Meeting strangers makes shy possum Alfred anxious, and he plays dead. So he has trouble making friends—until Sophia the armadillo reveals that when she gets anxious, she rolls up in a ball. A witty friendship tale inspired by animal behavior. In this winsome tale, Alfred, who plays dead, and Sophia, who rolls up in a ball, stand in for shy or anxious humans whose discomfort keeps them from fitting in. Jennifer Black Reinhardt has cast animals with defense mechanisms as characters to tell an imaginative, endearing story about learning to make friends by mastering fear and shyness. Alfred and Sofia open up to each other and go on to help other creatures who have social difficulties by practicing patience, forgiveness, and friendship—tools for overcoming the barriers that keep us from connecting with others. An author’s note lists real animals and their defensive behaviors.

Age range 3 to 6 Night-time falls and the possum orchestra begins. Drums bang, violins scratch and I can't sleep! Children will love to join in in this noisy celebration of possums and their night time antics.

When Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill in May 2009 authorizing the Brazos River Authority to sell the entire inhabited shoreline of Possum Kingdom Lake, not many people questioned it. But the odd thing is that the property in question had been sold exactly one month earlier to a good ol boy that had earned the nickname the River Card. While the Texas legislature had been busy considering the will of the people, the Brazos River Authority had been busy selling the land. The final sale price was fifty million dollars. The estimated value of the land was one billion dollars. Playing Possum offers a detailed analysis of the most costly political scandal perpetrated in Texas since the Sharpstown Stock-Fraud scandal. It involved the states most powerful politiciansincluding the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the attorney generalbut to this day very few people know what really happened. It also involved the leading candidates for those same offices in 2014. This true account reveals how the taxpayers of Texas were cheated out of approximately one billion dollars worth of prime Texas real estate in a story of high-stakes real estate poker.

Ask me my name? Want me to play? Call on me in class? I say nothing and hope no one will see me. I call that playing possum. It's my way of being shy. Blossom wants to speak up in class, and she wants to spend time with friends at lunch and at recess. She also loves to jam on her flute, make glitter glam headbands, and recite poetry... but you might not know that, because Blossom is also very shy! She wants to participate in school and with friends, but whenever she tries, she freezes up and plays possum instead. And playing possum is not the best way to make friends! With some gentle encouragement from her peers and her music teacher, Blossom learns that taking risks usually isn’t as bad as she fears, and can have a big payoff. She might still be shy, but she’s getting better at putting herself out there and having fun. Includes a Note to Parents and Other Caregivers by Julia Martin Burch, PhD, with more information on the cognitive-behavioral strategies Blossom uses to cope with shyness and ways to encourage your own shy child.

"A philosophical exploration of what animal behavior reveals about their understanding of death, as well as our own"--

Fans of E.B. White and Dick King-Smith will adore this heartwarming and funny animal adventure by the award-winning author of New York Times Bestseller Counting by 7s Mama has trained up her baby possums in the ways of their breed, and now it’s time for all of them—even little Appleblossom—to make their way in the world. Appleblossom knows the rules: she must never be seen during the day, and she must avoid cars, humans, and the dreaded hairies (sometimes known as dogs). Even so, Appleblossom decides to spy on a human family—and accidentally falls down their chimney! The curious Appleblossom, her faithful brothers—who launch a hilarious rescue mission—and even the little girl in the house have no idea how fascinating the big world can be. But they're about to find out! With dynamic illustrations, a tight-knit family, and a glimpse at the world from a charming little marsupial's point of view, this cozy animal story is a perfect read-aloud and a classic in the making.

The 2 Sisters Pet Valet Service is purring along, thanks to the entrepreneurial talents of retired schoolteacher Gwen Franklin and her bestie and business partner, Nora Goldstein. But whenthe fur starts to fly, they become partners in crime detecting as well . . . At Nora’s request, Gwen is happy to accompany her to a meeting with ex-hubby #3’s lawyer. Much to Nora’s surprise—and dismay—she’s been named executor of said ex’s will. The fact that the man has been missing for years and was just declared legally dead only makes an already complicated process more so. And besides, is he really dead? What’s not a surprise is that Nora’s twin ex-stepchildren are pressing for access to their father’s dry cleaning fortune . . . With Gwen’s assist, it’s time for Nora to do a little digging. It turns out that the twins’ catering business is failing—and that their dad’s business was laundering more than clothing. Soon, Gwen and Nora are infiltrating a long list of dirty deeds, including fraud and illegal gains. And the perpetrators are all too close to home. The police may want Gwen and Nora to stick to their own line of work, but the pair are determined to make sure the truth comes out in the wash—before someone ends up in the discard bin . . .