first “broadcast.” And when she hears someone crying in the house, she knows that’s the developing story she must cover. With humor, empathy, and imagination, Frankie gets the scoop—and learns that even mature older sisters can miss Mama sometimes. With sweet illustrations throughout, this engaging new series embraces communication and compassion and is a refreshing portrayal of Black women in journalism. Young reporters will learn the terms of the trade, which are clearly presented in the text and reinforced in a glossary at the end of the book.
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Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple
By Liz Garton Scanlon
Paperback
$6.99
Most things are easy-peasy, regular-pegular for Bibsy Cross. She loves her parents, her cat, her best friend, Natia. And she loves going to school. She might just love that most of all!
This year, Bibsy has Mrs. Stumper for a teacher... and Mrs. Stumper doesn't seem too keen on Bibsy. She thinks Bibsy talks too much--especially about her science fair project.
But one day, when Bibsy talks a little too much, and goes a stone too far, Mrs. Stumper punishes her by punching a hole in her paper apple that hangs in the classroom. And Bibsy is devastated.
How can she make the best science fair project when she feels so rotten?
*Starred Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, BookPage
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Dragon on the Loose
By Marty Chan
Paperback
$8.95
When eleven-year-old Hailey and her friend Kyle make a wish on a Chinese lion statue, they accidentally bring a dragon to life.
Scared at first, the kids soon realize that Zhu the dragon means them no harm, and they show the dragon around their city. It's all fun and games until Animal Control gets wind of a wild creature on the loose. The kids have to find a way to send their new friend back home before she's taken away. -
Jina Jeong: Project Neighbor
Jina Jeong: Project Neighbor
By Carol Kim
Paperback
$8.99
Jina Jeong volunteers with her family to build houses, but when it falls short of her expectations, she eagerly seizes the opportunity to assist their neighbor in his yard, hoping it will fulfill her desire for a meaningful project.
Graphic Novels
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Mossy and Tweed: Crazy for Coconuts
By Mirka Hokkanen
Paperback
$7.99
Mossy and Tweed enjoy a perfect day in the Gnome Woods. The air is crisp, their gardens are growing, and the next-door neighbors have a good-natured argument brewing.
But then a runaway coconut lands between their homes. What is inside this strange nut? The tag hints at water . . . sand . . . sunshine . . . Could it be paradise? The gnomes must know! Armed with dreams of an instant vacation, the wacky duo sets out to crack their nut.
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Mixed Up
By Kami Garcia
Paperback
$14.99
Stella knows fifth grade will be the best year ever. Her closest friends, Emiko and Latasha, are in her class and they all got the teacher they wanted. Then their favorite television show, Witchlins, announces a new guidebook and an online game!
But when the classwork starts piling up, Stella struggles to stay on top. Why does it take her so long to read? And how can she keep up with friends in the Witchlins game if she can’t get through the text-heavy guidebook? It takes loving teachers and her family to recognize that Stella has a learning difference, and after a dyslexia diagnosis she gets the support and tools she needs to succeed.
*Starred Review, Booklist
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Buzzing
By Samuel Sattin
Paperback
$13.99
A moving middle grade graphic novel about friendship, belonging, and learning to love yourself despite the voices in your head.
Isaac Itkin can’t get away from his thoughts. As a lonely twelve-year-old kid with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), everything from studying to looking in the mirror becomes a battle between him and a swarm of unhelpful thoughts.The strict therapy his mother insists on doesn’t seem to be working, but when a group of friends invites him to join their after-school role-playing game, the thoughts feel a little less loud, and the world feels a little brighter.
But Isaac’s therapist says that exposure to games can have negative effects on kids with OCD, and when his grades slip, his helicopter mother won’t let him play anymore. Now Isaac needs to find a way to prove to himself, to his mother, and to the world that the way to quiet the noise in his head may have been inside him all along.
*Starred Review, Shelf Awareness, 2024 ALA Notable Children’s Book
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Shiny Misfits
By Maysoon Zayid
Paperback
$14.99
Bay Ann wants to shine. No matter what.
She's sure her moment in the spotlight has arrived when she wins the school talent show with a show stopping tap routine! But then her classmate and crush, Alyee Maq, causes her to wobble and almost fall. The video of him catching her goes viral, making Alyee an overnight sensation for "helping her." Bay Ann is reduced to her disability and her talent is ignored.
