Thursday, November 12, 2020

OJCS Storytime – Super Silly Scholastic Storytime

 To celebrate our upcoming Scholastic Virtual Bookfair on November 30th, today we read three super silly Scholastic books –

The Great Puppy Invasion by Alastair Heim, illustrated by Kim Smith

A Couch for Llama by Leah Gilbert

Hello, My Name is Octicorn by Kevin Diller, Justin Lowe, and Binny Talib

Our Activity – Design your own Unicorn Hybrid

-Draw a unicorn hybrid.  This can be any silly animal with a unicorn horn.  Spidercorn?  Kangacorn?  They sky is the limit.  What does it eat?  What does it do for fun?

 

Information Credibility Slides Lesson

 

Learning to identify misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes and other baloney

I recently created this lesson on information credibility for our OJCS middle schoolers in the interactive format of Nearpod.  I am posting the slides version here for students and teachers far and wide to use.  Our young people need this now more than ever!


Remembrance Day – A Poppy Is to Remember

 

A Poppy Is to Remember by Heather Patterson and Ron Lightburn

This story is for our grades 3-8 students

Discussion Questions

  1. What are your feelings when you pin on your poppy?  Is there something you think about specifically?
  2. Remembrance day is about remembering.  What are all of the things we can and should try to remember on this day?
  3. Have any of you attended the Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa?  Please share about this experience with the class.

Ottawa’s National War Memorial

 

OJCS Storytime – Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion

 This story is for our K-2 students

Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion by Jane Barclay, illustrated by Renne Benoit

Discussion Questions

  1. What are some of the special qualities that the boy’s grandfather has?  How are they like the animals mentioned in the story?
  2. In the story there are times when the grandfather feels sad.  Do we understand why he might feel sad?
  3. Why is it important that we be like elephants and wear our poppies?

OJCS Storytime – Math is Awesome!

 Today we are reading some fun math-inspired books…

Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman illustrated by Liza Woodruff

Billions of Bricks by Kurt Cyrus

Fun with numbers videos and songs!

Counting

Skip counting

OJCS Storytime – Books About Pigs!

Today we read a few books about some very adorable little piggies!

A Piglet Named Mercy by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen

If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff

Story Sequencing Activity You Can Print

Teachers can print the ‘If You Give a Pig a Pancake’ story sequencing activity pages from the following document for your class.  You can choose the specific pages to print (the activity in colour is page 4 and 5, in black and white it is 25 and 26.)  Students cut out the circles and try to put them in the correct order.  You may need to re-play the story for them before they begin and having them pay close attention!

Ontario Cities Research Workshop With Grade 3

You are going to be starting a project on cities in Ontario.

Let’s start by looking at a non-fiction book and learning how to use them for our research.

What is non-fiction?

Table of Contents?

Index?

Now how can we search for information about our city on Google.  Let’s open up our internet browsers and find out.  We can get very specific with our keywords to find key information for our research project.  For example, if we want to answer the question what is the population of Ottawa Ontario, what could my keywords be?  What about if my questions is; what are Ottawa’s famous landmarks?  

It is really important to remember that we never need to type a long question into Google.  All you need are keywords!  Keywords help us to find the best possible sites on our topic.

What search engines can we use if we want really kid-friendly information?

https://www.kiddle.co/  – Is by far the best one in my humble opinion.

Now your project involves making a short newscast about your city.  Let’s take a minute to look at some great examples of kid-friendly news videos.

Elements of a news report…

  • Welcome everyone and introduce yourself.
  • Make sure your story contains The 5 Ws!  
  • Fill your newscast with important and interesting information.  Example, lots of key facts, interesting facts.
  • You can use video clips and photos as props to help your newscast be more visually interesting.
  • Present your ‘story’ with lots of energy and enthusiasm.
  • You can include commentary and interviews with others in your presentation.  For example, if someone has visited your city, you could include an interview with them where you find out what their favourite tourist destination in that city was, their restaurant recommendations, etc…
  • Kid-friendly news sites;

https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/

https://www.dogonews.com/

https://teachingkidsnews.com/

OJCS Storytime – Crazy Cars!

