"In this story illustrating the reality of childhood hunger and food insecurity, Lulu invites kids into her world to help them understand what it’s like to battle the Hunger Monster. Lulu and the Hunger Monster delivers the right message at the right time, helping readers recognize the problem of childhood hunger and moving them to find solutions." — Jeff Bridges, actor and anti-hunger advocate When Lulu’s mother’s van breaks down, money for food becomes tight and the Hunger Monster comes into their lives. Only visible to Lulu, Hunger Monster is a troublemaker who makes it hard for her to concentrate in school. How will Lulu help her mom and defeat the Monster when Lulu has promised never to speak the monster’s name to anyone?This realistic—and hopeful—story of food insecurity builds awareness of the issue of childhood hunger, increases empathy for people who are food insecure, and demonstrates how anyone can help end hunger. Lulu and the Hunger Monster™ empowers children to destigmatize the issue of hunger before the feeling turns into shame.The author combines years of experience fighting hunger as a food bank CEO with an MFA in writing for young children to craft an honest story of how poverty and food insecurity can affect adults and their children. Lulu’s story addresses the effects of hunger on learning and can be used in group settings to address social justice issues in an accessible and encouraging way. Lulu and the Hunger Monster has been awarded the International Literacy Association’s 2021 Social Justice Literature Award and a 2020 Foreword INDIES Honorable Mention, Picture Books, Early Reader (Children’s).Food Justice Books for Kids series This series takes complex food justice issues—food insecurity, how food is marketed and sold, and food systems—and makes them kid-friendly and fun to read. In three separate but connected stories, Lulu, Jesse, and Frankie confront the Hunger Monster, Snack Food Genie, and Food Phantom. As they do, readers follow along and learn more about how each of us can take small steps toward greater food justice for everyone. A section at the back of each book offers children ways to further explore the story and make a difference in their own communities.

"In this story illustrating the reality of childhood hunger and food insecurity, Lulu invites kids into her world to help them understand what it's like to battle the Hunger Monster. Lulu and the Hunger Monster delivers the right message at the right time, helping readers recognize the problem of childhood hunger and moving them to find solutions." —Jeff Bridges, actor and anti-hunger advocate When Lulu's mother's van breaks down, money for food becomes tight and the Hunger Monster comes into their lives. Only visible to Lulu, Hunger Monster is a troublemaker who makes it hard for her to concentrate in school. How will Lulu help her mom and defeat the Monster when Lulu has promised never to speak the monster's name to anyone? This realistic—and hopeful—story of food insecurity builds awareness of the issue of childhood hunger, increases empathy for people who are food insecure, and demonstrates how anyone can help end hunger. Lulu and the Hunger Monster™ empowers children to destigmatize the issue of hunger before the feeling turns into shame. The author combines years of experience fighting hunger as a food bank CEO with an MFA in writing for young children to craft an honest story of how poverty and food insecurity can affect adults and their children. Lulu’s story addresses the effects of hunger on learning and can be used in group settings to address social justice issues in an accessible and encouraging way. Lulu and the Hunger Monster has been awarded the International Literacy Association's 2021 Social Justice Literature Award and a 2020 Foreword INDIES Honorable Mention, Picture Books, Early Reader (Children's). Food Justice Books for Kids series This series takes complex food justice issues—food insecurity, how food is marketed and sold, and food systems—and makes them kid-friendly and fun to read. In three separate but connected stories, Lulu, Jesse, and Frankie confront the Hunger Monster, Snack Food Genie, and Food Phantom. As they do, readers follow along and learn more about how each of us can take small steps toward greater food justice for everyone. A section at the back of each book offers children ways to further explore the story and make a difference in their own communities.

