Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

My Name Is Blessing

Based on a true story about a young Kenyan boy whose mother left him but had named him Muthini which meant suffering because he was born with no fingers on his left hand and only two on his right. Many times he was made fun of or avoided which hurt him deeply. He lives with his very elderly grandmother, his Nyanya, along with many cousins whose parents had either died or left them. They are extremely poor and there is never enough money or food, but plenty of love. A difficult choice must be made and Muthini is the youngest child and needs to have a better chance in life, so his Nyanya takes him to an orphanage where he is blessed and his name is changed to Baraka which means blessing for he was a blessing just as his grandmother always knew.

Standing In For Lincoln Green

Lincoln has a double, You Know Who, to do all of his unpleasant tasks while Lincoln sleeps, plays, or visits his best friend, but when You Know Who makes a friend of his own, Lincoln is in big trouble.

The Children Who Loved Books

Angus and Lucy love books. They have hundreds of them. Then one day, all the books are taken away, and Angus and Lucy discover they need books more than they ever imagined. A warm and moving celebration of books and the way in which they bring us all together.

Scaredy Squirrel Halloween

A quirky safety guide combines practical tips with step-by-step instructions featuring an anxious Scaredy Squirrel, who prepares himself for the worst during the spookiest night of the year.

Ten Birds Meet A Monster

After wandering down a hall and discovering a scattered assortment of clothes, ten birds were shocked to spot a scary monster! What were they to do? Grabbing a piece of clothing as a disguise, ?the first bird, always inventive, became a Vicious Polka-dactyl. But the monster didn’t budge.? So the second bird, then the third bird, and so on, followed in turn, each adding some clothing to the mix to devise a new, frightening creature. But no matter that the birds were ?resourceful,? ?attentive,? ?creative? and ?eager to participate,? or that they created fantastically scary beings such as a Gnashing Grapplesaurus, a Bristling Fang-Mangler and a Slimy Long-toed Zapper — the monster would not be chased away. Until the tenth bird stepped forward, the one who was ?always easily distracted.? Could this be the bird who finally, and surprisingly, saved the day?
This gorgeous picture book by award-winning author-illustrator Cybèle Young is perfect for counting and early numeracy lessons. Each of the numbers from one to ten gets its own spread, featuring two pieces of intricately detailed pen-and-ink illustrations. The smaller illustration incorporates the numeral into the drawing itself, while the larger one offers the opportunity to search for and count all the birds within the growing clothes monster. Filled with silliness, suspense and a terrific reveal at the end, this clever, funny story is also a wonderful read-aloud. It highlights how individual resourcefulness and creativity are magnified by the power of cooperation and teamwork.

The Highest Number In The World

9-year-old Gabe (Gabriella) Murray lives and breathes hockey. She’s the youngest player on her new team, she has a nifty move that her teammates call “the Gabe,” and she shares a lucky number with her hero, Hayley Wickenheiser: number 22. But when her coach hands out the team jerseys, Gabe is stuck with number 9. Crushed, Gabe wants to give up hockey altogether. How can she play without her lucky number? Gabe’s grandmother soon sets her straight, though–from her own connection to the number 9 in her hockey-playing days to all the greats she cheered for who wore it, she soon convinces Gabe that this new number might not be so bad after all.