Three little girls meet a giant who pretends to need help with firewood.

The Talking Backpack Delve into the enchanting world of "The Talking Backpack," a captivating science fiction tale tailored for children seeking magical adventures and valuable life lessons. Join Maya, an inquisitive sixth-grader, as she unwraps a special birthday surprise – a talking backpack named Buckle. Initially enchanted by Buckle's ability to provide instant answers and academic shortcuts, Maya soon grapples with the moral dilemma of relying on his powers. As Maya navigates the consequences of her choices, she discovers the profound significance of integrity and hard work. With Buckle's guidance redirected toward positive endeavors, Maya embarks on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery, tapping into her own potential while leveraging Buckle's extraordinary abilities to foster learning in exciting new ways. Filled with heartwarming themes of friendship, resilience, and the allure of genuine knowledge, "The Talking Backpack" resonates with young readers, urging them to confront challenges with honesty, embrace the value of perseverance, and revel in the joy of authentic learning experiences

A boy drops a carrier bag on the beach. He is asked to pick it up, but refuses to do so. Find out what happens to the boy and the carrier bag. A moral story for children to learn about the effect of plastic to wildlife in the sea.

New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins crafts an unforgettable story about a sleepy Southern town, two fiercely independent women, and a truly magical friendship. Sarah Dove is no ordinary bookworm. To her, books have always been more than just objects: they live, they breathe, and sometimes they even speak. When Sarah grows up to become the librarian in her quaint Southern town of Dove Pond, her gift helps place every book in the hands of the perfect reader. Recently, however, the books have been whispering about something out of the ordinary: the arrival of a displaced city girl named Grace Wheeler. If the books are right, Grace could be the savior that Dove Pond desperately needs. The problem is, Grace wants little to do with the town or its quirky residents—Sarah chief among them. It takes a bit of urging, and the help of an especially wise book, but Grace ultimately embraces the challenge to rescue her charmed new community. In her quest, she discovers the tantalizing promise of new love, the deep strength that comes from having a true friend, and the power of finding just the right book. “A mesmerizing fusion of the mystical and the everyday” (Susan Andersen, New York Times bestselling author), The Book Charmer is a heartwarming story about the magic of books that feels more than a little magical itself. Prepare to fall under its spell.

It's a story as old as time--or at least ten minutes. Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy loses job. Boy loses car. Boy loses mind and writes an awful novel about wizards and talking eyes. It's tragic, really...

Every story has a beginning. Every path has a journey. The Gem Project takes you through a world of intrigue and espionage. A new government program is created, and it focuses on dealing with the homeless crisis in the United States. Participants have the choice to join. They will receive care and be given training to serve in the military for two years. Upon completion, they will receive a new life. But there is another side to the program. Our heroes, Benny and J, homeless friends who have become brothers, find themselves in a life-changing situation that compels them to join. Demarah, assistant to the pharmaceutical CEO, spearheads the program at a cost. Choices begin to define their actions. What is ethically right begins to turn gray. What is justified fogs to become questionable. What will remain as their paths begin to curve? The first of a trilogy in a universe that demands certain uncertainty will show the results of what truly defines them.

"... powerfully renders what it’s like to live life to the fullest." Publishers Weekly Starred Review My name is Mickey Rowe. I am an actor, a theatre director, a father, and a husband. I am also a man with autism. You think those things don’t go together? Let me show you that they do. Growing up, Mickey Rowe was told that he couldn’t enter the mainstream world. He was iced out by classmates and colleagues, infantilized by well-meaning theatre directors, barred from even earning a minimum wage. Why? Because he is autistic. Fearlessly Different: An Autistic Actor's Journey to Broadway's Biggest Stage is Mickey Rowe’s story of growing up autistic and pushing beyond the restrictions of a special education classroom to shine on the stage. As an autistic and legally blind person, living in a society designed by and for non-disabled people, it was always made clear to Mickey the many things he was apparently incapable of doing. But Mickey did them all anyway—and he succeeded because of, not in spite of, his autism. He became the first autistic actor to play the lead role in the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, landed the title role in the play Amadeus, co-created the theatre/philanthropy company Arts on the Waterfront, and founded the National Disability Theatre. Mickey faced untold obstacles along the way, but his story ends in triumph. Many people feel they are locked out of the world of autism—that it’s impossible to even begin to understand. In Fearlessly Different, Mickey guides readers to that world while also helping those with autism to feel seen and understood. And he shows all people—autistic and non-autistic alike—that the things that make us different are often our biggest strengths.

Dogs have always been our friends and changed our lives for the better. But they may save our lives as well. Seamlessly weaving scientific research with compelling narrative, Paws & Effect tells incredibly moving stories of beloved pets who have supported their people through periods of ill health and other crises—with miraculous results: *Little Ben, a Chihuahua who can sense impending epileptic seizures *Abdul, a Golden Retriever/Lab mix, who was the world’s first service dog and helped his owner by retrieving keys and phones, medicine from countertops, water from the refrigerator, and could even hand in credit cards at the grocery store *A Dalmation named Trudii, whose obsessive behavior prompted her owner to seek a medical examination that revealed melanoma