An acclaimed Best Book of 2024! Instant New York Times bestseller • Wall Street Journal Best Books of the Year • Booklist Editors’ Choice • Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year • School Library Journal Best Books of the Year • Common Sense Best Books of the Year • Imagination Soup Best Books of the Year • Tablet Magazine Best Books of the Year “Max in the House of Spies is everything you could hope for in a book,” -R. J. Palacio, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wonder, White Bird, and Pony“Espionage! Secrets! Suspense! If you’ve ever dreamed of being a spy, this book is for you.” -Alan Gratz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee and Projekt 1065Max Bretzfeld doesn’t want to move to London.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.The first book in a duology, Max in the House of Spies is a thought-provoking World War II story as only acclaimed storyteller Adam Gidwitz can tell it—fast-paced and hilarious, with a dash of magic and a lot of heart.

Marcel was born with webbed toes and an extra chromosome in this tender exploration of a child’s life with Down syndrome. When Marcel is born, the first thing the midwife notices is his webbed toes. Otherwise, he eats, he sleeps, he eats again, just like any baby. And then the doctors start to notice Marcel’s almond-shaped eyes, weak muscle tone and unusually shaped ears. They come to a conclusion: Marcel has Down syndrome. Marcel’s parents don’t know what to do with this medical terminology, so they bury it in the bottom of the garden, where it can grow in its own time and they can keep an eye on it. But Marcel doesn’t care about words yet. He grows and learns, taking to life like a fish in water. In many ways, Marcel is just like any child. He loves to laugh, be silly with his friends and go swimming during summer vacation. Marcel with a Splash goes beyond medical terms and the accompanying prejudices to discover Marcel himself. Inspired in part by her experiences as the mother of a child with Down syndrome, artist and author Julia Sørensen takes us on a poetic stroll between naps, chromosomes and tall grass, through Marcel’s beautiful, ordinary life. Key Text Features illustrations Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

Every summer, Yasmine visits her family in Lebanon, and every Sunday, the whole family comes over for lunch. This summer Sunday, Yasmine is making the hummus! But hummus is harder to make than she expects, and Yasmine has all sorts of questions: How much garlic should she add? Is it lemon juice or vinegar? And where does the sesame flavor come from? With a little help from Baba, Yasmine mixes in a bit of this, and a bit of that … and hummus à la Yasmine is ready! But when grumpy Ammo Farouk arrives with the rest of the family, Yasmine worries — will he hate it? What if her hummus doesn’t taste like the real thing? Sundays Are for Feasts is a celebration of how meals can bring family together, and the importance of making your own traditions. Includes an author’s note, glossary of Arabic terms used in the story and a recipe for hummus! Key Text Features illustrations author’s note recipe glossary definitions Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6 With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

In this charming debut, a feather from a red-tailed hawk finds its home in a little girl’s dreamcatcher When a gust of wind blows a feather off a flying red-tailed hawk, it marks the beginning of that feather’s quest to find a new home. The feather ends up in a squirrel’s nest, a woman’s hat, and atop a sandcastle–but none of these spots feel right. Soon, the feather is picked up by a little girl who lovingly takes it home to join two other feathers as part of a special craft project. When the project is complete, the reader discovers that the feather has found its home in a dreamcatcher. Bright illustrations bring young readers along on this lost feather’s search for purpose, and the heartwarming conclusion weaves in a tribute to an Indigenous cultural object.

A confident tiger proves that you don’t have to conform to the expectations of others A young boy knows his pet tiger, Imran, is awesome. The only problem is that Imran doesn’t look like a tiger. To show off his cool pet and impress the other kids, the boy tries to “fix” Imran’s appearance by painting him orange and giving him zig-zag stripes. But Imran won’t play along. Instead of accepting the changes, Imran stays true to himself and insists, “You can’t tame a tiger.” Imran knows he’s a tiger, even if he doesn’t fit the tiger image that his friend has in his mind. Eventually, the boy realizes that his mistake was forcing Imran to be anything other than exactly who he is. This humorous and profound story combines narrative text, dialogue bubbles, and expressive art to remind readers that you don’t have to change the unique things about yourself to be accepted and remarkable.

“Dynamically illustrated…kid-friendly, intriguing.” — Booklist (STARRED REVIEW) “Brimming with cogent insights, delightful visuals, and infectious wonder.” – Kirkus Reviews (STARRED REVIEW) Sound — in both science and history — is explored in this dynamic, illustrated nonfiction picture book from award-winning author-illustrator Olga Fadeeva. Do you ever wonder about sound–what is it, anyway? How do we produce and hear sound? How do birds, dolphins, and humans use sounds to communicate? What does life look like without sound? How has the sound of music developed over the centuries? How are sounds sent across thousands of miles? How has technology–phonographs, cassettes, radio, computers–changed how we share sound? Can sounds even affect our health? Author Olga Fadeeva (Wind: Discovering Air in Motion, Water: Discovering the Precious Resource All Around Us) explores sound’s vital role on our planet in this playful, wide-ranging tour through physics, technology, musicology, language, and more. Throughout the book, “Try It!” sections encourage children to create their own sound experiments. Translated from Russian by Lena Traer, and part of Eerdmans’ Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers series.

For fans of The Night Gardener and Larf, this is a charming picture book about a mischievous giant who only comes out a night. Not everyone believes in the Giant. After all, he only comes out at night when everyone in the village is asleep. But those who believe see signs of him in the morning, such as benches stacked into a tower or roofs that have changed overnight. One child claims to have seen him using cars as roller skates! No one’s sure where the Giant goes during the day or who he really is. But they do know he’ll be back again soon for more mischievous play! This perfect bedtime story captures the enchantment of nighttime and the childlike mystery of what goes on after you fall asleep.

A fun 21st-century take on the classic fisherman parable from Barroux. Cow is enjoying lying under an apple tree, watching the clouds, when Pig happens by. Looking at all the apples on the tree, Pig begins to spin an elaborate and ever-expanding tale about how Cow could pick and sell the apples and build a multinational food company – becoming the richest cow in the world! Cow listens patiently. But what comes next after fame and fortune? Cow shows Pig she’s got a much better plan! This fantastical, slyly humorous story will enchant readers while encouraging them to consider what really makes people happy.

A contemporary fable with a timely message about the importance of conservation. One day, while the forest animals are at a party, their homes disappear. Shocked and devastated, they go searching for them and discover they’ve been cut into pieces by some strange creatures. The animals try to explain to the creatures that they need their homes. Only, they won’t listen. Luckily, the creatures’ small guardians listen and help them come up with a plan to get their homes back. And, though it’s a wild idea, it just might finally get the creatures’ attention! This deceptively simple tale full of surprising twists and poignant moments will open kids’ eyes to habitat destruction.

This heartrending graphic memoir by Alyssa Bermudez (Big Apple Diaries) is a moving and unforgettable story about inner strength, healing, and finding hope. It’s 2002, and 14-year-old Alyssa is a freshman at a new high school where she knows NO ONE and the uniforms are hideous! What a disaster…Even worse? Her parents are forcing her to join the cross-country team. No one needs to run, or sweat, this much!Over time though, Alyssa actually starts to like running. She’s getting better with practice, and some of the girls on the team are really nice. Alyssa begins to find a steady rhythm with high school, cross country, and her new stepfamily. But Alyssa’s dad is sick, and she doesn’t know what to do. When the worst thing imaginable happens, Alyssa will need to count on her friends, family, and herself to keep running forward.