When a fierce wind threatens to blow all the little letters out of the alphabet tree, they must band together in words--and then sentences--to create a message that's even stronger than the wind: peace on earth. With their newfound knowledge, there's nothing the letters "can't "do in this gentle parable about the power of the written word.

“Brooks’ chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling.” — The New York Times Book Review “ Horse isn’t just an animal story—it’s a moving narrative about race and art.” — TIME “ A thrilling story about humanity in all its ugliness and beauty . . . the evocative voices create a story so powerful, reading it feels like watching a neck-and-neck horse race, galloping to its conclusion—you just can’t look away.” — Oprah Daily Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award · Finalist for the Chautauqua Prize · A Massachusetts Book Award Honor Book A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history Kentucky, 1850 . An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamor of any racetrack. New York City, 1954 . Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a nineteenth-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance. Washington, DC, 2019 . Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse—one studying the stallion’s bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success. Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.

"I loved every page. This is middle grade fiction at its best."-- Ann Patchett From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians comes a must-read, wholly original middle-grade debut perfect for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Roald Dahl. Dear Uncle Herbert, You've never met me, but I'm your niece Kate, and since it is my birthday tomorrow and you are super-rich could you please send me a present? Kate and her younger brother Tom lead dull, uninteresting lives. And if their dull, uninteresting parents are anything to go by, they don't have much to look forward to. Why can't Kate have thrilling adventures and save the world the way people do in books? Even her 11th birthday is shaping up to be mundane -- that is, until her mysterious and highly irresponsible Uncle Herbert, whom she's never even met before, surprises her with the most unexpected, exhilarating, inappropriate birthday present of all time: a colossal steam locomotive called the Silver Arrow. Kate and Tom's parents want to send it right back where it came from. But Kate and Tom have other ideas -- and so does the Silver Arrow -- and soon they're off to distant lands along magical rail lines in the company of an assortment of exotic animals who, it turns out, can talk. With only curiosity, excitement, their own resourcefulness and the thrill of the unknown to guide them, Kate and Tom are on the adventure of a lifetime . . . and who knows? They just might end up saving the world after all. This thrilling fantasy adventure will not only entertain young readers but inspire them to see the beautiful, exciting, and precious world around them with new eyes.

"Do you believe in ghosts? Don't say no until you take a walk down Fear Street. Past the woods -- where no birds sing. Past the lake -- where something lurks beneath the water. Past the cemetery -- where everyone is dying to meet you. Take a peek in Sal's Five and Ten. He sells great stuff. Wes Parker bought a 3-D poster there. He spent hours trying to see the hidden picture. Then he wished he hadn't. Because the thing inside the poster saw Wes too. Now it wants out . . . and it wants Wes"--

Snow is falling. All the animals are fast asleep in their animal homes. They awake. They open their eyes. They sniff. They run. What will they find? 1950 Caldecott Honor Book

In this sentimental, didactic fable, Masson imagines how the lone, nonsocial, domesticated animal came to share hearth and home.Billi, an Asian leopard cat, lives in a mango forest in ancient India. He enjoys his independence, but he feels pangs of loneliness and curiosity about the "two-foots." He learns their languages - Hindi, Malayam and Sanskrit - and he can "see the appeal of south India's three major religions."Billi embarks on a quest to learn more about humans by discovering what their animals think of them. A water buffalo mourns being underappreciated; a parrot bemoans his cage; a mongoose tells a chilling story about human ingratitude. Billi reminds a cow that it's worshipped by humans. "Oh, great," the cow says. "That and five rupees will get you a chapati."Nine months of travel and no truly good word for humans leaves Billi undeterred and, back home, he seeks out a young girl he'd often watched. It's not easy proving his good intentions or trying to be "the only animal to have a mutually satisfying relationship with humans," but Billi makes it happen in a story that's heartwarming not only for the passionate cat fan but for all readers.A novelette from the author of Raising the Peaceable Kingdom.

