Children's Books Catalog
Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations, 1)
Author: B B Alston
New York Times bestseller!
Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this exhilarating debut middle grade fantasy, the first in a trilogy filled with #blackgirlmagic. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.
Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good.
So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.
Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.” With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.
Plus don't miss the thrilling sequel, Amari and the Great Game!
Amari and the Great Game (Supernatural Investigations, 2)
Author: B B Alston
Sequel to the New York Times bestseller Amari and the Night Brothers!
Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this magical second book in the New York Times and Indie bestselling Supernatural Investigations trilogy—perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.
After finding her brother and saving the entire supernatural world, Amari Peters is convinced her first full summer as a Junior Agent will be a breeze.
But between the fearsome new Head Minister’s strict anti-magician agenda, fierce Junior Agent rivalries, and her brother Quinton’s curse steadily worsening, Amari’s plate is full. So when the secretive League of Magicians offers her a chance to stand up for magiciankind as its new leader, she declines. She’s got enough to worry about!
But her refusal allows someone else to step forward, a magician with dangerous plans for the League. This challenge sparks the start of the Great Game, a competition to decide who will become the Night Brothers’ successor and determine the future of magiciankind.
The Great Game is both mysterious and deadly, but among the winner’s magical rewards is Quinton’s last hope—so how can Amari refuse?
Always With You, Always With Me
Author: Kelly Rowland and Jessica McKay
A loving ode to modern motherhood by Kelly Rowland and Jessica McKay.
Grammy Award–winning artist Kelly Rowland and educator Jessica McKay have crafted a lyrical celebration of working moms everywhere and a soothing story for their children. As a mother gets ready to go to work, first she works on building the world for her child. Because it can sometimes be hard to be separated during the day, Mom collects some simple words that she and her child can repeat whenever they are missing each other or feeling overwhelmed:
Always with you,
always with me,
mommy and child,
together we'll be.
For any child who needs a little reassurance or just to share a sweet gesture of affection, Always with You, Always with Me is a loving tribute to families that honors the work a mother does both inside and outside of the home.
All You Have To Do
Author: Autumn Allen
Powerful, thought-provoking, and heartfelt, this debut YA novel by author Autumn Allen is a gripping look at what it takes (and takes and takes) for two Black students to succeed in prestigious academic institutions in America.
In ALL YOU HAVE TO DO, two Black young men attend prestigious schools nearly thirty years apart, and yet both navigate similar forms of insidious racism.
In April 1968, in the wake of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, Kevin joins a protest that shuts down his Ivy League campus...
In September 1995, amidst controversy over the Million Man March, Gibran challenges the “See No Color” hypocrisy of his prestigious New England prep school...
As the two students, whose lives overlap in powerful ways, risk losing the opportunities their parents worked hard to provide, they move closer to discovering who they want to be instead of accepting as fact who society and family tell them they are.
All That Is You
Author: Alyssa Satin Capucilli
You're the give in my love,
the boundless in it, too,
and forever tucked inside of me
is all that is you.
All That is You celebrates the treasured bonds of love, joy, and inspiration shared by us all. Join us on a sunrise to sunset journey, full of giggles, wonder, and tenderness connecting everyone―parents, children, grandparents, and friends alike―everywhere. From Alyssa Satin Capucilli, the bestselling writer of the Biscuit series, comes a picture book ode to the warmth and affection that enriches generation to generation, family to family, and friend to friend. Paired with Devon Holzwarth's lush, expressive art, this is bound to become a classic readaloud story and a wonderful gift for parents, grandparents, baby showers, graduations, and other celebrations.
All Because You Matter (An All Because You Matter Book)
Author: Tami Charles
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Discover this poignant, timely, and emotionally stirring picture book, an ode to Black and brown children everywhere that is full of hope, assurance, and love.
