Books published by publisher Owlkids Books

A group of 11-year-olds arrives to spend six weeks playing sports at Camp Avalon―which they affectionately call Camp Average, because they never win at any sport. And that’s the way they like it. But this summer, new camp director Winston―who hates losing―has some hyper-competitive ideas about how to improve their performance, whether they want to or not! Led by main character Mack and his friend Andre, the boys of Cabin 10 decide to reclaim their summer and revolt by losing spectacularly at every game they play, and especially at the big baseball tournament coming up with three nearby camps. In a story full of plotting, planning, and plenty of push-ups, it’s a full-court press on losing for the campers, strategic play-by-play for the camp director, and great teamwork on all sides. Who will come out on top? The first book in the new Camp Average series is a smart, funny summer read featuring a diverse group of realistic characters and a winning storyline.

When a storm sweeps Emi’s beloved stuffed fox away from their mountain home, he ends up tattered and alone on a distant shore. A kind old man finds the fox and gives it to his granddaughter, Kiko. As she recovers from an injury of her own, Kiko mends the fox lovingly with golden thread. As the seasons pass, Kiko cares for the fox as her own. But after discovering his origins, she sets out, with her grandfather’s help, to bring the fox back to its original home. Once together, Emi and Kiko piece together the fox’s journey and find delight in their newly forged connections. Golden Threads is inspired by the Japanese art form of kintsugi, or golden joinery, where broken pottery is repaired with resin painted gold. Kintsugi values repairing, rather than replacing, believing that the cracks give the broken item its story. This book is also a warm celebration of wabi-sabi, the Japanese idea that there is beauty in things that may be incomplete or imperfect.

Join a young boy as he hops around the globe, visiting friends in 13 different countries spanning all six populated continents. Along the way, he introduces us to each friend’s environment and customs, and shares interesting facts about each country’s culture, language, food, geography, wildlife, landmarks and more. Each country has a dedicated spread with a small map that shows geography and landmarks, letting readers imagine they are traveling, too. The format makes it easy to spot similarities and differences between countries.This informational picture book brings engaging nonfiction content to younger readers by showing them how other children just like them live around the world. Playful, realistic illustrations done with stylized realism lend warmth and whimsy to the book, making each locale feel welcoming. A Ticket Around the World will leave readers feeling like they’ve toured the globe without ever having left home.Countries included:Costa RicaIndiaMoroccoGreeceCanadaBrazilFranceBotswanaChinaPhilippinesAustraliaUnited StatesJordan

When a dog and a rat come upon a rabbit flattened on the road in their neighborhood, they contemplate her situation, wondering what they should do to help her. They decide it can’t be much fun to lie there; she should be moved. But how? And to where? Finally, the dog comes up with an inspired and unique idea and they work together through the night to make it happen. Once finished, they can’t be positive, but they think they have done their best to help the flat rabbit get somewhere better than the middle of the road where they found her. Sparely told with simple artwork, The Flat Rabbit treats the concept of death with a sense of compassion and gentle humor — and a note of practicality. In the end, the dog’s and the rat’s caring, thoughtful approach results in an unusual yet perfect way to respect their departed friend.Grade: 3Fountas & Pinnel: NLexile Measure: AD 610LCommon Core State Standards:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.3,3a,5,5a,5b,5cCCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4,4aCCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1,3,4,5,6,7,10CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3,3a,3b,3c,3d,5,6,8,10

Featuring tons of made-up heroes and heroines, My Beastly Book of Hilarious Heroes is filled with over 150 doodle and scribble activities to give budding young artists hours of fun. Like the other titles in the My Beastly Book series, My Beastly Book of Hilarious Heroes aims to push kids’ latent illustrative creativity into curious new directions by presenting them with silly scenarios and open-ended instructions. Balance a mountain of cars on a strongman’s pinky finger, choose the real hero in a line-up of ordinary people, fill a grocery store shelf with food for a hero’s cart, design a hero's mask and costume, and draw a portrait of an entire family of heroes in this incredible addition to the My Beastly Book series. Kids will have fun helping these heroes save the day — but might have even more fun putting kryptonite in their way.The wide variety of activities — from drawing and coloring to cut-outs and more — will help kids build confidence in their artistic skills and inspire their minds. Instructions are clear and concise, but still give kids plenty of reason to make use of their active imaginations.

Lily, a young snowshoe hare, is surprised to notice the leaves changing color in her forest home. She hears from a passing flock of birds that “Winter’s coming.” Lily doesn’t know who or what winter is, but it must be frightening. Why else would the birds be escaping south? And it must have an enormous appetite. Why else would the squirrel be hiding his food? And why would the caterpillar curl up and freeze as solid as an acorn? As Lily learns the ways in which her forest friends prepare for winter’s arrival, she becomes more and more worried about what she should be doing. Finally, the brown bear points out that Lily has been preparing without even knowing it: her fur is thickening and turning white to help her camouflage in the changing weather. This fascinating story introduces the ways in which different animals adapt to survive winter and is complemented by illustrations in a mix of collage, drawing, and digital montage.Grade: 3Fountas & Pinnel: NLexile Measure: AD 780LCommon Core State Standards:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.3,3a,4,4a,5,5a,5b,5c,6CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.3,4,4a,4cCCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,10CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2,2a,2b,2d,4,7,8,10

