Thumb and the Bad Guys

Inspired by a movie shown at the local gym (with the whole town in attendance), 11-year-old Leon (aka Thumb) wants to track down a bad guy. After all, he thinks, without bad guys, the “Harry Potter” books would just be stories about school. And he wouldn’t mind being known as the Jake Danger of New Auckland. But with only 143 people in his remote British Columbia fishing village, surrounded by mountains and ocean, how could there even be any bad guys around? And where would they hide? But Thumb is determined, so he and his pal Susan conduct a stakeout. Their suspicions soon focus on bald, toothless old Kirk McKenna, who has the revolting habit of spitting on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, a new teacher, the odd Ms. Weatherby, has arrived in town wearing heavy makeup and a terrible wig. Maybe “she’s” the “bad guy” they’re seeking. Will the determined duo find their villain? Ken Roberts brings his trademark quirky characters, tight plotting, detailed portrait of small-town life, and lively humor to this fascinating story that also contains underlying messages about tolerance and the value of community.

Sopa De Frijoles/Bean Soup (Spanish Edition)

For people who have left their homeland for a new country, comfort foods from home take on a huge emotional importance. This delightful poem teaches readers young and old how to make a heartwarming, tummy-filling black bean soup, from gathering the beans, onions, and garlic to taking little pebbles out of the beans to letting them simmer till the luscious smell indicates it’s time for supper. Jorge Argueta’s vivid poetic voice and Rafael Yockteng’s vibrant illustrations make preparing this healthy and delicious Latino favorite an exciting, almost magical experience.

What Should I Make?

Neeraj loves to help out when his mom is making his favorite snack–hot, light, puffy chapati–and today she has given him a bit of dough with which to make all kinds of animal shapes and wonder if they will come to life, in a playful story about imagination.

Tiempo de dolor Nakay Pacha

“Tiempo del dolor” narra, con crudo realismo, el enfrentamiento entre comunidades campesinas en medio de una guerra generalizada, como también de batallas y escaramuzas libradas entre las fuerzas armadas del estado y los grupos subversivos.
De la Colección Runasimi, edición bilingüe quechua-español.
Traducción al quechua de Washington Córdova Huamán.

Time of pain” narrates, with crude realism, the confrontation between peasant communities in the midst of a generalized war, as well as battles and skirmishes waged between the armed forces of the state and the subversive groups.
From the Runasimi Collection, bilingual Quechua-Spanish edition.
Quechua translation of Washington Córdova Huamán.

No

It’s winter and little bear doesn’t want to go to sleep. He’d rather play, and he’s sure he won’t get cold outside, no matter how long the winter is, how deep the snow might get, or how hard the storm might blow. Until, that is, little bear finds himself all alone in a snowstorm. Claudia Rueda’s classic picture-book illustrations, with their simple, strong lines, shapes, and colors, show a very determined little bear and his mother in a striking, increasingly snowy landscape. Children everywhere identify with little bear as mama figures out how to tell him no.

El Hombre Que Lo Tenía Todo, Todo, Todo

Dejar volar la imaginación, eso es lo que hizo Miguel Ángel Asturias cuando escribió El Hombre que lo Tenía Todo Todo Todo, novela corta en la que se condensan el estilo elegante, las influencias del surrealismo y de la literatura oral, y el gusto por la fantasía que caracterizaban la obra de su autor

La Casa Del Arbol/ The Tree House: Nivel 1/ Level 1

Quien no sono con tener una casa en un arbol desde donde parece mas facil ser libre y volar? Quien no anhela un sitio exclusivo donde refugiarse y animar los propios suenos? Ramon construye, con ayuda de su padre, una casa en la copa de un arbol de alli…

Life, After

After a terrorist attack kills Dani’s aunt and unborn cousin, life in Argentina–private school, a boyfriend, a loving family–crumbles quickly. In order to escape a country that is sinking under their feet, Dani and her family move to the United States. It’s supposed to be a fresh start, but when you’re living in a cramped apartment and going to high school where all the classes are in another language–and not everyone is friendly–life in America is not all it’s cracked up to be. Dani misses her old friends, her life, Before. But then Dani meets a boy named Jon, who isn’t like all the other students. Through him, she becomes friends with Jessica, one of the popular girls, who is harboring a secret of her own. And then there’s Brian, the boy who makes Dani’s pulse race. In her new life, the one After, Dani learns how to heal and forgive. She finds the courage to say goodbye and allows herself to love and be loved again.

Doggy Slippers

Children everywhere love pets, and some are even lucky enough to get their own. In Doggy Slippers Jorge Luján offers a collection of poems about pets inspired by children. Luján turned funny and touching anecdotes his young readers sent him about the role of pets in their lives into fresh poems, selecting the 12 best for this book. His status as one of the most important poets writing for children today, combined with Isol’s unique, childlike take on the world, makes this the perfect poetry collection for young readers.