Staff Picks
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The Yawn Book
Why do we yawn? Do animals yawn? And why are yawns so CONTAGIOUS? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this fact-filled and funny nonfiction picture book for fans of Carson Ellis and Matt Lamothe.
Yawning: Everyone does it. But no one knows why.
Why did you yawn before your piano recital? Do you yawn more than your grandmother? And is your pet dog really yawning because you are? Find out in The Yawn Book, a funny and fascinating book of facts, including the most unbelievable one: no one knows for sure why we yawn at all.
One thing we do know for sure...this book will definitely make you yawn!
"Informative and, intrinsically, interactive." --Kirkus
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The Secret Signs of Nature
The Secret Signs of Nature will show you how to navigate through any landscape--forests, deserts, even your own backyard--through observation of the world around you!
Put away your map, look up from your phone, and let nature be your guide.
Rediscover nature's hidden signs as you delve into the amazing science of natural navigation. Meet two young adventurers, as they discover the joy of finding their way using nature's clues. From worms, honeybees, and spiders to trees, flowers, and clouds, young adventurers are shown what to look and listen for wherever they are--whether in the back garden, a vast meadow, or the open sea.
Top wilderness trainer Craig Caudill shares more than 200 tips for reading nature from decades spent walking the land around his home and around the world. So, whether you're walking in the country, along a coastline, or out at night, this is the ultimate guide on what the land, sky, plants, animals, and weather can reveal--if you only know where to look!
By opening our senses to the unfolding world of nature all around us, this visual compendium illustrated by Carrie Shryock can be enjoyed by all the family to transform the way the natural world is experienced.
"Created with graphite and digital tools, the detailed double-page illustrations are well composed, beautifully colored, and full of interesting details . . . An attractive guide to nature." --Booklist -
Maggie and Pie and the Perfect Picnic
Highlights Puzzle Readers offer an innovative approach to learning that integrates puzzles and stories to develop motivated, confident readers. These Level 1 books are perfect for kids who are reading simple sight words and sounding out decodable text.
Maggie and Pie are bird buddies that love to cook—but sometimes Maggie gets a little mixed up! As they make fruit salad, in this Level 1 Highlights Puzzle Reader, kids can use clues in the story to find the supplies they need in simple visual puzzles that double as picture support for the text. With a bonus recipe, Maggie and Pie and the Perfect Picnic will appeal to junior chefs who are just discovering reading. -
Heart Stones
HEART STONES is a fast-paced middle grade magical realism mystery novel aimed at ages 8-12. It follows Gale Hope and her friend Celia as they piece together the clues of the Heart Stones. It's a story of love, community and friendship and the power of believing. Born in a Blizzard ten years earlier, Gale was given the name "Gale Hope," to symbolize the hope that the town needed at the time. In the recent devastating storm, heart shaped stones begin to wash up on the shore of her coastal town, which begins a mystery. Gale once again helps to heal a broken community and this time changes it for good.
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David Dixon's Day As a Dachshund (Class Critters #2)
David Dixon's Day as a Dachshund continuesKathryn Holmes's funny and wholehearted Class Critters chapter book series featuring second-grade students who each become an animal for a day--featuring illustrations by Ariel Landy.
When Mrs. Norrell invites her students to bring something they love from home for show and tell, David Dixon sneaks in his new dachshund puppy, Bandit. But during the presentation, the puppy escapes. By the time David rushes into the hallway, his mischievous puppy has vanished. Mrs. Norrell launches a formal search, but David is an "act first, worry about the consequences later" kind of kid. Without stopping to think or tell anyone what he's doing, David races off into the school building by himself to find Bandit. As he runs away from Mrs. Norrell's classroom, David turns into a dachshund!
At first, he's delighted by the transformation and even tracks down Bandit. He and Bandit are able to do whatever they want as dogs--eat the day's lunch, jump in the suds-filled sink, and run around on the playground. But he doesn't want to be a dog forever!
In this chapter book series, Mrs. Norrell's second-grade classroom has magic that allows kids to transform into animals to learn important life lessons. Each book will follow a different kid and their animal transformation and will include fun natural science facts about the featured animal in the back matter.
Class Critters:
Tally Tuttle Turns into a Turtle (#1)
David Dixon's Day as a Dachshund (#2)
Madison Morris is NOT a Mouse! (#3) -
The Kindest Red
The sequel to the acclaimed New York Times bestseller The Proudest Blue shows the power of friendship and kindness, from Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad.
It's picture day and Faizah can't wait to wear her special red dress with matching hair ribbons, passed down from her mother and sister. Faizah's teacher starts the day by asking her students to envision the kind of world they want, inspiring Faizah and her friends to spend the day helping one another in ways large and small.
