Korean Children’s Favorite Stories

Korean Children’s Favorite Stories is a captivating collection of Korean folk tales that have thrived for generations. Some are unique to Korea, while others echo those told in other countries. Written with wit and pathos, they reveal the follies of people everywhere and expose the human-like qualities of animals and the animal-like qualities of humans.

The Smugglers

Young John is charmed by the Dragon, the schooner he is planning to sail to London and use for the honest wool trade. But a mysterious gentleman delivers an ominous warning to “steer clear of that ship,” because the ship was “christened with blood.” The ship looks clever and quick, and the crew seems to know what to do, but with such a warning John is left to wonder how well he really knows what lies ahead. 

A companion book to the adventure, The Wreckers.

Matilda Bone

In her long-awaited new novel, Newbery medalist Karen Cushman assembles a cast of unforgettable characters in a fascinating and pungent setting: the medical quarter of a medieval English village. To Blood and Bone Alley, home of leech, barber-surgeon, and apothecary, comes Matilda, raised by a priest to be pious and learned, and now destined to assist Red Peg the Bonesetter. To Matilda’s dismay, her work will not involve Latin or writing, but lighting the fire, going to market, mixing plasters and poultices, and helping Peg treat patients. Matilda is appalled by the worldliness of her new surroundings and yearns for the days at the manor when all she did was study and pray. Lonely and misunderstood, she seems destined for a fate as tragic as that of any of the sharp-tongued saints she turns to for advice.Filled with the witty dialogue and richly authentic detail that Karen Cushman’s work is known for, Matilda Bone is a compelling comic novel about a girl who learns to see herself and others clearly, to laugh, and to live contentedly in this world.

Cushman’s second book, The Midwife’s Apprentice, was awarded the Newbery Medal.

Once Upon an Ordinary School Day

A celebration of extraordinary teachers! The boy’s breakfast is ordinary, his walk to school is ordinary, even his thoughts are ordinary. But when he goes to his classroom and sits down at his desk, his day begins to change – a new teacher, Mr. Gee, bursts into the classroom with an extraordinary idea that challenges all the children to use their imagination. Suddenly an ordinary day is turned topsy-turvy, and the boy is inspired in a way that will change him forever. The rollicking words and pictures celebrate the unexpected in this tribute to great teachers and students everywhere.

When the Silliest Cat Was Small

A companion to My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World, chronicling the silliest cat’s younger years. The only thing cuter than a cat is a kitten, and the only thing cuter than a kitten is a kitten who is actually an enormous elephant! After being chosen from a litter of other brightly colored elephants, Gilles’s “kitten” must acclimate himself to his new home. Just like in the first book, the elephant behaves like a kitten should–making a mess, hiding from his food bowl, and waging a war with a particularly tricky stuffed animal.

Fox

An injured magpie and a one-eyed dog live happily together in the forest, until a jealous fox arrives to teach them what it means to be alone.