A Little Good

While banished to a dusty study one day "to think things over", a boy pulls a book off a shelf and with great reluctance begins to read. As the afternoon passes, the story nabs him and carries him away. Before long, this good little book becomes his loyal companion, accompanying him everywhere ... until, one day, the book is lost. Will this bad little boy get back his good little book? Will the good little book survive on its own without a proper jacket? A quirky, enchanting tale of literary love and loss -- and love found again -- that will win the heart of even the most reluctant reader.

The arrival of three Sisters of St. Mary of Namur at the railroad station of Waco, Texas, on September 23, 1873, brought remarkable change to the state of education in the center and north of the state. Hoping "to do a little good" by living their faith and establishing Catholic schools, Mother Emilie, Sister Mary Angela, and Sister Stanislaus were somewhat appalled to learn that Waco boasted only twenty-five Catholic families, and among them were only six school-age children.But Protestants too appreciated the education that was offered. Other sisters came, and in less than forty years Waco, Corsicana, Ennis, Denison, Sherman, Wichita Falls, Fort Worth, and Dallas boasted flourishing Catholic establishments. Boarding schools offered girls in rural areas as well as towns an opportunity for education.Who were those sisters? Where did they come from, what did they find, and why did they stay? That story, sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic, always challenging, is the subject of this book.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A stunning “portrait of the enduring grace of friendship” (NPR) about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century. NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE A Little Life follows four college classmates—broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition—as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara’s stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. Look for Hanya Yanagihara’s latest bestselling novel, To Paradise.

Rolf, a small, gentle wolf, lives with Mrs. Boggins, who tells him he is a good little wolf. But when he meets up with a large, ferocious wolf, he is told that he isn't a real wolf. Wolves aren't little and good—they are big and bad. To prove he is a real wolf, the old wolf tells Rolf he must perform certain tasks, such as blowing down a little pig's house. Rolf is a total failure . . . until the big bad wolf urges him to do something unspeakable to old Mrs. Boggins. Then the good little wolf proves that he can stand up to the big bad bully. Or so it seems. More mature readers may find a different ending that could lead to a great discussion! Using familiar storybook characters and an endearing new hero, Nadia Shireen makes her debut in this winning picture book.

From the beloved creators behind Tops and Bottoms comes a fractured fairytale about a wolf who is so good, it's bad. Will he ever fit in with his family of Big Bad Wolves? Or will he show everyone that sometimes it's best to honor who you are? Little Good Wolf does not fit in with his family. No matter what Papa Wolf and Mama Wolf try, he is always cleaning his room or even playing with piggies! They have no choice but to send him to Bad School to learn to be a big, bad wolf. But Little Good Wolf's teachers think he's hopeless, too. Wicked Stepmother cannot get him to be selfish, and Mr. Troll cannot teach him how to be rude. Will he ever be BAD enough? Or just maybe, there is a way to be a wolf while being GOOD? Populated with expertly rendered fairy tale characters and infused with delightful madcap fun, this celebration of self-acceptance is an instant crowd-pleaser.

In this beautiful book for children, a child tells her story of losing a beloved neighbor and friend. A young girl remembers playing with her neighbor’s cat, stories that her neighbor told her, and the special mementos her friend kept on a shelf above her kitchen sink, including a little blue bottle she kept to remind her of Psalm 56:8: “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” A Little Blue Bottle doesn’t provide pat answers or heavy-handed messages about life or death, but allows the grieving child to articulate her loss and her love for the deceased friend, while wondering how God is near when we suffer. A gentle and insightful resource for children who are grieving, and for those who care for them.