Books

FROM SARAH:

A charming early reader, perfect for spring and summer.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

It's springtime, and the perfect day to plant a garden. The brother and sister from Pumpkin Day!, Apple Picking Day!, and Snow Day! return and plant peas in their backyard.

FROM SARAH:

A sweet addition to your early reader's collection!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In this sweet, silly, rhyming story, a troop of knight owls is on a mission. Can they find the dragon, save the kingdom, and even find time for a snack? Lots of lots of giggles are guaranteed!

FROM SARAH:

Vibrant and energetic illustrations, paired with rhythmic text, A great early reader.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

 Uncluttered text keeps the same basic pattern on each spread, so new readers can focus on one changing word at a time.

FROM SARAH:

This whole series of Beginner Book collections were what I'd have my kids bring to read (or "read") while waiting at the dentist or their brother's track meet. They pack several great early readers into a single volume! It's worth it to own a few of these.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A perfect introduction to reading that will whet young readers appetites for additional books in the Beginner Book series.

FROM SARAH:

This whole series of Beginner Book collections were what I'd have my kids bring to read (or "read") while waiting at the dentist or their brother's track meet. They pack several great early readers into a single volume! It's worth it to own a few of these.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A perfect introduction to reading that will whet young readers appetites for additional books in the Beginner Book series.

FROM SARAH:

This whole series of Beginner Book collections were what I'd have my kids bring to read (or "read") while waiting at the dentist or their brother's track meet. They pack several great early readers into a single volume! It's worth it to own a few of these.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A perfect introduction to reading that will whet young readers appetites for additional books in the Beginner Book series.

FROM SARAH:

This whole series of Beginner Book collections were what I'd have my kids bring to read (or "read") while waiting at the dentist or their brother's track meet. They pack several great early readers into a single volume! It's worth it to own a few of these.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A perfect introduction to reading that will whet young readers appetites for additional books in the Beginner Book series.

Where was the first mile of highway paved? Who was the 38th President of the United States? What is the nation's most remote National Park? What was the first bottled soda pop in this country? Find the answers to these questions and many more in M is for Mitten: A Michigan Alphabet.

FROM SARAH:

This is a UK version, and there is some use of language in this version of the book that keep it from being widely recommended at RAR. It is, however, one of my own favorite reads! You can easily edit the language on the fly if you read it aloud.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

1944, and London is under attack. Young mouse Pip Hanway's safe and quiet world is turned upside down when her home, umbrella shop James Smith & Sons, is destroyed by a bomb. Orphaned and alone, she must begin a perilous quest to find a new home.

But the only way to get there is by joining Noah’s Ark, a secret gang of animals fighting with the resistance in France, operating beneath the feet of the human soldiers. Danger is everywhere and as the enemy closes in, Pip must risk everything to save her new friends.

FROM SARAH:

Easily one of my favorite books of all time. Don't give up until you've read to at least through James's departure to the war. Even if greek gods and goddesses aren't your thing... keep reading! Especially wonderful on audio (Audible | LibroFM).

Recommended for mamas, and for teens 16+.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A sweeping, multi-layered romance set in the perilous days of World Wars I and II, where gods hold the fates--and the hearts--of four mortals in their hands.

They are Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette. Their story, as told by the goddess Aphrodite, who must spin the tale or face judgment on Mount Olympus, is filled with hope and heartbreak, prejudice and passion, and reveals that, though War is a formidable force, it's no match for the transcendent power of Love

FROM SARAH:

his beautifully poetic exploration of nature encourages young readers to discover the wild in unexpected places. I'm a *major* fan of Abigail Halpin's art.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A lovely, lyrical picture book with gorgeous illustrations that explores the ways the wild makes itself known to us and how much closer it is than we think.

FROM SARAH:

Lovely! This one is from Stephanie Graegin, who also illustrated the Heartwood Hotel series by Kallie George.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

When a young girl brings her beloved stuffed fox to the playground, much to her astonishment, a real fox takes off with it! Wandering deeper and deeper into the forest, they come across a tall hedge with an archway. What do they find on the other side?