Bay Ann doesn't want her classmate to get all the fame, and she is NOT satisfied being anything but the best. She'll do everything in her power to beat Alyee at his own attention-seeking game. With the help of her two best friends, Michelle and Davey Matt, she'll go up against Alyee and his crew to prove she's number one.
But as Bay Ann tries to find the thing that really makes her stand out, everything she tries goes disastrously wrong. What if the only way to beat her enemy . . . is to join him?*Starred Reviews, Booklist, Kirkus
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News-Room Nonsense
By Jess Smart Smiley
Paperback
$14.99
Megan Hathaway was supposed to be helping put together a newspaper for her English class...but everything is going wrong.
Weird Randall keeps trying to mail potatoes, evil Vice-Principal Mr. Fisher has imprisoned the class's best artist, and...oh geez...Olivia just yarked in a trombone! Can you help Megan save school journalism?! Or will you let Sunbright Middle School's secrets remain hidden forever?!
With more than twenty-five different endings, Newsroom Nonsense is a breaking news saga you’ll be coming back to over and over.
Middle Grade
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Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood
By Robert Beatty
Hardback
$17.99
Thirteen-year-old Sylvia Doe has lived at the Highground Home for Children nearly all her life. Whenever the administrators try to place her with a foster family, she runs away--back to Mason, Highground's caretaker and her best friend. The only place she feels like she belongs is with him and the horses he has taught her to love.
When a powerful storm causes the remote mountain valley where she lives to flood, Sylvia begins to encounter strange and wondrous things floating down the river. Glittering gemstones and wild animals that don't belong--everything's out of place. Then she spots an unconscious boy floating in the water.
As she drags him onto the shore and their adventure together begins, Sylvia wonders who he is and where he came from. And why does she feel such a strong connection to this mysterious boy?
*Starred Reviews, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly
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Max in the House of Spies
By Adam Gidwitz
Paperback $9.99
Leaving home is hard and Max is alone for the first time in his life. But not for long. Max is surprised to discover that he’s been joined by two unexpected traveling companions, one on each shoulder, a kobold and a dybbuk named Berg and Stein.
Germany is becoming more and more dangerous for Jewish families, but Max is determined to find a way back home, and back to his parents. He has a plan to return to Berlin. It merely involves accomplishing the impossible: becoming a British spy.
*Starred Reviews, Shelf Awareness, Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, Booklist, School Library Journal
Best Book of the Year: Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Wall Street Journal
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Figure It Out, Henri Weldon
By Tanita S. Davis
Hardback
$19.99
Seventh grader Henrietta Weldon gets to switch schools—finally! She’ll be “mainstreaming” into public school, leaving her special education school behind. She can’t wait for her new schedule, new friends, and new classes.
Henri’s dyscalculia, a learning disability that makes math challenging to process and understand, is what she expects to give her problems. What she doesn’t expect is a family feud with her sister over her new friends, joining the girls’ soccer team, and discovering poetry. Henri’s tutor and new friend, Vinnie, reminds her to take it slow. One problem at a time.
If Henri Weldon has twenty-four hours in a day, and she has two siblings who dislike her four new friends, two hours of soccer practice, seven hours of classes, and three hours of homework . . . she has:
A. No free time
B. No idea how to make everyone happy
C. No time to figure it out, Henri Weldon!*Starred reviews, Booklist, Kirkus
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Grounded
By Aisha Saeed, S. K. Ali, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, Huda Al-Marashi
Paperback
$9.99
When a thunderstorm grounds all flights following a huge Muslim convention, four unlikely kids are thrown together. Feek is stuck babysitting his younger sister, but he’d rather be writing a poem that’s good enough for his dad, a famous poet and rapper. Hanna is intent on finding a lost cat in the airport—and also on avoiding a conversation with her dad about him possibly remarrying. Sami is struggling with his anxiety and worried that he’ll miss the karate tournament that he’s trained so hard for. And Nora has to deal with the pressure of being the daughter of a prominent congresswoman, when all she really wants to do is make fun NokNok videos. These kids don’t seem to have much in common—yet.
Told in alternating points of view, Grounded tells the story of one unexpected night that will change these kids forever.
