Ten-year-old Willow lives with her four-year-old brother Twig. They are in the care of their mother, since neither of their fathers have stuck around to raise them. When their mother breaks her parole and takes off, they are left in the care of Maisie. Unfortunately Maisie suddenly dies, and the two find themselves alone in the city. With no one left to look after them in the city where they were born, they are sent to live with Willow's grandmother, a writer, in her house called Stonecrop. From the rough streets of Vancouver, the children must adjust to a rural setting in Ontario, and the ways of their grandmother. Both heartbreakingly real and honestly inspiring, the story of Willow and Twig reverberates with the realities of growing up alone and unwanted, learning to be proud of who you are and having the courage to find out where it is that you truly belong.

Making Furniture.

There's more to me than most people see. Twelve-year-old Willow would rather blend in than stick out. But she still wants to be seen for who she is. She wants her parents to notice that she is growing up. She wants her best friend to like her better than she likes a certain boy. She wants, more than anything, to mush the dogs out to her grandparents' house, by herself, with Roxy in the lead. But sometimes when it's just you, one mistake can have frightening consequences . . . And when Willow stumbles, it takes a surprising group of friends to help her make things right again. Using diamond-shaped poems inspired by forms found in polished diamond willow sticks, Helen Frost tells the moving story of Willow and her family. Hidden messages within each diamond carry the reader further, into feelings Willow doesn't reveal even to herself. Diamond Willow is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

A WINTERTIME GUIDE TO DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS OF NORTHWESTERN OREGON AND WESTERN WASHINGTON.

The story of one Japanese American family's century-long struggle to adjust, endure and ultimately triumph in their new country, which starts with the arrival of Masuo Yasui in America in 1903.

“A Way to Garden prods us toward that ineffable place where we feel we belong; it’s a guide to living both in and out of the garden.” —The New York Times Book Review For Margaret Roach, gardening is more than a hobby, it’s a calling. Her unique approach, which she calls “horticultural how-to and woo-woo,” is a blend of vital information you need to memorize and intuitive steps you must simply feel and surrender to. In A Way to Garden, Roach imparts decades of garden wisdom on seasonal gardening, ornamental plants, vegetable gardening, design, gardening for wildlife, organic practices, and much more. She also challenges gardeners to think beyond their garden borders and to consider the ways gardening can enrich the world. Brimming with beautiful photographs of Roach’s own garden, A Way to Garden is practical, inspiring, and a must-have for every passionate gardener.

Jean Little's poignant novel about an abandoned girl, and the dog who helps teach her how to trust again. Ten-year-old Min has had a long history of foster care since she was abandoned at age three. Now, let go by yet another foster family, Min continues to build a protective wall around herself. Her newest caregiver, a former Children's Aid doctor, sees past Min's hardened shell and tries to find a way to reach her...and does, finally, by taking in a sick, neglected dog that has escaped from a puppy mill. While watching the dog recover and open its heart to its new owners, Min comes out of her own shell. Readers will rejoice as Min opens her heart and allows herself to be a part of a loving family, to make friends and to finally stand up to the taunts of a bully, whose hurtful words have contributed to her lack of self-esteem.

A raucously funny middle grade adventure for fans of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman... Twig is the last surviving apprentice of the great wizard Ripplemintz, which, as a job, is just as terrifying as it sounds. Oh Ripplemintz always means well, but for a wizard of such high regard he really does make an awful lot of mistakes. And who's always left to clear them up? That's right - Twig. So when Ripplemitz's most powerful spell is let loose on the world, off Twig goes to catch it. And catch it he does, except... not quite in the way that he intended. Because, instead of catching it in an enchanted jar, Twig sort of... well... catches it in... HIMSELF. Brilliantly funny, with bags and bags of heart, The Accidental Wizard is destined to leave you completely spellbound.

Floral stylist Willow Crossley presents 50 uplifting projects to help you bring nature into your home. In Inspire: The Art of Living with Nature, Willow embraces her passion for plants and shows how to use both flower-shop purchases, beachcombing bounty, home-grown harvests and hedgerow finds foraged on countryside walks to decorate your home. Divided into five chapters on Woodland, Flora, Fauna, Edibles, and Beach, here are more than 50 ideas ranging from hellebores displayed in test tubes to a wreath made from hydrangeas, spring narcissi planted in wooden wine boxes, a tabletop display incorporating gilded apples and pears, displays of pebbles, coral, and shells, sea urchins fashioned into napkin rings, hollowed-out red cabbages used as vases, a colorful posy of chilies, and a stylish wall display of antlers and feathers.

Complete illustrated guide to building furniture that will bring to your home a hint of the wealth and elegance of the classic country cottage and give you a taste of your own capacity for can-do creativity.