Books in Picture Puffins series

Amber's mountain is beautiful, but it is a lonely place—until the day Anna arrives, bringing both her friendship and the will to teach Amber how to read. Suddenly, Amber's world is filled with a new magic and new challenges. But when Anna returns to the city, will Amber be able to keep reading on her own? "Heartwarming" —Publishers Weekly, starred review Tony Johnston's previous books include Grandpa's Song and Yonder (both Dial and Puffin). She lives in San Marino, California. Robert Duncan is a fine artist whose paintings have been exhi-bited throughout the United States. He lives in Midway, Utah.

They called her "Minty."When she grew up, she became Harriet Tubman, the courageous and heroic woman who helped hundreds of slaves escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad. But she was just a little girl for a while—and this is her story. Minty, short for Araminta, was a feisty and headstrong young slave, whose rebellious spirit often got her into trouble. She told stories to her doll, released animals from traps, and, above all, dreamed of running away. And when her father began to teach her the skills necessary for escape, she listened carefully, and learned. . . . *"Rich with melodrama, suspense, pathos, and, of course, a powerful vision of freedom. This exquisitely crafted book resonates well beyond its few pages."—Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewWinner of the Coretta Scott King AwardAn ALA Notable Book

An IRA-CBC Children’s Choice Book. The drama of this unbelievable but true story is enhanced by Ted Rand’s stunning illustrations.In June 1783, three-year-old Sarah Whitcher wanders into the woods and disappears. For three long days, friends and neighbors search fruitlessly for her. Then a stranger leads the desperate family to a pine tree beneath which the child lies. Sarah tells her rescuers of the “big black dog” that kept her warm every night—but the bear tracks encircling her tell a different tale. “A treat for ‘pioneer story’ buffs.”—School Library Journal

"An African American nun challenges the beliefs of her second-grade students in this thought-provoking picture book set in the 1960s."--Publishers WeeklySister Anne’s hands are brown, and Anna’s hands are white. It’s the early 1960s, and Anna has never seen a person with dark skin before. At first she is afraid of her new second-grade teacher. But Anna quickly finds that there’s no reason to be scared. Sister Anne is wonderful. She likes jokes and she makes math and reading fun. But then someone sails a paper airplane to her, with a cruel message written on its wings. Sister Anne’s wise way of turning a painful incident into a powerful learning experience has a profound impact on Anna and her classmates. This moving, timeless tale is perfectly illustrated with luminous, glowing paintings. “With humor and understanding, Lorbiecki writes about a young girl’s coming to terms with racial differences and about the pain that ignorance can cause.”—The Horn Book

I reckon ye heard o' Cinderella, but lemme tell you a story 'bout a sweet li'l thing named Rose? Set in the Appalachian Mountains and told in a lilting dialect that just begs to be read aloud, this is a unique and lively adaptation of the traditional Cinderella story. Complete with an enchanting protagonist, a glass slipper, and a fairy godmother who just happens to be a hog, Smoky Mountain Rose is a joy to read again and again.