Tami Charles pens a poetic, lyrical text that is part love letter, part anthem, assuring readers that they always have, and always will, matter. This powerful, rhythmic lullaby reassures readers that their matter and their worth is never diminished, no matter the circumstance: through the joy and wonder of their first steps and first laughs, through the hardship of adolescent struggles, and the pain and heartbreak of current events, they always have, and always will, matter. Accompanied by illustrations by renowned artist Bryan Collier, a four-time Caldecott Honor recipient and a nine-time Coretta Scott King Award winner or honoree, All Because You Matter empowers readers with pride, joy, and comfort, reminding them of their roots and strengthening them for the days to come.
Lyrical, personal, and full of love, All Because You Matter is for the picture book audience what The Hate U Give was for YA and Ghost Boys was for middle grade: a conversation starter, a community touchstone, and a deep affirmation of worth for the young readers who need it most.
All Are Neighbors
Author: Alexandra Penfold
When a new family moves in, the whole neighborhood comes together to celebrate their diverse community in this uplifting new book from the bestselling creators of All Are Welcome!
Let’s go walking down our street.
Friends and neighbors here to greet.
There are oh so many folks to meet.
We all are neighbors here.
Moving to a new place can be hard, but when your neighbors welcome you with open arms, there are so many things to discover and celebrate. Come along with the kids from the bestsellers of All Are Welcome and Big Feelings as they introduce the new kid to a community where everyone has a place and is loved and appreciated—no matter what.
All About Me! Art Journal: Record your story through creative art projects, prom
Author: Nicole Sipe
With creative and imaginative drawing prompts, My Time Capsule: All About Me! Art Journal is an interactive journaling experience that allows kids to record a slice of their lives to look back on later.
This entertaining sketchbook journal is filled with quick and easy-to-answer questions and space to write and draw the answers. Also included are stickers, suggestions of things to tape or paste into the book, things to color and cut out, and tips on how to doodle everyday life. Once the last prompt is complete, journalers will mark the date to open the time capsule journal, and then put the book away. Their time capsule awaits their older selves!
With My Time Capsule: All About Me! Art Journal, children can draw, doodle, design, and color the answers to questions about everyday life. Some prompts include:
- If I could have three wishes granted, this is what they would be.
- This is a memory of my favorite birthday... and this is a drawing of what I want for my next birthday!
- This is what my bedroom looks like from above.... and when I look out my window, this is what I see.
- This is an outline of my hand... and this is an outline of my foot.
- This is a portrait of a special member of my family. This is why they are special to me.
Thought-provoking prompts, space to draw and write on every page, cut-outs, and a bonus sticker sheet drive creativity and engagement in the moment, as well as record things about everyday life that a child may otherwise forget. Each prompt is dated, so the book can be completed all at once or over a longer period of time, and in no particular order. Additionally, interactive activities demonstrate how to create a time capsule related to the art and activities completed in the journal and then hide it away for re-discovery years later.
Entertaining and fun in the moment, this drawing journal is also meant to be saved to become a treasured keepsake years later.
Afro Unicorn: A Magical Parade
Author: April Showers
The Afro Unicorns are on parade! Magical, Unique, and Divine celebrate inclusivity and friendship as they bring all the Afro Unicorns together to celebrate the annual Festival of Crowns.
The Festival of Crowns is one of the biggest gatherings of the year in Afronia, and everyone is excited to march in the big parade to celebrate.
But when a last-minute problem puts the parade in jeopardy, the three best friends work together to find a solution.
African Proverbs for All Ages
Author: Johnnetta Betsch Cole
African Proverbs for All Ages is a beautifully-illustrated, engaging picture book about the power of proverbs, how they evolve over time, and the wisdom of various cultures in Africa.
It has been said that a proverb is a short sentence based on long experience.
Whether you are young or old, proverbs can open your mind to a whole new way of seeing the world. We underestimate children when we assume they are incapable of understanding metaphor and deeper meaning. There are multiple ways that children learn, but for each method by which they learn, they need their imagination engaged and their visual sensibilities ignited. And as adults, we underestimate ourselves when we allow our lives to be about practical matters only. Proverbs can stir our soul and spark our imagination. --Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Ph.D. President Emerita of Spelman and Bennett Colleges
In African Proverbs for All Ages, noted anthropologist and educator Dr. Johnetta Betsch Cole and award-winning illustrator Nelda LaTeef invite children and adults to explore and reflect on complex notions about relationships, identity, society, and the human condition.
