A timeless Buddhist tale about the things that matter most: truth, generosity, compassion, and love. When a group of children are having a playful day at the beach, the fun of building sand castles is forgotten when they start arguing about whose castle is best. While fighting over “I,” “me,” and “mine,” they end up destroying and abandoning the castles they so carefully constructed. The timely arrival of a magical wise man teaches the children that unlike the sand castles, it is the things we can’t see that really matter most. Delicately illustrated by the beloved and award-winning author Demi, The Secret of the Sand Castles teaches children the joy of creating a harmonious world in which to live—with an open heart and love for one another.

A timeless Buddhist tale about the things that matter most: truth, generosity, compassion, and love. When a group of children are having a playful day at the beach, the fun of building sand castles is forgotten when they start arguing about whose castle is best. While fighting over “I,” “me,” and “mine,” they end up destroying and abandoning the castles they so carefully constructed. The timely arrival of a magical wise man teaches the children that unlike the sand castles, it is the things we can’t see that really matter most. Delicately illustrated by the beloved and award-winning author Demi, The Secret of the Sand Castles teaches children the joy of creating a harmonious world in which to live—with an open heart and love for one another.

From the computer science nonprofit Girls Who Code comes this lively and funny story introducing kids to computer coding concepts. All summer, Pearl has been trying to build the perfect sandcastle, but out-of-control Frisbees and mischievous puppies keep getting in the way! Pearl and her robot friend Pascal have one last chance, and this time, they’re going to use code to get the job done. Using fundamental computer coding concepts like sequences and loops, Pearl and Pascal are able to break down their sandcastle problem into small, manageable steps. If they can create working code, this could turn out to be the best beach day ever! With renowned computer science nonprofit Girls Who Code, Josh Funk and Sara Palacios use humor, relatable situations, and bright artwork to introduce kids to the fun of coding.

Painter Honor Sullivan has made a life for herself and her three daughters–Regis, Agnes, and Cecilia–at Star of the Sea Academy on the magical Connecticut shore. Here she teaches art at the convent school’s beautiful seaside campus, over which Honor’s sister-in-law, mother superior Bernadette Ignatius, keeps a benevolent and watchful eye. No one could have foreseen the day rebellious Regis would come home with the stunning news that she was getting married. Nor could anyone have guessed how that sudden announcement would soon change all their lives forever. Eleven years ago, Honor thought she had the perfect home, the perfect love, the perfect life. Then her husband, brilliant photographer and sculptor John Sullivan, broke her heart–and tore their little family apart. Now, hearing of Regis’s impending marriage, John has ended his self-imposed exile and returned to the family he’s always loved more than anything on earth. What he finds is one daughter still hurting over his abandonment, another who barely remembers him, and a third who may be in more trouble than anyone knows. And then there is Honor herself–and a passion that may have been interrupted but that has never waned. Some things, like sandcastles, don’t survive the changing tides. But love, family, and friendship–just as fragile–have a way of standing against anything. It will take nothing short of a miracle to heal the rift between father and daughter, husband and wife, the past and the present–but a miracle is exactly what is in the works at Star of the Sea Academy. The only question is: Do you believe?

From the #1 New York Times author of Before We Were Yours! I want to be like this stretch of freshly cleared shore. At times I think, I’m ready. Let the waves wash over me. But then I catch myself running from the tide just before it happens . . . New York editor Jen Gibbs knew when she bought Evan Hall’s next blockbuster book, it would change her career. She didn’t know it would change her life. But after being sent along on the European book tour, at Evan’s request, she has made a promise she’s not sure she can keep—she’s crossed professional lines and accepted Evan’s surprising engagement proposal. Now she’s scared to death. In Jen’s family, marriage represents the death of every dream a woman holds for herself. Can the revelation of her mother’s long-held secret open the doors to Jen’s future and change her beliefs about life and love?

It's a perfect beach day, or so thought the family, young couple, a few tourists, and a refugee who all end up in the same secluded, idyllic cove filled with rock pools and sandy shore, encircled by green, densely vegetated cliffs. But this utopia hides a dark secret. First there is the dead body of a woman found floating in the crystal-clear water. Then there is the odd fact that all the children are aging rapidly. Soon everybody is growing older--every half hour--and there doesn't seem to be any way out of the cove. Levy's dramatic storytelling works seamlessly with Peeters's sinister art to create a profoundly disturbing and fantastical mystery. Praise for Sandcastle "Begins like a murder mystery, continues like an episode of The Twilight Zone, and finishes with a kind of existentialism that wouldn't be out of place in a Von Trier film." --Publishers Weekly, starred review "Sandcastle is a fast 112-page read you won't be able to put down." --Cleveland.com "Peeters and L vy convey some profound, if profoundly unsubtle, truths about the human condition. Weighty stuff, expertly told." --The Comics Bulletin

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of The Flight Attendant, here is a sweeping historical love story that probes the depths of love, family, and secrets amid the Armenian Genocide during WWI. When Elizabeth Endicott arrives in Aleppo, Syria, she has a diploma from Mount Holyoke, a crash course in nursing, and only the most basic grasp of the Armenian language. It’s 1915, and Elizabeth has volunteered to help deliver food and medical aid to refugees of the Armenian Genocide during the First World War. There she meets Armen, a young Armenian engineer who has already lost his wife and infant daughter. After leaving Aleppo and traveling into Egypt to join the British Army, he begins to write Elizabeth letters, realizing that he has fallen in love with the wealthy young American. Years later, their American granddaughter, Laura, embarks on a journey back through her family’s history, uncovering a story of love, loss—and a wrenching secret that has been buried for generations.

A modern, summery spin on the classic The House That Jack Built, in which Lola's day at the beach leads to new friends and a giant sandcastle. Lola is building her dream sandcastle--one with a tall, tall tower and sea glass that sends signals to mermaids. But the beach is crowded, and soon enough, a boy steps on her castle. Not to worry! Lola recruits him to build a wall. When a toddler with a bulldozer starts digging too close the walls, Lola decides he can be in charge of digging the moat. As the sandcastle grows, so does Lola's friendly group of helpers. There's only one thing that Lola doesn't want near the sandcastle: a wave! Will the new friends be able to salvage the mermaids' castle when their hard work is washed away?

An extravagant wedding to plan. A blossoming childhood crush. And a secret ready to uproot everything... When event planner Olivia Parker heads home to help plan her brother's wedding, she decides to keep her painful divorce a secret so she doesn't ruin his big day. Easier said than done when her feelings for a childhood friend start to blossom into something more... Flower farmer Reed Hollis has never forgotten the only woman who ever captured his heart. He also hasn't forgotten that she's very, very married. Burying his emotions along with his tulip bulbs, he decides to keep his distance while she's in town. Not a bad plan. Until he's roped into helping with the wedding. As the two work together, can they overcome their deep-rooted fears and painful secrets? Or will their budding romance wither on the vine? _________________________________________________________________ Discover hope, healing, and second chances in the fifth novel in the best-selling Poppy Creek series. Each book in the feel-good, small-town romance series is a clean and wholesome read that's much more fun when read in order. Also includes: An original recipe. Book club questions and more... ADDITIONAL BOOKS IN THE SERIES Book One: The Clause in Christmas Book Two: The Truth in Tiramisu Book Three: The Secret in Sandcastles Book Four: The Meaning in Mistletoe Book Five: The Faith in Flowers Book Six: The Whisper in Wind