Eoin Colfer meets Rick Riordan--with a little Margaret Peterson Haddix sprinkled on top--in this hilarious sci-fi series from New York Times bestselling authors Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman. ​ When fourteen-year-old Noah falls from the trees on his classmate Sahara, he doesn't understand how, or why, he would have been up there. It's just one more in a string of strange things happening to Noah lately. Like when he keels over and every muscle in his body freezes when confronted by bullies. And when he vanishes into the background at a moment he doesn't want to be noticed. And when he unexpectedly blasts Sahara with a bird shriek while flapping his arms uncontrollably in the middle of a school dance. What does it all mean? And why do there suddenly seem to be so many mysterious people trying to kill him? Noah's friend Ogden has an idea...but like all of Ogden's ideas, it's out there. Way out there... Read all The N.O.A.H. Files: I Am the Walrus Shock the Monkey The Dog Days Are Over

Cry Wolf! Haste makes waste! Sour grapes! These familiar expressions come from stories that have been told around the world for more than two thousand years. Their reputed author Aesop lived in the 6th century BC, and is said by the Greek historian Herodotus to have been a slave on the island of Samos. Legend has it that Aesop was an ugly, deformed little man whose audience laughed at his appearance but also at his brilliant story-telling. Using mostly animals as characters, especially the fox, the wolf and the lion, each of Aesop's fables demonstrates a moral. The tales stress the value of plain common sense: how to save one's own skin; things are not always as they seem; please all, please none. In this magical presentation Barry Castle's stunning paintings, with their unique other-wordly quality, combine with Naomi Lewis' lyrical retelling of Aesop to create an exciting new version of these classic stories.

Since its inception in 1915, the Best American series has become the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction. For each volume, a series editor reads pieces from hundreds of periodicals, then selects between fifty and a hundred outstanding works. That selection is pared down to the twenty or so very best pieces by a guest editor who is widely recognized as a leading writer in his or her field. This unique system has helped make the Best American series the most respected -- and most popular -- of its kind. The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2004, edited by Steven Pinker, is another "provocative and thoroughly enjoyable [collection] from start to finish" (Publishers Weekly). Here is the best and newest on science and nature: the psychology of suicide terrorism, desperate measures in surgery, the weird world of octopuses, Sex Week at Yale, the linguistics of click languages, the worst news about cloning, and much more.

WINNER of Mass Books Early Reader Must Reads/Picture Books! "An imaginative and original depiction of one of life's everyday miracles." -- KIRKUS STARRED REVIEW From award-winning and NY Times bestselling children's and beloved birder, Jane Yolen, and award-winning illustrator, Bob Marstall, comes On Bird Hill the first in a series created for bird-lovers and dreamers alike! On Bird Hill is first in a new Jane Yolen series developed for the Cornell Lab, the world's leading authority on bird's. Loosely based on "The Green Grass Grew All Around," a nursery rhyme first published as a song in 1912, this whimsical version follows a boy and his dog as they find a bird in a nest on a hill in a strange valley. This beautiful and enchanting story is perfect for young minds taking flight. 35% of the net proceeds from every Cornell Lab Publishing Group book purchase will support projects such as children's educational and community programs. About the ON BIRD HILL & BEYOND SERIES The ON BIRD HILL & BEYOND series invites children to reclaim the freedom to explore, wander and adventure outdoors. Created especially for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology - the world leader in the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds - by New York Times bestselling author Jane Yolen and renowned illustrators Bob Marstall and Elizabeth Dulemba. The series artfully engages the senses to see, feel, hear, and touch the natural world and the life within. Back matter contains information on birds and wildlife depicted with full-color photos and "How You Can Help" suggestions for budding naturalists and birders. RAVE REVIEWS FOR ON BIRD HILL... "Expressively captures a luminous moment of discovery in the natural world. On Bird Hill leaves space for the imagination and underscores the surprising wonder found in everyday moments." -- School Library Journal "It's a sweetly surreal meditation on the everyday wonders that await in the wild."--Publisher's Weekly "...opens your eyes to the extraordinary in the ordinary of nature. I look forward to more books in the series..."--NC Teacher Stuff

Detective Jeffrey Bones solves crimes?but this time it?s personal. He?s at a science museum when his blue Tyrannosaurus rex goes missing. Could someone have stolen it? Bones must find his T-rex! Hopefully there?s something in Bones?s detective bag that can help him solve this roar of a mystery!