FROM SARAH:

What's a girl gotta do to get some peace at the beach? 😉

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

It's a glorious summer day at the shore, and all Jamie wants is to finish her art project in the sand. A little time to herself is all she needs. But everyone around keeps asking her pesky questions she doesn't know how to answer.

FROM SARAH:

A playful story, perfect for a summer afternoon.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

On a perfect day, the hours stretch endlessly ahead. Scribbling with chalk, running with kites, digging for shells . . . paddling, climbing, dreaming. Hour unfolds upon hour, with reassuring comfort and sleep beckoning at the end.

FROM SARAH:

Patricia MacLachlan and Micha Archer pair up in this stunning book... it may be one of my favorites on this list! We chose it for RAR Premium Family Book Club and got to talk with Micha about making the gorgeous collage illustrations.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Cool summer mornings begin with the rose orange sun and the smell of earth, and fade into hot summer nights with a yellow moon, covered in a quilt of stars. There are wagon rides, farm dogs, trips into town, and games of kick the can. These are prairie days.

FROM SARAH:

My own kids aren't exactly hands-on when it comes to creepy crawlies... so they were fascinated by this story of The Bug Girl. See if your library has it!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Sophia Spencer has loved bugs ever since a butterfly landed on her shoulder--and wouldn't leave!--at a butterfly conservancy when she was only two-and-a-half years old. In preschool and kindergarten, Sophia was thrilled to share what she knew about grasshoppers (her very favorite insects), as well as ants and fireflies... but by first grade, not everyone shared her enthusiasm.

FROM SARAH:

Especially good for kids age 3-6, these books have nice illustrations and just enough text. Excellent for nature study or simply an afternoon read-aloud.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Did you know that a grasshopper makes its distinctive sound by rubbing its bristly hind legs together? Amazing discoveries abound in Backyard Books: Are You a Grasshopper? by Judy Allen with illustrations by Tudor Humphries, an intriguing tale of a day in the life of a grasshopper.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The book follows a ladybug through its life cycle from an egg to getting its wings.

FROM SARAH:

Especially good for kids age 3-6, these books have nice illustrations and just enough text. Excellent for nature study or simply an afternoon read-aloud.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Backyard Books: Are You a Bee? by Judy Allen with illustrations by Tudor Humphries shows that--from the perspective of a honeybee--the backyard is a busy place. A young bee faces many challenges as it takes its place in the hive and joins in the work of the bee community.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Backyard Books: Are You an Ant? by Judy Allen with illustrations by Tudor Humphries will give children who love to track ants an inside look at the everyday life of this fascinating insect, as they explore the similarities and differences to themselves.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly; follow the metamorphosis of this familiar backyard creature as it evolves into a delicate flying insect.

FROM SARAH:

What might you see on a summer walk? This book would be ideal to read aloud before heading out on a walk of your own.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Ramble through the woods, as you join Grammy and her favorite grandkids on a summer walk. Beautiful illustrations and clever rhymes will guide readers as they learn to identify twenty-six different bugs, from grasshoppers to moths, snails to katydids. At day’s end, discover how to create a caterpillar habitat; observe over time as your caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly you can then release on your next summer walk.

FROM SARAH:

A well-written picture book biography about Charles Herny Turner and his fascination with bugs.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Can spiders learn? How do ants find their way home? Can bugs see color? All of these questions buzzed endlessly in Charles Henry Turner’s mind. He was fascinated by plants and animals and bugs. And even when he faced racial prejudice, Turner did not stop wondering. He constantly read, researched, and experimented.

FROM SARAH:

This new middle grade novel, set in WWII London and featuring three orphaned siblings is EASILY one of the best novels I’ve read in a long while.⁣ There is the English countryside. And tea. And a mischievous boy named Edmund (yes! Edmund!), siblings who work together to get themselves through a rough patch, and a librarian you will fall in love with. ⁣There are bookish references galore. ⁣
⁣
Read it aloud to all ages (probably 7+ will enjoy it most). Or just read it yourself! It’s an utter delight. ⁣Want the RAR Family Book Club Guide to go with it? Join RAR Premium to get it.