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Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week
By Sarah L. Thomson
Paperback
$8.99
Take Pippi Longstocking’s joie de vivre, blend it with a 21st century urban setting, toss in a dog named Otto for good measure and what do you get? This joyfully carefree story about two unlikely friends.
It’s a pair of silver sequined sneakers that unexpectedly flips Emily’s comfortable, predictable world upside down. Or, more precisely, it’s the girl wearing them.
The shoes belong to Rani, who moves into Emily’s apartment building—and her life—with absolutely no one but her dog Otto. (Her research scientist mother is away in Patagonia.) And that’s only the first rule that Emily watches Rani break without hesitation.
But it’s not just that Rani breaks rules. Most of the time, she doesn’t seem to know the rules exist. Why can’t she bungee jump off their building? Or bring an ice cream truck to school?
For steady and orderly Emily, Rani’s approach to life feels impossible . . . and more than a little irresistible. But is there a place for her in Rani’s world? And should she find a way to make space for Rani on her own?
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Magnolia Wu Unfolds it All
By Chanel Miller
Hardback
$17.99
Down at the bottom of the tall buildings of New York City, Magnolia Wu sits inside her parents’ laundromat. She has pinned every lost sock from the laundromat onto a bulletin board in hopes that customers will return to retrieve them. But no one seems to have noticed. In fact, barely anyone has noticed Magnolia at all.
What she doesn’t know is that this is about to be her most exciting summer yet. When Iris, a new friend from California arrives, they set off across the city to solve the mystery of each missing sock, asking questions in subways and delis and plant stores and pizzerias, meeting people and uncovering the unimaginable.
With each new encounter, Magnolia learns that when you’re bold enough to head into the unknown, things start falling into place.
*Starred Review, Kirkus
2025 Newbery Honor Award Winner
Best Book of the Year, Chicago Public Library, Kirkus
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A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall
By Jasmine Warga
Hardback
$19.99
A painting has been stolen…!
When Rami sees a floating girl in the museum, he knows he has seen her somewhere before. Then he realizes: She looks just like the girl in the painting that has gone missing. But how does her appearance connect to the theft?
Agatha the turtle knows—she has been watching from the garden. But she can’t exactly tell anyone…can she?
Will Rami, with the help of his classmate, Veda, be able to solve the mystery? The clues are all around them, but they’ll have to be brave enough to really look.*Starred Reviews, Kirkus, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly
Nonfiction
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Nature Spy Guide
By Shelley Rotner
Paperback
$10.99
What can you find in nature? Look for bright flowers and listen to buzzing bees. Feel rough tree bark and taste a sweet apple. Join author and photographer Shelley Rotner as she encourages kids to use their senses to safely explore the outdoors. With simple text and photos featuring kids in nature, this book invites children to search for colors, shapes, and more in the world around them. Back matter includes easy activities to enhance the outdoor experience.
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A Is for Bee
By Ellen Heck
Hardback
$17.99
What letter does the word bee start with?
If you said “B” you’re right – in English!
But in many, many languages, it actually starts with A.
Bee is Aṅụ̄ in Igbo,
Aamoo in Ojibwe,
Abelha in Portuguese.
And Arı in Turkish.
Come and explore the gorgeous variations in the ways we talk about familiar things, unified and illuminated through Ellen Heck’s eye-catching, graphic scratchboard details and hidden letterforms.
*Starred Review, Booklist, Best Book of the Year, NYT
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Golden Gate: Building the Mighty Bridge
By Elizabeth Partridge
Hardback
$19.99
Begun in 1933 and officially opened on May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge and its awe-inspiring and groundbreaking construction are truly a testament to the power of hope and perseverance. Told from the point of view of the lighthouse keeper’s kids, who watch in fascination as the trucks and crews arrive and steel towers coated in heavy red paint begin to rise above the tempestuous water, Golden Gate shares a thrilling visual perspective on each stage of the breathtaking project.
Young readers can look and learn as each turn of the page reveals dazzling, color-soaked artwork paired with text that blends factual details into the narrators’ keen observations. By the final spread, where fireworks explode in celebration over the mighty bridge, the tale is complete—not only of an astonishing feat of engineering but of the potential of human ingenuity to defy the odds and make the impossible possible.