From the creators of You Are Stardust comes a new informational picture book that brings the big ideas of their first book down to earth.Wild Ideas looks deep into the forests, skies and oceans to explore how animals solve problems. Whether it’s weaving a safe place to rest and reflect, blowing a fine net of bubbles to trap fish, or leaping boldly into a new situation, the animals featured (including the orangutan, humpback whale and gibbon) can teach us a lot about creative problem solving tools and strategies. Like You Are Stardust, this book uses lyrical text grounded in current science alongside wonderfully detailed art to present problems as doorways to creative thinking. Wild Ideas encourages an inquiry-based approach to learning, inviting readers to indulge their sense of wonder and curiosity by observing the natural world, engaging with big ideas and asking questions. An author’s note at the end delves deeper into the research behind the text.

Rachel's school project on Canadian symbols illuminates a unique national identity!From their languages to the flag, from their money to the Mounties, Canada has many unique characteristics. That's Very Canadian! is an examination—and celebration—of what makes Canadians so, well...Canadian.From the multi-award-winning dynamic duo that brought us Wow Canada! comes a brand new title on a Canadian theme for kids. That’s Very Canadian! explores the symbols and icons—both official and unofficial—of this unique country and culture.Topics include the story behind how the country came to have its name, how Canada came to have the "noble" beaver as a national symbol, the bilingual nature of Canada—from Quebec street signs to cereal boxes—and how the two official languages have merged to form distinctly Canadian words, tasty treats from across the country: maple syrup, poutine, Macintosh apples, donuts, dulse, pemmican, and fiddleheads, idiosyncrasies of Canadian spelling, pronunciation and word usage, including vocabulary such as "deke", "toque" and the ubiquitous "eh?".A valuable resource for students needing straightforward information on Canada’s national, provincial, and territorial symbols, this exploration is also an entertaining way to educate young readers about the heritage and national identity of Canada.

"A refreshing c'est la vie take on bedtime conflict."— The New York Times"Sparkling... an excellent choice for lulling active toddlers off to sleep."— Kirkus, STARRED REVIEWEvery day ends the same. Night always falls. Blanche’s mom turns off the light and closes Blanche’s bedroom door. It’s time to go to sleep.There’s just one problem: Blanche hates the night. She does not want to go to sleep! She would much rather play. So she puts on a concert to chase away the moon and wake up the sun. She sings in rhyme and somersaults upon her bed, which she imagines is a trampoline.Blanche’s mother’s voice floats in: “Stop that racket!” and “To bed, my little songbird.” But Blanche dominates each spread with her expressive face and creative, endearing attempts to stave off sleep. Illustrations in a muted palette mimic shades of night while clean lines let Blanche’s charming facial expressions take center stage. Bursting with personality, Blanche is a willful, sensitive character kids will relate to. Blanche Hates the Nigh is an ideal bedtime read-aloud: eventually, exhausted, she falls into a peaceful slumber.

Don’t be afraid to delve into the good, bad, and sometimes truly ugly world of germs. Microbiologist Jennifer Gardy, who calls herself a disease detective, picks up her microscope to bring expert insight to the microbes that are all around us but are too small to see. Irreverent, playful, and contagious in all the best ways, It’s Catching discusses a range of germs and the diseases they cause, from the common cold to food poisoning to the Ebola virus. Young readers will be enticed — and pretty grossed out — while becoming immersed in information about pus, bacteria, DNA, genomes, and more. They will learn how germs have shaped human history and also about the individuals who are working to hunt them down. Additional elements, like trading card–style profiles of a variety of diseases, a board game, and a detailed index, make this infectious read both useful and entertaining.

One morning, six young ninjas are dropped off at Dojo Daycare. As soon as their ninja moms and ninja dads have left: KABOOM! KAPOW! The ninja boys and girls kick, push, punch, and quickly turn the place upside down in a full-blown ninja riot. Try as he might, the hapless master can’t control the children, and the disaster plays out through lunchtime and story time. No one heeds the master’s repeated mantra of honor, kindness, and respect — until one little ninja steps up and rallies his ninja pals to undo all that they have done, just in time for pickup. Digitally rendered ninjas pop off the page in this rowdy tale. Told in rhyming verse with a lively rhythm, comic expressions, and big sound effects, Dojo Daycare makes for an unbeatably riotous read-aloud story.Grade: 1Fountas & Pinnel: JReading Recovery: 17Lexile Measure: AD 760LCommon Core State Standards:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.2,2b,4,4a,5,5a,5b,5c,6CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.1,1a,2,3,4,4a,4b,4cCCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.1,3,4,5,7,10CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.1,3,5,8CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1,1a,1b,1c,2,3,4,5,6

Myron, the third-grade detective who loves logic, facts, and solving mysteries, gets the chance to crack a second case when he finds out his classmate Jordan’s robot has been stolen, right before the upcoming Maker Faire Robot Maze Challenge. Together with his detective partner, the hyper-energetic Hajrah, Myron investigates the case. His unique perspective from the autism spectrum and his eye for detail make him a top-notch sleuth. Similarly, the other neurodiverse kids in his resource room demonstrate creative problem solving and unique talents that come in handy for the case. Black-and-white spot illustrations accompany the text in this fun and accessible page-turner for independent readers.