Sarah Emma Edmonds started pretending at a very early age. Her father only wanted sons, so Sarah pretended to be one. Unlike most kids, though, Sarah never really stopped pretending. In 1861, during the U.S. Civil War, Sarah pretended her way into the Union Army, becoming a male nurse named Frank Thompson. Being a nurse didn't quite satisfy "Frank," though. She wanted to keep her fellow soldiers from getting hurt. So when the Union Army needed a spy, she leapt at the chance. While still pretending to be Frank, Sarah also pretended to be a male African American slave, a female Irish peddler, and a female African American laundress. She slipped behind enemy lines time after time, spied on the Confederate Army, and brought back valuable intelligence to the Union. Sarah was not only good at pretending; she was also very brave. Later in life, Sarah Emma Edmonds wrote a book to tell her story. She explained, "I am naturally fond of adventure, a little ambitious, and a good deal romantic." She was also truly a great pretender.

When Frank Thompson sees a recruitment poster for the new Union army, he’s ready and willing to enlist. Except Frank isn’t his real name. In fact, Frank is really Sarah Emma Edmonds, in disguise. Only nineteen years old, Sarah has already been dressing as a man for three years and living on the run in order to escape an arranged marriage. She’s tasted freedom, and as far as she’s concerned, there’s no going back. Eager to fight for the North during the Civil War, Sarah joins a Michigan infantry regiment. She excels as a soldier and even takes on the grueling task of nursing the wounded. Because of her heroism, she is asked to become a spy, cross enemy lines, and infiltrate a Confederate camp. For her first mission, Sarah must once again disguise herself and rely on the kindness of enslaved people to help her do her job. This incredible true story of a brave young woman who makes an unlikely choice to fight for her country is one that should not be lost to history.

Discover a world of law-breaking leprechauns and sly faerie folk in the instant New York Times bestseller from actor and writer Thomas Lennon! Fourteen-year-old Ronan Boyle is the youngest and lowliest recruit to the secret Garda, an Irish police force that handles the misdeeds of numerous magical creatures. Ronan’s parents are in jail, but Ronan is convinced that they were framed by the wee people. So, despite his small size, poor eyesight, and social awkwardness, he’s determined to learn all he can in the Garda in order to prove his parents’ innocence. To show he’s got what it takes, he’ll have to confront a fiery leprechaun, a sinister harpy, and a whole world of monsters hidden in plain sight next to real-life Ireland. Fast paced, action packed, and completely hilarious, this is the start to an exciting new middle-grade series by actor and writer Thomas Lennon.

Seymour Reit, the creator of Casper the friendly ghost, blends fact with fiction in this captivating tale about one woman who dared to go behind enemy lines as a spy for the Union Army. Canadian-born Emma Edmonds loved the thrill of adventure and chasing freedom, so in 1861 when the Civil War began, she enlisted in the Union Army. With cropped hair and men’s clothing, Emma transformed herself into a peddler, slave, bookkeeper and more, seamlessly gathering information and safely escaping each time. This fictionalized biography about the daring exploits of a cunning master of disguise, risking discovery and death for the sake of freedom, will inspire readers for generations to come.

Presenting beautifully illustrated picture book biographies, this book pairs narrative nonfiction biographies rich in language and illustrations with national content standards in the social studies, science, and the arts. The current focus on promoting nonfiction reading at all ages has brought to attention the value of narrative nonfiction in the form of new picture book biographies. But which of the thousands of these types of titles will have maximum teaching impact and be interesting to students? This book identifies the "best of the best" in new picture book biographies that are rich in language and illustrations and best support national content standards in science, social studies, and the arts. Written by authors with a combined experience of more than 50 years in teaching as well as extensive knowledge of children's literature and the review of such books, the book provides—in a single resource—the best in recently published picture book biographies that rely on primary and secondary sources, the best in storytelling styles, and the most engaging illustrations. The unit and lesson ideas within can be used as is or modified as needed. The selected biographies enable connections between the stories of individuals' lives in history and required areas of study.

The Common Core in Grades K–3 is the second in a series of comprehensive tools to tap into the vast flow of recently published books for children and teens, offering recommendations of exemplary titles for use in the classroom. Currency meets authority, brought to you by the editors of the highly regarded review sources School Library Journal and The Horn Book Magazine. This guide includes hundreds of selections for grades K–3 published since 2007 recommended by The Horn Book Magazine. The titles are grouped by subject and complemented by School Library Journal’s “Focus On” columns, which spotlight specific topics across the curriculum. Providing context for the guide, and suggestions on how to use these resources within a standards framework, is an introduction by Common Core experts Mary Ann Cappiello and Myra Zarnowski. These educators provide perspective on the key changes brought by the new standards, including suggestions on designing lessons and two sample plans. Following the introduction, you’ll find a wealth of books, by category. (Note that the guide is Dewey-Decimal based, so you may want to dig around, for example, in “Social Sciences” to find some titles that you might first seek in “History” or “Science.”) Each section includes a listing of the top titles with brief, explicit annotations, and key bibliographic data. “Focus On” articles are appended to appropriate categories to support in-depth curricular development. Each of these articles includes a topic overview and list of current and retrospective resources (including some fiction) and multimedia, enabling educators to respond to the Common Core State Standards call to work across formats.

As one of the only highly praised resources on this important topic, this thoughtfully compiled book examines and suggests picture books and chapter books presenting LGBTQ content to children under the age of 12. Highlighting titles for children from infancy to age 11, Rainbow Family Collections examines over 250 children's picture books, informational books, and chapter books with LGBTQ content from around the world. Each entry in Rainbow Family Collections supplies a synopsis of the title's content, lists awards it has received, cites professional reviews, and provides suggestions for librarians considering acquisition. The book also provides a brief historical overview of LGBTQ children's literature along with the major book awards for this genre, tips on planning welcoming spaces and offering effective library service to this population, and a list of criteria for selecting the best books with this content. Interviews with authors and key individuals in LGBTQ children's book publishing are also featured.