Books published by publisher Albert Whitman Co

No one at school knows that Kelsey, Becca, and Leo are secretly friends. They have nothing in common—until they rescue three kittens and form a club to help animals through volunteering, spying, and solving mysteries. In the first book of this series, Kelsey helps catch a runaway zorse (horse + zebra) with the help of another girl from school named Becca. The two are walking home when they happen upon a litter of kittens trapped in a dumpster and Leo Polanski is the only person around who can help get them out. The three unlikely friends decide to work together to help solve animal crimes with their secret club!

There once was a cowpoke who swallowed an ant― A fiery thing with a Texas-sized sting.The cowpoke panted, and his voice got higher. 'Yippie-ti-yay! My stomach’s on fire!!'” In this Texas-styled reworking of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," a cowboy downs a variety of native Southwest creatures―a spider, a roadrunner, a lizard, an armadillo, a snake, a boar, and more―all to catch that ant! Another hilarious and vividly illustrated tale from the team behind Senorita Gordita and The Three Little Gators.

Before they were the Boxcar Children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden lived with their parents on Fair Meadow FarmAlthough times are hard, the Aldens are happy—“the best family of all,” Mama likes to say. One day, a blizzard hits the countryside, and a traveling family needs shelter. The Aldens take them in, and the strangers soon become friends. But things never stay the same at the farm, and the spring and summer bring events that will forever change their lives. Newbery Award–winning author Patricia MacLachlan pays loving tribute to the classic novels by Gertrude Chandler Warner in this story of the Alden children’s origins.

Thirteen-year-old Billie Simms doesn’t think her hometown of Anniston, Alabama, should be segregated, but few of the town’s residents share her opinion. As equality spreads across the country and the Civil Rights Movement gathers momentum, Billie can’t help but feel stuck--and helpless--in a stubborn town too set in its ways to realize that the world is passing it by. So when Billie learns that the Freedom Riders, a group of peace activists riding interstate buses to protest segregation, will be traveling through Anniston on their way to Montgomery, she thinks that maybe change is finally coming and her quiet little town will shed itself of its antiquated views. But what starts as a series of angry grumbles soon turns to brutality as Anniston residents show just how deep their racism runs. The Freedom Riders will resume their ride to Montgomery, and Billie is now faced with a choice: stand idly by in silence or take a stand for what she believes in. Through her own decisions and actions and a few unlikely friendships, Billie is about to come to grips with the deep-seated prejudice of those she once thought she knew, and with her own inherent racism that she didn’t even know she had.

Everyone feels worried sometimes, but there are always ways to feel better! Join a cuddly hamster and her toy zebra as she learns to manage feelings of worry. With a focus on identifying the causes of an emotional reaction, and coming up with ways to feel calm and happy again, this book offers simple strategies to help kids understand and take care of their emotions.

One day Freddie Ramos comes home from school and finds a strange box just for him. What's inside? ZAPATO POWER-shoes that change Freddie's life by giving him super speed! But what will Freddie do with his fast new skills? Weird things are happening at the Starwood Park Apartments where he lives, and his friends at school need his help. Is Freddie Ramos ready to be a hero? In this imaginative story by Jacqueline Jules, an ordinary boy in a city neighborhood learns how to use his new-found powers for good. Illustrations by Miguel Benitez lend just a touch of comic-book style to this chapter book adventure.