While facing embarrassing classroom situations, and unusual troubles of all kinds, the boys featured in these stories and verses do their very best. Michael Shelley Van Fleet is about to introduce his pet cockatiel to his class during show-and-tell, and he is very nervous. But what will he do when his nameand many other wordscome out sounding all wrong? When Robbie visits his uncle Fred, the famous hunter talks about all the animals hes seen. Robbie then falls asleepand dreams that hes a bear being hunted! Can he escape? Nathan must go with his dad when he travels for business. Its Nathans first time in a hotel, and it turns out to be more of an adventure than he imagined. Aimed at young readers, this collection of stories and poems tells tales of boys dealing with and overcoming difficulties and learning lessons along the way.

Bear loves his forest home, but sometimes he gets lonely. It's hard being the biggest animal around. As the days grow shorter and autumn turns to winter, Bear springs into action and comes up with a festive plan to make friends with all the other forest creatures. Bear makes invitations for all the other forest animals, inviting them to a winter party in his den. He decorates his home and lights a roaring fire, and bakes delicious treats for the creatures he hopes will soon become his friends. But as the night grows dark, Bear worries that his forest neighbors may be too frightened to come. Just when he is about to give up hope, Bear spots Deer peeking out from behind a tree... Written by award-winning author Deborah Hodge, Bear's Winter Party is brought to life with exuberant illustrations by Lisa Cinar. Together they have created a story that is at once timeless, tender and true. Includes a recipe for Bear's own Honey Ginger Cookies.

A Lesson in Doing Your Best All the residents of Bumblyburg are feeling lazy. Can LarryBoy save the day or will the Bubblegum Bandit take over Bumblyburg? This is a Level One I Can Read! book, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. It aligns with guided reading level J and will be of interest to children Pre-K to 3rd grade.

Gum. It’s been around for centuries—from the ancient Greeks to the American Indians, everyone’s chewed it. But the best kind of gum—bubble gum!—wasn’t invented until 1928, when an enterprising young accountant at Fleer Gum and Candy used his spare time to experiment with different recipes. Bubble-blowing kids everywhere will be delighted with Megan McCarthy’s entertaining pictures and engaging fun facts as they learn the history behind the pink perfection of Dubble Bubble.

Bubblegum bear has a special gift. He never lets anything spoil his day and is happiest being exactly the way he is. So come and meet the bubbliest bear of them all in this fantastic story about smiling every day, come rain or shine!

Winner of the 2012 Batchelder Award Based on a real series of events that happened during World War II, Soldier Bear tells the story of an orphaned bear cub adopted by a group of Polish soldiers in Iran. The soldiers raise the bear and eventually enlist him as a soldier to ensure that he stays with the company. He travels with them from Iran to Italy, and then on to Scotland. Voytek's mischief gets him into trouble along with way, but he also provides some unexpected encouragement for the soldiers amidst the reality of war: Voytek learns to carry bombs for the company, saves the camp from a spy, and keeps them constantly entertained with his antics. Always powerful and surprising, Bibi Dumon Tak's story offers readers a glimpse at this fascinating piece of history.