When Kari Baxter is assigned an essay about what she wants to be when she grows up, her mind goes blank. She doesn't want to grow up; she wants everything to stay just like it is. But Kari comes to realize that while making time stand still isn't possible, she can enjoy every moment with her best family ever. Meanwhile, Ashley Baxter feels the same way. She is worried her siblings are growing up too fast. When she wins the role of Wendy in her school performance of Peter Pan, Ashley gets an idea. Maybe she and her siblings can pledge to never grow up at all!

Growing older is a process. Growing old is a conclusion. If you're growing older you see some hope because you have perspective and you keep learning. If you've grown old, you may cynically think that times have never been as bad as they are now, and that they can only get worse. This book is about learning how to "make peace with where you are right now." It's about learning from the past and then moving past it. It's about growing--personally, spiritually, and in our relationships with God and with others. If we think properly about growing older we'll never have to grow old.

"Beatrice offers a lesson we could all benefit from: learn from your mistakes, let go, laugh, and enjoy the ride." --JENNIFER FOSBERRY, New York Times bestselling author of My Name Is Not Isabella Being perfect is overrated. Beatrice Bottomwell has NEVER (not once ) made a mistake. She never forgets her math homework, she never wears mismatched socks, and she ALWAYS wins the yearly talent show at school. In fact, the entire town calls her The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes One day, the inevitable happens: Beatrice makes a huge mistake in front of everyone But in the end, readers (and perfectionists) will realize that life is more fun when you enjoy everything--even the mistakes. Additional praise for The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes: "This funny and heartfelt book conveys a powerful message about how putting too much pressure on yourself to be perfect can suck the joy out of everything. Beatrice's discovery that you can laugh off even a very public mistake shows the importance of resiliency and helps perfectionist kids keep things in perspective. Most importantly, Beatrice reminds the reader that it's more important to enjoy the things that you do than worry about doing them perfectly." --A Mighty Girl "The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes is a must-read for any young (or old ) perfectionist. Beatrice Bottomwell is perfectly imperfect " --Stephanie Oppenheim, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio "It's fun and instructive without feeling overly didactic and the illustrations are darling." --Parenting "This book will help little perfectionists see that making mistakes is okay, and it can be a lot of fun too " --Kids Book Blog

A new, interactive approach to storytime, The Whole Book Approach was developed in conjunction with the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and expert author Megan Dowd Lambert's graduate work in children's literature at Simmons College, offering a practical guide for reshaping storytime and getting kids to think with their eyes. Traditional storytime often offers a passive experience for kids, but the Whole Book approach asks the youngest of readers to ponder all aspects of a picture book and to use their critical thinking skills. Using classic examples, Megan asks kids to think about why the trim size of Ludwig Bemelman's Madeline is so generous, or why the typeset in David Wiesner's Caldecott winner,The Three Pigs, appears to twist around the page, or why books like Chris Van Allsburg's The Polar Express and Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar are printed landscape instead of portrait. The dynamic discussions that result from this shared reading style range from the profound to the hilarious and will inspire adults to make children's responses to text, art, and design an essential part of storytime.

Much-loved storyteller Karen Kingsbury’s Baxter Family books have captured the hearts of millions who have come to think of the Baxter family as their own. Now Karen Kingsbury and her son Tyler Russell tell the childhood stories of the beloved Baxter children—Brooke, Kari, Ashley, Erin, and Luke—to inspire and entertain younger readers. Brooke is the perfect older sister. For that reason, Kari and Ashley work hard to make their parents just as proud of them as they are of Brooke. Each girl has her own talents. Brooke is an excellent student. Kari is a great soccer player. Ashley, a talented artist. And they are always there for each other. But when the news comes that Dr. Baxter is moving the family from Ann Arbor to Bloomington, Indiana, and the Baxters need to leave the only home and friends they’ve ever known, no one is happy. Saying goodbye is hard but the family still has what’s most important—their faith and their love for each other. The first book in the Baxter Family Children series, #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury and Tyler Russell tell the story of what it was like to grow up in the Baxter family, the best family ever.

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Puts a new twist on three classic fairy tales, as Little Red, her grandmother, and the woodcutter are rewarded, Jack taunts the last remaining giant in Cornwall, and Omoline, the miller's daughter, toys with the ugly little man who wants to take her child.