Best Children's Death & Dying Books

Grand's Cooking Tips section at the back of the book is rich with wisdom and concrete recommendations. of the 2001 Theologos Book Award, presented by the Association of Theological Booksellers.

The first picture book illustrated by the author, Dog Heaven is enhanced by Rylant's bright, bold paintings that perfectly capture an afterlife sure to bring solace to anyone who is grieving. Canines become part of the landscape; tumbling hills and rounded surfaces reflect the rapid motion of exuberant pooches running breathlessly across endless fields, while pawprints shine brightly beside nighttime stars and decorate the sides of mountains.

But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander. Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family. The Bell twins are stars on the basketball court and comrades in life. While there are some differences—Josh shaves his head and Jordan loves his locks—both twins adhere to the Bell basketball rules: In this game of life, your family is the court, and the ball is your heart.

What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. The dental case that Telgemeier documents in this graphic memoir was extreme: a random accident led to front tooth loss when she was 12, and over the next several years, she suffered through surgery, implants, headgear, false teeth, and a rearrangement of her remaining incisors.

With a new jacket and expanded trim size, Andrew Henry is ready to enchant the next generation of kids. Doris Burn was born in 1923 and spent most of her life in the San Juan islands, Washington.

Be yourself like Molly Lou Melon no matter what a bully may do. During her first week of school, Ronald Durkin taunts Molly Lou Melon in the dull-witted but sharp-edged manner of career bullies, calling her "shrimpo" and "bucky-toothed beaver." David Catrow, illustrator of Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs , Rotten Teeth , and other popular picture books, depicts a very weird-looking, very appealing little girl with warmth and cartoonish humor.

Jacqueline Woodson's National Book Award and Newbery Honor winner, now available in paperback with 7 all-new poems. "Ms. Woodson writes with a sure understanding of the thoughts of young people, offering a poetic, eloquent narrative that is not simply a story . * “The writer’s passion for stories and storytelling permeates the memoir, explicitly addressed in her early attempts to write books and implicitly conveyed through her sharp images and poignant observations seen through the eyes of a child. Woodson’s ability to listen and glean meaning from what she hears lead to an astute understanding of her surroundings, friends, and family.” — Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW. Her perspective on the volatile era in which she grew up is thoughtfully expressed in powerfully effective verse. * “Woodson cherishes her memories and shares them with a graceful lyricism; her lovingly wrought vignettes of country and city streets will linger long after the page is turned. Her mother cautions her not to write about her family but, happily, many years later, she has and the result is both elegant and eloquent, a haunting book about memory that is itself altogether memorable. Most notably of all, perhaps, we trace her development as a nascent writer, from her early, overarching love of stories through her struggles to learn to read through the thrill of her first blank composition book to her realization that ‘words are [her] brilliance.’ The poetry here sings: specific, lyrical, and full of imagery. Woodson subtly layers her focus, with history and geography the background, family the middle distance, and her younger self the foreground. Eager readers and budding writers will particularly see themselves in the young protagonist and recognize her reveling in the luxury of the library and unfettered delight in words. A story of the ongoing weaving of a family tapestry, the following of an individual thread through a gorgeous larger fabric, with the tacit implication that we’re all traversing such rich landscapes. It will make young readers consider where their own threads are taking them.” — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, STARRED REVIEW.

But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Praise for Esperanza Rising : *“Told in a lyrical, fairy tale-like style .

#1 New York Times Bestseller. Newbery Honor Book. Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award (Middle School) Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of 2015. New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading and Sharing. An exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War II, from the acclaimed author of Jefferson’s Sons and for fans of Number the Stars . Nuanced and emotionally acute, this vivid tale from the wartime home front will have readers ages 10-14 wincing at Ada's stumbles and rejoicing to the point of tears in her victories. * “Ada's voice is brisk and honest; her dawning realizations are made all the more poignant for their simplicity. Ignorance and abuse are brought to light, as are the healing powers of care, respect and love. Set against a backdrop of war and sacrifice, Ada's personal fight for freedom and ultimate triumph are cause for celebration.”— Kirkus , starred review. * "Proving that her courage and compassion carry far more power than her disability, Ada earns self-respect, emerges a hero, and learns the meaning of home. "There is much to like here—Ada's engaging voice, the vivid setting, the humor, the heartbreak, but most of all the tenacious will to survive. Ada's tough journey from brokenness to healing is poignantly credible in its development and emotionally satisfying outcome. The feel-good appeal of the rescue fantasy combines with the increasingly tense World War II backdrop to make this an effective page-turner. “Expertly operating on many different levels, this exquisitely written novel incorporates themes of self-discovery and self-worth, strength of family, the power of love, and the many different kinds of courage. "—Patricia MacLachlan, author of Newbery Medal winner Sarah, Plain and Tall. "I love Ada's bold heart, keen wit, and amazingly fresh point of view.

Over 6 million people have read the #1 New York Times bestseller WONDER and have fallen in love with Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. "Wonder is the best kids' book of the year," said Emily Bazelon, senior editor at Slate.com and author of Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy .

Elmo and his Sesame Street friends help teach toddlers and the adults in their lives that everyone is the same on the inside, and it's our differences that make this wonderful world, which is home to us all, an interesting—and special—place. Jim Henson's Sesame Street Muppets cavort cheerfully with people of all sizes, shapes and ethnicities in this rather humdrum effort to show the ways in which all people are the same, despite obvious physical differences.

Kip and the Magical Belt will leave you wondering if the magic is really in the belt or in yourself. Victoria Gracie is an author, jiu-jitsu instructor, and founder of MyKindOfMama.com, an organization that helps families create harmonious households with mindful parenting.