 

By popular demand, books about cars!

Crazy Car Activity

Your activity today is that you will be designing your own crazy car.  The sky is the limit!  Cat car?  Pizza car?  Duck Truck?

Share them with me at b.ruel@theojcs.ca and I will post them up!

Beautiful flower car Bradlie!

Let’s Get Unplugged

 

Lower Grades Digital Citizenship

First, let’s read Unplugged by Steve Antony

So how do you use your time?

Everyone is going to get a sheet of paper and on one side you are going to write down all of the things you do plugged in (online) and on the other side, all of the things you do unplugged (offline.)  It will look a little something like this…

Once you have finished, I want you to fold this piece of paper in half.

What would your lives look like if you only got to do the things on one side of the paper?

Living our lives mainly online…

  • Let’s start with the plugged side.  If we spent our entire day online and did little else, how would we feel?  Discuss with your class NOW!  
  • After the discussion… 7 hours of Roblox or YouTube might sound great, but in reality, making media choices like this can lead us to feel tired, frustrated, headachy, and sick!

Living our lives completely offline…

  • Now what if we only had the unplugged side?  Would we be completely happy?  Is there anything we would miss?  Discuss with your class NOW!
  • After the discussion… It is okay to enjoy being online!  We get to chat on Facetime, play awesome games, and watch fun videos.

Let’s Aim for Media Balance

Media Balance is making sure that the time we spend online allows lots of room for the other awesome things in life.  This makes us all feel healthier and happier.

Being Unplugged means more time for colouring!  Here is a cute colouring page!

OJCS Storytime – Learning About Migration

 Today we are going to learn about migration by reading three books;

  1. Migration by Melvin and Gilda Berger
  2. Home at Last – A Song of Migration by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Alix Berenzy
  3. South by Patrick McDonnell

Migration Game – Flocking Together

Visit the PBS Kids site to get instructions on playing this physically distanced fun game.  Click on the “activity” tab to see ‘Flocking Together’.  This game will get your students outdoors!  The handout required is available here.

 


The Sad Little Fact – Being a Fact-Finder in the Age of Misinformation

 

A fake fact is otherwise known as MISINFORMATION…

Misinformation is ‘false or inaccurate information, especially that which is deliberately intended to deceive.’

Where do we hear this misinformation?  Unfortunately, the online world is absolutely full of it.  From youtube videos, to tiktok, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media, people are bombarded with fake facts and fake news.  Here is an example of misinformation that I found on youtube.

If you saw this video online you’d be terrified.  You might tell your friends about it and spread this information further.  So how do we verify if it is true or not?

Now it’s your turn to give this a try.  I need you to be a fact-checker and find out if this information is true or not using the techniques we just learned.

  1. Check the source – run a Google Search on the publisher or author of the information and try to find out more
  2. The Rule of Three – check three other sources of information
  3. Check a good fact-checking website like Snopes.

So here is the information I want you to check.  It was posted thousands of times on Facebook and Twitter by regular people so there is no author to check.  You will need to rely on method 2 and 3 here.

 


OJCS Storytime – What is An Orchestra?

 

Let’s start our storytime by watching this great video.  It will serve as an introduction to our topic.

Now on to the books!  Today we read:

Because by Mo Willems and Amber Ren

Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes, illustrated by Karmen Thompson

If you have extra time and want the full orchestra experience, you can watch and listen to the classic Peter and The Wolf!  The music was composed by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936.

NOTE TO TEACHERS: Preview the video first to decide if it is appropriate for your class.  This is an old cartoon and there are a few elements that may frighten very young children.


OJCS Storytime – Fun For Fall!