African Icons: Ten People Who Shaped History (Hardcover)
Author: Tracey Baptiste
“In African Icons, Baptiste engages in the hard work of unveiling the myths about the African continent to young readers . . . This is a great beginner’s guide to pre-colonial Africa.”
—Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to Be an Antiracist
Meet ten real-life kings, queens, inventors, scholars, and visionaries who lived in Africa thousands of years ago and changed the world.
Black history began long ago with the many cultures and people of the African continent.
Through portraits of ten heroic figures, author Tracey Baptiste takes readers on a journey across Africa to meet some of the great leaders and thinkers whose vision built a continent and shaped the world.
Illustrator Hillary D. Wilson’s brilliant portraits accompany each profile, along with vivid, information-filled landscapes, maps, and graphics for readers to pore over and return to again and again.
Adia Kelbara and the High Queens Tomb
Author: Isi Hendrix
mething even more terrifying: her first semester as a student at the Academy of Shamans. As her abilities are tested during orientation, a mysterious affliction causes everyone except for Adia and Thyme to pass out—and a reanimated corpse appears, with a horrifying message.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Emperor Darian sends news that the same phenomenon is happening across the kingdom and that someone is siphoning energy from the living to resurrect corpses, creating cracks between the realms of the living and the dead.
Now it will be up to Adia to push her powers to their limit and journey to the tomb of the ancient High Queen in search of answers and a cure for the sleeping sickness besieging Zaria. But rising corpses aren’t the only threats that stand in her way—a new enemy looms, and if Adia can’t defeat them, Zaria may soon become another realm of the dead.
Ada Twist, Scientist: Ghost Busted
Author: Gabrielle Meyer
Ada, Iggy, and Rosie are ready for the most super sleepover ever: They’ve got their sleeping bags, pajamas, a moon nightlight, and a dino-snore machine (well, that last one may not be perfect for the sleeping part of the sleepover!).
This will be Iggy’s first sleepover at his house, so his dad helps brainstorm ideas for what to do at the sleepover. They can play games like ping-pong, eat yummy popcorn, and even tell spooky stories! They want to start with a game of ping-pong, but the ping-pong table is in the basement—and Iggy warns them that the basement is HAUNTED . . . or at least, he thinks it is. But he’s never actually gone down there because it’s too spooky.
It’s up to the Questioneers to get to the bottom of if the basement is actually haunted by using the scientific method, their bravery, and a whole lot of teamwork.
Amari and the Metalwork Menace (Supernatural Investigations, 4)
Author: B. B. Alston
In the wake of the extreme losses to the Bureau during the war with Dylan Van Helsing and the magicians, Amari has stepped back from being a Junior Agent to spend the school year as a normal kid. But as she prepares to graduate eighth grade, she's faced with a decision: Return to the Bureau and join the elite new Junior Special Agent Program, or retire for good—which would mean safety, but also losing her memories of the supernatural world.
But soon she finds that she may not have a choice. A deadly new curse is threatening both the supernatural and mortal worlds as, beneath their skin, people are slowly becoming machines—and losing their very humanity. And it's somehow related to the First Magician.
Hundreds of cases have been cropping up, with no cure in sight. And when the curse hits someone close to Amari, it's up to her to get to the bottom of this deadly mystery—even if it means trusting an old enemy.
Amari and the Despicable Wonders (Supernatural Investigations, 3)
Author: B B Alston
The highly anticipated third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Supernatural Investigations series that began with Amari and the Night Brothers!
Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Nevermoor.
War has come to the supernatural world, and Amari’s two worst enemies are leading the charge.
