Best Selling Books by Mary Ann Rodman

It''s September 1943, and eleven-year-old Ellie McKelvey''s older brother, Jimmy, has just been drafted. Jimmy has a joyful heart and a kind word for everyone, and he''s the only person who thinks Ellie is smart and funny and as beautiful as Lana Turner, the movie star. Ellie can hardly stand to see him go. With Jimmy gone, Aunt Toots moves into his bedroom, Ellie''s mother takes a war job at a factory, and everything in Ellie''s life seems upside down. But she figures that the war will be over and Jimmy home by Christmas, so as much as she misses him, she keeps her spirits up. Even as families in the neighborhood begin to receive telegrams informing them that their boys are wounded or worse, Ellie never stops believing in Jimmy. In her second work of historical fiction, Mary Ann Rodman captures all the authentic details of life on the homefront during World War II, as well as the fierce love a sister has for her beloved big brother. Jimmy''s Stars is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children''s Book of the Year.

It’s 1964 and Alice has moved to Mississippi from Chicago with her family. Nicknamed ‘Yankee Girl’ and taunted by the in-crowd at school, Alice soon discovers the other new girl Valerie – one of the school’s first black students – has it much worse. Alice can’t stand the way Valerie is treated, and yet she knows she will remain an outsider if she speaks up. It takes a horrible tragedy to finally give Alice the courage to stand up for what she believes. Set in the Deep South in the 1960s, Yankee Girl is a powerful, resonant and relevant story about racism and doing the right thing.

Today’s my first ice skating class. I’ll fly through the air, land on one foot, and spin so fast you can’t see me! Claire can’t wait to get out on the ice and skate, skate, skate! She’s going to jump, leap, and twirl! Just you wait—pretty soon she’ll be on TV and dazzling audiences everywhere. But when Claire and her mom arrive at the Ice Center for Claire’s very first skate lesson, it’s not everything Claire was dreaming it would be. Beginners wear ugly brown skates, and who wants to practice marching in place when you can get right to it? But not so fast, Claire! One overeager foot on the ice, and… Wibble. Wobble— BOOM! In this humorous tale of expectation meets reality, Claire discovers beautiful performances require lots of skill, and it’s going to take many small failures and perseverance if she wants to skate like a pro.

A grandfather and grandson share a special love Zach and his grandpa love all of the same things . . . except the roller coaster. His grandpa once rode it one hundred times! But Zach doesn''t like the roller coaster. So when Grandpa goes on it every summer, Zach goes on the Big wheel with Grandma. She understands. But one summer, Grandma is gone and Grandpa is not the same. He misses her terribly. So does Zach. But he also wants his grandpa to be happy again. What will it take? Maybe a ride on the roller coaster? Heart-warming and uplifting, here is a story for every family that loves and cares for one another.

It''s summer, and Lily spends lots of time at the community pool, where she sees Tamika. Lily decides that Tamika will be her new best friend. Only, Tamika already has a best friend, and no matter how hard Lily tries, she can''t seem to impress Tamika. But without Tamika, who will be Lily''s best friend? With beautiful watercolor art and poignant text, this author and illustrator create a timeless story about the difficulties of finding a friend.

When Kevie''s mother has a baby, Kevie, his older brother, and their father make soup for when the new baby comes home.

See below for English description. Aujourd''hui, c''est ma première leçon de patin. Je vais voler dans les airs, atterrir sur un pied et tourner si vite que tu ne pourras même pas me voir! Claire est impatiente d''aller sur la glace et de patiner encore et encore! Elle va sauter, bondir et virevolter! Il suffit d''attendre: bientôt, elle passera à la télévision et éblouira le public partout dans le monde. Mais lorsque Claire arrive à la patinoire pour sa toute première leçon, les choses ne se déroulent pas comme elle les avait imaginées. Les débutants portent d''horribles patins bruns. Et qui a envie de s''entraîner à marcher sur place quand on devrait apprendre à sauter et à bondir? BOUM! Wouch-crac. Patience, Claire! Pour apprendre à patiner, il faut apprendre à tomber... et à se relever! Dans ce récit humoristique où les attentes se heurtent à la réalité, Claire découvre que les belles performances requièrent beaucoup d''habileté, et qu''elle devra vivre plusieurs petits échecs et faire preuve de persévérance si elle veut patiner comme une professionnelle. Today''s my first ice skating class. I''ll fly through the air, land on one foot, and spin so fast you can''t see me! Claire can''t wait to get out on the ice and skate, skate, skate! She''s going to jump, leap, and twirl! Just you wait -- pretty soon she''ll be on TV and dazzling audiences everywhere. But when Claire and her mom arrive at the ice centre for Claire''s very first skating lesson, it''s not everything Claire was dreaming it would be. Beginners wear ugly brown skates, and who wants to practice marching in place when you can get right to it? But not so fast, Claire! One overeager foot on the ice, and... Wibble. Wobble -- BOOM! In this humorous tale of expectation meets reality, Claire discovers beautiful performances require lots of skill, and it''s going to take many small failures and perseverance if she wants to skate like a pro. Original title: Wibble Wobble BOOM!

This reassuring picture book about standing up for yourself and finding security in new experiences is a great read for any first-time camp goers or overnight stays. Roxie is excited to be going away to Camp K-9 for a fun-filled summer, but she''s scared that the other dogs will find out she''s brought her blankie along in her Pooch Pouch. What if the other campers find out and call her a scaredy-cat? Even worse, a mean bully named Lucy seems determined to cause trouble. But as it turns out, maybe some of the other campers have secrets too... Mary Ann Rodman''s lighthearted but meaningful story of summer, secrets, and friendship is complemented by Nancy Hayashi''s warm, humorous illustrations that are sure to comfort anyone who has ever dealt with a bully.

“Stubborn and strong and a little bit wild.” Emmy wants a birthday gift that is just like her Emmy loves trees, especially the mimosa tree that grows in her grandmother’s pasture. So when Emmy decides she wants a mimosa tree of her own for her birthday, she is dismayed to find that many garden stores don’t sell them. Emmy is crushed—until she discovers that the answer to her problem is growing right before her eyes! Mary Ann Rodman’s joyful story will appeal to all who cherish a special dream, and help readers appreciate the natural world around them. Illustrator Tatjana Mai-Wyss’s whimsical watercolor and collage illustrations capture Emmy’s exuberant personality and the story’s hopeful ending.

Théo attend avec impatience le retour de sa maman de la maternité. Pour fêter l''arrivée du nouveau bébé, la famille décide de préparer une soupe surprise ! Tout le monde s''affaire dans la cuisine, mais bientôt, la simple recette va devenir un vrai casse-tête !