Relates several episodes in the friendship of two hippopotamuses.
Self-esteem
Wrong Way
Sometimes a day out doesn’t turn out according to plan. But when one little duck wants to make a big splash all by himself, the wrong way to do things turns out to be just right!
Five Flavors Of Dumb
Eighteen-year-old Piper becomes the manager for her classmates’ popular rock band, called Dumb, giving her the chance to prove her capabilities to her parents and others, if only she can get the band members to get along.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 2
Schneider Family Book Award
The Perfect Tail: A Fred And Lulu Story
Fred stops being envious of other animals’ tails when his friendship with Lulu helps him to learn to like himself.
I’m Me!
Little Imogen doesn’t want to play princess or pirate! Why pretend? Being herself is the most fun of all! The story of a girl who knows who she is: “I’m Me!” Grown-ups! Always telling kids what to do, how to act, and who to be! Imogen is excited to spend the day with her Auntie Sara, but which dress-up game does she want to play? Who is Imogen today? Is she a frilly princess in a poufy gown? A knight in shining armor, taming a flying dragon? An astronaut blasting off into space? “No, no, no!” Imogen sings, with a shake of her pigtails. She doesn’t want to be any of those things! “Well,” Auntie Sara asks, “if you’re not a princess or a knight or an astronaut, who are you?” “I’m me!” Imogen declares. And that’s the best role of all.
The Hunger Games
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlaying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one girl and one boy between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has also resolved to outwit the creators of the games. To do that she will have to be the last person standing at the end of the deadly ordeal, and that will take every ounce of strength and cunning she has.
Fatty Legs
The moving memoir of an Inuit girl who emerges from a residential school with her spirit intact.Eight-year-old Margaret Pokiak has set her sights on learning to read, even though it means leaving her village in the high Arctic. Faced with unceasing pressure, her father finally agrees to let her make the five-day journey to attend school, but he warns Margaret of the terrors of residential schools.At school Margaret soon encounters the Raven, a black-cloaked nun with a hooked nose and bony fingers that resemble claws. She immediately dislikes the strong-willed young Margaret. Intending to humiliate her, the heartless Raven gives gray stockings to all the girls — all except Margaret, who gets red ones. In an instant Margaret is the laughing stock of the entire school.In the face of such cruelty, Margaret refuses to be intimidated and bravely gets rid of the stockings. Although a sympathetic nun stands up for Margaret, in the end it is this brave young girl who gives the Raven a lesson in the power of human dignity.Complemented by archival photos from Margaret Pokiak-Fenton’s collection and striking artwork from Liz Amini-Holmes, this inspiring first-person account of a plucky girl’s determination to confront her tormentor will linger with young readers.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 2
Foundling (Monster Blood Tattoo, Book 1)
Meet Rossamünda foundling, a boy with a girls name who is about to begin a dangerous life in the service of the Emperor of the Half-Continent. What starts as a simple journey becomes a dangerous and complicated set of battles and decisions. Humans, monsters, unearthly creatures . . . who among these can Rossamünd trust? D. M. Cornish has created an entirely original world, grounded in his own deft, classically influenced illustrations. Foundling is a magic-laced, Dickensian adventure that will transport the reader.
The Moccasins
This is an endearing story of a young Aboriginal foster child who is given a special gift by his foster mother. Her gift of warmth and thoughtfulness helps her young foster children by encouraging self-esteem, acceptance and love. Written as a simple story, it speaks of a positive foster experience.
One Green Apple
While on a school field trip to an orchard to make cider, a young immigrant named Farah gains self-confidence when the green apple she picks perfectly complements the other students’ red apples.