September Book Releases
It’s back to school time, and our September release day! Have your child head back to the classroom with a children’s book on brilliant scientists or a young adult novel about moving away from home. And for yourself, check out some of our adult titles on coaching leadership and the music industry!
Children’s Books
Ava and Abel Learn They Are Able
By Jami Colgrave Harland
Ava and Abel search for their special talents on their way home from school. Along the way, they meet children who already know their special abilities—some of which Ava and Abel may not have expected. Join Ava and Abel as they learn that what makes us different makes us special. What’s your special talent?
This book is meant to be a tool for beginning the conversation with children that, regardless of our differences, everyone can still have a great and special talent.
Ava’s Arch: Cooking Capers and Creations
By Ava Ventrella
Join Ava in the kitchen to make family cooking fun! She is assisted by her companions, Luca Bear and Sergeant Captain Burt. Social cues and some tasks are not easy for Luca Bear, and he relies on Ava to help navigate sticky situations. With her lead and his trusted friend, Burt, Luca Bear finds confidence and reassurance in helping out his sister in the kitchen. Family favorites, lots of tasting, and a few messy situations make for enjoyable and lighthearted cooking adventures.
Ava Ventrella created the Ava’s Arch initiative for kids like her who have a sibling with special needs. She is passionate about helping to improve mental health services that support siblings and further enrich family connections. Kids working together with a common understanding can sometimes be more powerful than talking to adults or family members. Everybody needs a voice, some help, and a safe place to land. Ava’s Arch helps communities and contributes to a wide range of organizations that improve mental well-being for kids.
Bear’s Braid
By Joelle Bearstail
Bear and his friend Ben feel like they are living two lives: one, where native traditions—like long hair—are a crucial part of their identities, and the other, where indigenous expressions are mocked and treated with ignorance. When the boys encounter bullying because of the braids they wear, these two worlds collide.
Seeking guidance from his beloved grandma, Bear confides his doubts and questions himself and his heritage. Bear’s grandma knows about the strength it takes to overcome hardships, and with her help, Bear and Ben develop a plan to strengthen their connection to their roots while also bridging the gap between their schoolmates and their families.
Seamlessly blending discussions of modern indigeneity and universal experiences of bullying and resilience, Bear’s Braid is an essential and of-the-moment book that belongs on every bookshelf, and fits in easily with the classics of social justice children’s literature.
Better than Best be Respectful
By Jim Waite
Respect is something that we all should show
to all we meet, wherever we go—
to the elderly, vets, and others, too—
for showing respect will reflect back on you.
So, respect your parents and what you’re asked to do;
respect places and things, both old and new.
A respectful person is something important to be.
Respect one another, and their respect you’ll see.
Bravo Anjali!
By Sailaja Joshi
For Anjali, playing the tabla is something that comes naturally. She loves the feel of the drum beneath her fingers and getting lost in the music. But when a boy in her class gives her a hard time for being better than him, she messes up on purpose.
When her teacher announces a contest where the winner will get to perform with him at his next concert, Anjali is distraught. Winning the contest would be a dream for Anjali. But it seems like the better she gets, the meaner some of the kids are. In this follow up to Always Anjali, Anjali realizes that she should never let anyone make her feel bad for being good at something.
An important story for all children to remember to ‘never dim their light.’
Buster and the Brain Bully
By Christina Pellegrino
My name is Buster, and I’ve got a Brain Bully.
It affects my mood, and I don’t understand it fully—
like during a storm, when I get so very scared,
or—during a test—when I feel unprepared.
Read along with me as I discover how to cope,
by helping others realize that there is hope.
We all have bad days, but together we face our fears.
Brain Bullies, be gone! You’re not welcome here.
Curious Minds & Great Voyages in Science
By Sameet Sreenivasan
These are the tales of a brilliant bunch
who endeavored to describe:
chimp societies, the pull of gravity,
x-rays, the moon, and the mind.
They show us that the discoverer’s path
is seldom easy or clear,
but nature spills her secrets
when you gently persevere.
So for all you inquisitive minds at work
with a scientific inclination,
the spunky heroes tucked within
offer loads of inspiration!
Five Mile Charlie: A Special Pony for Carly
By Kimberly Adams
Wishes don’t always come true the way we expect them to—but they can be brought to life in a very different way!
Carly lives on Five Mile Farm in Oklahoma. She has many pets, but has always dreamed of having a pony. The magical bees in the valley know about Carly’s wish. Will Queen Bee Nora and her best friend, Journey, find a pony for Carly?
Grief Came to Visit Today
By Sydney Ford
A mysterious guest shows up after the loss of a family member. This guest calls himself Grief, and he brings a lot of unexpected emotions with him. Read along to see how each emotion brings something new, and how becoming more familiar with Grief can help one heal.
Hurts Like a Jewish Mother: A Cautionary Aleph-Bet
By Ruby Rosen and Rosie Rubin
“I laughed aloud at Rosen and Rubin’s hilarious take on maintaining traditions in a modern world. Ultimately, a joyous and uplifting celebration with beautiful illustrations to behold—Mazel Tov!”
— Rose HaShana, author of Jewish Jews and the Jews who Love Them
“A perfect gift to celebrate every Jewish milestone. No Jewish home should be without one!”
— Chava Negila, author of Jewish Humor for Humorous Jews
“I saw myself on every page!” — Hannah Kah, winner of the 2019 National Latke Award
I Am Loved: The Gift
By Hope Murphy
Could you give up the one thing you’ve always wanted? Matthew has read the Bible story of Jesus’s birth, death, and resurrection, but he’s about to discover the true meaning of Christmas for himself. Join Matthew as he experiences God’s love and faithfulness firsthand through simple interactions and friendships with others. By viewing compassion and sacrifice through the eyes of a child, Christmas will never be the same again.
