A lyrical, captivating retelling of the Palm Sunday and Easter story from National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins, author of Rickshaw Girl, that is sure to become a beloved tradition for families of faith. Little Wind and the trees of Jerusalem can't wait for Real King to visit. But Little Wind is puzzled when the king doesn't look how he expected. His wise friend Bare Tree helps him learn that sometimes strength is found in sacrifice, and new life can spring up even when all hope seems lost. This story stands apart for its imagination, endearing characters, and how it weaves Old Testament imagery into Holy Week and the promise of Jesus's triumphant return. While the youngest readers will connect to the curious Little Wind, older children and parents will appreciate the layers of meaning and Scriptural references in the story, making it a book families can enjoy together year after year.

Ana loves stories. She often makes them up to help her little brother fall asleep. But in her small village there are only a few books and she has read them all. One morning, Ana wakes up to the clip-clop of hooves, and there before her, is the most wonderful sight: a traveling library resting on the backs of two burros‑all the books a little girl could dream of, with enough stories to encourage her to create one of her own. Inspired by the heroic efforts of real-life librarian Luis Soriano, award-winning picture book creators Monica Brown and John Parra introduce readers to the mobile library that journeys over mountains and through valleys to bring literacy and culture to rural Colombia, and to the children who wait for the BiblioBurro. A portion of the proceeds from sales of this book was donated to Luis Soriano's BiblioBurro program.

New York Public Library’s “100 Best Children's Books of the Past 100 Years” Jane Addams Honor Book Maine Library Association Lupine Honor Book ALA Amelia Bloomer Project Award Book Bank Street Best Children's Books List (Starred) Association of Children's Booksellers Best Book The moving and critically acclaimed story of a young, artistic Bangladeshi girl who bravely defies tradition in order to support her family through hard times Naima is a talented painter of traditional alpana patterns, which Bangladeshi women and girls paint on their houses for special celebrations. But Naima is not satisfied just painting alpana. She wants to help earn money for her family, like her best friend, Saleem, does for his family. When Naima's rash effort to help puts her family deeper in debt, she draws on her resourceful nature and her talents to bravely save the day. Includes a glossary of Bangla words and an author's note about a changing Bangladesh and microfinance.

The stories we read as children shape us for the rest of our lives. But it is never too late to discover that transformative spark of hope that children's classics can ignite within us. Award-winning children's author Mitali Perkins grew up steeped in stories--escaping into her books on the fire escape of a Flushing apartment building and, later, finding solace in them as she navigated between the cultures of her suburban California school and her Bengali heritage at home. Now Perkins invites us to explore the promise of seven timeless children's novels for adults living in uncertain times: stories that provide mirrors to our innermost selves and open windows to other worlds. Blending personal narrative, accessible literary criticism, and spiritual and moral formation, Perkins delves into novels by Louisa May Alcott, C. S. Lewis, L. M. Montgomery, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and other literary "uncles" and "aunts" that illuminate the virtuous, abundant life we still desire. These novels are not perfect, and Perkins honestly assesses their critical frailties and flaws related to race, culture, and power. Yet reading or rereading these books as adults can help us build virtue, unmask our vices, and restore our hope. Reconnecting with these stories from childhood isn't merely nostalgia. In an era of uncertainty and despair, they lighten our load and bring us much-needed hope.

A combination of poetry and woodcut illustrations invites readers to explore the events surrounding the first Easter.

