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Choice 2025 Outstanding Academic Title

Explore the defining musical artists and moments of the punk rock and new wave eras - one of the most transformative times in rock and roll history. This encyclopedia makes the case for punk rock's enduring social and cultural importance from 1975, when punk was born in New York City, through 1985, by which time punk and new wave had changed the rock music industry forever. Their introduction of new forms of rebellious, boundary-redefining musical expression reverberated with new generations of listeners, singers, and musicians.

The encyclopedia covers notable recording acts whose debut albums were released from 1975 through 1985. Coverage encompasses superstars (U2, Duran Duran), historically foundational acts (Sex Pistols, Ramones) and cult bands that amassed a significant legacy of recordings (Violent Femmes, X). Covering discography highlights and touring controversies alike, this resource covers all the reference bases for understanding the most influential and electrifying bands of this era. Coverage is further supplemented with entries on a wide assortment of musical trends and side topics associated with punk rock and new wave music.

In this stirring and powerfully illustrated story, an enslaved young man uses his ability to read and write to educate others in the pursuit of freedom.

Back inside the store
I write up receipts
for Master's deliveries
for Master's orders
In 'tween
I write up a receipt
for her freedom

The young man known as Teach secretly learned to read, write, and use numbers growing up alongside the master's son. And although on this Southern plantation these are skills he can never flaunt, Teach doesn't keep them to himself: In the course of a week, he'll teach little ones the alphabet in the corner stall of a stable and hold a moonlit session where men scratch letters in the dirt. He'll decipher a discarded letter bearing news of Yankee soldiers and forge a pass for a woman hoping to buy precious time on a perilous journey north. And come Sunday, Teach will cross the swamp to a hidden cabin, reading aloud to the congregation God's immortal words to the pharaoh: Let my people go. With a spare, moving first-person narration told in an era-appropriate dialect, complemented by stunning watercolor illustrations, the celebrated duo of Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome honor the bravery and generosity of spirit behind countless untold acts of resistance during the time of slavery. An author's note highlights the vital role of literacy and education toward the securing of freedom, both historically and to the present day.

In a hilarious interactive picture book, the Geisel Award-winning creators of See the Cat challenge kids to answer every question with "NO"--even when their brain keeps insisting "YES."

Can you beat Mr. Fox at his Game of No? The rules are simple: every time he asks a question, you must respond with "NO." If you accidentally say "YES," then it's back to the beginning of the book for you, where you must start all over again. Are you ready? (Oops!) Do you live on planet Earth? Are you stronger than a baby? What does Y-E-S spell? (Argh!) Kids will giggle uncontrollably as they gamely aim to avoid Mr. Fox's clever traps--but just ask them if they'd like to read this book again, and they won't be able to resist: "YES!"

Introverted party animal Snail is back in this delightfully hilarious SHHHelebration of homebodies

Snail is an epic explorer ... kind of. He loves the quiet things about adventures, like reading maps, hiking along slime trails, and collecting souvenirs. On big vacations, he finds the sights, sounds, and unfamiliar foods--like escargot!--way too overwhelming. In fact, his favorite part of a vacation is when he gets to return to his home SHHHweet home.

So, while his friends take a trip to the city, Snail and his buddy Stump decide to have an adventure in their own backyard--a staycation! The pair smell the silence, listen to the SHHH SHHH of the waterfall, and read their guidebooks with their indoor voices. Just when they start to wonder if they've run out of things to do, they notice something new: parachute seeds falling from the sky! The seeds have arrived for a vacation, and who better to show them around than Stump and Snail?

Snail's second adventure is just as witty and charming as his first, with laugh-out-loud moments and hidden puns on every page. Snail and Stump's staycation reveals the unexpected joys of staying home and promises that readers will find wonder around every corner, however close to home they may be.

