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$12.99

Kickoff!   by Tiki and Ronde Barber

 

Ages 9-12.Tiki and Ronde's twelfth summer is winding down -- the nights are getting shorter and the evenings cooler. That means two things: The first day of junior high is just a few days away, and it's almost the start of football season at last. With two championships and an 8-2 season last year, Tiki and Ronde are ready to graduate from the Peewee League and hit the field as starting players for the Hidden Valley Eagles.


$12.99

Pretty Salma by Niki Daly

 

Ages 4-8. When Granny asks Pretty Salma to go to the market one day, she warns her not to talk to strangers. But cunning Mr. Dog tricks Salma, and before she knows it, he's wearing her stripy ntama, her pretty white beads, and her yellow sandals. And he's on his way to Granny's house! African culture and flavor infuse this inventive retelling of a favorite fairy tale, and the vibrant lively illustrations bring it to life. The result is a story that combines new and old and spans cultures as successfully as it has the centuries. 

 


 
 $15.95
please, baby, please  by Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee
 
Ages 2-5. Academy-Award nominated filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, producer Tonya Lewis Lee, preset a behind-the-scenes look at the chills, spills, and unequivocal thrills of bringing up baby!

Vivid illustrations from celebrated artist Kadir Nelson evoke toddlerhood from sandbox to high chair to crib.

 


 $15.95

Salt in His Shoes, Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Delores Jordan, Roslyn M. Jordan, Kadir Nelson

 

Ages 4-8. Tired of being teased by the biggest boy on the court, Michael is convinced the only solution is to grow taller. His mama smilingly suggests putting salt in his shoes and saying a prayer every night. This warm, uplifting story will encourage young readers to chase their dreams with hard work and faith.

 


$10.95

Yay! A Snow Day by Bill Cosby

 

 Ages 3-6. Little Bill wakes up to a winter wonderland and everybody gets to stay home . 

 


 

$14.95

Grandfather and I by Helen E. Buckley, Jan Ormerod

 

Ages 3-8. Everybody is in such a hurry these days--mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers. About the only people who aren't in a hurry are grandfathers. With them there is always time to stop...and look...just as long as you like. This gentle story about the warm, happy relationship between the oldest and youngest ones in the family was originally published in 1959 with illustrations by Paul Galdone. Now freshly reillustrated by the internationally acclaimed Jan Ormerod, it is sure to find its way into the hearts of a brand-new generation of readers.



 $13.99

I Love My Hair by Natasha Anatasia Tarpley, E.B. Lewis

 

Ages 0-5. No matter how gently Mama pulls as she combs Keyana's hair, it still hurts.Keyana doesn't feel lucky to have such a head of hair, but Mama tells her she is because she can wear it any way she chooses.

 


$13.99

Bright Eyes, Brown Skin by Cheryl Willis Hudson, George Ford, Bernadette G. Ford

 

Ages 3-7. This simple rhyming text celebrates positive images and illustrator George Ford perfectly captures the way all children can and should be playful, cooperative, curious and energetic.

 


 

$13.99

Shades of Black by Sandra L. Pinkney, Myles C. Pinkney

 

Ages 3-7. Using simple poetic language, illuminated by bright photographs, Sandra L. Pinkney and Myles Pinkney have collaborated on a remarkable book affirming African-American children.  Photographic portraits and striking descriptions, of varied skin tones, hair teture and eye color, convey a strong sense of pride in a unique heritage.

 


$13.95

The Village That Vanished by Ann Grifalconi

 

Ages 4-8.  Young Abikanile and all of the villagers of Yao feel safe hidden deep within the African jungle. But word has come that the slavers are on their way! Abikanile looks to her mother and her grandmother for strength and guidance. These two brave women come up with a plan to fool the slavers and protect their tribe. But as the villagers retreat into the forest, Abikanile finds that she too has the courage to help her people stay safe and free.

 


$10.99

Cleanup Day (from the Little Bill Series) by Eleanor Fremont

 

Ages 4-8. Little Bill is the special helper for the family clean-up day and readers can follow him along as numerous lift-the-flaps reveal missing socks, a feather duster, and more.

