From the computer science nonprofit Girls Who Code comes this lively and funny story introducing kids to computer coding concepts. All summer, Pearl has been trying to build the perfect sandcastle, but out-of-control Frisbees and mischievous puppies keep getting in the way! Pearl and her robot friend Pascal have one last chance, and this time, they’re going to use code to get the job done. Using fundamental computer coding concepts like sequences and loops, Pearl and Pascal are able to break down their sandcastle problem into small, manageable steps. If they can create working code, this could turn out to be the best beach day ever! With renowned computer science nonprofit Girls Who Code, Josh Funk and Sara Palacios use humor, relatable situations, and bright artwork to introduce kids to the fun of coding.

It's a perfect beach day, or so thought the family, young couple, a few tourists, and a refugee who all end up in the same secluded, idyllic cove filled with rock pools and sandy shore, encircled by green, densely vegetated cliffs. But this utopia hides a dark secret. First there is the dead body of a woman found floating in the crystal-clear water. Then there is the odd fact that all the children are aging rapidly. Soon everybody is growing older--every half hour--and there doesn't seem to be any way out of the cove. Levy's dramatic storytelling works seamlessly with Peeters's sinister art to create a profoundly disturbing and fantastical mystery. Praise for Sandcastle "Begins like a murder mystery, continues like an episode of The Twilight Zone, and finishes with a kind of existentialism that wouldn't be out of place in a Von Trier film." --Publishers Weekly, starred review "Sandcastle is a fast 112-page read you won't be able to put down." --Cleveland.com "Peeters and L vy convey some profound, if profoundly unsubtle, truths about the human condition. Weighty stuff, expertly told." --The Comics Bulletin

Ruby wants to build a sandcastle, but Max just wants to play in the water! Max finds his own special way to contribute and even saves the castle from being destroyed by a huge wave. Based on the successful Max & Ruby TV series, this perfect “takealong” book has it all! There’s a handle made for little hands, a simple story, a beach-themed puzzle, and even a coloring page hidden behind the puzzle pieces!

Liz deals with some unfriendly competition at the beach and tries to rescue a baby octopus in the eleventh book of The Critter Club series. Liz and her family are at the beach! Liz loves building sand sculptures, so when she sees a flyer for a sand castle competition, of course she enters. She thinks she’s found a new friend when she meets her neighbor Tommy, who is also competing, but Tommy’s not so nice. He teases Liz about the castle she’s building and he laughs when one of the pieces caves in. Then Liz’s castle gets ruined overnight! It’s the day of the contest judging, and Liz no longer has anything to enter. Did Tommy destroy Liz’s sand castle? Plus, Liz finds a baby octopus that needs help! Will she be able to get the octopus back in the ocean and swimming again? With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Critter Club chapter books are perfect for beginning readers!

A dazzling wordless picture book celebrates creative problem-solving, teamwork, and the sun-splashed wonder of a day at the beach. The creators of the acclaimed Over the Shop evoke a perfect summer beach day—and themes of creativity, cooperation, flexibility, and persistence—all without a word in this sun-warmed, salt-stained delight of a story. A busload of beachgoers spills out onto the sand for a day of fun and frolic. Three siblings begin work on a castle, patting and shaping the sand as the sun arcs over the sky. Time and again, their progress is halted: a windswept hat topples their creation; a toddler ambles through it; the tide creeps close, and then too close. Meeting each demolition with fresh determination, the builders outdo themselves time and again, until the moment arrives to pile back into the bus for home. An authentic portrait of sibling cooperation—and glorious inspiration for creative people of all ages—A Day for Sandcastles channels the thrill of surrendering expectations on the path to infinite possibility.

Paradigms and Sand Castles demonstrates the relationship between thoughtful research design and the collection of persuasive evidence in support of theory. It teaches the craft of research through interesting and carefully selected examples from the field of comparative development studies. Barbara Geddes is Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The trucks of Trucktown count from 1 to 10 using sandcastles.

Step inside a sumptuous sandcastle packed with amazing and amusing visual details for a beach day that’s fit for royalty. A young girl loves building sandcastles. But not just any sandcastles. She builds one so big and grand and lovely that all the royals of the world come to visit. There are banquets and balls and tournaments, a greenhouse for cacti, a staircase for skateboarding, and ice cream around the clock. Everyone seems to be having fun, until they discover sand in the royal almond strudel . . . and the fig milk bath . . . and everywhere! With a keen eye for the absurd, author-illustrator Einat Tsarfati invites readers beyond the crocodile moat to explore the intricately detailed, increasingly wild festivities that echo the arc of a day at the beach, from euphoria to gritty discomfort. The diverse cast of regal guests, from a Rapunzel-esque princess in pj’s and unicorn slippers to a pair of knights playing badminton, is just as inspired. A visual treat of a tale, Sandcastle opens the doors to a world by the sea where wit and imagination reign.

Somewhere off the coast and around the corner there are two islands. One island is made mostly of stones and the other mainly of sand, and that’s where the problem began. Young Nye doesn’t understand why the people on her Island of Sand work so hard to build beautiful sandcastles every day if they are destined to be ruined by the stones catapulted over by the people of the Island of Stones every evening. When she asks “Why?” all she ever hears in response is “Because.” As years go by, Nye realizes that the Because is starting to make sense to her and this makes her angry. And an angry Nye decides to take action. Through this story about injustice and challenging the status quo, readers will be inspired to think deeply about why and how we can bring about change in the world.

The world seems to have figured out the formula for manufacturing material success, but when it comes to finding true, lasting happiness, we are as lost as ever. We yearn for more, or less, or something that’s just different from what we have right now.Deep down, we know there must be satisfaction for our longing. We just don’t know where to find it. In Sandcastle Kings, Rich Wilkerson, Jr. uses four powerful stories from the seventh chapter of Luke to explain why spiritual fulfillment cannot be found in ourselves, in other people, in material things, or even in religion. By studying the stories of the centurion’s faith, the resurrection of the widow’s son, Jesus’ message about John the Baptist, and the anointing by the woman with the alabaster jar, you will be able to face your doubts and insecurities and overcome your anxiety, discontentment, and depression. Wilkerson wants you to understand that the only answer for your spiritual bankruptcy is Jesus and that until you turn to him you will never experience the lasting peace and joy you so desperately crave.