Mass Books Picture Book/Series Must Reads Winner! "Gently explores a human's place within the chain of being." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY In ON BIRD HILL, Yolen and Marstall took readers on a surreal journey with a boy and his dog, as they stopped, looked, and noticed things along their path, ultimately discovering the miracle a hatching baby bird. ON DUCK POND continues the journey of the boy and dog, this time in a new place--a serene pond, filled with birds, frogs, turtles, and other creatures going about their quiet business. Their intrusion stirs the pond into a cacophony of activity, reaching a climactic chaos before slowly settling back to a quiet equilibrium. This beautiful and enchanting sequel is sure to delight ON BIRD HILL fans and millions of readers of Jane's popular classics. As with all Cornell Lab Publishing Group books, 35% of net proceeds from the sale of this title goes directly to the Cornell Lab to support projects such as children's educational and community programs. Photographs and fascinating information on New England Beach habitat life: - Sea Stars - Blue-Blooded Horseshoe Crab - Hermit Crab - Jonah Crab - Fiddler Crab Bird QR free Android and iOS download to follow along with sounds of the following birds: - Herring Gull - Sanderling - Willet - Snowy Egret How you can help our beaches and wildlife information 35% of the net proceeds from every Cornell Lab Publishing Group book purchase will support projects such as children's educational and community programs. About the ON BIRD HILL & BEYOND SERIES The ON BIRD HILL & BEYOND series invites children to reclaim the freedom to explore, wander and adventure outdoors. Created especially for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology - the world leader in the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds - by New York Times bestselling author Jane Yolen and renowned illustrators Bob Marstall and Elizabeth Dulemba. The series artfully engages the senses to see, feel, hear, and touch the natural world and the life within. Back matter contains information on birds and wildlife depicted with full-color photos and "How You Can Help" suggestions for budding naturalists and birders. RAVE REVIEWS FOR ON BIRD HILL... "... expressively captures a luminous moment of discovery in the natural world. On Bird Hill leaves space for the imagination and underscores the surprising wonder found in everyday moments. -- School Library Journal "It's a sweetly surreal meditation on the everyday wonders that await in the wild."--Publisher's Weekly "Beautiful and enchanting."--Hooked on Books "It opens your eyes to the extraordinary in the ordinary of nature. I look forward to more books in the series..."--NC Teacher Stuff

Eureka! Silver Award Winner From New York Times bestselling children's author Jane Yolen, and award-winning illustrator, Bob Marstall, ON DUCK POND is the first sequel to the acclaimed ON BIRD HILL. ON BIRD HILL took readers on a surreal journey with a boy and his dog, as they stopped, looked, and noticed things along their path, ultimately discovering the miracle a hatching baby bird.ON DUCK POND continues their journey, this time in a new place--a serene pond, filled with birds, frogs, turtles, and other creatures going about their quiet business. Their intrusion stirs the pond into a cacophony of activity, reaching a climactic chaos before slowly settling back to a quiet equilibrium. This beautiful and enchanting sequel is sure to delight ON BIRD HILL fans and millions of readers of Jane's popular classics. 35% of the net proceeds from every Cornell Lab Publishing Group book purchase will support projects such as children's educational and community programs. Pond Wildlife to discover in this book: Mallard Wood Duck American Black Duck Green-Winged Teal Hooded Merganser American Wigeon Gladwell Great Blue Heron Great Egret Red-Winged Blackbird American Box Turtle Red-eared Slider Eastern Gray Squirrel Eastern Cottontail Raccoon American Bullfrog White-tailed Deer Dragonfly About the ON BIRD HILL & BEYOND SERIES The ON BIRD HILL & BEYOND series invites children to reclaim the freedom to explore, wander and adventure outdoors. Created especially for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology - the world leader in the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds - by New York Times bestselling author Jane Yolen and renowned illustrators Bob Marstall and Elizabeth Dulemba. The series artfully engages the senses to see, feel, hear, and touch the natural world and the life within. Back matter contains information on birds and wildlife depicted with full-color photos and "How You Can Help" suggestions for budding naturalists and birders. RAVE REVIEWS FOR ON BIRD HILL... "... expressively captures a luminous moment of discovery in the natural world. On Bird Hill leaves space for the imagination and underscores the surprising wonder found in everyday moments. -- School Library Journal "It's a sweetly surreal meditation on the everyday wonders that await in the wild."--Publisher's Weekly "Beautiful and enchanting."--Hooked on Books "It opens your eyes to the extraordinary in the ordinary of nature. I look forward to more books in the series..."--NC Teacher Stuff