 

Today we read…

Fall by Stephanie Turnbull

Kitten’s Autumn by Eugenie Fernandes

Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Chad Cameron

Your Fall Mixed Up Activity

Think about something you connect with the Fall and mix it up!  If you eat apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah, maybe in your mix-up, you eat apples and beans!  Or if you know squirrels collect nuts, maybe in your mix up, skunks collect nuts for Winter.

Take turns sharing your Fall mix-up idea, write a short journal entry about it, or draw a picture of it!


Fire Safety Storytime

 

Today we will learn about fire safety by…

    • listening to the story Stop Drop and Roll by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Arthur Howard
    • watching a fire safety education video created by the Brampton Fire Department
    • and practising a fire drill with our class

 

OJCS Storytime – Meet Terry Fox

 

Meet Terry Fox by Elizabeth Macleod, illustrated by Mike Deas

Discussion Questions:

  • Terry Fox has left a legacy of hope and will forever be one of Canada’s greatest heroes.  Discuss what made Terry stand out as a hero.
  • What kinds of things can we do to help others in our classroom, our school, our home, our city, our country, and our world?
  • Terry’s best friend Doug supported Terry every day by being there for every single step.  How can we be more like Doug and support our friends?

Back To School Night – Library Introduction

 

 

 

OJCS Storytime – Books About Reading

 Today We Read;

Born to Read by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Marc Brown

We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems

Carlo Likes Reading by Jessica Spanyol

Optional Activity:

Your students can be just like the adorable Carlo and label the whole classroom!  A great exercise in practicing writing simple words for younger students.

OJCS Storytime – Lesson on How Books Are Made

 

How This Book Was Made by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Adam Rex

Video for grade 1 and 2

Video for grade 3 and 4

OJCS Storytime – Books About Friendship

 What does it mean to be a good friend?  Today we will find out and you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts too!

RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES:

Link to the Friendship Flipgrid: https://flipgrid.com/2bc62150

OR

Draw a picture about how you can be a good friend!  If you write, write underneath what is happening in your picture.  Feel free to share them with me and I can post them here!  b.ruel@theojcs.ca

How to Use the OJCS Library’s Online Catalogue

 

Welcome back OJCS students and teachers!  Here is a brief video tutorial about how to use the library’s online catalogue so that you can search, place books on reserve, and write a review!  More tutorials to come!

The link to the library catalogue is: https://theojcs.booksys.net/opac/ojcs/index.html#menuHome

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

OJCS Storytime for the LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL!!

 

Kiki & Coco in Paris – Photographs by Stephanie Rausser, story by Nina Gruener, doll by Jess Brown.

We made it to the last week of school!  Woo hoo!!  Maybe you and your family are going away somewhere for a little trip or to a cottage.  This book is about a girl who takes a very big trip, to Paris, France.  Here it is on a world map.

France location on the World Map

Your activity this summer – make a travelogue!

How to Make the Perfect Photo Book | ShutterflyWherever you go this summer, whether to visit family in a different city or town, to a cottage, or somewhere even further, create your own travelogue.  A travelogue can be a photo album with notes next to the photos, a google doc with your pictures in it and some description, a book of drawings and notes about the places you visit, or even a video.  Travelogues can be a fun summer project that allow you to share your experience with your classmates and teachers in September.

Alternative Activity – A Picnic in Paris

Fresh juices, various vegetables and berries, baguette and cheese ...

If you aren’t going anywhere at all this summer, you can imagine that you are travelling to Paris for a picnic.  In Paris you see people picnicking everywhere!

You will need;

  • a picnic blankey
  • a baguette
  • some cheeses or vegan cheeses
  • some fruit
  • some grape juice (so you can pretend it’s wine!)

Set it up in the backyard on a nice day and imagine you are far far away!!

Fun Summer Reading Recommendations for Middle Schoolers

 

Lazy hours spent reading on the patio or at the beach is one the best things about summer!  Here is a list of not-heavy, super fun, reading recommendations for our grades 6, 7, and 8s that you can find at your nearest public library or bookstore.

