"Shines a light on institutions that are teaching students, young and old, how to rebuild our economy and put America back to work" (President Bill Clinton). It's a statistic that's sure to surprise: Close to forty-five percent of postsecondary students in the United States today did not enroll in college directly out of high school, and many attend only part-time. Following a tradition of self-improvement as old as the Republic, the "nontraditional" college student is becoming the norm. Back to School is the first book to look at the schools that serve a growing population of "second-chancers," exploring what higher education--in the fullest sense of the term--can offer our rapidly changing society and why it is so critical to support the institutions that make it possible for millions of Americans to better their lot in life. In the anecdotal style of his bestselling Possible Lives, Mike Rose crafts rich and moving vignettes of people in tough circumstances who find their way, who get a second . . . or third . . . or even fourth chance, and who, in a surprising number of cases, reinvent themselves as educated, engaged citizens. Rose reminds us that our nation's economic and civic future rests heavily on the health of the institutions that serve millions of everyday people--not simply the top twenty universities listed in U.S. News and World Report--and paints a vivid picture of the community colleges and adult education programs that give so many a shot at reaching their aspirations. "Thoughtful and surprising." --The Washington Post "Inspiring stories of older Americans attending secondary schools." --Kirkus Reviews

Perfect for back-to-school and Halloween, this is a funny and sweet story about a monster’s first day of school by the popular author-illustrator of Cat Secrets. The ideal next read for fans of First Day Jitters, My Monster Mama Loves Me So, and We Don’t Eat Our Classmates. Little Ghoul is nervous about her first day of school. Her mom assures her that it will be great: The teachers will be scary. The lunch will be revolting! And the other classmates will be spine-tingling and creepy. But what if Little Ghoul’s greatest fears come true—and everyone is nice? In this hilariously silly take on a monster’s first day, Little Ghoul learns that school can be fun for creatures of every kind.

An Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor Book Meet Danbi, the new girl at school! Danbi is thrilled to start her new school in America. But a bit nervous too, for when she walks into the classroom, everything goes quiet. Everyone stares. Danbi wants to join in the dances and the games, but she doesn't know the rules and just can't get anything right. Luckily, she isn't one to give up. With a spark of imagination, she makes up a new game and leads her classmates on a parade to remember! Danbi Leads the School Parade introduces readers to an irresistible new character. In this first story, she learns to navigate her two cultures and realizes that when you open your world to others, their world opens up to you.

School is a place everyone goes to, but are they all the same? They certainly aren’t. Learn about schools around the world and what kids eat for lunch, when their summer vacation is, and even how long they have to go each day. It may make you think school isn’t so bad after all! Get your backpack on and get ready to visit schools around the globe! This title will allow students to ask and answer questions such as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. • World map • Bold keywords with phonetic glossary • Multicultural

Froggy's mother knows that everyone's nervous on the first day of school. "Not me!" says Froggy, and together they leapfrog to the bus stop -- flop flop flop. Froggy's exuberant antics will delight his many fans and reassure them that school can be fun."This is a great read-aloud with sounds and words that encourage active participation....A charming story to calm those pre-school jitters." -- School Library JournalJonathan London is the author of many books for children, including I See the Moon and the Moon Sees Me, Like Butter on Pancakes and four other books about Froggy.

On his first day of preschool, Dimitri’s vocal affection for everything is met with wary reactions—until his guileless words begin to take root and grow. Dimitri may be small, but his heart is as big and as open as a cloudless blue sky. “I love you,” Dimitri tells his new classmates at preschool. “I love you,” Dimitri tells the class guinea pig and the ants on the ground. “I love you,” Dimitri tells the paintbrushes and the tree with heart-shaped leaves. So why doesn’t anyone say “I love you” back? Could love also be expressed in unspoken ways? In a familiar story of navigating the social cues of new friendship, author Jane Porter and illustrator Maisie Paradise Shearring offer a thoughtful tribute to the tender ones—those who spread kindness simply by being, and who love without bounds.

In some parts of the world, students go to school all year. Is this a good idea? Readers ask themselves this question as they explore different arguments for and against year-round schooling. As they discover these different points of view, they learn the importance of respecting other opinions. The informative main text is supplemented by fact boxes, which readers can use to develop their own informed opinion on this topic. Full-color photographs and a helpful graphic organizer enhance the reading experience, keeping young readers engaged as they develop essential critical-thinking skills.

In Everyone Has a Home, readers will learn about the unique places that people call home all over the world. The real-world examples celebrate diversity and prove that we are all more alike than we realize. Children will love learning about the differences and similarities of people and places around the world as they strengthen reading comprehension skills with text-based questions. Each 24-page title in the Little World Everyone Everywhere series features full-color photographs, world maps, bold keywords with a photo glossary, comprehension and extension activities, and more to engage young learners and prompt their reading comprehension skills.

Knopf Canada is proud to welcome Orhan Pamuk to the list with an inspiring and engaging collection of essays on literary and personal subjects–his first new book since winning the Nobel Prize. In the three decades that Pamuk has devoted to writing fiction, he has also produced scores of witty, moving and provocative essays and articles. Here is a thoughtful compilation of a dazzling novelist’s best non-fiction, offering different perspectives on his lifelong obsessions. Pamuk’s criticism, autobiographical writing and meditations are presented alongside interviews he has given and selections from his private notebooks. He engages the work of other novelists, including Sterne and Dostoyevsky, Salman Rushdie and Patricia Highsmith, and he discusses his own books and writing process. We learn not just how he writes but how he lives as he recounts his successful struggle to quit smoking and describes his relationship with his daughter. Ordinary events–applying for a passport, the death of a relative–inspire extraordinary flights of association as the novelist reflects on everything from the child’s state of being to divergent attitudes towards art in the East and West. Illustrated with photographs, paintings and the author’s own sketches, Other Colors gives us Orhan Pamuk’s world through a kaleidoscope whose brilliant, shifting themes and moods together become a radiant and meaningful whole.