2025 Mildred L. Batchelder Award Winner

2025 USBBY Outstanding International Book

2022 Bologna Children's Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition Winner

2021 The White Ravens Catalog

2021 Tartu Prize for Children's Literature

Everyone deserves a quiet, restful retirement. But for John, a newly retired classroom skeleton, life is just beginning. When John is adopted by Grams and Gramps and leaves the classroom to live on their farm, every day is an exciting new adventure: John rides in the car for the first time, makes a snow angel, scares away crooks, and becomes a source of comfort for Grams, Gramps, and their grandkids. With delightful illustrations and a charming cast of characters, John the Skeleton is a quirky, touching, and unforgettable book. Triinu Laan thoughtfully weaves aging and death into the fabric of life, crafting a tender portrait of what it means to care for one another, grow old together, and appreciate the little things.

Learn the key techniques, tips, and tricks for pit, barrel, raku, and wood firing.

Fall in love with flames, wood, and the effect that unique firing methods have on pottery. Move beyond the electric kiln and explore the dramatic surfaces of raku, the flashes of salt firing, and the rustic look of ash rivulets. In this book, Lindsay Oesterritter provides a crash course in the most accessible methods of alternative firing.

Raku firing requires minimal equipment and can easily be fueled with a standard propane tank. Likewise, pit and barrel firing do not require much in the way of initial investment. Yet all these techniques provide an immediate glimpse into the magic of firing. Bright reds and blues, dramatic black and white crackle, even metallic luster are instantly possible. For more experienced potters and studios looking to offer more, Oesterritter also explores wood-fired kilns. Drawing on years of experience and extensive interviews with fellow wood-fire potters, there is no comparable resource on the market.

Features on top potters working today get to the heart of specialty techniques and asides show firing variations and traditional kilns in different cultures around the world. A gallery of showstopping work from a diverse group of artists round out the package and inspire you to get started.

The Mastering Ceramics series is for artists who never stop learning. With compelling projects, expert insight, step-by-step photos, and galleries of work from today's top artists, these books are the perfect studio companions. Also available from the series: Mastering Hand Building and Mastering the Potter's Wheel.

An enterprising rat discovers the joy of being true to himself

At the park, people give squirrels free peanuts. And nobody screams when a squirrel crosses their path. But for Rat, it's all screams and no nuts ... until he comes up with a plan: be more like a squirrel--squirrel-ish!

When his attempts at adopting a squirrel-ish posture and pinning his ears down don't make a difference, Rat considers his tail. And after a few crafty but failed squirrel-ish tail prototypes made from cotton balls, feathers, and spaghetti, he lands on a winning material: straw from a broom!

Finally, Rat can walk through the park without getting shooed. Free peanut in hand, he daydreams about building a re-tail empire ... until the dogs in the park spot him and give chase. All of a sudden, Rat understands why squirrels do so much scampering! Maybe his rat tail isn't so bad after all ...

Brightly illustrated and packed with hilarious details and hidden gags, this laugh-out-loud ode to self-love reminds readers that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

In an exciting wilderness adventure, three cousins are cut off from their parents by a huge earthquake--and must hike long and treacherous mountain trails back to safety, with only each other to rely on.

During a hiking trip with their parents in the mountains of California, cousins Owen, Vivian, and Amy are finally allowed to camp for one night at a little lake all on their own. But when a massive earthquake blocks their return path, there's only one way home: the long way around, through a wilderness filled with fierce animals, raging rivers, unstable weather, and high passes. The hardest challenges the cousins face, however, are the troubles they've brought with them: bold Vivian's fear of starting middle school and of changes she can't control, Owen's lingering emotional scars from a car accident, and Amy's desire to live in stories rather than in boring regular life. Drawing on courage and humor, the cousins weather storms, make the most of dwindling rations, and face their deepest fears in order to bring each other safely home. This gripping contemporary novel from celebrated author Anne Nesbet is bursting with excitement, rich natural settings, and characters who will have readers rooting for them all the way.

For fans of The Little Blue Truck, Red Truck and The Little Engine That Could, a rhyming ode to a colorful South American bus and the collective spirit of its people, from a debut author and the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Magical Yet

This joyful and rhyming picture book follows the iconic bus, or chiva, as it navigates the rugged Andes mountains, celebrating the rich culture and landscape of Colombia that was so beautifully showcased in Disney's Encanto.

From a military mom in the U.S. Space Force comes an educational reader sure to delight children whose moms are in the military.

Matthew's mommy is in the United States Space Force, and all his friends in daycare have mommies that work in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, or Coast Guard. From boom operator to logistics to space operations - the military has many different jobs that women perform. Join Matthew and his friends as they learn about the important roles that women have in the military.