*Starred Review, School Library Journal
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Priceless Facts About Money
By Mellody Hobson
Hardback
$19.99
What is the meaning of all those symbols on US bills (and why are they so hard to counterfeit)? What’s with people calling money “bacon” or “cheddar” or “smackeroonies”? With savvy and wit, financial expert Mellody Hobson sheds a friendly light on a daunting subject, from the meteorites that created the first mineral deposits to the ancient Maya who used chocolate as currency to the beginnings of the banking system itself. Readers learn about bartering, profit and loss, the origins of credit, ATMs, and even fun facts about money around the world.
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Young Zoologist: Capybara
By Julia Mata
Hardback
$15.99
You might know that capybaras are totally adorable and are related to guinea pigs, but there’s so much more to learn about these cuddly creatures! Discover how capybaras are perfectly adapted to swimming, why they like birds riding on their backs, and what makes them eat their own poop! You’ll also discover what it takes to become a capybara zoologist. Filled with simple science and plenty of animal facts, it’s a must for all capybara fans!
*Starred Review, Booklist
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Young Zoologist: Tiger
By Samantha Helle
Hardback
$15.99
You might know that tigers are the largest of the big cats, but there’s so much more to learn about these incredible predators! Discover why tigers have stripes, what makes them stick out their tongue, and how they can survive in habitats ranging from snowy Siberia to the tropical rainforest of Indonesia. You’ll also discover what it takes to become a tiger zoologist—including learning how to track a tiger using its paw prints! Filled with simple science and plenty of animal facts, this book also looks at the conservation challenges these iconic animals face.
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A Meerkat Dairy
A Meerkat Diary
By Suzi Eszterhas
Hardback
$18.95
This gorgeous look behind the lens at wildlife photography offers a unique chance to enter the fascinating world of meerkats. In this companion title to A Leopard Diary, world-renowned wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas spends two weeks observing baby meerkats in Botswana's Kalahari Desert. In diary entry-style chapters, Eszterhas recounts how the creatures grow from tiny, wobbly meerkat pups to adolescents who hunt scorpions and have (almost) perfected the famous "tripod" meerkat stance. Along the way, the meerkat mob faces floods, hungry predators, and even a stampede of galloping zebras.
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My Presentation Today Is About the Anaconda
By Bibi Dumon Tak
Hardback
$19.99
"Hello, I'm the earthworm, and today I'm giving my talk about the anaconda."
Who needs another book by humans? All they do is make us animals super boring. They only look at things through their own eyes. Every, single, time. Human after human. Kid after kid. Class after class. YAWN!
This is a book of oral presentations given by us animals, for us animals, and about us animals. The cleaner fish will talk about his friend the shark and his sharp teeth. The zebra will get to tell you about all the black-and-white animals in the world. The mole knows everything there is to know about the daddy longlegs. The southern cassowa—yes, fox? What is it? Yes, you'll get to talk about geese. Huh? Yes, you'll get to talk about how delicious they are.
Anyway, we're giving you twenty presentations from another twenty of us, but there's a lot more crammed in. And you know what, we did talk, and there's at least one human who's OK by us—Annemarie van Haeringen. She drew some portraits of us for this book and we gotta say, the likenesses are pretty good. Check it all out!
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My Tiny Life by Ruby T. Hummingbird
By Paul Meisel
Paperback
$8.99
Tiny but mighty! A ruby throated hummingbird tells his own life story in this funny, bright, informative entry to the critically acclaimed Nature Diary science series.
With Mom feeding him insects and nectar, Ruby T. Hummingbird is soon able to beat his wings and fly--up, down, backward, and forward--and forage for himself. But don't be fooled! This elegant creature can turn into a fierce fighter if another hummingbird tries to feed on his flower--or his hummingbird feeder.
A second test of his strength comes when he migrates to a warmer climate in the fall and a cooler climate in the spring.
Children will love poring over the bright, highly detailed illustrations and pondering ideas about nature.
*Starred Review, Kirkus
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My Book of Bugs
By DK
Hardback
$14.99
Learn all about the fascinating world of minibeasts - from bees to butterflies, beetles, and more.
This book is an exciting introduction to the seven major insect groups and includes profiles for over 40 amazing insects, such as the stag beetle, monarch butterfly, and honey bee.
Grab your magnifying glass and head out to discover all about insects - their different types, body structures, and behaviors. Filled with eye-catching images and bite-sized information, young nature enthusiasts aged 5-7 will marvel at the mind-boggling facts about these adaptable creatures.
