Books in For Young Readers series

The moving story of a young girl's struggle to face her mother's death."She traveled to our small white house near the Iowa border on a buckboard, her green bag caked with the dusty road . . . I knew that she was called "the Shrouding Woman" because I'd heard Papa use those words to describe her. I didn't know what it meant but I knew it had something to do with death."It was once common practice for small towns to have a shrouding woman to help put their dead to rest. Still, when eleven-year-old Evie's Aunt Flo-herself a shrouding woman-comes to town, Evie knows little of a shrouding woman's ways and wants nothing to do with this aunt of hers, especially after her own mother's recent death. But as this mysterious woman slowly makes her way into Evie's life, her strong and sensitive presence brings far more than signs of death to a grieving girl's home.Set in the mid-1800s, this beautifully written story, centered on the little-known practice of shrouding, touches on death and healing with sensitivity and quiet dignity.

Dorothy Mary Kamenshek was born to immigrant parents in Norwood, Ohio. As a young girl, she played pickup games of sandlot baseball with neighborhood children; no one, however, would have suspected that at the age of seventeen she would become a star athlete at the national level. The outbreak of World War II and the ensuing draft of able-bodied young men severely depleted the ranks of professional baseball players. In 1943, Philip K. Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs, led the initiative to establish a new league—a women’s league—to fill the ballparks while the war ground on in Europe and the Pacific. Kamenshek was selected and assigned to the Rockford Peaches in their inaugural season and played first base for a total of ten years, becoming a seven-time All-Star and holder of two league batting titles. When injuries finally put an end to her playing days, she went on to a successful and much quieter career in physical therapy. Fame came again in 1992, when Geena Davis portrayed a player loosely based on Kamenshek in the hit movie A League of Their Own.Kammie on First is a real-life tale that will entertain and inspire young readers, both girls and boys. It is the first book in a new series, Biographies for Young Readers, from Ohio University Press.

A hilarious Irish folktale with a terrific female heroine."Long ago, there lived a giant called Cuhullin. My, but he was big and fierce and strong.And what made him so strong?He had a magic finger. And believe it or not,all his strength was in that little finger.Now Cuhullin had fought all the other giants,and squashed them flat. Well, all but one, and that was Finn McCool."But Finn doesn't want to fight. Finn is SCARED.When he sucks his magic thumb, Finn can see Cuhullin coming to get him. So he runs straight home to his wife, Oona.Oona isn't scared, not one bit. She just laughs . . . Will Cuhullin find Finn McCool and SQUASH HIM FLAT?Or will Oona save the day?

Betty Greene (1920-1997) always dreamed of combining her love of flying with her love for Christ. After her heroic service during World War II, Betty joined other pilots to form Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF). When missionaries needed supplies or transportation, Bettys strong faith and skillful flying through deserts and jungles helped them serve God all around the world.Children, parents, and teachers love the adventurous Christian Heroes Then & Now biographies and unit study curriculum guides. Now Heroes for Young Readers introduces younger children to the lives of Christian heroes! Whether reading for themselves or being read to, children love the captivating rhyming poems and unforgettable color illustrations of the Heroes for Young Readers series.

Kaylee used to love to fly. With two pilots for parents, how could she not? But when her father's plane goes down and neither the wreckage nor his body is found, she develops a terror of flying. She is too afraid to convince her mother to take her back to the Caribbean to search for her father. And she is haunted by fear whenever her mother goes up to fight fires in a water bomber. Kaylee escapes her fear and her grief on treks with her dog, Sausage, through the forest, the Big Tangle, near her home. But, one day, fire follows her into the forest and events conspire against her until the only escape is resting on pontoons at the dock on Booker Bay.

Ellen has lost her brother, and she shares with readers just how his death has changed the way her family interacts and the way she thinks about herself and others.This sensitive book is designed to generate discussion between children and adults as each page provides opportunities for communication, understanding, expression of feelings, and support from the little girl's parents.As the story moves through young Ellen's experiences, it arrives at a universal problemhow to commemorate the birthday of the child who has died. The suggestions presented here have been highly recognized and recommended by bereavement counselors and support groups. Although written for the young child, A Birthday Present for Daniel reaches out to all who have experienced the loss of a loved one.Juliet C. Rothman of Annapolis, MD, is assistant professor at the National Catholic School for Social Services, Catholic University of America, editor of the Healthcare Ethics book series, and author of Saying Goodbye to Daniel.

The perfect gift for Christmas and new readers! A classic short tale from Enid Blyton's Magic Faraway Tree series with fun and stunning new full-colour illustrations from Alex Paterson When Joe, Beth, Frannie and Rick, and their friends Silky and Saucepan-man, are turned into toys, they're not sure they'll ever be able to get back to their original selves! Only one person can help them. The friends must get to very top of the magic Faraway Tree and Santa Claus' castle as fast as they can! The magical Faraway Tree has been entertaining readers for more than 75 years. Now these colour short stories offer a great way for a whole host of young new readers to discover the adventures of Silky, Moon-Face, the Saucepan Man and all of their friends in the Enchanted Wood. Perfect for early readers aged 7 years and up. Available in this short story series: A Faraway Tree Adventure: The Land of Birthdays; A Faraway Tree Adventure: The Land of Magic Medicines; A Faraway Tree Adventure: The Land of Do-As-You-Please; A Faraway Tree Adventure: The Land of Goodies; and, A Faraway Tree Adventure: In Santa Claus' Castle.

When you look at a bird, do you see feathers and a beak? Or do you see circles and triangles? Artist Charley Harper spent his life reducing subjects to their simplest forms, their basic lines and shapes. This resulted in what he called minimal realism and the style that would become easily recognized as Charley Harper’s. Art fans and nature lovers around the world fell in love with Harper’s paintings, which often featured bright colors and intriguing nature subjects.Harper’s love of painting and drawing led him from the hills of West Virginia to the bombed-out villages of Europe, to the streets of New York City, and to the halls of the Art Academy of Cincinnati. How did the farm boy who didn’t know a single artist become one of America’s most recognized midcentury modern painters? The answer is simple. He did it by counting the wings.Count the Wings is the first book for middle-grade readers about Harper’s life and work. Author Michelle Houts worked closely with the Harper estate to include full-color illustrations, plentiful supplemental materials, and discussion questions that will intrigue and engage young readers. Count the Wings is part of our acclaimed Biographies for Young Readers series, which brings smart, expertly researched books about often overlooked but exceptional individuals to school-age readers.

Mary is certain that her parents are giving her new shoes for Christmas, but the Depression has hit her Saskatchewan farming family hard. Mary tries to hide her disappointment when she receives a crude homemade doll instead. She ends up liking the doll much more than she expects, but the doll fuels the rivalry between Mary and her older sister, Judith. Then, when the doll disappears a few weeks later during a snowstorm, Mary and Judith's relationship changes once again.