 


 

$17.99

Ellington Was Not a Street by Ntozake Shang, Kadir Nelson (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner)

 

Ages 5-11. In a reflective tribute to the African-American community of old, noted poet Ntozake Shange recalls her childhood home and the close-knit group of innovators that often gathered there. These men of vision, brought to life in the majestic paintings of artist Kadir Nelson, lived at a time when the color of their skin dictated where they could live, what schools they could attend, and even where they could sit on a bus.

 


$15.99

Lauren McGill's Pickle Museum by Jerdine Nolen

 

Ages 6-10. Lauren is a girl who just loves pickles, so when she learns that her teacher has planned a class trip to a pickle factory, she is thrilled beyond belief. However, after the trip, it seems that EVERYONE in Lauren's class has decided that they love pickles too, and that leaves Lauren feeling a little less special and a lot more ordinary. Color illustrations accompany the text.

 


 

$16.95

Plantzilla Goes to Camp by Jerdine Nolen

 

Ages 5-8. Mortimer Henryson is thrilled when he is finally accepted by Camp Wannaleaveee, his father's childhood sleepaway camp. Until he reads the camp rule: NO PETS OF ANY KIND ARE ALLOWED!

It breaks Mortimer's heart to leave his beloved Plantzilla behind. And then at camp, Mortimer discovers that the horrible, much-feared bully Bulford Whipland is his roommate. Does Plantzilla have a plan to watch over his friend and save the day?

Friendship and true devotion conquer all in this charmingly madcap picture book by best-loved team of Jerdine Nolen and David Catrow. Everyone should have a friend like Plantzilla --why not adopt a plant of your own?


$13.99

Plantzilla by Jerdine Nolen

 

Ages 4-8. When Mortimer Henryson offers to take care of a strange plant called Plantzilla for the summer, he is in for more than he bargained for.

 


$10.99

The Big Day at School (from the Little Bill Series) by Eleanor Fremont

 

Ages 4-8. Little Bill's teacher is going away for a few days and a substitute teacher is taking over Miss Murray's class. Little Bill is nervous because he's never had a substitute. His mother reminds him that he was nervous when he started kindergarten too, but now he loves it.

 


 $10.99

The Real Slam Dunk by Charisse K. Richardson

 

Ages 9-12. Marcus is excited! His class is about to meet a professional basketball player, just what Marcus plans on being when he grows up. But his hero says some surprising things about school and sports. In this engaging chapter book an African American boy learns to turn his hoop dreams into realistic, achievable ones. 


$15.99

Daddy's Girl by Breena Jacobs

 

Ages 4-8. Illuminating the special relationship between fathers and daughters, this
rhyming storybook contains colorful illustrations that capture the intimate
moments of a day in the life of a father and daughter-from helping each other
prepare for the day and commuting to school to bonding over dinner and
getting ready for bed. The child-parent theme of family connection makes this
a perfect story for adults to read to toddlers or for young readers to enjoy on their own.

 


$10.99

Breakout at the Bug Lab by Ruth Horowitz

 

Ages 5-8. Max, a giant cockroach, is on the loose in the bug lab! To make matters worse, there's a party there today. Leo and his brother have to find Max before he makes people scream - or worse.

 


$10.99

Little Bill's Big Book of Words by Catherine Lukas

 

Ages 3-6. Readers can follow Little Bill and his butterfly friend to all the different places in Little Bill's world where they will learn the words they need to know in their own world. This vocabulary-building book encourages readers to learn more than 500 words. Full-color illustrations.

 


$10.99

Just Like Dad by Kim Watson

 

Ages 4-8. Just Like Dad is a delightful story of a small boy looking to bond with his father.

 


 

 

$11.99

Don't You Feel Well, Sam? by Amy Hest, Anita Jeram

 

Ages 2-5. A young bear cub named Sam has a cold but he resists taking the medicine his mother tries to give him because he doesn't like the way it tastes. Will anything get Sam to take the medicine? Acrylic illustrations accompany the text.