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This Is My Brain! A Book on Neurodiversity
By Elise Gravel
Hardback
$17.99
A seriously funny book all about our brains! Award-winning author-illustrator Elise Gravel celebrates the many wonderful ways humans think in a comic-style nonfiction book for curious kids.
Acclaimed creator Elise Gravel (Killer Underwear Invasion!, Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere, and many more) uses her trademark humor and punchy art to explore the fascinating human brain.
Though all our brains look the same, every brain works differently. This Is My Brain! shows readers that understanding how different brains feel and learn can help us connect with others . . . and keep our own brains happy! Through humorous, engaging text and brightly colored art, readers are introduced to the fundamentals of how our brains work, how our unique neurology influences how we think and act, and how the world is a better place when we understand each other’s brains and use them collectively.
Adolescent Program
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Sparrows in the Wind
By Gail Carson Levine
Paperback
$9.99
Cassandra, a princess of Troy and follower of Apollo, is delighted when the god himself appears to her. Apollo asks to love her in exchange for giving her future sight, and she agrees—but recoils when he kisses her. Enraged, the god transforms his gift into a curse: Cassandra’s visions will never be believed.After horrifying images of coming war and death pour into her mind, and with no one to heed her warnings, Cassandra risks her safety again and again to avert the disaster awaiting Troy.
But it will take years—and the friendship of an Amazon warrior princess named Rin—for Cassandra to find hope of success in reversing the course of the war.
This novel from Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine about two princesses battling against their fates in the middle of the Trojan War is a must-read for anyone who loves Greek mythology or the Percy Jackson books!
*Starred Reviews, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist -
Aniana del Mar Jumps In
By Jasminne Mendez
Paperback
$10.99
A powerful and expertly told novel-in-verse about a 12-year-old Dominican American swimmer who is diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis by an award-winning poet.
Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani’s stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her. Mami forbids her from returning to the water but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming along with medication will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be. Aniana del Mar Jumps In is a poignant story about chronic illness and disability, the secrets between mothers and daughters, the harm we do to the ones we love the most—and all the triumphs, big and small, that keep us afloat.
*Starred Reviews, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Pura Belpré Author Honor Award
Best Book of the Year: Kirkus, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, School Library Journal
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Bye Forever, I Guess
By Jodi Meadows
Hardback
$18.99
Thirteen-year-old Ingrid’s been living a double life. At school, she’s her popular friend Rachel’s charity case. Online, she crushes it in her favorite MMORPG, geeks out in her favorite fantasy fandom, and runs a popular social media account. If only real life were that easy.
But when Ingrid finally stands up to Rachel, it suddenly feels like she has no life at all.
Until she gets a super-sweet wrong-number text from a mystery boy at her school. Spending time together gaming as “Stitches” and “Traveler” makes her feel like she’s really connecting with someone. But when she begins to suspect that Traveler may be a popular classmate who is WAY above her in the cool-kid food chain—and whose original text was actually intended for Rachel—she faces a difficult choice. Can they be friends IRL? She wants to open up, but getting close to people has hurt her before. Is making real friends only fantasy after all?
*Starred Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, BookPage
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The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal
By Ambika Vohra
Hardback
$19.99
In this heartfelt and hilarious debut from Ambika Vohra, one girl tackles a question that changes the trajectory of her senior year: "How have you gotten out of your comfort zone?"
That’s the Stanford admissions prompt that valedictorian shoo-in Aisha Agarwal can’t answer. Comfort zone? Her life’s been homework and junk food for as long as she can remember. Not exactly the thing college essays are written about. So, when her crush, Brian, asks her to winter formal, Aisha thinks her fate is changing . . .
. . . until Brian stands her up.
As if on cue, a banged-up Volkswagen arrives outside the dance; the driver—a guy her age—profusely apologizing for being late to pick her up. Does Aisha know him or what he's talking about? No. Does the Stanford essay convince her to take him up on the ride? Absolutely.
To Aisha’s relief, seventeen-year-old Quentin Santos isn’t a kidnapper, but he is failing math. So, they strike a deal: If Aisha helps Quentin pass math, he’ll help push her out of her comfort zone, using a series of sticky note to-do’s—dares—that will not only give Aisha content for her essay but will turn her into the confident person she’s always wanted to be.
