Layla S Happiness

Seven-year-old Layla loves life! So she keeps a happiness book. What is happiness for her? For you? Spirited and observant, Layla’s a child who’s been given room to grow, making happiness both thoughtful and intimate. It’s her dad talking about growing-up in South Carolina; her mom reading poetry; her best friend Juan, the community garden, and so much more. Written by poet Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie and illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin, this is a story of flourishing within family and community.

Happy is an adventurous little crab whose world is suddenly turned upside down (literally!) when a mama and her son discover his large, unbroken shell while on vacation at the beach. After deciding to keep the shell as a souvenir, the boy unexpectedly feels the crab move inside and is suddenly faced with a decision: take him home or let him go. His compassion for the crab and thoughtful decision to release him gently reminds readers of the importance of selflessness and highlights how our environment, relationships, and experiences contribute greatly to our happiness. The Happy Crab is based on a true story experienced by Kevin, Layla, and their son, Steevenson, and you can see a video of the actual shell and crab at TheLetteredCottage.net/TheHappyCrab.

Told in verse, a Chinese American girl and her little brother protest the idea of moving, until their grandmother teaches them a special trick to make the change easier.

For fans of Nina LaCour's We Are Okay and Adam Silvera's History Is All You Left Me, this heartfelt and ultimately uplifting novel follows one sixteen-year-old girl's friend breakup through two concurrent timelines--ultimately proving that even endings can lead to new beginnings. "Stunning." --Nic Stone, bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out You can't rewrite the past, but you can always choose to start again. It's been twenty-seven days since Cleo and Layla's friendship imploded. Nearly a month since Cleo realized they'll never be besties again. Now Cleo wants to erase every memory, good or bad, that tethers her to her ex-best friend. But pretending Layla doesn't exist isn't as easy as Cleo hoped, especially after she's assigned to be Layla's tutor. Despite budding friendships with other classmates--and a raging crush on a gorgeous boy named Dom--Cleo's turbulent past with Layla comes back to haunt them both. Alternating between time lines of Then and Now, When You Were Everything blends past and present into an emotional story about the beauty of self-forgiveness, the promise of new beginnings, and the courage it takes to remain open to love. "Breathtakingly beautiful....Woodfolk has a way of making words sing and burst with light." --Tiffany D. Jackson, award-winning author of Monday's Not Coming and Let Me Hear A Rhyme

Young Sylvia Mendez never expected to be at the center of a landmark legal battle. Young Aki Munemitsu never expected to be sent away from her home and her life as she knew it. The two girls definitely never expected to know each other, until their lives intersected on a Southern California farm in a way that changed the country forever. Who are Sylvia and Aki? And why did their family stories matter then and still matter today? This book reveals the remarkable, never-before-told story—based on true events—of Mendez vs. Westminster School District, the California court case that desegregated schools for Latino children and set the stage for Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education at the national level.

"Unexpected emotional depth. . . . A thought-provoking read-aloud." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) Nothing makes Sierra happy like soccer. Her shoes have flames as she spins the ball down the spread-out sea of grass. But nothing makes her sad like soccer, too, because the restaurant where her auntie works is busy on game days and she can’t take time off to watch Sierra play. With honesty and subtlety, author Maribeth Boelts and illustrator Lauren Castillo portray an endearing character in a moving, uplifting story that touches on the divides children navigate every day — and remind us that everyone needs someone to cheer them on from the sidelines.

Filled with endless heartfelt wishes and beautifully cute illustrations, I Wish You Happiness is an inspiring book of hope and happiness for wishers of all ages. This timeless book is a truly thoughtful gift for any occasion.

A sense of optimism is a key ingredient to success in life. Guide young children to develop a positive outlook and discover how the choices they make can lead to feeling happy and capable. This friendly, encouraging book introduces preschool and primary-age children to ways of thinking and acting that will help them feel good about themselves and their lives, stay on course when things don’t go their way, and contribute to other people’s happiness, too. Being the Best Me Series: From the author of the popular Learning to Get Along® books come the first two books in this one-of-a-kind character-development series. Each book focuses on specific attitude or character traits—such as optimism, courage, resilience, imagination, personal power, decision-making, and work ethics. Also included are discussion questions, games, activities, and additional information adults can use to reinforce the concepts children are learning. Filled with diversity, these read-aloud books will be welcome in school, home, and childcare settings.