Boundless Sky

A migrating swallow and a migrant girl cross paths while looking for a place to call home. A bird so small that it fits in your hand flies halfway around the world looking for a place to nest, while a young girl from northern Africa flees halfway around the world looking for safety. This is the story of Bird. This is the story of Leila. This is the story of a chance encounter and a long journey home. North Somerset Teachers Book Awards shortlist. Kate Greenaway Medal Nomination. “Beneath the surface, one can find many opportunities for a deep conversation about belonging, welcoming, and freedom from oppression and danger”—Youth Book Review Services “A delicate and touching little tale that packs its powerful message inside a velvet glove. Do yourselves a favor and order a copy now”—The Letterpress Project “A beautiful exploration of friendship, the parallel migrations of Bird and Leila, and the welcome they receive in their new home. Perfect for developing empathy and compassion”—Library Girl and Book Boy

Nobody knew, nobody dreamed, nobody even considered the possibility that a bird that fits in your hand might fly halfway around the world looking for a place to nest...or that a young girl from northern Africa might flee halfway around the world looking for safety. This is the story of Bird. This is the story of Leila. This is the story of a chance encounter and a long journey home.

"Nezhukumatathil’s poems contain elegant twists of a very sharp knife. She writes about the natural world and how we live in it, filling each poem, each page with a true sense of wonder." —Roxane Gay “Cultural strands are woven into the DNA of her strange, lush... poems. Aphorisms...from another dimension.” —The New York Times “With unparalleled ease, she’s able to weave each intriguing detail into a nuanced, thought-provoking poem that also reads like a startling modern-day fable.” —The Poetry Foundation “How wonderful to watch a writer who was already among the best young poets get even better!” —Terrance Hayes With inquisitive flair, Aimee Nezhukumatathil creates a thorough registry of the earth’s wonderful and terrible magic. In her fourth collection of poetry, she studies forms of love as diverse and abundant as the ocean itself. She brings to life a father penguin, a C-section scar, and the Niagara Falls with a powerful force of reverence for life and living things. With an encyclopedic range of subjects and unmatched sincerity, Oceanic speaks to each reader as a cooperative part of the earth, an extraordinary neighborhood to which we all belong. From “Starfish and Coffee”: And that’s how you feel after tumbling like sea stars on the ocean floor over each other. A night where it doesn’t matter which are arms or which are legs or what radiates and how— only your centers stuck together. Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of four collections of poetry. Recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and the prestigious Eric Hoffer Grand Prize, Nezhukumatathil teaches creative writing and environmental literature in the MFA program at the University of Mississippi.

“It was a flowing emerald in spring and summer when the boundless winds ran across it, a tawny ocean under the winds of autumn, and a stark and painful emptiness when the great long winds drove in from the northwest. It was Beulahland for many; Gehenna for some. It was the tall prairie.”—from the “Prologue” Originally published in 1982, Where the Sky Began, John Madson’s landmark publication, introduced readers across the nation to the wonders of the tallgrass prairie, sparking the current interest in prairie restoration. Now back in print, this classic tome will serve as inspiration to those just learning about the heartland’s native landscape and rekindle the passion of long-time prairie enthusiasts.

"Let me tell you a secret—if you have a heart song, anything is possible. Even magic!" Kaya is looking for her heart song—the song that happy hearts sing. Her search takes her on a journey deep into the jungle where a broken down carousel waits for a very special song to make it turn again.

A beautifully presented, practical gift guide to 50 sights in the skies above us – complete with a glow-in-the dark front cover. Explained with fascinating, easy-to-understand commentary from astrophysicist and science communicator, Sarah Barker, and illustrated throughout with captivating drawings by Maria Nilsson, each guide helps you locate an incredible sight. The book is divided into three main sections – and whether you use the naked eye, a telescope, or fall into a black hole of online research, you’ll discover the limitless wonder of the skies – from otherworldly phenomena on Earth like sun dogs, to planets, moons, stars, lunar craters and galaxy clusters. Naked Eye: Learn how navigators travelled in the past by finding the North Star; say hello to our astronauts and learn how to spot the International Space Station; see a red supergiant star (Betelgeuse); and find out more about solar eclipses. Further Afield: Find out more about the next closest galaxy, Andromeda; learn about the discovery of Saturn’s ‘ears’ (or rings!); spot an alien storm that’s as big as the Earth; and track ‘Little Green Men’ and ice volcanoes. Far, Far Away: Learn how baby stars are created by the Pillars of Creation; marvel at the Hubble Deep Field; and unearth the brightest things in our universe, quasars. The book also includes advice on ideal conditions for observing the stars, telescopes and binoculars, and navigating the skies. With extra tips and a rundown of useful tools, you’ll find everything you need to get out there and look up!

Every Sunday, Grandpa waited for me in his room, and I took my place at the foot of the bed. There were days when Grandpa wanted to talk, and days when we sat in silence. Then one day, Grandpa began telling me stories about his life at sea—tales of love and adventure and danger on the ocean waves. And that’s when I learned who my grandpa really was . . .