Noah Prime must set out to save his friends and the universe once again in this action-packed, alien-filled, hilarious novel in the New York Times bestselling The N.O.A.H. Files series. Noah Prime never expected to wind up a fugitive hunted by aliens. To be honest, he had never even believed in aliens...until a team of them blew up his house. He escaped--and managed to save the world--by using his mysterious ability to harness the traits of every animal on earth. Now he's in hiding, and thinks all is well.... ...Until his friend Ogden buys a star for Claire, the most popular girl in school. However, instead of a quaint romantic notion, it turns out to be an actual real estate deal--and aliens from that star system abduct Claire to take her to the nasty, trash-filled planet she now owns. It's up to Noah, Sahara, and Ogden to cross the cosmos in search of Claire to save her and her strange new world from the evilest body-snatching worms in the galaxy. This time it's going to take a lot more than walrus blubber, cheetah speed, or skunk funk to save the day...it's going to take friendship of the most extraordinary and extraterrestrial variety. Read all The N.O.A.H. Files: I Am the Walrus Shock the Monkey The Dog Days Are Over

When two lions meet, how do they say hello? Lions greet each other by rubbing their foreheads together. Wolves wave their tails and lick each other's faces. With this fun and informative look at animal behavior, you can find out how various animals say hello to each other. Then... smile at, wave to, bow for, and hug your friends and family. Hello, hello!

"Celebrating an activity that is companionable as well as scientific and that fosters a special bond with the natural world, Yolen presents 17 melodious evocations of particular species. . . . A book to bring nature and poetry lovers together."--"Kirkus Reviews, " pointer review. Full color.

Long ago unicorns lived in a haven of sun-dappled glades and flower-filled dells. But as civilization spread over the ages -- with its fierce knights, its chugging trains, its thick smogs -- unicorns had to find a new sanctuary. But where? Jane Yolen finds a magical answer in the traditional unicorn myth. Her rhythmic, rhymed text is irresistible to read aloud. And Ruth Sanderson's brilliant artwork gives unicorns a bold reality in everything from ancient cave paintings to their secret, present-day home. After reading this tribute to the mystical, mysterious unicorn, children will enjoy looking for these elusive creatures in the world around them.

Burrow into this classic tale about a family of rabbits from the author of Bambi . Hops and his young rabbit friends must face all the triumphs and trials in the first year of life in the woods. Life is dangerous in the forest, especially for the fifteen young rabbits who are learning to navigate their home. While there are many wonderful things and other animals to get to know—including a deer by the name of Bambi—there are also dangers, and the constant threat of man. In order to thrive, the rabbits must stick together... Felix Salten’s story of the lives of fifteen rabbits is brought back to life in this beautiful repackage.

In "One Basket" by Edna Ferber, readers are treated to a collection of short stories that provide a delightful glimpse into the lives of various characters. Through Ferber's skillful storytelling, these tales explore the intricacies of human relationships, dreams, and the intricacies of daily existence. The book's narrative diversity spans from the bustling streets of New York City to the quiet rural settings, making each story a unique experience. Themes of love, ambition, and personal growth are woven throughout, painting a vivid picture of American life in the early 20th century. Edna Ferber's masterful prose captures the essence of the human spirit, offering a rich and emotional reading experience for all.

A tree and its resident bird that sings out of tune are happy together in the spring and summer, but lonesome when the bird must fly south for the winter.