Marisol Rainey's two least-favorite things are radishes and gym class. She avoids radishes with very little trouble, but gym is another story--especially when Coach Decker announces that they will be learning to play kickball. There are so many things that can go wrong in kickball. What if Marisol tries to kick the ball... but falls down? What if she tries to catch the ball and gets smacked in the nose? What if she's the worst kickballer in the history...

"Filled with lots of glitter, raised pinkies, and humorous misunderstandings, this second book in the Jo Jo Makoons series--written by Dawn Quigley and illustrated by Tara Audibert--is filled with the joy of a young Ojibwe girl discovering her very own special shine from the inside out. First grader Jo Jo Makoons knows how to do a lot of things, like how to play jump rope, how to hide her peas in her milk, and how to be helpful in her classroom. But...

Presents a series of situations in which taking chances and trying new things can lead to good results, even if there were mistakes along the way.

Celebrates the magnificent feeling that comes from walking out of a barber shop with newly-cut hair. The barbershop is where the magic happens. Boys go in as lumps of clay and, with princely robes draped around their shoulders, a dab of cool shaving cream on their foreheads, and a slow, steady cut, they become royalty. That crisp yet subtle line makes boys sharper, more visible, more aware of every great thing that could happen to them when they...

"From moments of great joy and exuberance to necessary times of quiet contemplation, your heart is your guide"--

"Eleven-year-old Fin has never felt safe until she and her mother move to the magic-infused town of Aldermere in the Pacific Northwest, but when the town is suddenly overrun with disturbances Fin is the only one who knows why--and she's the only one who can stop the havoc"--

A celebration of how colors are for everyone depicts characters engaging in their favorite activities.

"Charlie loves the bright red purse that his grandmother let him have. One day, he decides to take it to school. First his father, then his friends, and even the crossing guard question him about his "strange" choice. After all, boys don't carry purses. They point out that they, too, have things they like, but that doesn't mean they go out in public wearing them. But Charlie isn't deterred. Before long, his unselfconscious determination to carry a...

When twelve-year-old Rachel learns that her scoliosis has worsened and she will need to wear a back brace to keep her spine straight, she is devastated; afraid that she will not be able to play soccer, and terrified that she will not be able to hide her condition from her friends and classmates--but her mother is determined to spare her the spinal fusion surgery that she herself had as a teenager.

Pip. Unzip. Escape! It's hatching season, and all of Jemison Elementary is buzzing about the arrival of the baby chicks. Soon, the chicks will pip a hole in their shell, unzip the egg, and take their places in the world. For fifth-grader Jillian, breaking out of her shell is much harder. Jillian is always too shy to raise her hand in class, even when she knows the right answers; meanwhile her nemesis, Rashida, is never afraid to speak her mind. As...