In 1869, a group of hardworking Chinese railroad workers were given an almost impossible challenge...

Did you know Japan is made up of thousands of islands? Or that the world’s very first novel was...

Kahoʻolawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People is a poignant, award-winning picture book that chronicles the history of the smallest Hawaiian island, from its volcanic birth to its struggle under military occupation.

The newest book in the award‑winning Child’s Introduction series shines a bright light on the...

Halfway to Somewhere is a heartfelt graphic novel that follows Ave, a middle schooler moving from Mexico to Kansas while navigating the pain of their parents' divorce and a split family.

Twins Joanna and Howe struggle to save their family farm during the height of the Dust Bowl.

A young boy named Junior moves to North Carolina in 1959 and discovers a hidden log cabin library for Black residents.

Twelve-year-old Will and his father travel from Texas to Oklahoma to claim their own land during the 1889 Land Rush.

When Maple runs for sixth-grade president, she learns that leadership means standing up for her community—even when it’s unpopular.

Kid Olympians: Winter shares true, inspiring childhood stories of Winter Olympians and Paralympians from around the world.

Traditional stories have been told aloud for hundreds of years. Even though they aren’t meant to be taken literally, they stay with us because they share timeless truths about what it means to be human.

People of all ages love watching tricksters get into trouble—and wriggle right back out again. Today we laugh at characters like Bugs Bunny, the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, Ace Ventura, and even Bart Simpson. But tricksters have been around much longer than cartoons and movies. Every culture in the world has its own clever mischief‑maker. In Africa, there’s Anansi the Spider. In the American Southwest, Coyote causes chaos. In the Pacific Northwest, Raven stirs things up. In the American South, Rabbit is always ready with a trick. Ireland has the leprechaun, and South America has the sly Fox. Josepha Sherman gathered forty of these wonderful stories from around the globe.

Have you ever played the game “Telephone,” where one person whispers a message and it travels around the circle until it comes back sounding completely different? Stories work the same way. As they’re passed from person to person—and from place to place—they stretch, twist, and grow into new versions. The stories in this book show just how powerful that “story grapevine” can be. Many of these tales have been traveling for hundreds of years. Some appear in different countries all over the world, each with its own special twist. All of them are fun to read aloud, and even more fun to tell in your own voice.

Anyone who teaches, lead, or speaks in public has had the experience of needing to fill short...

People everywhere tell stories. It’s something humans just do. We share stories that make us laugh, make us think, or simply sound wonderful when spoken aloud. Stories seem to pop up wherever people gather, and some are so powerful and meaningful that they travel far beyond the place where they were first told.

Scary stories have always been a favorite with kids. It makes sense—listening to spooky tales wakes up our imaginations, adds excitement to everyday life, and lets us practice being brave while knowing we’re completely safe.