The Solstice Badger

The Solstice Badger tells the tale of the days when the Sun shone all day long, every day. In the beginning, The Sun roamed the earth happy and filled with joy, but eventually he became terribly lonely and sad, and his light began to dim. Aware of his plight, many of the earth's creatures tried to befriend the Sun, only to find his intense heat burned, and prevented them from getting too close. To the Sun's great joy, one day there came a creature that found a way to get close to the sun, and soon the two became great friends. Staying longer and longer each day with his friend, the Sun's absence from the sky eventually caused the skies to darken and snow to fall. All living things suffered. Would the Sun realize his impact on the world's suffering before it was too late? Would he have to leave his only friend and new found happiness forever in order to to save the world? Robin's engrossing tale and ethereal illustrations bring the Sun's story to a satisfying conclusion as he learns that compromise, compassion, friendship, and wisdom will save the day.

Presents facts and folklore about the shortest day of the year, a day that has been filled with magic since ancient times.

Winter's gray chill has set in and everyone misses the sun-especially the baker. So she decides to bring some warmth to the town by making sun bread. And as the bread bakes, rising hot and delicious, everyone comes out to share in its goodness. Everyone, including the sun itself. With a lilting, rhyming text, colorful illustrations, and a recipe for baking your own sun bread, this tasty treat from the illustrator of the best-selling Abuela is just right for all ages to enjoy.

It's Christmas time all across America and Jenny is feeling left out. Her secular parents, born to different faiths that they no longer observe, don't believe in celebrating Christmas. She never seemed to mind before, but this year it bothers her--maybe because they're home and not on the Florida coast where they usually go at this time of the year to avoid the holiday hoopla. All around her the neighbors have decorated their houses with festive lights, while her house by contrast looks drab and uninviting during the long, cold winter nights. Itfs made her feel like an outsider. Why does her family have to be different? She talks with her mom and dad about their reasons for not observing the holidays. Then one day a teacher gives her "an awesome idea": she tells Jenny about the winter solstice and ancient traditions among many peoples of the northern hemisphere who celebrate this shortest day of the year in anticipation of the longer, warmer, and brighter days of the coming spring. Why don't we celebrate the winter solstice, too? Jenny wonders. Her parents can't help but agree and a few days later they bring home a potted pine from the local nursery for the living room. What fun they all have placing their special decorations on the solstice tree. And best of all, Jenny can now invite any of her friends, no matter what their religious backgrounds are, to admire her beautiful tree. Everyone can participate! This charming story will help children and parents enjoy the winter season in a meaningful and all-inclusive fashion.

When the first snow of the year falls on the first day of winter, all the snow people have a snow party.

Archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, and Native American scholars offer new views of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 that emphasize the transformative roles of material culture in mediating Pueblo Indian strategies of resistance and Colonial Spanish structures of domination.

On rare occasions, a writer makes a first appearance on the literature scene and the reader feels the excitement of meeting a new friend. In her debut novel, The Ecowarriors, Sandra Dreis creates young characters with voices that ring true and a story that is perfectly timed to entertain. Setting the fantasy against the background of the all-too-real problem of fracking is nothing short of brilliant. —Leigh Somerville, Author, It All Started with a Dog (trilogy, Second Wind Publishing) Davie Wyatt, born into a family of scientists, is forced to imagine a world without Wisconsin. Uncontrolled sand mining is taking over the state, threatening to destroy the land’s natural beauty. Two badgers, leaders of a royal underground dynasty, choose Davie and his buddies—Carl, Sharon, and Melissa—for a vital mission. With the powers given to them by the badgers, the four youths must defeat an evil force that will rise from Devil’s Lake on the eve of the Winter Solstice . Suddenly, vacation plans morph from the ordinary to the fantastic as the four experience a daring cross-country ski excursion, uncover clues from petroglyphs on a cave exploration, and survive a bizarre ice-fishing adventure. Will they be able to put these clues together in time? In the background, Grandpa John, a retired geologist, and his old friend, Avery, an Ojibwa storyteller, play important roles. As the young eco-warriors find themselves with the ability to fly, they face the enemy at Devil’s Doorway, a landmark rock formation high up on the dangerous cliffs over the lake. Battling the forces of a giant sand monster, the teenagers will discover the truths that lie—not only below the surface of the Devil’s Lake—but within themselves.

From debut author Kelsey Gross and New York Times bestselling artist Renata Liwska comes a gentle and lulling picture book celebrating the magic of the Winter Solstice with a group of animal friends in a quiet forest. Tonight is the longest night of the year—solstice is here! Deep in the forest, the dark, cold, and quiet of winter is all around. Owl, Mouse, and Deer all watch the light fades and dark surrounds them, but they have a gift of hope to share with their neighbors. The moon and stars shine down on a lone tree in the forest, and the animals gather around to bask in its light. Winter Solstice arrives as the winter sky brings magic for all to share.