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The Bletchley Riddle
By Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Hardback
$18.99
Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amidst one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top minds to crack the Nazi's Enigma cipher, fourteen-year-old Lizzie embarks on a mission to solve the mysterious disappearance of their mother.
The Battle of Britain rages and Hitler’s invasion creeps closer. And at the same time, baffling messages and codes arrive on their doorstep while a menacing inspector lurks outside the gates of the Bletchley mansion. Are the messages truly for them, or are they a trap? Could the riddles of Enigma and their mother's disappearance be somehow connected? Jakob and Lizzie must find a way to work together as they race to decipher clues which unravel a shocking puzzle that presents the ultimate challenge: How long must a secret be kept?
*Starred Review, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, The Horn Book, Shelf Awareness
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Boy 2.0
By Tracey Baptiste
Hardback
$16.99
Win “Coal” Keegan has just landed in his latest foster home, with a big, noisy, slightly nosy family named the McKays. They seem eager to welcome Coal, but he’s wary of trusting them. So, he doesn’t tell them that he went for a walk with chalk in his pocket to cover a nearby street with his art. He doesn’t tell them that a neighbor found Coal drawing, pulled a gun on him, and fired it. He doesn’t tell them the police chased him. And he definitely doesn’t tell them that when everything went down, Coal somehow turned invisible.
But he did.
Now he has to figure out how. Is he a superhero? Some kind of mutant? A science experiment? Is that why he has no family of his own? As Coal searches for answers and slowly learns to control his invisibility, he turns to the McKay kids and friends both new and old for help. But they soon discover they’re not the only ones looking for a Black boy with superpowers, and the situation is far stranger—and more dangerous—than they ever could have expected.
*Starred Review, School Library Journal
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Ping Pong Queen of Chinatown
By Alicia D. Williams
Hardback
$19.99
High school junior Felix Ma wants to prove to his parents that he’s not a quitter. After crashing out of piano lessons and competitive ping-pong, Felix starts a film club at his school in a last-ditch attempt to find a star extracurricular for his college applications.
Then he meets Cassie Chow, a bubbly high school senior who shares Felix’s anxieties about the future and complicated relationship with parental expectations. Felix feels drawn to Cassie for reasons he can’t quite articulate, so as an excuse to see her more, he invites Cassie to star in his short film.
The project starts out as a lighthearted mockumentary. But at the urging of Felix’s college admissions coach, who wants to turn the film into essay material, it soon morphs into a serious drama about the emotional scars that parents leave on their kids. As Felix and Cassie uncover their most painful memories, Cassie starts to balk at opening her wounds for the camera.
With his parents and college admissions coach hot on his heels, Felix discovers painful truths about himself and his past—and must decide whether pleasing his parents is worth losing his closest friend.
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All the Blues in the Sky
By Renée Watson
Hardback
$17.99
Sage's thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. Without the person she had to hold her secrets and dream with, Sage is lost. In a counseling group with other girls who have lost someone close to them, she learns that not all losses are the same, and healing isn't predictable. There is sadness, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, pain, love. And even as Sage grieves, new, good things enter her life-and she just may find a way to know that she can feel it all.
In accessible, engaging verse and prose, this is a story of a girl's journey to heal, grow, and forgive herself. To read it is to see how many shades there are in grief, and to know that someone understands.
*Starred Review, Kirkus
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A Thousand Steps into Night
By Traci Chee
Paperback
$15.99
In the realm of Awara, where gods, monsters, and humans exist side by side, Miuko is an ordinary girl resigned to a safe, if uneventful, existence as an innkeeper’s daughter.
But when Miuko is cursed and begins to transform into a demon with a deadly touch, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life. Aided by a thieving magpie spirit and continuously thwarted by a demon prince, Miuko must outfox tricksters, escape demon hunters, and negotiate with feral gods if she wants to make it home again.
With her transformation comes power and freedom she never even dreamed of, and she’ll have to decide if saving her soul is worth trying to cram herself back into an ordinary life that no longer fits her… and perhaps never did.
