Grade: 2

“Are you a snail? If you are, your life began in an egg like one of these.” This book details the life of a snail, showing how it changes from a tiny egg to a slimy adult. Soft-colored paintings, combined with playful graphics, may convince librarians to place Are You a Snail? on the picture book shelf, rather than in the science section.

It is the story about a mother bird who knows her egg will be in her nest where she left it, so she leaves him alone to go and get something for him to eat. The baby bird hatches. He doesn’t understand where his mother is so he goes to look for her. In his search, he asks a kitten, a hen, a dog, and a cow if they are his mother. They each say, “No.”

Then he sees an old car, which can’t be his mother for sure. In desperation, the hatchling calls out to a boat and a plane, and at last, convinced he has found his mother, he climbs onto the teeth of an enormous power shovel. But he is betrayed by the behemoth, as it shudders and grinds into motion. He can’t escape. “I want my mother!” he shouts.

But at this climactic moment, his fate is suddenly reversed. The shovel drops him back in his nest, just as his mother is returning home, and the two are reunited, much to their delight. He then tells her about the adventure he had looking for her.

It all began with a strange, mysterious correspondence left for authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black at a small New England bookstore. Written by three siblings, the letter told of their great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick and an unfinished tome filled with eyewitness accounts of creatures otherwise thought to be the stuff of legend. In the #1 New York Times bestselling serial the Spiderwick Chronicles, readers were enthralled by the account of the those siblings, Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace, as they battled dwarves, goblins, elves, and a diabolical ogre in their efforts to hold on to their uncle Spiderwick,s life work. Now, through the combined efforts of the Grace children and authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, Simon & Schuster is thrilled to present that work to you!

Beginning with a thoughtful and informative introduction, progressing through six exhaustive sections featuring thirty-one faerie species, and culminating with an addendum that includes observations supplied by Jared Grace, this long-awaited compendium to the worldwide Spiderwick phenomenon delivers enough information to satisfy even the most demanding faerie enthusiast. Not only will readers learn the habits and habitats of the fourteen fantastical creatures featured in the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling chapter books, but they will be delighted and astonished by an additional seventeen creatures. Also included are dozens of snippets from Arthur Spiderwick,s personal journal as well as cameos from a few series favorites.

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? is the final collaboration from this bestselling author-illustrator team. Young readers will enjoy Baby Bear’s quest to find Mama, and they’ll revel in identifying each of the native North American animals that appear along the way. The central focus on the special bond between mother and child makes a fitting finale to a beloved series.
These groundbreaking picture books have been teaching children to read for over forty years, and their consistently strong sales prove their staying power and continued applicability for today’s kids.

“Bark,” instructs George’s mother, but he responds, “Meow!” The problem is, George is a dog. So his mother repeats, “Bark.” But George responds, “Quack-quack.” Finally, George has to go to the vet, where he learns to bark. (But there’s still a surprise ending.)

Quick, call out! Tell all you can reach the night is just perfect for bats at the beach! So pack your buckets, banjos, and blankets—don’t forget the moon-tan lotion—and wing with this bunch of fuzzy bats to where foamy sea and soft sand meet. Brian Lies’s enchanting art and cheery beachside verse will inspire bedtime imaginations again and again. Come visit a bedazzling world of moonlight, firelight, and . . . bats!

In an exciting tale set in 17th-century China, a girl who is trained in the warrior arts of kung fu sets out to teach her fighting skills to a princess. While both girls learn to protect themselves against bullies, they also learn that the true meaning of kung fu is more than kicking and punching.

In this fresh, funny take-off on Kafka’s Metamorphosis, Gregory Samsa wakes up one morning and discovers he’s become a boy-sized beetle. Why did it happen? And why does no one, except for his best friend Michael, notice? As Gregory searches for answers, he establishes himself as a character children will long remember.