 


$12.99

Found You, Little Wombat!
by Angela McAllister, Charles Fuge (Illustrator)

Ages 2-4. The popular follow-up to the bestselling "Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball" is now available as a board book. When an endearing wombat and his friends play hide-and-seek, he gets so involved in the game that he wanders over the hill and far away.

 


$12.99

Where To, Little Wombat?
by Charles Fuge (Illustrator)

Ages 2-4. Fuges fourth book starring Little Wombat is now available in a board-book format. The grass is always greener on the other side: maybe thats why Little Wombat thinks his burrows boring. So when Mama suggests he search for a better house, thats just what Wombat does. Full color.

 


$12.99

Swim, Little Wombat, Swim! by Charles Fuge

 

Ages 2-4. Fans of Charles Fuge's "Little Wombat" will rejoice at the adorable creature's watery exploits, and at the introduction of an appealing new friend for his hero: a Platypus with a funny, fuzzy face who waddles as he walks and swims like a fish. And to swim is what Little Wombat wants to do most of all. But are wombats meant for the water...or is he better off staying on dry land? Every child who has ever eyed the swimming pool nervously will happily follow Little Wombat's success.

 


$12.99

Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball
by Vicki Churchill, Charles Fuge (Illustrator)

Ages 2-4.  A wombat, a koala, a mole, and a frog demonstrate the many fun things they like to do during the course of their day. Color illustrations accompany the rhyming text.

 
 

$12.99

How to Lose Your Class Pet (from the Wilemena Rules Series) by Valerie Wilson Wesley

 

Ages 9-12. Mrs. Sweetly was the meanest teacher in the Harriet Tubman School. Oh, and did I also mention she was going to be my third -- grade teacher?! After the first day of school, I knew I had to have a Secret Plan: To Get Mean Old Mrs. Sweetly to Like Me! That's when I decided to be very helpful and volunteer for everything. So when I, Willimena Thomas, sweetly volunteered to take care of Lester, our class guinea pig, I had no idea it would begin the worst weekend of my life…

 

 $12.99

Joshua by the Sea by Angela Johnson

 

  Ages 0-2.  Joshua goes to the shore with his family.

 


 
$16.95

Please, Puppy, Please by Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee

 

Ages 2-5.

Away from the gate,
puppy puppy, please, puppy.
Oh wait, puppy, wait,
please, please, please,
please....
In page after page of tail-wagging fun, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Beacon Award-winning producer Tonya Lewis Lee, take a close-up look at what happens when a couple of high-energy toddlers meet their match in an adventurous pup who has no plans of letting up.

Irresistible illustrations by Coretta Scott King Award winner Kadir Nelson unleash countless memorable moments of toddlerhood, and puppyhood, which families with four-legged friends will enjoy over and over again.

 



$16.95

Girls Hold Up This World by Jada Pinkett Smith

 
Ages 4-9. "We are sisters of this Earth -- members of one powerful tribe. /Every color, shape, and size, we're united by beauty inside." Artistic photographs enhance the positive message of Jada Pinkett Smith's inspiring poem. A renowned actress and loving mother, Smith brings warmth and heart to this celebration of young women. While so many girls today struggle with self-doubt, this poem focuses on the power ALL girls have within them, regardless of color or creed. This is the perfect book for mothers, daughters, sisters and friends to give and to share again and again.


  $16.99

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands by Kadir Nelson

 

Ages 4-8. A Coretta Scott King Award winner ("Ellington Was Not a Street") adapts the beloved spiritual for this beautiful picture book, creating a dazzling interpretation that rejoices in the connectedness of people and nature.