Like Me: Leaders
By Quinn Woodard
It’s career day again, and Zoey has always been told she’s a leader in the classroom, but she’s unsure of what type of leader she can be when she grows up. As Zoey says, “It’s difficult to see what I can be when no one looks like me.” With the help of a friend, Zoey learns about all the leaders who are right here in her community! She also learns about a few pioneers who came before her. Like Me: Leaders, the second book in the Like Me series, lets children know that they’re often surrounded by leaders who make daily impacts in their lives!
Not Like Other Bears
By Shelby Huff
What difference can one bear make? Not Like Other Bears follows one real-life grizzly bear named “399” throughout her life. Because the main highway that connects Grand Teton with Yellowstone cuts through her home range, 399 possesses a tolerance for crowds that other grizzlies do not have. This makes sightings unusually reliable for the park’s annual five million visitors—so much so, that she is the most photographed bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Due to her location and longevity, 399 has been a household name in Wyoming for more than two decades. At least twenty-two bears are descended from her, including the four cubs she birthed in 2020 at the mature age of twenty-four.
Not Like Other Bears allows children to gain insight into 399’s incredible tale, providing a rare glimpse into the extraordinary world and significant impact of one grizzly bear and her cubs through a heartwarming journey that will delight and captivate readers of all ages.
The Living Christmas Tree
By Kristin Sponaugle
During the day, the Miller family’s Christmas tree stands tall in their living room, sparkling with lights and ornaments. Little does the family know that their Christmas tree is anything but ordinary. Each evening, the magic of Christmas brings their tree to life—much to the delight of Hannah and William Miller. Follow along as Hannah and William experience the magic of Christmas in a whole new way.
The Tree House Detectives and the Missing Crown of Thorns
By Kristy Andrews
The Tree House Detectives are on a mission to save the Easter play! Join Kristina, Kaity, and Lizel as they search for clues to find out what happened to the crown of thorns. Experience the mystery along with them as they question possible suspects. Would someone really steal something from the church? Will they find the crown in time for the Easter play? Come with them on their adventure as they try to solve their very first case: The Tree House Detectives and the Missing Crown of Thorns.
Where is Winston?
By Dr. Olivia J. Hodges
Winston is a lovable little boy who is popular and is often invited to visit with friends, attend birthday parties, and play games in his diverse neighborhood. That is, until one day, when one of his best friends bullies him and makes Winston cry. Who will Winston turn to during this time? Can Winston and his friend-turned-bully repair their friendship?
Nonfiction
Deserve’s Got Nothing to Do with It: Five Elements That Will Help You Survive Your Emotional Journey to Success
By Charlie Midnight
Deserve’s Got Nothing To Do With It takes you on a journey from Charlie Midnight’s no-nonsense childhood in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, with a mother his friends called Bella the Barracuda, through his successful music career, working with and for celebrated artists including James Brown, Barbra Streisand, Joni Mitchell, Joe Cocker, Cher, Billy Joel, Hilary Duff, Jamey Johnson, Idina Menzel, and Christina Aguilera. Charlie writes about being in the studio with James Brown recording the song “Living in America,” and thinking, If only the guys in the old neighborhood could see me now, I would finally be cool. He shares his wonder at how Joni Mitchell serendipitously covered his song, “How Do You Stop” (a duet with Seal), and how after an unsuccessful album on Columbia Records, his career was salvaged and kick-started by the brilliant artist and record producer, Dan Hartman. Deserve’s Got Nothing To Do With It follows Charlie’s circuitous odyssey filled with dead ends, reboots, and perseverance, and shares the Collaboration, Relationships, Ambition, Passion, and Persistence (CRAPP) that helped him survive until he found himself at the door of success.
Lead Like a Pro: Effective Leadership Styles for Athletic Coaches
By Dr. Matthew Raidbard
Athletic coaches are asked to wear more and more hats with each passing season, and in many cases, they are not receiving the support or training necessary to help them succeed in their ever-expanding roles. Drawing on over a decade spent as a college basketball coach and original research conducted on what leadership styles and behaviors help athletic coaches be successful, Lead Like a Pro provides coaches with the resources to transform their leadership practice and reach their full potential.
Whether you are a volunteer coaching your child’s team, a part-time high school coach who’s also a teacher, or a full-time college or professional coach, this book will teach you new ways to enhance your leadership style and become a better coach for your athletes and team. All coaches should be constantly working on improving their leadership abilities, but not all coaches have the time or opportunity to attend leadership conferences, training sessions, or classes. Lead Like a Pro provides insight into different leadership techniques, and teaches coaches how to evaluate their current practices so they can develop a strong leadership style that fits their personal values and beliefs.
Young Adult Fiction
State of Grace
By Sydney Walters
Growing up in Centralia wasn’t easy for Grace, who was just four years old at the time of the coal mine eruption that nearly destroyed her hometown and took her father with it. Her days were clouded with ash and despair until her mother, Rita, fell for the warm and heroic Bill. Together, Bill and Rita had a child of their own, a boy named Sam, who quickly became the light in Grace’s eyes. The pair grew up together in a world of uncertainty, until fate decided it had other plans: Sam slipped into one of the many sinkholes in the crumbled town, which led to the still-burning hellfire below him.
As tragedy envelops her family and her sanity again, Grace fights to make it out into the real world outside of Centralia. But where will she go, and what will she do? With a college scholarship, the help of her new friends, and the opportunities of academia, Grace struggles forward, trying to find a balance between letting go of the past and honoring where she came from.