*2016 Maine Lupine Award Winner* Riley’s birthday is coming, but the mail plane with his gifts from the mainland hasn’t been able to get to the island for days because of bad weather. In a mood that matches the weather, he agrees to help Uncle Harv collect driftwood to make furniture. One thing leads to another as it always does on a small island, and eventually Riley realizes that everything he needs for a great birthday is already right at hand. Fountas & Pinnell Level O

Help James, Marisol, Shaina, Mommy and Binyah Binyah prepare for Daddy's birthday party.

A quirky, empowering story about a boy recovering from a bear attack with the help of his friends and, maybe, some magic. For fans of Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones and The Canning Season by Polly Horvath. Newt Gomez has a thing with bears. Having survived a bear attack last year, he now finds an unusual bear statue. Newt's best friend thinks the statue grants wishes. But even as more people wish on the bear and their wishes come true, Newt is not a believer. But Newt has a wish too: while he loves his home on eccentric Murphy Island, he wants to go to middle school on the mainland, where his warm extended family lives. There, he's not the only Latinx kid, and he won't have to drive the former taco truck--a gift from his parents--or perform in the talent show. Most importantly, on the mainland, he never has bad dreams about the attack. Newt is almost ready to make a secret wish when everything changes. Tackling themes of survival and self-acceptance, Newt's story illuminates the magic in our world, where reality is often uncertain but always full of salvageable wonders.

Originally published in hardcover in 2021 by Aladdin.

"Every child in the world has a birthday. But how children celebrate this occasion depends on where they live. In this latest addition to the Around the World series, award-winning author Margriet Ruurs explores the fascinating ways that children experience birthdays. You'll meet fourteen kids from different countries, each celebrating a birthday according to their local traditions. Bram from Belgium never gets to sleep in on his birthday - his family wakes him up by clanging pots and pans. For Ninoshka in India, it's important to give thanks to the Hindu gods and share sweets with her classmates. And some kids don't celebrate their birthdays at all. Instead, Phúc Khang in Vietnam celebrates Tet, when everyone in the country turns one year older. A world map that pinpoints the countries in the book, a Note to Parents and Teachers with interactive activities and a glossary of foreign words and phrases help to enrich the reading experience. Based on interviews with real people from each country, Birthdays Around the World is an invitation to experience a different culture, think about your own birthday celebrations and even learn how to say "Happy Birthday" in another language (like Hawaiian: "Hau oli la hanau" [ho-O-lee LA HA-now])!"--

A 52-page hardcover children's book celebrating the wildlife, geography and magic of Maine through the birthday stories and special wishes of animal friends, The Maine Birthday Book is from the imagination of Maine native, Tonya Shevenell, with watercolor illustrations by Laura Winslow.Birthday stories abound when a thoughtful chickadee asks his friends from all over Maine's woods, waterways and wilderness a special question: what do you wish for? Join Doodles, a puffin from Knox County; Socks, a black bear from Penobscot County; Chester, a snowshoe hare from Franklin County and the rest of the animal friends for a party to be enjoyed any day of the year.

Come for a visit in Bear Country with this classic First Time Book® from Stan and Jan Berenstain. Join Papa, Mama, and Brother, as they help Sister celebrate her birthday. The special day is not all fun and games when Sister becomes overwhelmed by all of the festivities. This beloved story is a perfect way to teach children about birthdays and what’s most important about them.