 


 $13.99

Brothers of the Knight by Debbie Allen

 

Ages 4-8. Reverend Knight can't understand why his twelve sons' sneakers are torn to threads each and every morning, and the boys aren't talking. They know their father would surely put an end to their all-night dance parties. Maybe Sunday, a pretty new nanny with a knack for cleaning, cooking, and getting to the bottom of household mysteries, can crack the case. This cool, clever modern fable bursts with vibrant artwork and text as energetic as the twelve toe-tapping Knight brothers themselves. "Nelson's exuberant figures fill his stage-like scenes. This is a high-flying alternative to the tale's usual dainty renditions." ( Kirkus Reviews )


$16.95

The Hard-Times Jar by Ethel Footman Smothers

 

Ages 4-8. A look at the life of migrant workers through a child’s eyes Emma Turner loves books and dreams of one day having the store-bought kind, but the Turners are migrant workers and money is tight. That means “no extras,” so Emma must be content to make her own stories and books. Emma has a plan, though – she’s going to save all the money she earns picking apples and put it in Mama’s hard-times jar. Then there will surely be enough for extras. But when Mama tells Emma that this year she has to go to school instead of to work, it spoils everything. Now she will never own a store-bought book! But school turns out to have a wonderful surprise in store for Emma. Based on Ethel Footman Smothers’s childhood, the story is brought to life with lush acrylic paintings, giving us a touching portrait of a book-hungry child.

 


$13.99

Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang

 

Ages 0-2. Bedtime! A happy game to lure the most persistent sleep evader. A warm and reassuring countdown to the land of dreams.

 


$16.95

Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life by Jerdine Nolan

 

Ages 4-8. Descended from a long line of giants, the J. Carver Worthington Andersons take their height very seriously indeed. You see, without exception all of the many J. Carver Worthington Andersons have been giants until now. And poor Hewitt -- hidden in the floorboards, trapped in the flour vat, lost in the bedsheets -- has his struggles being tiny. Oh, his parents worry: How will their son manage to live in a world of big things? Leave it to Hewitt to prove the power of being small.

Inspired by the tale of "Jack and the Beanstalk," the inimitable Jerdine Nolen tells an original story of bravery and the power of the individual. Kadir Nelson's imaginative and loving illustrations create a world where smallness rules -- a world that children will want to return to again and again.

 


 

$13.99

Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen

 

Ages 5-8. Thunder Rose vows to grow up to be more than just big and strong, thank you very kindly--and boy, does she ever! But when a whirling storm on a riotous rampage threatens, has Rose finally met her match?

 


$10.99

A Trip to the Hospital  (from the Little Bill Series)  by Kim Watson; Mark Salisbury, Illustrator

 

Ages 4-8. Noooo!" Little Bill yells when Alice the Great states she is taking him to the hospital. Even though he hurt his arm playing cowboy, Little Bill is afraid to go to the hospital, especially without his mother. Alice the Great assures him that his Mama will meet them at the hospital. Little Bill is consoled when Mama shows up and provides further reassurance that both she and the doctor only want to help him feel better. After the cast is put on Little Bill's broken arm, he begins to understand that hospitals are places where people are helped to feel better. He decides that he wants to be both a cowboy and a doctor when he grows up. The colorful illustrations in this book will help familiarize young readers with various hospital procedures and medical equipment.

 


$15.99

Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm by Jerdine Nolen

 

Ages 5-8. Harvey Potter was a very strange fellow indeed. He was a farmer but not like any farmer you've ever met. He didn't grow corn, okra, or tomatoes. Harvey Potter grew balloons. No one knew exactly how he did it, but with the help of the light of a full moon, one friendly child catches a peek of just how Harvey Potter does it. And keeps some magic for herself.

 


$13.99

In My Momma's Kitchen by Jerdine Nolen

 

Ages 4-8. From Talking Pots Day, when the aunts all gather to make the biggest pot of soup in town, to gathering round Gran Lee's stove on a cold winter afternoon, to serenades and stories late at night, when the rest of the world is asleep, "seems like everything good that happens in my house happens in my momma's kitchen." A celebration of African-American families and mommas everywhere, In My Momma's Kitchen tells the story of a year's events in everybody's favorite room. From Talking Pots Day, when the aunts all gather to make the biggest pot of soup in town, to serenades and stories late at night, when the rest of the world is asleep, "seems like everything good that happens in my house happens in my momma's kitchen." A celebration of African-American life and the bonds that unite all families, generation after generation.