I can’t wait to see everyone in September, I have missed you all very much.

Have a wonderful summer!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT – YOUR SUMMER BOOK BUCKET LIST:  In the comments on this page, post a list of books you plan to read over the summer.  They can be from your personal collection, from this list, books you’ve seen mentioned online, books you’ve seen in bookstores, or other books you already had in mind to borrow or buy this summer.

 

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by [Ben Philippe]A hilarious YA contemporary realistic novel about a witty Black French Canadian teen who moves to Austin, Texas, and experiences the joys, clichés, and awkward humiliations of the American high school experience—including falling in love. 

 

 

 

 

 

Hot Dog GirlNow in paperback, a fresh and funny contemporary YA rom-com about teens working as costumed characters in a local amusement park.

 

 

 

 

 

THE QUEEN'S ASSASSINPerfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Red Queen, this is the first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect from #1 NYT bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

 

 

 


MY CALAMITY JANE

Welcome to 1876 America, a place bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou—better known as werewolves.

And where there are garou, there’re hunters: the one and only Calamity Jane, to be precise, along with her fellow stars of Wild Bill’s Traveling Show, Annie Oakley and Frank “the Pistol Prince” Butler.

After a garou hunt goes south and Jane finds a suspicious-like bite on her arm, she turns tail for Deadwood, where there’s talk of a garou cure. But rumors can be deceiving—meaning the gang better hightail it after her before they’re a day late and a Jane short.

 

INFINITY SONBalancing epic and intensely personal stakes, bestselling author Adam Silvera’s Infinity Son is a gritty, fast-paced adventure about two brothers caught up in a magical war generations in the making.

 

 

 

 

 

THE UPSIDE OF FALLINGA fun, flirty teen debut from Wattpad phenom Alex Light about a fake relationship and real love.

 

 

 

 


 

DRAGON HOOPSThe trials of a high school basketball team trying to clinch the state title and the graphic novelist chronicling them. (kirkus reviews)

 

 

 

 

 


A story of scorned witches, sinister curses, and resurrection, The Bone Witch is the start of a dark fantasy trilogy.

 

 

 

 


 

When Wyatt gets framed for a friend’s crime, he thinks his life is over. But then a mysterious stranger visits him in jail with an unusual proposal: spend three months in a secret government camp and have a ten-year prison sentence wiped clean.

 

 

 


 

SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDASixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight.

 

 

 

 

 


A human teen and an alien invader make an unlikely and potentially dangerous connection. (kirkus reviews)

 

 

 

 

 


THE NOVICEFletcher is working as a blacksmith’s apprentice when he discovers he has the rare ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must travel with his demon, Ignatius, to an academy for adepts, where the gifted are taught the art of summoning.

 

 

 

 

Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy Book 1) by [Leigh Bardugo]Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold—a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite—and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.

 

NIMONA

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

 

 

P.K. SUBBANP.K. Subban is a remarkable athlete and role model. Initially drafted in 2007 to the Montreal Canadiens, P.K. now plays for the New Jersey Devils. He’s set records and won the Norris Trophy, the highest honor in hockey for a defenseman. Often the center of controversy, he is the pride of many fans and a hero to young athletes of color. His stand against racism relies more on actions to support others than on relating his own experiences. He is known to have made the largest donation to charity by a Canadian athlete in history, and works to build an understanding between at-risk youth and law enforcement across North America.

 

 

 

Superman Smashes the Klan (2019-2020) (Superman Smashes the Klan (2019-))The year is 1946, and the Lee family has moved from Chinatown to Downtown Metropolis. While Dr. Lee is eager to begin his new position at the Metropolis Health Department, his two kids, Roberta and Tommy, are more excited about being closer to the famous superhero Superman!
Tommy adjusts quickly to the fast pace of their new neighborhood, befriending Jimmy Olsen and joining the baseball team, while his younger sister Roberta feels out of place when she fails to fit in with the neighborhood kids. She’s awkward, quiet, and self-conscious of how she looks different from the kids around her, so she sticks to watching people instead of talking to them. While the Lees try to adjust to their new lives, an evil is stirring in Metropolis: the Ku Klux Klan.

