The tense atmosphere Beth's sister causes when she comes to stay is strained further by Lucy's references to Beth's inability to conceive. When Lucy has a fatal accident, she leaves the legacy of her child, providing Beth's only chance of motherhood.But forces are bent on Beth remaining childless.

Masks are everywhere. What do kids think about that? When Lucy finds out her mom is making her a special mask she's excited. Lucy loves masks! She dives into her toy box full of costumes and opens a world of imagination and make-believe adventure, far beyond the walls of her room. Of course, she doesn't realize that the mask her mom is making is not part of a costume but one that will keep her safe and make her a real-life superhero. This book is not a science lesson about germs and protection. It's a simple fun story that helps make mask-wearing more relatable and less scary. Parents and educators have found it to be a wonderful tool to start a conversation about germs, viruses, the pandemic, and what families have to do to keep themselves and others safe. For children heading to schools that will require them to wear masks, and for parents, grandparents and teachers looking for stories that give comfort and reassurance to kids about the changes around them, Lucy's Mask is a welcome addition to reading time. Lucy's Mask was a Finalist in the 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

When Lucy comes home from school with a family tree assignment, she asks her parents to write her a note to excuse her from the task. Lucy's adoption from Mexico makes her feel as though her family is too "different," but her parents gently and wisely challenge Lucy to think some more about it and to find three families that are the "same." As Lucy ponders her list of school and family friends who are "normal," she comes to realize that there are many different kinds of families. Her best friend Lucinda has a stay-at-home dad and a working mom. The brother and sister next door look alike and their family matches perfectly, but she discovers that they feel different in their neighborhood because they are Jewish. Her friend Robert has two "moms" who both cheer him on at soccer games, and the parent who attends all of Dora's and Seth's school events is their stepfather. Although her friends the Malones certainly look like an "all-American family," Lucy knows they've suffered a loss that doesn't always show on the outside. Lucy wins her bet with her parents in a surprising way and ends up creating a family tree that celebrates both her past and present. This is a wonderful book for exploring family diversity and what constitutes a family. Two pages at the back of the book offer further suggestions for parents and teachers, with new approaches for the traditional family tree project.

Lucy's mum takes her to the library every Saturday. Lucy loves to read, but there is one special book that she borrows over and over again. The book is shared between friends, dropped in the ocean, flown to China and even made into a banana sandwich. But what will happen when everyone's favourite book goes missing? A CBCA Notable book.

Will You Love Me? tells the true story of Cathy's adopted daughter Lucy, who was born to a single mother who couldn't cope, and was taken into permanent foster care aged 8. By the time Lucy was fostered with Cathy she was severely distressed, withdrawn, refusing to eat and three years behind at school. But Cathy and her two children bond with Lucy quickly, and finally show her the loving home she never believed existed. Cathy has been a foster carer for over 25 years, during which time she has looked after more than 100 children, of all ages and backgrounds.

After a young Lebanese boy loses one of his beloved cats when his village comes under attack, he must learn to cope with loss and hope for a peaceful future.

She married him to save her family. He married her out of duty. What happens when she breaks the rules and falls in love? It was a marriage of convenience. After Lucy Wallace’s parents died tragically, she needed to secure a future for herself and her younger sister. So, when her father's business partner, Will Arlington, offers to marry her and take her sister in as his own, she says yes. Lucy knows what’s expected of her in exchange for Will saving them from ruin—to provide a home and family for him. But a child is the one thing Lucy is never able to give her husband, and soon they sleep in different rooms and lead separate lives. Then one day, Lucy witnesses something that changes everything, and she fears her darkest secret may come to light. Because she's done the one thing that was forbidden from the moment she said I Do. She fell in love with her husband. Can she make the impossible choice… stay in her loveless marriage or break her heart by leaving? Start reading Lucy's Awakening a steamy marriage-of-convenience "page-turner" now! Publisher's Note: The series is connected through characters, but each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone.

The marriage of William Michael Rossetti (1829-1919) and Lucy Madox Brown (1843-1894) united two of the most resonant Pre-Raphaelite family names. Their passionate and ultimately tragic relationship - described here for the first time - provides a fresh perspective on nineteenth-century marriage and on the private lives of eminent Victorians. Sibling of Dante Gabriel and Christina Rossetti, William was one of the original Pre-Raphaelite 'Brothers,' a Bohemian, radical author, poet, critic, artist, connoisseur, biographer, historian, and taxman. Lucy, the intense, intellectual daughter of Ford Madox Brown, was an ambitious artist and biographer of Mary Shelley in spite of struggling with tuberculosis for nearly a decade. Drawing on hundreds of previously unpublished sources and a wealth of new visual material (including art by William, Lucy, and others of their circle and striking contemporary photographs), the book follows William and Lucy through their separate professional careers, marriage, continental travels, and Lucy’s illness and death. At the crossover between art history, literary criticism, social history, and biography, the book rewrites Pre-Raphaelite history and brings to life two fascinating people who were both of their time and ahead of it.

Ten-year-old Lucy Griggs's mother has just died, leaving Lucy orphaned and living on the streets of 1866 New York City. Then Lucy hears about the Children's Aid Society, a group that sends orphans out West to new homes. Lucy knows she'll never replace her mum, but maybe now she'll find a family--and even a little sister--to love. But the family that takes her in is far from ideal. Mr. Snapes seems kind, but Mrs. Snapes is a bitter, angry woman. And Emma isn't the sister Lucy has dreamed of. Emma is a girl who people call "simple." Can Lucy learn to love this less-than-perfect family?