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)

★“[A] sheer delight and will be a welcome addition to shelves everywhere. Highly—and proudly—recommended.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ “This engaging introduction to Pride parades for the youngest readers successfully testifies to the warmth and power of queer community.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

A young child and their family are having a wonderful time together celebrating Pride Day—meeting up with Grandma, making new friends and eating ice cream. But then something terrible happens: their dog gets lost in the parade! Luckily, there are lots of people around to help reunite the pup with his family.

This rhyming alphabet book tells a lively story, with rich, colorful illustrations that will have readers poring over every detail as they spot items starting with each of the letters of the alphabet. An affirming and inclusive book that offers a joyful glimpse of a Pride parade and the vibrant community that celebrates this day each year.

Humans need words to communicate, whether they are spoken, written, signed or even sung. But what exactly is a word? And why does the way we use words continue to change?

The English language has morphed, melted and remade itself since its beginning. From imitating the sounds of the world to squishing two words together to describe something unique, words on their own and strung together are capable of expressing many meanings. Star Sailor, The Story of Words ventures into the history of how language came to be and explores the ways words reveal a whole new impression of the world around us.

★“[A] sheer delight and will be a welcome addition to shelves everywhere. Highly—and proudly—recommended.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ “This engaging introduction to Pride parades for the youngest readers successfully testifies to the warmth and power of queer community.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

A young child and their family are having a wonderful time together celebrating Pride Day—meeting up with Grandma, making new friends and eating ice cream. But then something terrible happens: their dog gets lost in the parade! Luckily, there are lots of people around to help reunite the pup with their family. This rhyming alphabet board book tells a lively story, with rich, colorful illustrations that will have readers poring over every detail as they spot items starting with each of the letters of the alphabet. An affirming and inclusive book that offers a joyful glimpse of a Pride parade and the vibrant community that celebrates this day each year.

Just like people and animals, plants need to defend themselves.

They can't scream or run away from danger, but many have developed surprisingly cool and courageous ways to keep themselves safe from pesky bugs, hungry animals and even large-clawed crabs. Plants can stab, poison, drown and even suffocate their predators. Discover the corpse flower, which smells like a combination of rotting wounds, garlic, cheese and sour sweat. Then there is the touch-me-not balsam that explodes, flinging anything that touches it through the air. Plant Attack! The Fascinating Ways Flora Defend Themselves explores 15 different plants and the unique, and sometimes bizarre, ways they defend themselves from predators, including us.

Praise for Erin Silver:

★"Enthralling...Empowers readers to understand their own human coping mechanisms, while colorful, detailed images soaked in softly muted earth tones build a base of strong general knowledge. The challenge for readers young and old will be to see who says 'ew' first! A thoroughly engaging, fact-filled book with audacious and memorable animal responses to predators. A must-have for every library."—School Library Journal, starred review for Mighty Scared

This illustrated nonfiction book for middle-grade readers dives into the history and science of happiness and provides proven ways to help yourself and others lead happier lives.

Lots of things can make someone happy, like spending time with friends, re-reading a favorite book or taking a walk in nature. But why do those things create happiness? And what exactly is happiness?

Choose Happy: Give a Smile a Try looks at the facts behind happiness, smiling, kindness and more. Explore the history of happiness, the happiest—and saddest—countries in the world and how being happy helps you get more done. Dive into the obstacles to happiness, including worrying, climate anxiety, social media and the negativity bias, and why it is sometimes hard to be happy. Readers will also discover scientifically proven ways to be happier that they can incorporate into their lives. Who’s smiling now?

The Feel Good, Do Good series explores how happiness, kindness, empathy and hope can change us and the world.

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

★ “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!

Meet Stevie, a little underwater volcano who dreams of what kind of volcano she'll be when she grows up.

There's the small but mighty cindercone, the powerful composite, the massive shield or the famous caldera, which can even become a supervolcano! Stevie grows and grows, and one day she is so full of excitement (and magma and gases) that she bursts out above the water and discovers she's a hotspot shield volcano—and she's part of the Hawaiian island chain!

Alongside Stevie's story, author and meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe integrates fascinating volcano facts, from examples of famous volcanoes to diagrams of parts of a volcano to information about how scientists prepare for volcanic eruptions to keep people safe. Brought to life with detailed, vibrant illustrations from award-winning illustrator Julie McLaughlin, Little Volcano balances story with STEM in an entertaining, engrossing read.