$13.99

Raising Dragons by Jerdine Nolen

 

Ages 4-8. It just goes to show you how an innocent Sunday-before-supper walk can lead to just about anything. Who could have known that it would lead to a pulsing egg, a baby dragon, and the best friend a girl could ever wish for.
Raised with love and care day by day, the dragon grows big, bigger, and still bigger until...

Jerdine Nolen has created a raucous adventure about forever love, loyalty, and the joys of the unexpected. And Elise Primavera's whimsical pastels

render a world where dream and reality meet with heart and wild imagination. There's every chance that after reading Raising Dragons, you'll want to go searching for a dragon's egg of your very own! You never know.

 


$13.99

Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats

Ages 3-8. This is an illustrated version of the Christmas song in which a poor drummer boy brings his "finest gift" to the newborn baby Jesus--a song he plays on his drum. Color illustrations accompany the text.

 


$13.99

Snow Bears by Martin Waddell

 

Ages 0-3. When Mommy Bear comes out to look for her baby bears, she finds three snow bears instead. They don't really look like her bears, so who are these snow bears, and where can her baby bears be?

Young readers will love Martin Waddell's jolly tale about three clever baby bears and their loving mama.

 


$6.99

Bee Happy by Charles Reasoner

 

Ages 0-3. What can we learn from a bee? Bee Happy shows that happiness can be found in the smallest of things. It's just one of The Bee Attitudes - simple but important lessons that show there's an awful lot we can learn from a bee.

 


$11.99

Marvin and the Meanest Girl by Suzy Kline

Ages 7-11. Marvin Higgins is always calling people names and making them mad. And because the new girl in class, Lucy Tinker, has hair that sticks up like a porcupine, Marvin starts picking on her. But Lucy doesn't like being teased. So she decides to be mean, too, and scratches Marvin with her long, rainbow-colored nails! Now Marvin is dreaming up plans to get even with this new, mean girl. Will Marvin and Lucy ever stop fighting?


$10.99

The Honeywood Street Fair by Catherine Lukas

 

Ages 4-8.

 


$12.99

Dawdle Duckling
by Toni Buzzeo, Margaret Spengler (Illustrator)

Ages 2-4.  Mama Duck has four little ducklings. Three pay attention to her and do everything she asks, but the fourth, the Dawdle Duckling, likes to take it slow and do things his own way. With the Dawdle Duckling's behavior get him into trouble?

 


$16.99

Michael's Golden Rules
by Deloris Jordan, Kadir Nelson (Illustrator), Roslyn M Jordan 

Ages 6-10. The mother and sister of NBA superstar Michael Jordan return with this picture book to tell a story of teamwork, sportsmanship, and friendship as a little boy learns the golden rules of baseball. Full color.

 


$11.99

Animal Sounds for Baby
by Hudson, Cheryl Willis

Ages 0-2. A young boy visits a petting zoo, where he learns the different sounds such animals as cows, ducks, and lambs make. Color illustrations accompany the rhyming text.

 


$11.99

Good Morning, Baby
by Cheryl Willis Hudson, George Ford (Illustrator)

Ages 0-2. A young girl wakes up, gets washed and dressed, has breakfast, and goes outside to play. Color illustrations accompany the rhyming text.

 


$11.99

Good Night, Baby (Revised)
by Cheryl Willis Hudson, Cheryl Willis Hudson, George Ford (Illustrator)

Ages 2-4. About this title: These simple concept books feature realistic illustrations of endearing African-American babies.

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 $14.95

 Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen
 
Ages 4-8. Sassy is a long-legged girl who always has something to say. She wants to be a ballerina more than anything, but she worries that her too-large feet, too-long legs, and even her big mouth will keep her from her dream. When a famous director comes to visit her class, Sassy does her best to get his attention with her high jumps and bright leotard. Her first attempts are definitely not appreciated, but with Sassy's persistence, she just might be able to win him over.