Julie McLaughlin – illustratör

Winner of the 2018 Dolly Gray Children''s Literature Award * Two starred reviews * A New York Public Library Best Kids Book of 2017 * A Bank Street Best Children''s Book of 2017 * Wisconsin Library Association CBA Outstanding Books of the Year selection * 2018-2019 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award list selection * 2018-2019 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award nominee * Young Hoosier Book Award nominee *

The Someday Birds is a debut middle grade novel perfect for fans of Counting by 7s and Fish in a Tree, filled with humor, heart, and chicken nuggets.

Charlie’s perfectly ordinary life has been unraveling ever since his war journalist father was injured in Afghanistan.

When his father heads from California to Virginia for medical treatment, Charlie reluctantly travels cross-country with his boy-crazy sister, unruly brothers, and a mysterious new family friend. He decides that if he can spot all the birds that he and his father were hoping to see someday along the way, then everything might just turn out okay.

Debut author Sally J. Pla has written a tale that is equal parts madcap road trip, coming-of-age story for an autistic boy who feels he doesn’t understand the world, and an uplifting portrait of a family overcoming a crisis.

“Offering a mixture of suspense, mystery, tragedy and humor, Pla’s story captures both the literal and figurative meanings of journey.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Pla gives us a memorable hero in this lyrical and funny book.” —Shelf Awareness (starred review)

★ “Kindness is needed in the world today more than ever. Share this book with everyone and see how it can change things in all the best possible ways.”—School Library Journal (SLJ), starred review

There are lots of ways to be kind, like helping your family when they need a hand or splitting your last cookie with a friend. But why does kindness feel so good? And what exactly is it?

Be Kind: It Can Change Everything looks at how kindness can improve our health, self-esteem, relationships and more. Dive into the history and science of kindness and how it affects your brain, boosts happiness and can even inspire others. Learn new ways to give compliments to brighten someone’s day—and how to be kinder to yourself, others and the planet. With one small act of kindness at a time, we can change the world!

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Empathy comes in many shapes and sizes.

It can look like spending time with a really good friend and laughing at the same jokes or listening to what others have to say without judgment. But what is empathy really, and why is it important? 

Feel Empathy: Be the Best You Can Be explores the many ways that empathy can make us more caring, happy and connected with our community. Discover the science of where empathy originates in the brain, learn how compassion can help others, wildlife and nature—and find out why pink is the color of empathy. We are all born with this superpower, so let’s learn to use it to make the world a better place!