Elaine Harlowe has manipulated her way into becoming prime minister, using her mind control ability to force the Bureau to take up her vicious grudge against magiciankind. Meanwhile, Dylan Van Helsing, the newly crowned leader of the League of Magicians—and Amari’s former partner—is after a destructive new power that would not only ensure the magicians’ victory . . . it would make him invincible.
With neither the Bureau nor the League safe for Amari, and her newly returned brother, Quinton, determined to keep her out of the fray, she and her friends decide to find a way to end the war on their own.
So when they learn that the only way to stop Dylan is to find powerful magical inventions known as Wonders, they go after them. But wielding these items comes at a terrible cost, and Amari will have to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice . . . because the Despicable Wonders will demand everything.
All's Right With the World
Author: Jennifer Adams
Waffles for breakfast, walking to school with a friend, playing in the park, making dinner, getting tucked into bed…these moments shape the familiar rhythms of a child’s life.
This lyrical celebration of the everyday, with the comforting refrain “all’s right with the world,” is the perfect read-aloud for bedtime or anytime.
The year’s at the spring,
and day’s at the morn.
Morning’s at seven.
All’s right with the world.
All the Days Past, All the Days to Come (Logan Family Saga, 8)
Author: Mildred D. Taylor
In her tenth book, Mildred Taylor completes her sweeping saga about the Logan family of Mississippi, which is also the story of the civil rights movement in America of the 20th century. Cassie Logan, first met in Song of the Trees and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, is a young woman now, searching for her place in the world, a journey that takes her from Toledo to California, to law school in Boston, and, ultimately, in the 60s, home to Mississippi to participate in voter registration. She is witness to the now-historic events of the century: the Great Migration north, the rise of the civil rights movement, preceded and precipitated by the racist society of America, and the often violent confrontations that brought about change. Rich, compelling storytelling is Ms. Taylor's hallmark, and she fulfills expectations as she brings to a close the stirring family story that has absorbed her for over forty years. It is a story she was born to tell.
All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson
Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, is an inspiration and role model to children of all ages. Award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford tells her story of perseverance, dignity, and honor in this uplifting picture book biography filled with colorful and dynamic illustrations from Ashley Evans.
Whatever she did, wherever she was, Ketanji Brown Jackson rose to the top.
From the time their daughter was born, Ketanji Brown’s parents taught her that if she worked hard and believed in herself, she could do anything. As a child, Ketanji focused on her studies and excelled, eventually graduating from Harvard Law School.
Years later, in 2016, when she was a federal judge, a seat opened on the United States Supreme Court. In a letter to then-President Barack Obama, Leila Jackson made a case for her mother—Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Although the timing didn’t work out then, it did in 2022, when President Joe Biden nominated her. At her confirmation, Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black female Supreme Court justice in the United States.
Lyrical text by renowned author Carole Boston Weatherford and evocative illustrations by Ashley Evans combine to make this an inspirational and timely read.
All Are Welcome
Author: Alexandra Penfold
Join the call for a better world with this New York Times bestselling picture book about a school where diversity and inclusion are celebrated. The perfect back-to-school read for every kid, family and classroom!
In our classroom safe and sound.
Fears are lost and hope is found.
Discover a school where all young children have a place, have a space, and are loved and appreciated.
Readers will follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. A school where students from all backgrounds learn from and celebrate each other's traditions. A school that shows the world as we will make it to be.
All About Plants! (Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files #2)
Author: Andrea Beatty and Theanne Griffith
What do plants eat? Why do some plants have flowers and others don’t? And what’s the tallest plant out there?
Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files is the perfect nonfiction resource for all these questions and more. Based on the bestselling series and the new Netflix show, this new nonfiction series is perfect for the youngest scientists of tomorrow, as they learn along with Ada. Designed in a scrapbook format, these books combine art from the show, illustrations, and photography to bring simple science concepts to life.
Alex Wise vs. the End of the World
Author: Terry J. Benton-Walker
Alex Wise feels like his world is ending. His best friend, Loren, is leaving town for the summer, his former friend and maybe sort of crush Sky hasn't spoken to him since he ditched Alex on first day of sixth grade, and now his mom is sending him and his annoying younger sister, Mags, on a cruise with the dad who abandoned them. And, as if things couldn't get worse, a creepy shadow monster may or may not be stalking him.