The audiobook is especially well done. One of the best books I've ever shared with my kids. (Audible | LibroFM).

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

It is 1940 and William, 12, Edmund, 11, and Anna, 9, aren't terribly upset by the death of the not-so-grandmotherly grandmother who has taken care of them since their parents died. But the children do need a guardian, and in the dark days of World War II London, those are in short supply, especially if they hope to stay together. Could the mass wartime evacuation of children from London to the countryside be the answer?

FROM SARAH:

One of my best 2021 reads. This book, set in Atlanta during Reconstruction (post Civil War), features a heroine you will fall in love with and root for, an advice column that will steal your heart, and a story that will keep you turning pages. Recommended for ages 16+ for a bit of mature content (not so much explicit as implied). Wonderful on audio (Audible | LibroFM).

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, "Dear Miss Sweetie." When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society's ills, but she's not prepared for the backlash that follows.

FROM SARAH:

My favorite from Ann Patchett. Everyone I know who has read this book absolutely loved it, which makes it very easy to recommend! Wonderful on audio (Audible | LibroFM).

Recommended for ages 16+, I think, though I'm not sure a teen will enjoy it as much as you will, and it wasn't written for young adults. Strong language warning, discretion advised. 

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.

FROM SARAH:

This book sent me on a major Romanov rabbit trail, and I found myself reading everything I could about them. I knew nothing about the fall of the Russian Imperial empire before reading it, but I've learned a lot since! I found this book hard to put down, but also tricky to follow, so I'd recommend reading a paper copy (not an e-book or audiobook) so you can flip back and forth when you need to clarify a date or a character.

This one has an intense scene toward the end, and I probably wouldn't hand it to a child under 18. This is not a feel-good-and-cozy read, either, so read it when you want a suspenseful page-turner that will make you think.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A young woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal. Refusing to explain her presence in the freezing water or even acknowledge her rescuers, she is taken to the hospital where an examination reveals that her body is riddled with countless horrific scars. When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious young woman claims to be the Russian grand duchess.

FROM SARAH:

Anne Bogel recommended this book, and suggested you read it without reading any descriptions or blurbs first. And I agree! Especially wonderful on audio. (Audible).

Please note: strong language throughout novel, discretion advised.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

"The story of your life never starts at the beginning. Don't they teach you anything at school?"

So says 104-year-old Ona to the 11-year-old boy who's been sent to help her out every Saturday morning. And that's all you get to know before you read it. 😇 Recommended for ages 16+, but I'm not sure your teens will like it as much as you will.

FROM SARAH:

Susan Meissner is my very favorite living writer. If she writes it, I read it! This is one of my favorites, and tells a story we don't hear often—about the Germans who were sent to internment camps in the U.S. during WWII. Highly recommended for historical fiction lovers. I tend to recommend Susan Meissner's books for ages 16+, and that's about right for this one.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In 1943, Elise Sontag is a typical American teenager from Iowa—aware of the war but distanced from its reach. Then her father, a legal U.S. resident for nearly two decades, is suddenly arrested on suspicion of being a Nazi sympathizer. The family is sent to an internment camp in Texas, where, behind the armed guards and barbed wire, Elise feels stripped of everything beloved and familiar, including her own identity.

FROM SARAH:

I read this on a whim, and was surprised by how much I loved it! I found myself marking up passages that could apply to other creative work, and also to my homeschool. Learning how the creatives at Pixar drum up ideas, nurture them into projects, and then iterate and iterate and iterate some more was really inspiring to me.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Creativity, Inc. is a manual for anyone who strives for originality and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history are made. It is, at heart, a book about creativity—but it is also, as Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull writes, “an expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.”