 

 

 


Fun Summer Reading Recommendations for Grade 4 and 5

 

Lazy hours spent reading on the patio or at the beach is one the best things about summer!  Here is a list of not-heavy, super fun, reading recommendations for our grades 4s and 5s that you can find at your nearest public library or bookstore.

I can’t wait to see everyone in September, I have missed you all very much.

Have a wonderful summer!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT – YOUR SUMMER BOOK BUCKET LIST:  In the comments on this page, post a list of books you plan to read over the summer.  They can be from your personal collection, from this list, books you’ve seen mentioned online, books you’ve seen in bookstores, or other books you already had in mind to borrow or buy this summer.

ME, FRIDA, AND THE SECRET OF THE PEACOCK RINGA room locked for fifty years.

A valuable peacock ring.

A mysterious brother-sister duo.

 

 

 


 

ALI CROSSJames Patterson’s blockbuster Alex Cross series has sold over 100 million copies–and now he’s bringing those thrills to a new generation! Alex‘s son Ali is eager to follow in his father’s footsteps as a detective, but when his best friend goes missing, what price will he have to pay to solve the mystery?

 

 


THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOONAn elderly witch, a magical girl, a brave carpenter, a wise monster, a tiny dragon, paper birds, and a madwoman converge to thwart a magician who feeds on sorrow. (kirkus)

 

 

 

 


 

The Last Kids on EarthEver since the monster apocalypse hit town, average 13-year-old Jack Sullivan has been living in his tree house, which he’s armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention video games and an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores. But Jack alone is no match for the hordes of Zombies and Winged Wretches and Vine Thingies, and especially not for the eerily intelligent monster known only as Blarg. So Jack builds a team: his dorky best friend, Quint; the reformed middle school bully, Dirk; Jack’s loyal pet monster, Rover; and Jack’s crush, June. With their help, Jack is going to slay Blarg, achieve the ultimate Feat of Apocalyptic Success, and be average no longer! Can he do it?

 

INSIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A CACTUSBorn without arms, white “problem-solving ninja” Aven Green can do almost anything with her feet instead—even solve a mystery. (Kirkus)

 

 

 

 


 

TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKYBest-selling author Rick Riordan presents Kwame Mbalia’s epic fantasy, a middle grade American Gods set in a richly-imagined world populated with African American folk heroes and West African gods. Rick Riordan Presents is dedicated to publishing authors of highly entertaining fiction based on world cultures and mythologies.

 

 

 

 


JINXEDThe Golden Compass for the digital age! When a coding star enters an elite technology academy, she discovers a world of competition, intrigue, and family secrets-plus a robotic companion that isn’t what it seems.

 

 

 

 

 

SMALL SPACESAfter suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn’t think–she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with “the smiling man,” a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

 


 

SNAPDRAGONKat Leyh’s Snapdragon is a magical realist graphic novel about a young girl who befriends her town’s witch and discovers the strange magic within herself.
 

 

 

 


 

Nessie QuestFans of Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello, Universe and Melissa Savage’s own Lemons will devour this voice-driven novel packed with humor and heart about two friends who head off on an adventure to find the Loch Ness Monster.

 

 

 

 

MALAMANDERA quirky, creepy fantasy set in Eerie-on-Sea finds a colorful cast of characters in hot pursuit of a sea monster thought to convey a surprising gift.

 

 

 

 

 

THE STORM KEEPER'S ISLANDFionn Boyle comes from a long line of brave seafarers, people with the ocean behind their eyes. But he can’t help but fear the open sea. For years, Fionn’s mother has told him stories of Arranmore Island, a strange place that seems to haunt her. Fionn has always wondered about this mysterious island, and from the day he arrives he starts noticing things that can’t be explained. He can sense the island all around him, and it feels like the island is watching him, too.