]]]]]] A STORY FOR ALL AGES! ]]]]]] A CLASSIC AND WONDERFUL STORY! ]]]]]] A TRULY HUMBLING EXPERIENCE! ABOUT THE PLOT: 'Set in the mountains of south China, a little, brown, bare tree stands high up on a cliff edge. She watched as the other trees grew and blossomed in the spring with beautiful flowers of pink, and never understood why she was different or why she wasn't beautiful. And so for many years she felt unhappy with herself. One year, a powerful storm came in from the west. It beat down on the mountain side unleashing rage with all its might, and one by one the blossom trees began to bow and break in the strong wind. After a few days of lashing rains and relentless winds, all the other trees had fallen and the little tree, well, she was damaged, broken, and bowed. But she still remained. As the little tree held on and struggled to survive the powerful angry storm, eventually he subsided and with nothing left to give, tired and exhausted, he sat down beside her and asked the little oak tree why she didn't fall like all the others? She could she explain, but somewhere deep inside she knew it was the strength of her roots that helped her make it through the difficult and hard time in her life, and beat the storm.' ABOUT THE STORY: I wrote the foundation for this story last year. At a troubled time in my life when I needed guidance and help, and people turned me away and friends turned the other cheek, I found myself feeling lonely and weak. I struggled to find the strength to get through, so I searched around for an answer. I couldn't find it in spending money or buying things, nor in the comforting words of others. Instead, I eventually found the answer lie in a place near the school where I once taught, set high up in the mountains of south China. I sat alone one quiet afternoon as I thought about things. I noticed a dark storm was coming in the distance. The closer it got the more veracious and angry it seemed. I watched as many of the beautiful trees on the mountainside began to sway, bend, and eventually break in the wake of the powerful storm. When it was all over, I looked around at the devastation. There was a single tree still standing. I soon realized something. So, I put pen to paper and thus, this story was written. The story of 'The little tree and the storm' started out as a simple message on my social media site about troubled times are the test of one's character. After I posted the message, I read it again and soon realized how it explains why through tough times in our lives we may waiver, bend, and eventually even break. But if we look deep enough into our hearts we begin to realize that our roots, however humble they may be, are the key to one's strength and surviving difficult times in our lives. ABOUT THE AUTHOR PF Farraday is a 43 year old goodreads author and has written several books, including The Earl and the poor Girl. For more information go to: www.farradaybooks.com or twitter: PF Farraday

This joyous, energetic picture book from the bestselling author of the God Gave Us series celebrates the unique ways grandparents help children gain confidence. It’s always a good time when Nana comes for a visit! Nana doesn’t mind making a mess while building forts. Nana plays checkers to win. Nana encourages climbing high, savoring dessert, and playing hopscotch. In short, everything’s more fun with Nana and her spunky outlook on life! Nana the Great Comes to Visit celebrates the countless ways grownups help children learn to believe in themselves—and assures children that a grandparent’s love stays with them always.

The award-winning author of You Bring the Distant Near explores identity, homecoming, and the legacy of assault in this personal and ambitious new novel. Katina King is the reigning teen jujitsu champion of Northern California, but she’s having trouble fighting off the secrets in her past. Robin Thornton was adopted from an orphanage in India and is reluctant to take on his future. If he can’t find his roots, how can he possibly plan ahead? Robin and Kat meet in the most unlikely of places—a summer service trip to Kolkata to work with survivors of human trafficking. As bonds build between the travelmates, Robin and Kat discover that justice and healing are tangled, like the pain of their pasts and the hope for their futures. You can’t rewind life; sometimes you just have to push play. In turns heart wrenching, beautiful, and buoyant, Mitali Perkins's Forward Me Back to You focuses its lens on the ripple effects of violence—across borders and generations—and how small acts of heroism can break the cycle. This title has Common Core connections.

A luminous and tender retelling of the Christmas story from National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins, author of Bare Tree and Little Wind, that is sure to become a cherished holiday favorite for families of faith. Little Star likes her usual spot in the night sky over Bethlehem. Every night, she twinkles above the hills and hopes that nothing will change. But one night, Maker gathers the galaxy! Holy Night is coming, and Maker wants the planets, Moon, and the stars to all take part. As Maker doles out jobs, Little Star holds back, each new role sounding too hard or too scary. But when Maker eventually calls on her to shine, Little Star discovers she is ready and able to welcome the Child and joins the other stars and planets in celebration. Khoa Le’s shimmering illustrations are the perfect complement to Mitali’s unique take on the Christmas story. Readers young and old will be captivated by Little Star’s journey as she discovers that Maker welcomes even the quietest gifts. Parents of faith will appreciate the message about the true gifts of Christmas and the foreshadowing of Jesus’ mission of salvation, making it a book families can enjoy together year after year.

When a tiger cub goes missing from the reserve, Neil is determined to find her before the greedy Gupta gets his hands on her to kill her and sell her body parts on the black market. Neil's parents, however, are counting on him to study hard and win a prestigious scholarship to study in Kolkata. Neil doesn't want to leave his family or his island home and he struggles with his familial duty and his desire to maintain the beauty and wildness of his island home in West Bengal's Sunderbans.