But none of this could prepare Alex for the actual end of the world. Too bad that is exactly what's coming, after the definitely-real Shadow Man kidnaps Mags and she is possessed by the ancient spirit of Death—one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Luckily (depending on who you ask), Alex is possessed as well by a powerful god who imbues Alex with their powers in an effort to stop the Horsemen…if he can figure out how to use them. So begins an epic battle between good and evil: Alex, Loren, a grumpy demi-god, and Alex's fourth grade teacher vs. Death, Pestilence, Famine, War, and the waves of chaos and destruction they bring to LA and soon the rest of the globe. Just your average summer vacation.
Alex is more used to being left behind than leading the way, but now he's the only one who can save his sister—and the world. That is, if he can unlock his new powers and see himself as the hero he is.
African Town
Author: Charles Waters
Chronicling the story of the last Africans brought illegally to America in 1860, African Town is a powerful and stunning novel-in-verse.
In 1860, long after the United States outlawed the importation of enslaved laborers, 110 men, women and children from Benin and Nigeria were captured and brought to Mobile, Alabama aboard a ship called Clotilda. Their journey includes the savage Middle Passage and being hidden in the swamplands along the Alabama River before being secretly parceled out to various plantations, where they made desperate attempts to maintain both their culture and also fit into the place of captivity to which they'd been delivered. At the end of the Civil War, the survivors created a community for themselves they called African Town, which still exists to this day. Told in 14 distinct voices, including that of the ship that brought them to the American shores and the founder of African Town, this powerfully affecting historical novel-in-verse recreates a pivotal moment in US and world history, the impacts of which we still feel today.
African Icons: Ten People Who Shaped History (Paperback)
Author: Tracey Baptiste
“In African Icons, Baptiste engages in the hard work of unveiling the myths about the African continent to young readers . . . This is a great beginner’s guide to pre-colonial Africa.”
—Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to Be an Antiracist
Meet ten real-life kings, queens, inventors, scholars, and visionaries who lived in Africa thousands of years ago and changed the world.
Black history began long ago with the many cultures and people of the African continent.
Through portraits of ten heroic figures, author Tracey Baptiste takes readers on a journey across Africa to meet some of the great leaders and thinkers whose vision built a continent and shaped the world.
Illustrator Hillary D. Wilson’s brilliant portraits accompany each profile, along with vivid, information-filled landscapes, maps, and graphics for readers to pore over and return to again and again.
Adventure Awaits! (Disney Strange World) (Step into Reading)
Author: RH Disney
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Strange World journeys deep into an uncharted and treacherous land where fantastical creatures await. The film is directed by Don Hall, written by Qui Nguyen, and produced by Roy Conli, Strange World. Children ages 6 to 8 will love this Step 3 Step into Reading leveled reader based on the animated feature film. Step 3 readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics. They are for children who are ready to read on their own.
Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans
Author: Isi Hendrix
Life is tough for twelve-year-old orphan Adia. Her aunt and uncle believe she’s an ogbanje, a demon-possessed child that brings misfortune wherever they go, and Adia can’t disagree—especially when she suddenly manifests mysterious powers that she can’t control, causing an earthquake in her village.
So when Adia is offered a kitchen apprenticeship at the faraway Academy of Shamans, she flees with nothing but a pouch of change, her cat Bubbles, and the hope that someone there can figure out what's wrong with her—and fix it. But just as she's settling in, Adia stumbles upon a shocking secret: Unlike her, the kingdom's emperor really is possessed—by a demon more wicked than any other. And he’s on his way to the Academy for a visit.
Joining forces with a snarky goddess, a five-hundred-year-old warrior girl, and an annoying soldier-in-training, Adia must travel through hidden realms to exorcise the emperor and save her kingdom. But to succeed, she first must come to understand the powers inside her….
The fate of the world hangs in the balance.