OJCS Storytime for the Week of June 15th

 

Bunnicula and Friends – The Vampire Bunny by James Howe, illustrated by Jeff Mack

Your Assignment: Bunniculicious Salad

There is nothing Bunnicula loves more than veggies!  You are going to make your own Bunniculicious salad.  You can use any and all of your favourite veggies.  Just make sure you get help from a parent to chop them up.

Here are some delicious salad possibilities;

  • tomato
  • cucumber
  • olives
  • broccoli
  • cauliflower
  • lettuce
  • spinach
  • celery
  • carrots
  • cheese (feta, cheddar, parmesan)
  • crumbled tofu
  • beans (chickpeas, kidney beans)
  • nuts

Easiest dressing ever: Thousand Island Dressing

  • Mix mayo, ketchup, and relish together.  Shazam.  Instant dressing.

Easiest dressing ever #2: Creamy Maple Balsamic

  • Mix mayo, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup together.

If you want to share a photo of your finished salad, I will post them here.  Send them to b.ruel@theojcs.ca

Super Fun Summer Reads K-3

 

It is very important that you continue to read a little bit every day all summer long, that way you are well practiced and ready for a new school year in September.  Here is a list of fun recommendations for our grades k up to grade 3 that you can find at your nearest public library.

I can’t wait to see everyone in September, I have missed you all very much.

Have a wonderful summer!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT – YOUR SUMMER BOOK BUCKET LIST:  In the comments on this page, post a list of books you plan to read over the summer.  They can be from your personal collection, from this list, books you’ve seen mentioned online, books you’ve seen in bookstores, or other books you already had in mind to borrow or buy this summer.

Fun Picture Books

Cover image for Please Don't Eat MeBeloved author-illustrator Liz Climo is back with a hilarious take on (reluctant) friendship that will appeal to fans of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates and I Want My Hat Back!
When a carefree bunny is approached by a voracious bear in the woods, Bunny has just one request: “Please don’t eat me.”

 

ALL ARE WELCOMECelebrate diversity and inclusion with this New York Times bestselling picture book about a school where all are welcome! Look under the jacket for a poster, and don’t miss the fold-out page at the end of the book.

 

 

From the creators of the bestselling Oi Frog! Frog comes an hilarious tale about one duck’s quest for a missing vowel!


 

 

Cover image for In a JarHere’s a marvelous picture book, charmingly written and beautifully illustrated, about the power of memory and the magic of friendship.

 

 

 

HAIR LOVEZuri’s hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it’s beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he’ll do anything to make her — and her hair — happy.

 

 

Meet a very Serious Goose in late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s first fun and funny picture book! There is nothing silly about this goose. You CANNOT make her laugh, so DON’T EVEN TRY!

 

 

 

THE COOL BEAN

Everyone knows the cool beans. They’re sooooo cool.

And then there’s the uncool has-bean . . .

Always on the sidelines, one bean unsuccessfully tries everything he can to fit in with the crowd—until one day the cool beans show him how it’s done.

 

SOFIA VALDEZ, FUTURE PREZThe newest picture book from the creators of Iggy Peck, ArchitectRosie Revere, Engineer; and Ada Twist, Scientist stars Sofia Valdez, a community leader who stands up for what she believes in!

 

 

 

 

 

A hilarious, timely conversation about the differences between facts and opinions, by the creator of the #1 New York Times bestseller Goodnight Goon

 

 

Cover image for CockroachHilarious illustrated non-fiction about cockroaches perfect for beginning readers. You’ll bug out over this perfect pairing of humorous text and funny illustrations about this insect that’s been around for over 335 million years!

 

 

 

Abigail is determined to get the perfect pet.
So she chooses Fido. He keeps her cool from the sun, stays where she tells him, and even gives her air to breathe. That’s because Fido is a tree!

