This loving ode to our shared humanity is the perfect introduction to conversations about identity and Anti-Racism.* "Will invite the book's audience to grapple with themes of individuality, diversity, universality, and what it means to be human." -- The Horn Book, starred review"Loved it." -- Jacqueline Woodson, former Ambassador of Young People’s Literature Presented as a thoughtful, poetic exchange between two characters -- who don't realize they are thinking and asking the very same questions -- this beautiful celebration of our humanity and diversity invites readers of all ages to imagine a world where there is no you or me, only we.If the first step toward healing the world is to build bridges of empathy and celebrate rather than discriminate, Why Am I Me? helps foster a much-needed sense of connection, compassion, and love.

Into a world where it often seems nobody is listening comes a poignant story that celebrates the power of silence. “Why are you so quiet?” Her teacher implores it, her classmates shout it, even her mom wonders it. Everyone, it seems, is concerned for Myra Louise. So, in search of an answer to the tiresome question nobody will stop asking, she invents a listening machine. If the raindrops, or the crickets, or the dryers at the laundromat can tell her why they’re so quiet, maybe Myra Louise can finally make everybody understand. But the more she listens, the less interested she becomes in finding any answer at all. Because Myra Louise comes to realize that all she really needs is someone else to listen alongside her. With gorgeous illustrations from Risa Hugo, Jaclyn Desforges’s first picture book champions introversion and the value of being a listener, a thinker, and an observer in our increasingly loud world.

This story is about the life of a child with Down Syndrome that wants to be your friend. Lynn may look different than most children, but has many of the same likes and dislikes. Help your child discover what it means to accept and embrace a relationship with people who are different.

From Grammy-winning pop star Ciara and Super Bowl champion quarterback Russell Wilson comes a picture book to inspire young readers to see the value in themselves, be brave, and go after their biggest dreams! Why not you? Amazing you! You’re a winner! You’re so strong! You are perfect and important—you and all your gifts belong! We all have big dreams! Sometimes it’s hard to imagine our big dreams coming true. But what if someone saw all the amazing and spectacular parts of us—our winning smiles, our fancy feet, our warm hearts—and asked, “Why not you?” Whether it’s becoming a football player or a pop star or the president or a scientist: Why not you? In this picture book debut, superstars Ciara and Russell Wilson encourage readers to see themselves achieving their dreams, no matter how outrageous they may seem. It’s a lyrical celebration of self-esteem, perseverance, and daring to shoot for the stars.

Radically imaginative and intense, challenging language to be slow and fast, soft and hard, drunk and sober, What Are You performs its own destruction and recreation. Hypnotic, dreamlike, lyrical essays tell the story of a woman trapped in a destructive love affair with the universe. Her understanding of power, desire, and complicity must be transformed again and again. Addressed to an amorphous you, Lerman wrestles with the forces of birth and death, creation and destruction--going deep into the subterranean strata of consciousness and back.

What motivates us as students, employees, and individuals? If you reward your children for doing their homework, they will usually respond by getting it done. But is this the most effective method of motivation? No, says psychologist Edward L. Deci, who challenges traditional thinking and shows that this method actually works against performance. The best way to motivate people—at school, at work, or at home—is to support their sense of autonomy. Explaining the reasons why a task is important and then allowing as much personal freedom as possible in carrying out the task will stimulate interest and commitment, and is a much more effective approach than the standard system of reward and punishment. We are all inherently interested in the world, argues Deci, so why not nurture that interest in each other? Instead of asking, "How can I motivate people?" we should be asking, "How can I create the conditions within which people will motivate themselves?" "An insightful and provocative meditation on how people can become more genuinely engaged and succesful in pursuing their goals." —Publisher's Weekly

When a parent has PTSD, children can often feel confused, scared, or helpless. Why Are You So Scared? explains PTSD and its symptoms in nonthreatening, kid-friendly language, and is full of questions and exercises that kids and parents can work through together. The interactive layout encourages kids to express their thoughts and feelings about PTSD through writing, drawing, and designing. This book can serve as a practical tool for kids to cope with and eventually feel better about their parent's PTSD. A comprehensive note to parents offers advice for using this book to help children communicate the emotions that may accompany their parent's PTSD recovery. From the Note to Parents: PTSD can negatively affect the children of parents or caregivers who experience it. In addition to being confused and worried about their parent or caregiver, children may experience fear and sadness of their own. A negatively affected child may suffer poor performance at school, act out at daycare, or withdrawal from family and friends. PTSD is not just a condition of the adult, but a condition of the family and others close to the child. There are several important aspects of their parent or caregiver’s PTSD that children should understand. Although your child’s age and maturity level, and your own comfort level, should dictate how much emphasis you give any particular issue, it’s important that each of the following be acknowledged, at least to plant a seed for future discussion. This book, and the discussions it is meant to facilitate, should help your child: understand what PTSD is and what it is not; recognize and cope with his or her feelings; and realize that things will get better and that help is available. This book is meant to be read by or to your child with guidance from a parent, teacher, counselor, or other adult that he or she trusts. Although you can accomplish this in several ways, it may be best to read it in sections. This way, several discussions can take place over an extended period, allowing time for your child to form questions and discover his or her own solutions to some of the concerns covered in the book. Regardless of how you decide to use this book, remember to watch for cues from your child. He is the best measure for how much information is too much and when it’s OK to keep reading and talking.