Award-winning Lulu and the Hunger Monster is also available as a bilingual book in Spanish and English. When Lulu's mother's van breaks down, money for food becomes tight and the Hunger Monster comes into their lives. Only visible to Lulu, Hunger Monster is a troublemaker who makes it hard for her to concentrate in school. How will Lulu help her mom and defeat the Monster when Lulu has promised never to speak the monster's name to anyone? This realistic and hopeful book in Spanish and English builds awareness of the issue of childhood hunger, increases empathy for people who are food insecure, and demonstrates how anyone can help end hunger. Lulu and the Hunger Monster /Lulú y el Monstruo del Hambre empowers children to destigmatize the issue of hunger before the feeling turns into shame. The author combines years of experience fighting hunger as a food bank CEO with an MFA in writing for young children to craft an honest story of how poverty and food insecurity can affect adults and their children. Lulu's story addresses the effects of hunger on learning and can be used in group settings to address social justice issues in an accessible and encouraging way. Food Justice Books for Kids series This series takes complex food justice issues—food insecurity, how food is marketed and sold, and food systems—and makes them kid-friendly and fun to read. In three separate but connected stories, Lulu, Jesse, and Frankie confront the Hunger Monster, Snack Food Genie, and Food Phantom. As they do, readers follow along and learn more about how each of us can take small steps toward greater food justice for everyone. A section at the back of each book offers children ways to further explore the story and make a difference in their own communities.

Be prepared to respond to a wide range of potentially tough questions and sensitive concerns posed by young children. To work with young children is to constantly expect the unexpected. Tough questions are part of early childhood educators’ regular interactions with children and families. Based on children’s actual questions, Big Conversations with Little Children is readily accessible with guidelines for having difficult conversations with children, individually or as a classroom or group, and with families. The book provides guidance on how to approach specific topics related to: family, such as unemployment, divorce, and incarceration illness and death, such as loss of an unborn child, major illness in a child, and death of a pet social issues, such as racism, family structures, and gender fluidity upheaval and violence, such as natural disaster, terror events, and school shootings Fully based in developmentally appropriate practice, Big Conversations with Little Children helps educators support young children in a way that preserves their dignity and innocence when they encounter world and social events in addition to honoring the family’s preferred approach. An expert in the field of early childhood education, author Dr. Lauren Starnes empowers educators and families to answer sensitive or tough questions children pose, respond to their worries and concerns, and be prepared for an ongoing dialogue. Digital content includes family take-home information sheets for each topic.

Imaginative picture book helps children recognize their inner feelings and discover ways to regulate big emotions. Inner feelings aren’t always visible on the outside. Dragons on the Inside (And Other Big Feelings) validates young children’s emotions and helps them recognize, describe, and cope when they are anxious or overwhelmed on the inside. Dragons stomp and breathe fire, roller coasters swoop and swirl, and bats stare from a dark, damp cave. These imaginative descriptions offer children multiple ways for describing their emotion and help them build an inner feelings vocabulary, which boosts emotional intelligence. For children who struggle to recognize their emotions, including some kids with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or other processing disorders, it can be especially useful to see another child work through their inner battles and how people “on the outside” can help ease stressful situations. Throughout the book, readers see the main character’s initial inner reaction to a stressful situation and how it is diffused or diminished through a small act of connection by someone “on the outside.” A section for adults provides additional activities to use with children to reinforce the book’s message.

Jayden and a new friend bring nature to the city in this timeless story about a community garden Amidst all the buildings, people, and traffic in his neighborhood, Jayden sees nature everywhere: the squirrels scrounging, the cardinals calling, and the dandelions growing. But Mama doesn’t believe there’s nature in the city. So Jayden sets out to help Mama see what he sees. With the help of his friend Mr. Curtis, Jayden plants the seeds of a community garden and brings together his neighbors—and Mama—to show them the magic of nature in the middle of the city. Timeless and vibrant, this story highlights the beauty of intergenerational relationships and the power of imagination and perseverance in bringing the vision of a community garden to life. Jayden’s love of nature will inspire readers to see their environment and surroundings as bursting with opportunities for growth and connection. At the back of the book, readers will find activities to make items found in the book, such as the milk jug bird feeder. Jayden’s Impossible Garden is the winner of the 2019 African American Voices in Children’s Literature writing contest, cosponsored by Strive Publishing and Free Spirit Publishing, and the recipient of the 2021 Foreword INDIES Honorable Mention, Picture Books, Early Reader (Children's). .

Amara�s dad says they shouldn�t waste food. But why is this such a big problem? Follow their story and find out what happens to food waste, what can be composted, and how to reduce the amount of food we throw away.