This book will:

- Offer an intimate look at the many roles women take on in the military, from logistics to space operations

- Show readers the diverse careers of military women, inspiring children to pursue similar careers

- Change readers' perspectives on the military and empower them to explore their own career options

In this book, readers will find:

- A heartwarming story of military moms, with relatable characters for all ages

- Colorful illustrations of the military roles women hold

- Encouragement for further exploration of careers in the military and the amazing opportunities it provides women

Born in 1822, Grant was the son of an Ohio tanner. He went to West Point rather against his will and graduated in the middle of his class. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Grant was appointed by the governor to command an unruly volunteer regiment, quickly rising to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers. In February 1862, he took Fort Henry and attacked Fort Donelson. When the Confederate commander asked for terms, Grant replied, "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted." The Confederates surrendered, and President Lincoln promoted Grant to major general of volunteers. At Shiloh in April, Grant fought one of the bloodiest battles in the West and came out less well. Lincoln fended off demands for his removal by saying, "I can't spare this man--he fights." For his next major objective, Grant then maneuvered and fought skillfully to win Vicksburg, the key city on the Mississippi, cutting the Confederacy in two. ISBN for Volume 1 is 9781582188577

While unicorns usually shimmer and sparkle in the spotlight, Unicorn longs for fame of another kind: he wants to be a cool, case-crackin' undercover agent, just like his hero, Agent Sparrow. And he's finally gotten his big break--a job at Agent Goat's Detective Agency! True, he might be sweeping the floors for now, but it's one step closer to his dream.

When Unicorn intercepts the case of a missing pet bird, he leaps into action! This is his moment to shine--or, erm, sneak. He's sure he's ready to be a detective even though he has no actual experience. With the best disguises and coolest gadgets, how hard can it be?

But before long, he'll discover that there's more to being an agent than sneaky moves and looking cool. He'll have to track down the humility and heart of a true detective and avoid getting distracted by the annoying bunny that keeps following him--a bunny that might just bear some resemblance to the missing pet--if he ever hopes to officially become Agent Unicorn.

Comic fans, unicorn fans, and anyone who's ever had an improbable dream will love getting wrapped up in this humorous comic adventure about pursuing your dreams with passion and patience.

From New York Times bestselling author of The Leaf Thief comes the funny snowy companion picture book that teaches kids about winter, adapting to change, and the seasons.

Squirrel and Bird are back, and this time it's winter! But squirrel has never seen snow before. Will he like it? You bet he will! Except, just as Squirrel starts to get used to the snow, it disappears. Is there a snow thief on the loose?

With vibrant art and captivating characters, the magic of winter is captured beautifully on each page as readers tag along Squirrel's forest adventure. Is there truly a snow thief on the loose, or is something else going on in Squirrel's forest? A perfect exploration of change--both seasonal, and the anxiety that change sometimes causes. Bonus material explaining about the changing of the seasons. Poised to be a new fall classic.

Pick up The Snow Thief if you are looking for:

• A classic read for ages 4 and up
• Back to school books, ideal for your classroom, homeschool curriculum, and more!
• Seasonal and educational stories about the changing seasons

Tiny touches for tiny hands! Children will love the fun text, colorful art and detailed embossing patterns on each page that provide an interactive, sensory reading experience. - Detailed embossing makes for fun touchable textures on every page - Adorable artwork keeps children engaged - A unique sensory experience!

"Notably centering Indigenous families and characters of color in personal and communal activities--and encouraging readers to evaluate their actions toward others."--Publishers Weekly

When We Are Kind celebrates simple acts of everyday kindness and encourages children to explore how they feel when they initiate and receive acts of kindness in their lives. Celebrated author Monique Gray Smith has written many books on the topics of resilience and reconciliation and communicates an important message through carefully chosen words for readers of all ages. Beautifully illustrated by artist Nicole Neidhardt, this book encourages children to be kind to others and to themselves.

Orca Book Publishers is pleased to offer When We Are Kind in two accessible editions. The audiobook features alternate text descriptions of images, including the cover. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Available in French as Nous sommes gentils.