A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year pick for 2023!

With the mystery of Maureen Johnson and Brittany Cavallaro and the historical intrigue of Romanov, this genre-bending YA will pull readers into one girl’s journey of discovering the impossible tale of a long-lost aunt—and through her, the importance of being true to yourself.

It’s not every day you discover you might be related to Anastasia…or that the tragic princess actually survived her assassination attempt and has been living as the woman you know as Aunt Anna.

For Jess Morgan, who is growing tired of living her life to please everyone else, discovering her late aunt’s diaries shows her she’s not the only one struggling to hide who she really is. But was her aunt truly a Romanov princess? Or is this some elaborate hoax?

With the help of a supremely dorky but undeniably cute local college student named Evan, Jess digs into the century-old mystery.

But soon Jess realizes there’s another, bigger truth waiting to be revealed: Jess Morgan. Because if she’s learned anything from Aunt Anna, it’s that only you can write your own story.

With its clear, easy-to-understand style, Gordon/Browne's BEGINNINGS AND BEYOND: FOUNDATIONS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, 11th Edition, uses the latest research and practical examples to thoroughly explain the key concepts you need to know. Coverage of the current Developmentally Appropriate Practices is woven throughout, as is material on diversity and inclusion. In every chapter, brain-based research highlights the connection between neuroscience and development, DAP in action features illustrate the importance of intentional teaching and equity in ECE features help you recognize issues of gender, race/ethnicity, ability, language and family patterns in every aspect of teaching. Through its tone, visuals and learning, BEGINNINGS AND BEYOND is accessible to -- and respectful of -- readers with a range of abilities and learning styles.

Meet amazing penguins from all around the world! Young readers will learn about penguins big and small in this new pre-reader from National Geographic Kids. Through text features such as a vocabulary tree and wrap-up activity, kids will be introduced to vocabulary in concept groups - helping them make connections between words and expand their understanding of the world.

Clare Rainbow-Dashell, the only child of delightfully eccentric, wealthy hippies, has just taken a hiatus from her career as an acclaimed wildlife photographer and returned to California to pursue her academic dreams when a disastrous affair with a professor catapults her to another continent: Africa. There, she immerses herself in well-paid commercial work for a luxury safari lodge as she seeks to regain her emotional and financial self-reliance. All this, however, is complicated by her relationship with her charismatic, imperious employer and her undeniable attraction to a leading black rhino specialist-two men who are at war over both environmental politics and Clare herself. Set against the formidable backdrop of the Namib Desert, Rhino Dreams dramatizes the crisis of endangered species preservation and the horrors of poaching, interweaving this very real ecological darkness with the internal and external battles of three characters driven by fierce passions and divided notions of duty, ambition, and desire. It is a sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant ride-and, in the end, a testimony to how tenuous and precious both life and love can be.

Adult and child readers will learn all about plants - including how they grow, the different parts of plants, seeds, and flowers - together in this new Co-reader from National Geographic Kids. Level 1 books are just right for kids who are beginning to read on their own

BEGINNING ESSENTIALS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, Third Edition, is a streamlined foundations book that introduces early childhood students to the field. This unique book is organized to answer four key questions: What is the field? Who is the child? Who is the teacher? and What is being taught? The four sections address the essentials of early childhood education, emphasizing multiculturalism and developmentally appropriate practice. New to this edition, "Teacher Talk" boxes are first-person accounts from teachers who reflect on their experiences in the classroom and provide valuable, applicable advice for those entering the profession. In addition, "Brain Research" boxes showcase some of the most important aspects of brain research and development today, connecting it to the classroom. Other features include special boxed material that highlights key issues related to standards, diversity, DAP, professionalism, and ethics.

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Nicolaides was practically raised in the kitchen of her family's Italian-Greek restaurant, Taverna Ristorante. When her best friend, Alex, tries to persuade her to audition for a new reality show, "Teen Test Kitchen," Sophie is reluctant. But the prize includes a full scholarship to one of America's finest culinary schools and a summer in Napa, California, not to mention fame.

Once on set, Sophie immediately finds herself in the thick of the drama--including a secret burn book, cutthroat celebrity judges, and a very cute French chef. Sophie must figure out a way to survive all the heat and still stay true to herself. "Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous" by Kathryn Williams" "is a terrific YA offering--fresh, fun, and sprinkled with romance.

The primary strength of BEGINNINGS AND BEYOND, International Edition, is its blend of simplicity and depth. In a clear and easy-to-understand style, the book's five sections lay out basic questions any student of early childhood education would want answered. At the same time, the chapters present key concepts, the latest research, and practical examples so that questions are thoroughly answered. Coverage of the current Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) are woven throughout the text and highlighted by new margin icons and DAP footnotes for easy reference. Diversity and development are also integrated throughout the text, enabling readers to understand that issues of age, gender, race/ethnicity, ability, and family are part of every aspect of teaching and learning. Every chapter has an article by an educator that highlights a relevant topic, showing students of early childhood education that there are many authoritative and experienced voices to learn from, both from the past and present. Finally, through its tone, numerous visuals, and carefully crafted pedagogy, the book is accessible to and respectful of readers with a range of abilities and learning styles.

In a clear and easy-to-understand style, BEGINNINGS AND BEYOND: FOUNDATIONS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, 10th Edition lays out basic questions any student of early childhood education -- including you -- would want answered. It also presents key concepts, the latest research, and practical examples so that questions are thoroughly answered. Coverage of the current Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) is woven throughout the text, as is material on diversity and development, which enables you to understand that issues of age, gender, race/ethnicity, ability, and family are part of every aspect of teaching and learning. Every chapter has a feature focused on how brain-based research is connected to development, and another that highlights intentional teaching. Through its tone, visuals, and pedagogy, the book is accessible to and respectful of readers with a range of abilities and learning styles.

Acoustic instruments and downy-soft vocals are Kathryn Williams' forte on Leave to Remain, her sixth release since 1999's breakthrough debut, Dog Leap Stairs. Like that first album, Leave rustles up the intimacy of Joni Mitchell's most private material, with Williams delivering her observations and confessions in a singsong whisper. The arrangements are sparser this time around; of the 16 guest musicians listed on the album sleeve, only a small handful play on any given track. Williams' accented alto and literate lyrics are kept at the forefront, which -- given the strength of what she has to say, as well as the relative letdown of Leave's ornate predecessor, Over Fly Over -- is a stealthily smart move. Is Leave to Remain a conscious allusion to Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left? It's hard to say, but Williams' continued comparisons to Drake are, as always, well deserved. She lingers over every melody, her voice hushed and humble as string sections and finger-plucked guitars bubble beneath her. The subdued style wears thin toward the disc's end, but several variations in volume -- most notably the countryish semi-ballad "Hollow" -- hold their own with Leave's stellar side A. Those who mistakenly categorize such material as coffeehouse music should pay closer attention to Williams' candid lyrics, which often pack more bite than an espresso. "We've been f*cking all afternoon, burning like fossil fuel," she sings on "Glass Bottom Boat," her subtle delivery contradicting such a supercharged line. But lest Williams' poetry be mistaken for something pointlessly vulgar, she immediately follows with what very well may be her most poignant lyric about love: "I feel like you've turned me into a glass-bottomed boat; you see everything I hide but still keep me afloat." It's this combination of wit and grit that gives Leave to Remain a delicate edge. ~ Andrew Leahey