In early-nineteenth century Scotland, sixteen-year-old Josie, an orphan, is sent to live with an aunt and uncle on the rocky, stormy northwest coast. Everything and everyone in her new surroundings, including her relatives, is sinister, threatening, and mysterious. She’s told that Eli, the young man she’s attracted to, is forbidden to her, but not why. Spirited, curious, and determined, Josie sets out to learn the village’s secrets and discovers evil, fueled by heartless greed, as well as a ghostly presence eager for revenge. An author’s note gives the historical inspiration for this story.

Publisher Marketing: “I have lost my new blue socks. Did I put them in my box?” Simple rhymes–including “socks, box, fox, ” and “ox”!–spin the tale of a small duck who waddles through the countryside, forlornly searching for his blue socks. “I’m trying not to be depressed. / Without my socks I feel undressed.” Finally, a sharp-eyed peacock sees a bit of blue peeking out of duck’s lace-up shoes and the mini-mystery is solved! Soft-hued, adorable pen-and-ink and watercolor paintings adorn this winsome story that shares the familiar experience of not really losing something after all. Review Quotes: “A great addition to the literature on ducks. . . or socks!” –“Kirkus, ” starred review “Bunting and Ruzzier create a lightly surreal and emotionally benevloent landscape. . . . The book’s gentle takeaway [is] reinforced by Ruzzier’s signature offbeat aesthetic . . . and Bunting’s solid, conversational rhymes.” –“Publishers Weekly””, ” starred review “Such angst over a pair of socks has never been conveyed so well. . . . A perfect book for the newest reader, especially one with a grand sense of humor.” –“Horn Book, ” starred review “This is a whimsical delight for children whose parents clamor for phonics-based books.” “–School Library Journal, ” starred review “Good fun.” “–Booklist ” “What makes this version particularly enjoyable are offbeat touches that mirror a preschooler’s precipitously escalated emotions. . . . Bunting and Ruzzier work together well, capturing preschool fears and uncertain sentiments but, in the end, making it all O.K.” “–The New York Times Online” “With its simple vocabulary and Seussian rhymes, this would be a fine choice for an emerging reader to read aloud.” “–The Wall Street Journal” “The sonorous, Seussian cadence of Bunting’s rhyming text lends itself to reading aloud, but older beginning readers up to a few challenging vocabulary words might also successfully tackle this on their own, especially once they’ve heard it read a few times.” “–The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books” Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 01/21/2013 pg. 68 (EAN 9780547752679, Hardcover) – *Starred Review Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2013 pg. 71 (EAN 9780547752679, Hardcover) – *Starred Review Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2013 pg. 82 (EAN 9780547752679, Hardcover) – *Starred Review School Library Journal 03/01/2013 pg. 108 (EAN 9780547752679, Hardcover) – *Starred Review Booklist 03/01/2013 pg. 70 (EAN 9780547752679, Hardcover) Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 06/01/2013 pg. 455 (EAN 9780547752679, Hardcover)

After reading in the newspaper that it’s Valentine’s Day, Mr. Goat sets out in search of very special gifts for his first love. But what gifts can a goat choose to perfectly show how he feels? Everyone will be in for a great surprise when they hear about Mr. Goat’s nontraditional selections!

Farah is the new girl at school and the dupatta covering her head makes her just a little different from the other students. Because she hasn’t learned the English language yet, she knows that some people might not be very friendly. On the second day of school, the class takes a field trip to an apple orchard. Farah sees that some of the children want to become friends with her on the hay ride. When it comes time to make the apple cider, however, other classmates protest as she drops the only green apple into a vat full of ripe red ones. Will Farah’s apple ruin the cider? Winner of the Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers, Eve Bunting warmly conveys the feelings of a young Muslim girl who faces a new school in a new country. Farah’s fears and joys are deftly expressed in a eloquent reading by narrator Charlotte Parry. “This poignant, attractive offering fills a growing need for picture books about contemporary immigrants of Arab descent.”-Booklist, starred review “[A] gentle story about being new and different, with the author delivering her message in her classically subtle style.”-Kirkus Reviews

Catherine hopes visiting her beloved grandmother will help ease the pain she feels over the death of her best friend. Instead, an encounter with a young, handsome stranger presents her with a dangerous dilemma. Award-winning author Eve Bunting has also written The Hideout and Jumping the Nail.

It is washday. ‘Are you ready for work, Lizzie girl?’ Grandma asks. ‘I am,’ Lizzie replies. It’s hard for her to set aside her plans for a tea party, but she rolls up her sleeves. Together, Lizzie and Grandma haul the steaming washtub to the workbench and shave lye soap into the boiling water. They rub, rub, rub the clothes over the washboard, pull them through the wringer, and hang them out to dry. In the end, the satisfaction of a job well done, an unexpected guest, and a loving gesture make Lizzie’s washday just about perfect.