Books published by publisher West Margin Press

The first day of school is coming… and I’m going to be in the noisy class. Any class but the noisy class will do! A young girl is about to enter the third grade, but this year she’s put into Ms. Johnson’s noisy class. Everything about the noisy class is odd. While all the other classes are quiet, Ms. Johnson sings and the kids chatter all day. The door is always closed, yet sounds from it can be heard in the hallway. With summer coming to an end and school starting, the girl realizes that soon she’ll be going to the noisy class. What will school be like now? Featuring the honest and delightful humor of debut author Angela Shanté and the bold, graphic imagery of debut illustrator Alison Hawkins, The Noisy Classroom encourages those with first-day jitters to reevaluate a scary situation by looking at it from a different angle and to embrace how fun school can be, even in nontraditional ways.

From revered nature writer Brenda Peterson and told through striking and vibrant mixed-media collages by Caldecott Medalist Ed Young, Catastrophe by the Sea is a poignant story of redemption through empathy and compassion found in the most surprising places, and also provides a rich understanding of small creatures that live in a dangerous tidal zone.A lost cat roams the tide pools, pawing relentlessly at the small creatures that live there. One day an anemone confronts him and asks why he is alone and befriends him. In partnership with the Seattle Aquarium, Catastrophe by the Sea delivers a powerful message of finding understanding and friendship, and at the same time educates on the varied wildlife brimming in tide pools.“For several years, the Seattle Aquarium has studied the role of empathy in promoting conservation. Empathy is the ability to perceive, understand and care about the experiences or perspectives of another person or animal. We most often feel empathy for other people, but we can also feel empathy for animals. This led us to the idea of a children’s book. Animals are regular protagonists in children’s books, but these characters are primarily vertebrates and often charismatic mammals. Could we create a book that would allow kids and their caregivers to empathize with strange and exotic marine animals, like sea anemones or barnacles? We hope this book strikes a chord with audiences and fosters empathy for animals less like us.” --Jim Wharton, director of conservation engagement and learning at the Seattle Aquarium

“Ahoy thar, matey! Where does a pirate go potty around here?”This little pirate’s got to go potty! He wanders around sandy beaches and dark caves, discovering where the sea lion, the pelican, and even the octopus go potty. But where in the seven seas can a pirate go?! A hilarious adventure filled with playful anticipation and fun, Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? guarantees a good time and laughter.This book is a companion to Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?

The incredible true story of one dog’s heroic feats during the 2017 Tubbs Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. One October night in 2017, when wildfire raged in Sonoma and Napa counties, the Hendel family was suddenly evacuated from their homes and farms to escape to safety and forced to leave behind their Pyrenees dog, Odin. Odin refused to leave his nightly post of guarding the family’s eight young goats, despite the family’s desperate attempts to lead him away. Brokenhearted, the Hendels were sure they would never see their dog again. But when the fire calmed and the family returned home, to their shock they found Odin singed yet safe, along with all the goats and several orphaned deer the dog had protected as well. Odin, Dog Hero of the Fires is a touching and inspirational true tale that honors the bravery and strength of Odin as well as commemorates the stories of those affected by the Tubbs Fire.

Combining humor and art with STEM subjects of science, technology, and math, Betty Builds It explores a burgeoning friendship between a genius engineering robot girl and her sweet younger brother who just wants to support his sister.Betty could build just about anything. Whatever she needs, she can make it for herself. But with a screen as her parental unit and her baby brother Toby who can’t do much, Betty longs for a friend―so she builds one! While Toby struggles to get his sister’s attention, Betty continues to build and build, until finally she realizes what she was looking for was beside her the whole time.Betty Builds It is a sweet family story of the new friendship between siblings, and also celebrates and promotes women and girls in science.

Meet Flo, a glacier, as she shows you what the life of a glacier is like in this picture book filled with fun facts, from what glaciers are and how they’re formed to what creatures live there, and more.Glaciers exist on every continent on earth, growing, spreading, and shrinking over thousands of years. But what are they, and how are they formed? Glacier on the Move tells the story of a glacier named Flo and her slow-motion race to the sea, from the edge of an ice field and down steep cliffs, to muscling her way around mountains, and stretching into a valley. With the help of some iceworms in the margins, Flo reveals how glaciers move, change shape, and provide for the surrounding world and animals. Blending fascinating science facts with dynamic illustrations, Glacier on the Move introduces young readers to glacial history and science in a captivating and unique way.