FROM SARAH:

When you're feeling like your creative side needs a little TLC, this book may just do the trick! I'm a big fan of Todd Henry's work, and this book is responsible for giving me the courage to do a lot of what we do here at RAR.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Die Empty is a tool for people who aren't willing to put off their most important work for another day. Todd Henry explains the forces that lead to stagnation and introduces practices that will keep you on a true and steady course.

FROM SARAH:

Oh, how I love this book. Every bit of it is insightful and practical, helping us be a genius about what truly matters, and lazy about the rest. Highly, highly recommended. We'll be reading this in Mama Book Club, Fall 2021.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Discover a better way to approach your relationships, work, and piles of mail. Be who you are without the complication of everyone else’s "shoulds". Do what matters, skip the rest, and be a person again.

FROM SARAH:

This is one of my absolute favorite nonfiction books—it may win the prize as "Sarah's most re-read book!" Implementing the ideas in Essentialism have had a tremendous impact on my homeschool, my work at Read-Aloud Revival, and my parenting. If you feel pulled in too many directions, try some of the ideas in this book and see if it helps. (This book also makes a great gift for that handsome guy in your life, if you're looking for a book for him! 😘)

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Essentialism is more than a time-management strategy or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution toward the things that really matter.

FROM SARAH:

If you knew that the most memorable parts of any experience are how it begins, how it ends, and the high/low in between, how would that impact your family life? Your vacations? Your homeschool day? These are the kinds of questions I started asking after reading The Power of Moments. Enjoyable and packed with interesting data.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

This book delves into some fascinating mysteries of experience: Why we tend to remember the best or worst moment of an experience, as well as the last moment, and forget the rest. Why “we feel most comfortable when things are certain, but we feel most alive when they’re not.” And why our most cherished memories are clustered into a brief period during our youth.

FROM SARAH:

Alan Jacobs is one of my very favorite nonfiction writers. I feel smarter after I've read them, and like my soul has been spiffed up, too. Don't miss my conversations with Alan Jacobs on the RAR Podcast: #145 The Importance of Reading at Whim and #163: A Reader's Guide to a More Tranquil Mind.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Most of us don't want to think, Jacobs writes. Thinking is trouble. Thinking can force us out of familiar, comforting habits, and it can complicate our relationships with like-minded friends. Finally, thinking is slow, and that's a problem when our habits of consuming information (mostly online) leave us lost in the spin cycle of social media, partisan bickering, and confirmation bias. In this smart, endlessly entertaining book, Jacobs diagnoses the many forces that act on us to prevent thinking - forces that have only worsened in the age of Twitter, "alternative facts", and information overload - and he also dispels the many myths we hold about what it means to think well. (For example: It's impossible to "think for yourself".)

FROM SARAH:

I didn't expect to love this treatise on creativity from a modern dancer, but love it I did! I've lost track of how many times I've re-read it now, but I always find just what I need in its pages, when I'm in a creative funk. The practical suggestions can be implemented widely, no matter what kind of creative work you do.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

An inspiring guide to unlocking one's creative potential provides a wealth of exercises, anecdotes, and advice that comprise evaluating one's creative history, stimulating oneself by becoming active, and making time for creative change.

FROM SARAH:

Read. this. book. The end.

😉 Ok fine, I'll give you more than that. Katherine Paterson's essays on what children's literature does for the humans soul are unparalleled. They make me want to drop everything and read, read, read. Read alone. Read with people I love. Read. There are various collections of these essays (with a lot of crossover), but they are all out of print and can be difficult to find, so just get your hands on whichever one you can.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

With the same perception, wit, and generosity that characterize her fiction, a much-honored writer shares her ideas about writing for children, as well as her passion for reading, her spiritual faith, and her conviction that the imagination must be nourished.

FROM SARAH:

I've read this food critic's memoir twice. I'm not a foodie, but no matter! This book is such fun, and Ruch Reichl could probably write about paint drying and manage to make it interesting. Highly recommended if you need something enjoyable and easy to read.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Garlic and Sapphires is Ruth Reichl's riotous account of the many disguises she employs to dine anonymously. There is her stint as Molly Hollis, a frumpy blond with manicured nails and an off-beige Armani suit that Ruth takes on when reviewing Le Cirque. The result: her famous double review of the restaurant: first she ate there as Molly; and then as she was coddled and pampered on her visit there as Ruth, New York Times food critic.

