Childhood

The Brilliant World Of Tom Gates

The top-selling U.K. series for middle-grade readers now crosses the pond! Meet Tom Gates. When his teachers don’t have their beady eyes on him, he likes to draw pictures and write about stuff, like last summer’s worst camping vacation ever (five merits!), or how much he hates sitting next to nosy Marcus Meldrew, the most annoying boy at school. All Tom really wants is to score tickets to see the best band ever, Dude3, when they come to town, and to impress Amy Porter, who is very nice and smart (but is currently ignoring him). Tom’s teachers think he is easily distracted and “lacks focus,” but that’s a bit harsh — can he help it if his grumpy big sister, Delia, made him late for school (again), or that last night’s homework had to be sacrificed to stave off a vicious dog attack? Master of excuses, creative storyteller, and middle-school comedian extraordinaire, Tom Gates is guaranteed to get kids turning the pages — and keep them laughing.

This One Summer

Rose and her parents have been going to Awago Beach since she was a little girl. It’s her summer getaway, her refuge. Her friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had, completing her summer family. But this summer is different. Rose’s mom and dad won’t stop fighting, and Rose and Windy have gotten tangled up in a tragedy-in-the-making in the small town of Awago Beach. It’s a summer of secrets and heartache, and it’s a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

Superfab Saves the Day

Meet Superfab, the best-dressed superhero around. He’s got a walk-in closet, an extensive collection of outfits, and fabulous style to boot. The only problem is, he can’t leave his house to go fight crime until he has the perfect outfit on — and sometimes that takes awhile. Sometimes it takes so long that by the time he arrives at the scene of a crime, another superhero has already gotten the job done. Superfab finds himself less and less in demand, until one day he gets called to the scene and discovers that his exquisite sense of style is just the weapon he needs to beat (and befriend) this particular monster.

When Children Play: The Story Of How Athletes, Coaches And Volunteers Are Protecting Children’s Right To Play

An orphaned girl in a Ugandan refugee camp. A former child soldier in the Sudan. When survival is the priority, something as simple and normal as play seems to be a luxury that these children can do without. But Right to Play is changing that perception. Founding in 2000 by Norwegian Olympic medalist Johann Olav Koss, Right to Play begins at the grassroots community level, using sports and games to teach at-risk and underprivileged children around the world important values like self-esteem, empathy, and peace.

Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly and Gravy (Book & CD)

You Can’t Catch Me and You Can’t Put Mustard in the Custard were first published 25 years ago and were groundbreaking collections of poems for children. You Can’t Catch Me won the Signal Poetry Award in 1982, and both books went on to become bestsellers. Combined here for the first time, the conversational and fun poetry from both these collections is fantastically matched by silly but perfectly detailed full-color illustrations. An audio CD is also provided so that children can listen to their favorite poems.

Julia, Child

Julia and Simca are two young friends who agree that you can never use too much butter — and that it is best to be a child forever. Sharing a love of cooking and having no wish to turn into big, busy people who worry too much and dawdle too little, they decide to create a feast for growing and staying young. A playful, scrumptious celebration of the joy of eating, the importance of never completely growing up and mastering the art of having a good time, Julia Child is a fictional tale loosely inspired by the life and spirit of the very real Julia Child.

I Didn’t Do My Homework Because…

How many excuses are there for not doing homework? Let us count the ways: Giant lizards invaded the neighborhood. Elves hid all the pencils. And then there was that problem with carnivorous plants. The excuses go on and on, each more absurd than the next and escalating to hilarious heights.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

The great-granddaughter of Iran’s last emperor and the daughter of ardent Marxists describes growing up in Tehran in a country plagued by political upheaval and vast contradictions between public and private life.

Canto Familiar

Twenty-five poems about the pleasures and woes that Mexican American children experience growing up. Simple poems, many involving Mexican Americans, celebrate experiences at school, home, and in the street. A companion to Neighborhood Odes, (1992). Touching, vibrant, and humorous, this lively collection of poems accompanied by beautiful illustrations celebrates childhood and the Mexican American experience. Invoking ordinary domestic and community incidents, it’ a fine introduction not only to poetry but to Chicano culture. Nelson debuts with scenes–homey, comfortable, bright–that make the book even more accessible.