Explore California’s most visited city park in this A-to-Z adventure! From A for Artist Ruth Asawa’s hanging wire creations in the de Young Museum to Z for the Zebra on the carousel in the Koret Children’s Quarter, this book leads you around San Francisco’s famous Golden Gate Park to reveal a range of fun and surprising facts for tourists and locals alike. Step into art, science, nature, and culture by visiting the park’s major attractions, like the serene Japanese Tea Garden; discovering secret destinations, like the magical fairy doors hidden in trees; or just relaxing on the green meadows where the bison roam. Included also at the back of the book is a colorfully illustrated map with extra trivia and details on the park’s favorite sights. The board book version of this is available as ABCs of Golden Gate Park.

The incredible true story of one dog’s heroic feats during the 2017 Tubbs Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California history.One October night in 2017, when wildfire raged in Sonoma and Napa counties, the Hendel family was suddenly evacuated from their homes and farms to escape to safety and forced to leave behind their Pyrenees dog, Odin. Odin refused to leave his nightly post of guarding the family’s eight young goats, despite the family’s desperate attempts to lead him away. Brokenhearted, the Hendels were sure they would never see their dog again.But when the fire calmed and the family returned home, to their shock they found Odin singed yet safe, along with all the goats and several orphaned deer the dog had protected as well. Odin, Dog Hero of the Fires is a touching and inspirational true tale that honors the bravery and strength of Odin as well as commemorates the stories of those affected by the Tubbs Fire.

Meet Flo, a glacier, as she shows you what the life of a glacier is like in this picture book filled with fun facts, from what glaciers are and how they’re formed to what creatures live there, and more. Glaciers exist on every continent on earth, growing, spreading, and shrinking over thousands of years. But what are they, and how are they formed? Glacier on the Move tells the story of a glacier named Flo and her slow-motion race to the sea, from the edge of an ice field and down steep cliffs, to muscling her way around mountains, and stretching into a valley. With the help of some iceworms in the margins, Flo reveals how glaciers move, change shape, and provide for the surrounding world and animals. Blending fascinating science facts with dynamic illustrations, Glacier on the Move introduces young readers to glacial history and science in a captivating and unique way.

Explore California’s most visited city park in this A-to-Z adventure! From A for Artist Ruth Asawa’s hanging wire creations in the de Young Museum to Z for the Zebra on the carousel in the Koret Children’s Quarter, this book leads you around San Francisco’s famous Golden Gate Park to reveal a range of fun and surprising facts for tourists and locals alike. Step into art, science, nature, and culture by visiting the park’s major attractions, like the serene Japanese Tea Garden; discovering secret destinations, like the magical fairy doors hidden in trees; or just relaxing on the green meadows where the bison roam. Included also at the back of the book is a colorfully illustrated map with extra trivia and details on the park’s favorite sights. The picture book version of this is available as Golden Gate Park, An A to Z Adventure.

There are only two rules at Miss Oliver’s School for Girls that lead to automatic expulsion: stealing, and permitting a male who is not a family member into a dormitory. The head of school’s daughter has broken both. Trouble approaches on a warm September day when Sylvia Perrine Bickham, the head of school’s daughter, gives money to a homeless man on the street. Through some prying, she and her friends learn he is a veteran of the Iraq War and probably suffering from post-traumatic stress, so they sneak food and clothing to his lean-to at odd hours of the day and agree to tell no one―not the teachers, and especially not Sylvia’s mother, Rachel. But talk of things gone missing from the school is getting louder, and Rachel knows something is up. More importantly, winter is coming and Sylvia worries the man will freeze if he stays outside. Have they done all they can for him? Have they done enough? What is enough? Vivid, riveting, and utterly engrossing, The Encampment is the third installment of the Miss Oliver’s School for Girls series.

A mother-daughter story of an adventure-filled search for the amazing aurora borealis. Alix and her mom are fascinated by the nighttime light displays in the sky known as auroras, or northern lights, but being able to see them in person proves to be more challenging than expected. Where do they appear? When? How could Alix and her mom get there to see the auroras before they disappear from the sky? Inspired by the authors’ own experiences, A Search for the Northern Lights brings the reader along on a fascinating journey as Alix and her mom eagerly learn what auroras are and how to find them. The book also includes science and more information on auroras, plus a helpful guide for those hoping to catch their own glimpse of the incredible northern lights.