FROM SARAH:

Shauna Niequist is a beautiful writer (sometimes I just stare her sentences to see how she made them). This book combines her captivating writing with the inspiration to live life fully, right where you are, as you are. I loved it.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In these pages, New York Times bestselling author Shauna Niequist invites you to consider the landscape of your own life, and what it might look like to leave behind the pressure to be perfect and begin the life-changing practice of simply being present, in the middle of the mess and the ordinariness of life.

FROM SARAH:

This book is hard to describe, but easy to love — especially if you read it knowing that the author died of cancer not long after its publication. A poignant, joyous, easy-to-read romp that will help you fall in love with ordinary life.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Ten years after her beloved, groundbreaking Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, #1 New York Times bestselling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal delivers a book full of her distinct blend of nonlinear narrative, wistful reflections, and insightful wit. It is a mighty, life-affirming work that sheds light on all the ordinary and extraordinary ways we are connected.

FROM SARAH:

Some of us are more enthusiastic about starting than we are about finishing. 🙋🏼‍♀️ If that's you, read this book.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

If you’re tired of being a chronic starter and want to become a consistent finisher, you have two options: You can continue to beat yourself up and try harder, since this time that will work. Or you can give yourself the gift of done.

FROM SARAH:

I keep revisiting this book, over and over. It's full of nuggets that apply to your work, no matter what you do (there's so much crossover potential with homeschooling). The audiobook is especially well done! (Audible | LibroFM)

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Based on the breakthrough Akimbo workshop pioneered by legendary author Seth Godin, The Practice will help you get unstuck and find the courage to make and share creative work. Godin insists that writer's block is a myth, that consistency is far more important than authenticity, and that experiencing the imposter syndrome is a sign that you're a well-adjusted human. Most of all, he shows you what it takes to turn your passion from a private distraction to a productive contribution, the one you've been seeking to share all along.

FROM SARAH:

One of my favorite reads of 2019. We even talked to the author in RAR Premium's Mama Book Club!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A vibrant, imaginative read, this book pulls back the curtain to illuminate Madeleine L'Engle's creative journey, her persevering faith, and the inspiring, often unexpected ways these two forces converged.

FROM SARAH:

This book blew me away, and I couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks afterward. Inspiring and encouraging. A secular book with the fingerprints of Jesus all over it. I probably wouldn't hand this one to under-18's.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Shakespeare professor and prison volunteer Laura Bates thought she had seen it all. That is, until she decided to teach Shakespeare in a place the bard had never been before — supermax solitary confinement. In this unwelcoming place is Larry, a convicted murderer with several escape attempts under his belt and a brilliantly agile mind on his shoulders.

FROM SARAH:

Susan Meissner is my favorite author, hands-down. If she writes it, I read it! This is one of my favorites. Best for ages 16+, I think.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Los Angeles, 1938. Violet Mayfield sets out to reinvent herself in Hollywood after her dream of becoming a wife and mother falls apart, and lands a job on the film-set of Gone With the Wind. There, she meets enigmatic Audrey Duvall, a once-rising film star who is now a fellow secretary. Audrey’s zest for life and their adventures together among Hollywood’s glitterati enthrall Violet...until each woman’s deepest desires collide.