 

 

Cover image for Goodnight, VeggiesEvery veggie needs their shut-eye in this bedtime book that celebrates community, the joys of a small garden, and the importance of taking care of ourselves. 

 

 

 

I AM PERFECTLY DESIGNEDI Am Perfectly Designed is an exuberant celebration of loving who you are, exactly as you are, from Karamo Brown, the Culture Expert of Netflix’s hit series Queer Eye, and Jason Brown―featuring illustrations by Anoosha Syed.

 

 

 

A potato and his eggplant nemesis struggle to find the perfect pants in this hilarious, heartwarming tale of forgiveness by bestselling Geisel-Award winning creator Laurie Keller.

 

 

 

Chapter Books

Roald Dahl meets The Penderwicks in this quirky, humorous, whimsical, and heartwarming middle grade debut about two siblings who run away from home to escape working in the family coffin business.

 

 

 

Cover image for Rory Branagan (Detective) (Rory Branagan, Book 1)Meet RORY BRANAGAN – he eats bad guys for breakfast. Well, not ACTUALLY. But he IS the best detective in town. First in a hilarious illustrated comedy-crime series for kids.

 

 

 


Cover image for Scallywag on the Salish SeaA nameless boy finds treasure, courage, and clues to his past in this hilarious high-seas adventure.

 

 

 

 

Cover image for Cool Cat ClubSmart cat. Messy puppy. Here comes trouble… Meet Jasper and Scruff, an unlikely pair as they learn about friendship, determination, and working together.

 

 

 

 

RACE TO THE SUNBest-selling author Rick Riordan welcomes indigenous fantasy writer Rebecca Roanhorse to his imprint with this thrilling adventure about a Navajo girl who discovers she’s a monsterslayer.

 

 

 


Moo: A Novel

Fans of Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog and Hate That Cat will love her newest tween novel, Moo. This uplifting tale reminds us that if we’re open to new experiences, life is full of surprises.

 

 

 

Kitty and the Sky Garden AdventureKitty is a superhero-in-training with feline superpowers. She dreams of being like her superhero mum one day, but she’s still got a lot to learn.

 

 

 

 

Cover image for What Is Inside THIS Box? (Monkey & Cake)From the author of The Day the Crayons Quit comes a groundbreaking new friendship series, introducing mischievous Monkey and inquisitive Cake as they grapple with life’s biggest questions.

 

 

 

Cover image for Dr. Wangari Maathai Plants a ForestFrom the world of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls comes a historical novel based on the life of Dr. Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist and environmentalist from Kenya.

 

 

 


Cover image for Tales of Bunjitsu BunnyIntroducing Isabel, aka Bunjitsu Bunny! She is the BEST bunjitsu artist in her school, and she can throw farther, kick higher, and hit harder than anyone else! But she never hurts another creature . . . unless she has to.

 

 

 

The Unicorn Quest by [Kamilla Benko]An enchanting, exciting fantasy about a real-world girl searching for her sister in a land full of magic and strange creatures, blending the timeless feel of A Wrinkle in Time with Frozen‘s powerful themes of identity, enchantment, and sisterhood.

 

 

 

 

From the Desk of Zoe WashingtonFrom debut author Janae Marks comes a captivating mystery full of heart, as one courageous girl questions assumptions, searches for the truth, and does what she believes is right—even in the face of great opposition. A perfect book for fans of Front Desk and All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook!

 

 

 

The Haunted House Next Door (Volume 1)Meet Desmond Cole! A fearless eight-year-old who runs his own ghost patrol, looking for ghosts, monsters, and mischief makers everywhere. Oh, and he just so happens to be my new best friend…and thank goodness! Because I’m afraid of everything.

 

 


Aru Shah and the End of Time: A Pandava Novel Book 1 (Pandava Series) by [Roshani Chokshi]Best-selling author Rick Riordan introduces this adventure by Roshani Chokshi about twelve-year-old Aru Shah, who has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school.