“Fans of Clementine and Ramona have a reason to rejoice: there’s a new kid on the block . . . Bighearted, hilarious, and tender.” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery medalist Max and his dad love their weekends together. Weekends mean pancakes, pizza, spy games, dog-walking, school projects, and surprising neighbors! Every weekend presents a small adventure as Max gets to know his dad’s new neighborhood—and learns some new ways of thinking about home. Acclaimed author Linda Urban deftly portrays a third-grader’s inner world during a time of transition in this sweet and funny illustrated story that bridges the early reader and middle-grade novel. “Urban’s subtle and perceptive take on divorce will resonate with children facing similar predicaments as she blends Max’s worries and ‘someone-sitting-on-his-chest’ feelings with a vivid imagination and good intentions that take father and son on some very entertaining adventures—with future ones planned.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Urban excels at credibly presenting this situation from Max’s third-grade point of view . . . Urban’s writing is both crisply specific (a basset hound ‘sniffed as she walked through puddles, dragging her ears like flat-bottomed boats’) and simple enough to be accessible.” —The Bulletin (starred review) “A sweet, empathetic look at a common situation.” —Kirkus Reviews “Urban’s touch is light throughout . . . a story just right for budding chapter-book readers.” —The Horn Book “The cast of characters grows throughout, but at the heart of the story is Max’s warm, easygoing relationship with his father.” —Booklist

The author of the acclaimed "A Crooked Kind of Perfect" comes the story of a fifth-grade girl who begins to see how one small, brave act can lead to a friend who is hound dog true.

From acclaimed author Linda Urban comes a sweet and funny illustrated novel about third-grader Max, who pursues neighborhood adventures with his dad as they both adjust to recent changes in their family.

Caregiver involvement is key to a child's reading success story, and libraries are in the perfect position to provide the guidance needed for parents and caregivers to embrace their role as their children's first and most enduring teachers. Libraries offer many programs and services for children, but sometimes caregivers are left out of the equation, especially once children start school. Nevertheless, parents and caregivers are an integral part of literacy development, and libraries are a great place for them to witness modeling practices and participate in engaging family programs that encourage early literacy. Mary Schreiber combines personal experience and professional research with the programming expertise of youth librarians from across the country in this guide for libraries looking to make an even greater impact on the level of literacy attained by the children they serve. In Partnering with Parents, readers will find a wealth of information on how to talk to caregivers about the different stages of a child's reading life, what books to recommend to excite both caregivers and children about reading, and ways to encourage parent and caregiver participation in library programming, with additional information on working with and providing programming for diverse families. Whether you are a veteran in the profession or brand new to working with families, you will find something in this book that will help you to make your library a more integral part of the education community.

Children′s literature is a powerful resource that can inspire a young reader’s lifetime love of reading, but how can you ensure that your literacy teaching uses this rich creative world to its fullest? This book gives pre-service primary teachers an in-depth guide to each major type of children′s book, examining the form, structure and approach of each. From fairy tales and non-fiction to picture books and digital texts, learn what qualities underpin outstanding children′s literature and how you can use this to inspire rewarding learning experiences in your classroom. Key features: Each chapter is full of key book recommendations to help you select excellent age-appropriate texts for your learners An international focus across English-language publishing, covering key books from Australian, US and UK authors A special focus on Australian indigenous children′s literature Busting popular myths about children′s literature to give you a deeper understanding of the form Evaluation criteria for every genre, helping you to recognise the qualities of high quality books This is essential reading for anyone training to teach in primary schools and qualified teachers looking to improve their professional knowledge. Matthew Zbaracki is State Head of Victoria in the National School of Education at ACU, Melbourne.

Book advocate Colby Sharp presents more than forty beloved, award-winning, diverse and bestselling authors and illustrators in a creative challenge! Colby Sharp invited more than forty authors and illustrators to provide story starters for each other; photos, drawings, poems, prose, or anything they could dream up. When they received their prompts, they responded by transforming these seeds into any form of creative work they wanted to share. The result is a stunning collection of words, art, poetry, and stories by some of our most celebrated children book creators. A section of extra story starters by every contributor provides fresh inspiration for readers to create works of their own. Here is an innovative book that offers something for every kind of reader and creator!

This practitioner-oriented introduction to literature for children ages 5–12 covers the latest trends, titles, and tools for choosing the best books and materials as well as for planning fun and effective programs and activities. The third edition of Children's Literature in Action provides an activity-oriented survey of children's literature for undergraduate and graduate students seeking licensure and degrees that will lead to careers working with children in schools and public libraries. Author Sylvia M. Vardell draws on her 30 years of university teaching and extensive familiarity with the major textbooks in the area of children's literature to deliver something different: a book that focuses specifically on the perspective and needs of the librarian, with emphasis on practical action and library applications. Its contents address seven major genres: picture books, traditional tales, poetry, contemporary realistic fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, and informational books. Each chapter includes practical applications for the educator who shares books with children and who develops literature-based instruction. Chapters are enriched by author comments, collaborative activities, featured books, special topics, and activities including selected awards and celebrations, historical connections, recommended resources, issues for discussion, and assignment suggestions. This new edition incorporates the 2018 AASL National School Library Standards.