FROM SARAH:

Of all of Sally Clarkson's books, this remains my favorite. It was the book I needed when I was drowning (and yes, desperate) with six young kids, three of them age 1 and under. I both read it and listened to the audio version.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Desperate is for those who love their children to the depths of their souls but who have also curled up under their covers, fighting back tears, and begging God for help. It’s for those who have ever wondered what happened to all their ideals for what having children would be like. For those who have ever felt like all the “experts” have clearly never had a child like theirs. For those who have prayed for a mentor. For those who ever felt lost and alone in motherhood.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

This was the first novel I read by Ann Patchett, and I just loved it. It surprised me, and I found myself copying random passages in my reading journal, just because the author has such a way of crafting beautiful sentences!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Since their mother's death, Tip and Teddy Doyle have been raised by their loving, possessive, and ambitious father. As the former mayor of Boston, Bernard Doyle wants to see his sons in politics, a dream the boys have never shared. But when an argument in a blinding New England snowstorm inadvertently causes an accident that involves a stranger and her child, all Bernard Doyle cares about is his ability to keep his children—all his children—safe.

FROM SARAH:

I've got a thing for business books, and this is one of my favorites. There are a lot of crossover concepts here for homeschooling, as well!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

With its straightforward language and easy-is-better approach, Rework is the perfect playbook for anyone who's ever dreamed of doing it on their own. Hardcore entrepreneurs, small-business owners, people stuck in day jobs who want to get out, and artists who don't want to starve anymore will all find valuable inspiration and guidance in these pages. It's time to rework work.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade's worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live. And just like that, the future he and his wife had imagined evaporated. When Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi's transformation from a naïve medical student into a patient and new father confronting his own mortality.

FROM SARAH:

A light and funny Victorian murder mystery. I'm a huge fan of Julie Berry's work. I listened to this one, as it's read by one of my very favorite narrators: Audible or LibroFM.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

There's a murderer on the loose--but that doesn't stop the girls of St. Etheldreda's from attempting to hide the death of their headmistress in this rollicking farce.
The students of St. Etheldreda's School for Girls face a bothersome dilemma. Their irascible headmistress, Mrs. Plackett, and her surly brother, Mr. Godding, have been most inconveniently poisoned at Sunday dinner. Now the school will almost certainly be closed and the girls sent home--unless these seven very proper young ladies can hide the murders and convince their neighbors that nothing is wrong.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 

In Henry Cole’s vivid wordless picture book Spot, the Cat, readers joined Spot on a journey through a city that began with him following a bird outside his window.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In this black-and-white picture book highlighted with robin’s egg blue, the reader will follow two robins as they build a nest with twigs and grass. Then mother robin lays four beautiful blue eggs and will keep the eggs warm in the nest until they hatch into four baby robins.

FROM SARAH:

For birders and historical enthusiasts who also have a soft spot for storybook rodents (⬅️ that's me!). This is a delightful novel with Henry Cole's marvelous illustrations.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Beautifully illustrated with hundreds of black-and-white drawings, A Nest for Celeste is a short novel that tells the story a mouse living in the 1800s and his friendship with John James Audubon’s young apprentice.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Bear is getting ready for a long winter nap when his friends come "KNOCK KNOCK" knocking! A hilarious tale from bestselling author Tammi Sauer and bestselling illustrator Guy Francis.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

What happens when you expect an itty-bitty kitty . . . but get a lion instead?

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Princess Viola is great at skateboarding and karate-chopping, but she’s lousy at the royal wave, walk, and waltz. The king and queen are not pleased. What’s a princess to do? Attend the skill-polishing Camp Princess, of course.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When the time comes for Bernadette to go to Monster Academy, she's just a teensy bit nervous. Her classmates just don't understand her. They'd rather uproot trees than sing friendship songs. And they prefer fried snail goo to Bernadette's homemade cupcakes with sprinkles. Can Bernadette find a way to make friends at school and still be herself?

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Dot is a little chicken, who is, let’s face it, a little chicken. Can she find a way to pluck up her courage?

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Tammi Sauer and Dan Santat have whipped up a giddy, goofy romp where cows fly over the moon, ducks surf in a water trough, and one very familiar-looking rooster gets all shook up!

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When a little boy meets a stranded alien child, the two instantly strike up a fabulous friendship. They go to school, explore the neighborhood, and have lots of fun. But at bedtime, the alien suddenly grows very, very sad. Can the boy figure out what his new buddy needs most of all?