Something Happened In Our Park

This important follow-up to the bestselling, groundbreaking, and inspiring Something Happened in Our Town, is a much-needed story to help communities in the aftermath of gun violence. When Miles's cousin Keisha is injured in a shooting, he realizes people can work together to reduce the likelihood of violence in their community. With help from friends and family, Miles learns to use his imagination and creativity to help him cope with his fears. This book can help provide parents with helpful messages of reassurance and empowerment. Includes an extensive Note to Parents and Caregivers with guidelines for discussing community gun violence with children, and sample dialogues. A NEW YORK TIMES AND #1 INDIEBOUND BEST SELLER The Today Show —10 books to help you discuss anti-racism with children and teens Glamour—10 Books to Help Talk to Your Kids About Racism, as Recommended by Black Authors NCSS-CBC Notable Social Students Trade Book for Young People National Parenting Product Award Winner Finalist, Foreword Book Awards

A NEW YORK TIMES AND #1 INDIEBOUND BEST SELLER #6 on American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom's Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020 A Little Free Library Action Book Club Selection National Parenting Product Award Winner (NAPPA) Something Happened in Our Town follows two families — one White, one Black — as they discuss a police shooting of a Black man in their community. The story aims to answer children's questions about such traumatic events, and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives. Includes an extensive Note to Parents and Caregivers with guidelines for discussing race and racism with children, child-friendly definitions, and sample dialogues.

In this realistic and empowering tale, Carmen learns that through community and love, she can find strength in herself and maintain her connection with her Papi, who has been detained because of his immigration status. Also available in a Spanish edition, Algo Le Pasó A Mi Papá: Una Historia Sobre Inmigración y la Separación Familiar ISBN 9781433839504. Carmen loves doing magic with her Papi. He can make sarapes fly. He can make rabbits vanish! But one day, her Papi vanishes. She is sad and scared when she learns he has been detained because he is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. At first, Carmen’s family keeps Papi’s detention a secret, fearing that they might be judged negatively. As Carmen's community becomes aware of their situation, they rally around her family with love. Carmen learns she can find strength in herself and maintain her connection with Papi, no matter what happens. ​The Something Happened books present and explain sensitive and important events happening in communities across the United States and around the world. Told in clear, compelling stories, the books come with the authority of psychological expertise from the American Psychological Association. They include Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story of Racial Injustice, which is a New York Times and #1 IndieBound bestseller, and one of ALA's most banned books; Something Happened in Our Park: Standing Together After Gun Violence, which was nominated for The Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice; and Something Happened to My Dad: A Story About Immigration and Family Separation.

In today's developing view of education, a disquieting trend looms—the erosion of students' right to choose what they read. This erosion, fueled by an alarming surge in censorship attempts, casts a shadow over the very essence of intellectual exploration. Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented number of challenges aimed at restricting access to books, targeting themes that embrace human diversity, inclusivity, and the tapestry of life itself. As educators, administrators, and scholars grapple with this critical juncture, Supporting Students’ Intellectual Freedom in Schools: The Right to Read serves as a comprehensive resource they can turn to for support and knowledge. This book is a call to action, resonating with teachers, school librarians, administrators, and scholars who refuse to let censorship erode the foundations of education. As censorship attempts proliferate, its chapters offer fortification, providing educators at all levels with the tools to safeguard students' intellectual freedom. From the hallowed halls of academia to the vibrant classrooms of K-12, the insights within these pages shape curricula, conversations, and a collective commitment to nurturing minds that thrive on diversity and inquiry. In a world clamoring for unwavering advocates of intellectual freedom, Supporting Students’ Intellectual Freedom in Schools is not just a solution—it is a declaration of resolute solidarity in the pursuit of knowledge and the unassailable right to read.

An unforgettable novel from the New York Times bestseller Gordon Korman Link, Michael, and Dana live in a quiet town. But it's woken up very quickly when someone sneaks into school and vandalizes it with a swastika. Nobody can believe it. How could such a symbol of hate end up in the middle of their school? Who would do such a thing? Because Michael was the first person to see it, he's the first suspect. Because Link is one of the most popular guys in school, everyone's looking to him to figure it out. And because Dana's the only Jewish girl in the whole town, everyone's treating her more like an outsider than ever. The mystery deepens as more swastikas begin to appear. Some students decide to fight back and start a project to bring people together instead of dividing them further. The closer Link, Michael, and Dana get to the truth, the more there is to face-not just the crimes of the present, but the crimes of the past. With Linked, Gordon Korman, the author of the acclaimed novel Restart, poses a mystery for all readers where the who did it? isn't nearly as important as the why?

Sherman Smith saw the most terrible thing happen. At first he tried to forget about it, but soon something inside him started to bother him. He felt nervous for no reason. Sometimes his stomach hurt. He had bad dreams. And he started to feel angry and do mean things, which got him in trouble. Then he met Ms. Maple, who helped him talk about the terrible thing that he had tried to forget. Now Sherman is feeling much better. This gently told and tenderly illustrated story is for children who have witnessed any kind of violent or traumatic episode, including physical abuse, school or gang violence, accidents, homicide, suicide, and natural disasters such as floods or fire. An afterword by Sasha J. Mudlaff written for parents and other caregivers offers extensive suggestions for helping traumatized children, including a list of other sources that focus on specific events.

Be prepared to respond to a wide range of potentially tough questions and sensitive concerns posed by young children. To work with young children is to constantly expect the unexpected. Tough questions are part of early childhood educators’ regular interactions with children and families. Based on children’s actual questions, Big Conversations with Little Children is readily accessible with guidelines for having difficult conversations with children, individually or as a classroom or group, and with families. The book provides guidance on how to approach specific topics related to: family, such as unemployment, divorce, and incarceration illness and death, such as loss of an unborn child, major illness in a child, and death of a pet social issues, such as racism, family structures, and gender fluidity upheaval and violence, such as natural disaster, terror events, and school shootings Fully based in developmentally appropriate practice, Big Conversations with Little Children helps educators support young children in a way that preserves their dignity and innocence when they encounter world and social events in addition to honoring the family’s preferred approach. An expert in the field of early childhood education, author Dr. Lauren Starnes empowers educators and families to answer sensitive or tough questions children pose, respond to their worries and concerns, and be prepared for an ongoing dialogue. Digital content includes family take-home information sheets for each topic.

This book is written with no other agenda than to simply entertain the reader. In the truest definition of the word it is not an autobiography; it is a collection of short stories that have happened in the lives of Arnold & Joy Lastinger in over 50 years of ministry. You may laugh; you may cry. But, you will enjoy reading about how the marvelous grace of a loving Lord has carried this couple through 50 years of ministry together. Some of the stories are too fantastic to be believeable. But, every one of them is true. Brace yourself for an enjoyable read!