Engineer Barney uses train imagery and fun sounds to introduce preschoolers to different colors.

Preschoolers will delight in visiting Train Land, a fictional theme park dedicated to lots of locomotives.

Have fun making flying paper airplanes with your child.

The story of the man who transformed The Wall Street Journal and modern media In 1929, Barney Kilgore, fresh from college in small-town Indiana, took a sleepy, near bankrupt New York financial paper—The Wall Street Journal—and turned it into a thriving national newspaper that eventually was worth $5 billion to Rupert Murdoch. Kilgore then invented a national weekly newspaper that was a precursor of many trends we see playing out in journalism now. Tofel brings this story of a little-known pioneer to life using many previously uncollected newspaper writings by Kilgore and a treasure trove of letters between Kilgore and his father, all of which detail the invention of much of what we like best about modern newspapers. By focusing on the man, his journalism, his foresight, and his business acumen, Restless Genius also sheds new light on the Depression and the New Deal. At a time when traditional newspapers are under increasing threat, Barney Kilgore's story offers lessons that need constant retelling.

2020 Banff Mountain Book Competition Finalist in Adventure Travel In Journeys North, legendary trail angel, thru hiker, and former PCTA board member Barney Scout Mann spins a compelling tale of six hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2007 as they walk from Mexico to Canada. This ensemble story unfolds as these half-dozen hikers--including Barney and his wife, Sandy--trod north, slowly forming relationships and revealing their deepest secrets and aspirations. They face a once-in-a-generation drought and early severe winter storms that test their will in this bare-knuckled adventure. In fact, only a third of all the hikers who set out on the trail that year would finish. As the group approaches Canada, a storm rages. How will these very different hikers, ranging in age, gender, and background, respond to the hardship and suffering ahead of them? Can they all make the final 60-mile push through freezing temperatures, sleet, and snow, or will some reach their breaking point? Journeys North is a story of grit, compassion, and the relationships people forge when they strive toward a common goal.

The average freight car can hold 200,000 pounds. This is equal to the weight of 15 male bush elephants! Early readers will be impressed by the powerful freight trains in this book moving heavy loads of food, coal, oil, and more!

England, 1940. Barney’s home has been destroyed by bombing, and he and his mother are traveling to the countryside when German planes attack. Their train is forced to take shelter in a tunnel and there, in the darkness, a stranger— a fellow passenger—begins to tell them a story about two young soldiers who came face to face in the previous war. One British, one German. Both lived, but the British soldier was haunted by the encounter once he realized who the German was: the young Adolf Hitler. The British soldier made a moral decision. Was it the right one? Readers can ponder that difficult question for themselves with Michael Morpurgo's latest middle-grade novel An Eagle in the Snow.

‘Barney is a street peddler who sells fruits and vegetables while dispensing kindness and horseback rides to the children on his route. Progress brings elevated trains to the area, resulting in Barney’s horse running away before everyone adjusts to the changes. Brightly colored illustrations depict clear action. A satisfying story.’ —BL.

Every mistake is an opportunity to make something beautiful. This is the central idea of Beautiful Oops!, Barney Saltzberg’s beloved bestseller—and now My Book of Beautiful Oops!, an interactive journal for young artists, takes that principle into unexpected new directions. A hands-on journal that’s meant to be personalized—drawn in, painted on, torn up, smudged, or otherwise artistically wrecked—My Book of Beautiful Oops! is filled with folded, crumpled, die-cut, and lift-the-flap pages that will challenge the reader’s sense of play. The friendly green alligator from the first book prompts the reader: Bend a page. Decorate a smudge. Play with splats and spills. Even complete a poem that was accidentally ripped in half. My Beautiful Book of Oops! champions imagination, play, and the courage to express oneself. It’s about self-forgiveness, about turning off that inner critic that clamors for perfection. And it’s about freedom—the freedom to be creative and follow your curiosity wherever it goes. That’s a lesson to celebrate.

Some trains have so many cars that they are miles long. The longest freight train in history had 682 cars filled with iron ore. This beast of a train needed eight locomotives to pull it forward! This book will keep beginning readers chugging along.