*Starred Review, School Library Journal
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One Wrong Step
By Jennifer A. Nielsen
Hardback
$18.99
Twelve-year-old Atlas Wade has been trying to forget the memory of his mother by climbing mountains ever since she died when he was nine years old. When his father signs them up for an expedition group hoping to be the first to ever summit the unconquerable Mount Everest, Atlas can't wait for the chance to prove himself to his father, and maybe finally he can leave his mother behind him on the mountain.
But this time, Atlas is the one left behind, as well as a young American girl named Maddie and their sturdy yet injured Sherpa, Chodak. When news breaks out that war has returned to Europe, and that Nazis are attempting their own summit dangerously nearby, Atlas and Maddie plead with the expedition to come back down.
Their warnings come too late. Atlas looks up that same morning to see an avalanche and when they receive no word from the group, Maddie and Chodak join Atlas as he begins a dangerous journey up the mountain in the hopes of finding survivors.
Parenting
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The Montessori Baby
By Simone Davies and Junnifa Uzodike
Paperback
$19.99
It’s time to change the way we see babies.
Drawing on principles developed by the educator Dr Maria Montessori, The Montessori Baby shows how to raise your baby from birth to age one with love, respect, insight, and a surprising sense of calm. Cowritten by Simone Davies, author of the bestselling The Montessori Toddler, and Junnifa Uzodike, it’s a book filled with hundreds of practical ideas for understanding what is actually happening with your baby, and how you can mindfully assist in their learning and development.
*Starred Review, Publishers Weekly
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The Montessori Toddler
By Simone Davies
Paperback
$19.99
Turn your home into a Montessori home—and become a more mindful, attentive, and easygoing parent.
It’s time to change the way we see toddlers. Using the principles developed by the educator Dr. Maria Montessori, Simone Davies shows how to turn life with a “terrible two” into a mutually rich and rewarding time of curiosity, learning, respect, and discovery.
With hundreds of practical ideas for every aspect of living with a toddler, here are five principles for feeding your child’s natural curiosity, from “Trust in the child” to “Fostering a sense of wonder.” Step-by-step ways to cultivate daily routines with ease, like brushing teeth, toilet-training, dealing with siblings, losing the pacifier.
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The Montessori Child
By Simone Davies and Junnifa Uzodike
Paperback
$19.99
When children are given independence, the tools to succeed, and the encouragement to build on their abilities, it’s amazing what they can achieve. The newest book in the bestselling Montessori series is an everything-you-need-to-know guide to raising your school-aged child (from 3–12 years old, with a bonus chapter for the teen years) in the Montessori way. Educators Simone Davies and Junnifa Uzodike provide an in-depth, practical guide to incorporating Montessori principles into readers’ everyday lives, with advice on everything from setting up your home in ways that encourage curiosity and independence to supporting your child’s social and moral development with a balance of limit-setting and age-appropriate freedoms.
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Positive Discipline: Parenting Tools
By Jane Nelson
Paperback
$18
Do you wish there was a way to raise well-behaved children without punishment? Are you afraid the only alternative is being overly indulgent?
With Positive Discipline, an encouragement model based on both kindness and firmness, you don’t have to choose between these two extremes. Using these 49 Positive Discipline tools, honed and perfected after years of real-world research and feedback, you’ll be able to work with your children instead of against them. The goal isn’t perfection but providing you with the techniques you need to help your children develop the life and social skills you hope for them, such as respect for self and others, problem-solving ability, and self-regulation.
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Positive Discipline for Teenagers
By Jane Nelson
Paperback
$17
Adolescence can be a time of great stress and turmoil—not only for kids going through it, but for their parents as well. It’s normal for teens to explore a new sense of freedom and to redefine the ways in which they relate to their parents, and that process can sometimes leave parents feeling powerless, alienated, or excluded from their children’s lives. These effects can be magnified even further in this modern age of social networks, cell phones, and constant digital distraction.
This newly revised and updated edition of Positive Discipline for Teenagers shows parents how to build stronger bridges of communication with their children, break the destructive cycles of guilt and blame that occur in parent-teen power struggles, and work toward greater mutual respect with their adolescents. At the core of the Positive Discipline approach is the understanding that teens still need their parents, just in different ways—and by better understanding who their teens really are, parents can learn to encourage both their teens and themselves, and instill good judgment without being judgmental. The methods in this book work to build vital social and life skills through encouragement and empowerment—not punishment. Truly effective parenting is about connection before correction.