But when it's time for sibling pictures, Faizah realizes that she and her older sister, Asiya, don't match like her classmates do with their siblings. With help from her classmates inspired by Asiya's hijab, Faizah finds that acts of kindness can come back to you in unexpected ways.
From Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad and fellow bestselling, award-winning creators S.K. Ali and Hatem Aly comes a heartfelt exploration of friendship, faith, and the joy of spreading kindness wherever you go. -
New Kids and Underdogs
When perpetual new kid Robyn signs up her special needs dogs for agility training, she gets an unexpected lesson in friendship in this “well-paced…thoughtful” (Kirkus Reviews) novel from the author of We Could Be Heroes and Susie B. Won’t Back Down.
Robyn Kellen has been the new kid six times. She’s practically an expert on the subject and has developed foolproof rules to help her get by: Blend in, don’t go looking for trouble, and move on. Unfortunately, Robyn’s mom has a rule, too: Robyn must do an after-school activity.
When Robyn discovers a dog agility class, she thinks she’s found the perfect thing—but then her dogs, Sundae and Fudge, are rejected from the class. Sundae won’t do anything without Fudge, and Fudge is deaf and blind, and the instructor refuses to change the rules to fit their needs. Luckily, the instructor’s grandson, Nestor—a legend at Robyn’s new school—offers Robyn a deal: If she helps him with math, he’ll train Sundae and Fudge. Problem is, Robyn isn’t so great at math herself, so she’s forced to recruit the class outcast, Alejandra, to help.
Suddenly, Robyn finds herself surrounded by people who do anything but blend in—and sticking to her rules becomes harder than ever. But as Robyn learns how to adapt the rules of agility for Sundae and Fudge, she will find that some rules are worth breaking altogether. -
Oona in the Arctic
New York Times bestselling author Kelly DiPucchio and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner Raissa Figueroa are back with another gorgeous and grand tale from the big sea's littlest mischief-maker, Oona!
Oona is on a mission! A baby beluga whale has lost her way from her family and needs help getting back to her icy arctic home!
But Oona and her best friend Otto have never traveled from their warm ocean waters before. Will old ship maps and a compass be enough to lead them through the dangerous storms ahead?
Oona may be a little mermaid, but she is determined to see this big adventure through! With a bit of bravery and help from some new friends, they'll do all they can to reunite this baby whale with her pod once more.
As School Library Journal said of the first book in this series, Oona: "This title celebrates independence, self-confidence, and bravery to try the new even after defeat as Oona becomes aware of the true treasure in her personal effort."
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The Late, Great Endlings
★"This beautiful dedication to these special animals brings the reality and the irreversible finality of extinction to the forefront and calls on readers to act now, before so many other animals become endlings. Highly recommended for all collections."--Booklist, starred review
The endlings: the last known survivors of a species.
Something that you may not know: in each and every case of a disappearing species, extinction had a face.
Over the past 500 years, thousands of species of plants and animals have become extinct. The Late, Great Endlings pays homage to some of the more well-known endlings of the past century with rhyming stanzas that accompany watercolor illustrations and factual descriptions of each animal, along with the circumstances that led to their species' extinction. Together, these portraits of animals, like the passenger pigeon, the Pinta Island tortoise and the Tasmanian tiger, are a poignant symbol of a world irreversibly altered by human development, habitat loss and climate change. Readers are invited to reflect on the interconnectedness of all life forms on our planet with an additional look at animals that are at risk of becoming extinct in our lifetime. Concluding on a hopeful note, the final page offers suggestions for what kids can do to change the course of this mass species extinction crisis.
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Whale Done
In the eighth novel in New York Times bestselling Stuart Gibbs’s FunJungle series, Teddy Fitzroy returns as FunJungle’s resident sleuth to find the culprits behind a blown-up whale and a string of beach sand thefts.
After an escaped kangaroo starts a fire that burns down his house, Teddy Fitzroy accepts an invitation to go to Malibu with his girlfriend, Summer, and her mother, Kandace. He’s hoping to spend some time relaxing on the beach, but wherever Teddy goes, trouble isn’t far behind.
First, a massive dead whale has washed up on the beach—and before anyone can determine what killed it, it explodes. Doc, the head vet from FunJungle, suspects something fishy is going on and ropes Teddy and Summer into helping him investigate.
Then, Teddy stumbles upon yet another mystery involving tons of stolen sand. And the paparazzi start spreading rumors about Summer dating a celebrity, leading Teddy to question their relationship.
Without Summer as his trusted partner, can Teddy navigate the rough waters of this glitzy world and uncover what’s going on? -
Camila the Spelling Bee Star
Camila enters the spelling bee and is doing all she can to become a star speller. But when she gets nervous, her mind goes blank. Her anxiety is making her forget everything she's learned. Can Camila find a way to stay calm and spell her way to success?
