When Hester Merriweather's father brings her a doll made especially for her by her grandmother, Hester falls in love with it at once. As a young girl living in the Bronzeville section of Chicago in the 1930s, Hester is delighted to have a doll that looks like her and her friends. She puts her doll, Minnie, in her room, and when night falls, Minnie discovers that Hester's toys come to life to talk and play. Surrounded by a wonderful group of characters, Minnie begins to learn all about life among the toys and the Merriweathers, and when Hester's mother thinks an upcoming party is going to be spoiled, Minnie decides to help out. The result is a delicious story that establishes Minnie Merriweather as a character to cherish. Complete with an afterword that examines aspects of the history and culture of Bronzeville in Hester and Minnie's time, this first book in the Minnie Merriweather series establishes a cast of characters young readers will want to visit again and again.

Lift the gatefolds and read along to go on a springtime adventure with Mickey and his friends! It’s a beautiful spring day, and Mickey and his friends are enjoying a picnic by the lake. But when the friends discover a lost animal, it sends them on an adventure around town to save animals from Farmer Fred’s farm! While reading Disney Mickey Saves the Day!, children are encouraged to lift the gatefolds for fun reveals and to reinforce early concepts like counting and problem solving, as they follow along and help Mickey save the day!

Join the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse “sensational six” as they take to the skies in a high-flying new adventure! Young readers accompany Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto as they explore their world in a hot-air balloon. Children will have fun using Toodles and the Mousketools to discover answers to questions along the way, and they’ll also learn to use their imaginations and powers of observation to spot the many shapes in their everyday lives – a “delicious triangle” in a half-sandwich, a rectangular roof top in a town square, and circles aplenty in a “round of golf!”

Collectors and non-collectors will experience the passion for collecting dolls in Ms. Garrett's second, FULL COLOR, black-doll reference book, which is a comprehensive celebration with up-to-date values of over 1000 vintage-to-modern black dolls. Doll genres celebrated, referenced, and valued include early dolls and memorabilia, cloth, fashion, manufactured, artist, one-of-a-kind, celebrity, and paper dolls. `A to Z Tips on Collecting,¿ `Doll Creativity,¿ and loads of `Added Extras¿ will entertain, enlighten, excite, and encourage the most discriminating collector. Readers will experience five years of the author's continuous and extensive doll research combined with nearly 20 years of doll-collecting experience. Black Dolls: A Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting, and Experiencing the Passion, is an informative, must-have reference for any doll collector¿s library.

Understanding Diversity Through Novels and Picture Books goes beyond the usual multicultural lists and looks at the wide expanse of the diversity of cultures and lifestyles impacting children's lives in America today and identifies good books to have in library collections for them to read. Included are annotated titles with discussion questions from all of the identified cultures and subcultures and annotated teacher/librarian resources, print- and Web-based, as well as an excellent list of topical annotated journal articles. Grades 4-8. Knowles and Smith examine current research on diversity and multiculturalism. They move away from the traditional aspects of multicultural education (food, fashion, folktales, festivals, and famous people) to a focus on novels and pictures books, and realistic fiction to show children with diversity issues that there are others in similar positions. The issue of authenticity (whether the author of the book should be of that culture or merely familiar with the culture) is discussed. Topics include: Ethnicities (Asian, Latino/Hispanic, African/Black, Native American, White/European, Bi/Multiracial), Exceptionalities, Ageism, Socioeconomic Status, Sexual Orientation, Gender, and Religion. The authors provide this valuable resource for libraries, schools, and communities that wish to utilize literature to help diverse students walk in the shoes of others and to match books to children and young adults to heighten understanding and acceptance. Grades 4-8.

EBONY is the flagship magazine of Johnson Publishing. Founded in 1945 by John H. Johnson, it still maintains the highest global circulation of any African American-focused magazine.

EBONY is the flagship magazine of Johnson Publishing. Founded in 1945 by John H. Johnson, it still maintains the highest global circulation of any African American-focused magazine.