Child Esteem

When Coach Hog rescues Buster from a failed racing team, Buster has to figure out how to race with new teammates, learn to keep going even after he makes mistakes, and try with all his might to make it to the finish line before all the other cars! But can Buster navigate his anxiety before race day?

When Carla brings weird sandwiches to school, her classmates have plenty to say about them. “That's sick!” says Leslie. “That's disgusting!” says Natie. But Carla thinks otherwise. “It's unique. It's creative.” Just like Carla. Although she is teased and even ignored by her classmates, Carla's strong inner sense of uniqueness eventually wins them over.

Author Elizabeth Atkinson’s debut novel for middleschoolers was included in the Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of 2009. I, Emma Freke tells of one girl’s search for her identity. Smart and shy, Emma is as close to normal as her family gets. Still, she has a terrible time fitting in at school—and things only get worse when Emma attends her family reunion. Soon, she realizes that she’s better off being herself than someone else’s Freke.

Dazzle is a snow-white unicorn with a twisty horn, a sparkly pink tail, and a tag that says unicorns can grant wishes. He isn't sure whether he can make a wish for himself, but he does so anyway, hoping for a child and a home of his own. Instead, Dazzle gets sold at a yard sale and becomes one of the Book Buddies, friendly toys that children can check out of the library just like books. Meanwhile, Maya has just moved to town and decides to borrow Dazzle, hoping he can grant her a wish for a new friend.

Hank Watson enjoys helping his basketball team win big games. However, his true passion is cooking. Hank doesn't tell his team that he likes to cook because he's afraid they'll make fun of him. When an opportunity arises to meet celebrity chef Brenton Spooner, Hank jumps at the chance. But while practicing a difficult dish to impress his idol, he accidentally burns his hand. The injury isn't serious, but it affects his performance both on the court and in the kitchen.

The tween years are an important time to learn and discover the world and shape who you will be in it. While these are exciting times, they can also be tricky. Preteens are dealing with big emotions and physical changes that they may not feel equipped to handle.

Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything.

Ginny Shepard is glad to be in Montana for a month of backcountry camping before she starts high school. The world is on fire. That's the awful truth. And Ginny would much rather be hiking in the mountains than doing the summer college prep classes her parents think will help her future. Because, the future? Who even knows what that is anymore. But once Ginny gets to camp, things get complicated fast. She meets her tripmates: five challenging, rebellious, tech-addicted boys. And she finds out TrackFinders is designed for kids who need extra "support."

Lily and her zany group of friends are gearing up for the Great Jellybean Juggling Competition! With bright colors flying through the air and silly surprises at every turn, the stage is set for a whirlwind of teamwork, laughter, and learning.

Wildcats center PJ Harris is the tallest player on the team. Everyone expects him to be a natural on the court. He's an all-star, except for one thing. He's horrible at free throws. When a game comes down to PJ's free throws making the difference between win or lose, he freaks! Can he solve his problem in time to earn back the respect of his coach and teammates and himself?

Zulaikha hopes. She hopes for peace, now that the Taliban have been driven from Afghanistan; a good relationship with her hard stepmother; and one day even to go to school, or to have her cleft palate fixed. Zulaikha knows all will be provided for her "Inshallah," God willing. Then she meets Meena, who offers to teach her the Afghan poetry she taught her late mother. And the Americans come to her village, promising not just new opportunities and dangers, but surgery to fix her face. These changes could mean a whole new life for Zulaikhabut can she dare to hope they'll come true?

I Am Mighty Me is a book that parents and children will love listening to again and again. This sweet rhyming story empowers children to be their best and lets them know that they are in control of their own thoughts and feelings and that they can use their powers for good!

Jamie Grimm has finally accomplished his dream of proving himself the Planet's Funniest Kid Comic, and the sky's the limit from there. Enter a couple of TV executives with a huge plan for Jamie: a new show about Jamie and his oddball friends! But when Jamie struggles to learn the acting ropes, will it be an early curtain call for the biggest show of the decade?

Peter and Santa live a rather dull existence with their aunt, Rebecca, but when she dies, they face the awful prospect of life in separate orphanages. In desperation, they run away to find their only living relative, Uncle Gus, who works in a circus as a clown. Gus will let them stay only if they promise to work hard, and so the children plunge headlong into the circus world, where they soon discover skills they never knew they had. But life is so different - will they ever truly belong?

On an island on the edge of an immense sea there is a city, a forest, and a boy. The city is called Asteri, a perfect city saved by the magic woven into its walls when a devastating plague swept through the world years before. The forest is called the Barrow, a vast wood of ancient trees that encircles the city and feeds the Earth with magic. And the boy is called Oscar, a shop boy for the most powerful magician in the Barrow, who spends his days in the dark cellar of his master's shop grinding herbs and dreaming of wizards.

Woody wants to get un-weird - and fast! And he'll find help in the most unlikely of places. Woody is forever worried about being different. He thinks himself weird and a bit of a wuss, and two bullies, Della and Casey, make sure he doesn't forget that. It doesn't help that his mum is slightly bonkers. She dresses up as a sheep for a living - mostly for her job as a children's entertainer. And not to mention the fact that she forces Woody to wear old granny jumpers that she finds down the local charity shop.

Katie Carew is fed up. Everything keeps going wrong. If only she could be anyone but herself! But Katie has to be careful what she wishes for...it just might come true!

Listeners will laugh themselves silly as they learn to find their inner calm and settle for sleep—even when they wake in the night—as they also discover the difference between nocturnal and diurnal animals.

Nura ha descubierto el secreto que guarda el ombligo. Ahora ya sabe que de él sale un hilo invisible que la une a todas las personas que más quiere: su madre, su padre, sus abuelos, sus tíos, sus primos, sus amigos... Nunca más tendrá miedo cuando no estén con ella, porque sabe que ese hilo la une a ellos, más allá del tiempo y del espacio, ¡y que estarán conectados para siempre!

Do you want your suffering to end? I have felt the anguish and fear you have been feeling. Your days are overwhelming, and your nights are sleepless. You want the nightmare to be over. When my participation in my life was only making things worse, I chose to become the expert healer I needed. Become your best healer by discovering these expert methods and activities. You set yourself free when you choose to heal your pain.