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Sleepy Sheepy
From critically acclaimed author Lucy Ruth Cummins and Pete Oswald, New York Times bestselling illustrator of The Sour Grape, comes a rhyming bedtime tale featuring brand new picture book character Sleepy Sheepy, a sheep who is definitely NOT sleepy!
Sleepy Sheepy was not sleepy
But it was time for bed
(At least, that's what the clock said.)
But Sleepy Sheepy would not sleepy.
He was wired. And absolutely not tired!
In fact, he was WIDE-AWAKE.
Despite his name, Sleepy Sheepy is NOT sleepy. He'd much rather build with blocks or knit socks than go to sleep. Will Ma and Pa Sheepy ever get their sheepy to go to sleepy?
From acclaimed author Lucy Ruth Cummins and brought to life by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Pete Oswald (The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, The Smart Cookie, The Sour Grape), Sleepy Sheepy is a hilarious bedtime read-aloud that will appeal to little lambs everywhere.
Praise for Sleepy Sheepy:
"Caregivers will enjoy making this a bedtime read, and librarians will turn to this often for pajama storytimes. An entertaining tale sure to resonate with those on either side of the bedtime battle."—Kirkus reviews
"This could easily end up a story hour favorite and an often checked-out new bedtime classic for not-so-tired kids and their very tired parents; this will especially work a spell on preschoolers." —School Library Journal
"Sleepy Sheepy, rendered by Oswald in fluffy, cloud-like textures, insists he's anything but sleepy . . .even the most bedtime-resistant readers will respect his exhausted capitulation.” —Publishers Weekly -
The Secret Stream
The poetic story, combining lyricismwith natural history excellence, is augmented and enriched by informativesidebars and backmatter. Birds, mammals, amphibians, and insects peek out from the beautiful, scientifically accurate illustrations.
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Mystery at Mermaid Cove
Itty has a mystery on her paws! She must figure out why the mermaids of Lollyland have stopped singing in this twelfth Itty Bitty Princess Kitty chapter book.
The mermaids of Lollyland, who usually sing all the time, have fallen silent. And Itty Bitty Princess Kitty is on the case. Working with mermaids can be tricky, though—they mostly keep to themselves and don’t like to be disturbed. But Itty manages to befriend a mermaid named Aria, who confesses that someone new has been singing and it’s making the mermaids too confused to carry on their own songs! Can Itty help the mermaids uncover the mystery musician?
With easy-to-read language and illustrations on every page, the Itty Bitty Princess Kitty chapter books are perfect for emerging readers. -
Cupcakes
Sweet Life highlights unique and classic cupcakes that are filled, frosted, and sprinkled to perfection.
But those cupcakes don't just appear from thin air. First, someone has to come up with an idea. Then they have to make a recipe. Bakers must think of new flavors, create new designs, and turn their ideas into reality.
Young readers will learn about crazy ingredients and new ways to sell sweet treats--and even get a chance to make their own. The world of cupcakes has never been so delicious!
Upcoming Events
Disclaimer(s)
Accessibility
Individuals requesting accommodation for disabilities should contact the Library's ADA Manager Stacey Bialek at 920-686-3008 or sbialek@manitowoc.org. Reasonable accommodations will be made as quickly as possible, often within a week.
Unattended Children
Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.
Storytime
You’re never too young for a great story!
Disclaimer(s)
Accessibility
Individuals requesting accommodation for disabilities should contact the Library's ADA Manager Stacey Bialek at 920-686-3008 or sbialek@manitowoc.org. Reasonable accommodations will be made as quickly as possible, often within a week.
Unattended Children
Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.
Storytime
You’re never too young for a great story!
Disclaimer(s)
Accessibility
Individuals requesting accommodation for disabilities should contact the Library's ADA Manager Stacey Bialek at 920-686-3008 or sbialek@manitowoc.org. Reasonable accommodations will be made as quickly as possible, often within a week.
Unattended Children
Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.
Storytime
You’re never too young for a great story!
Disclaimer(s)
Accessibility
Individuals requesting accommodation for disabilities should contact the Library's ADA Manager Stacey Bialek at 920-686-3008 or sbialek@manitowoc.org. Reasonable accommodations will be made as quickly as possible, often within a week.
Unattended Children
Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.
Storytime
You’re never too young for a great story!
Disclaimer(s)
Accessibility
Individuals requesting accommodation for disabilities should contact the Library's ADA Manager Stacey Bialek at 920-686-3008 or sbialek@manitowoc.org. Reasonable accommodations will be made as quickly as possible, often within a week.
Unattended Children
Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.