New Releases by Trinka Hakes Noble

It''s the early 1970s in America and a time of self-expression and social change. Jillian Parker loves math; it''s her favorite subject. But when Jillian goes to sign up for Math Club, she is met with snickering and jeers. A girl in the boys'' club? Shouldn''t she be in Cooking Club, instead? Jillian knows she''s smart, but maybe they are right, and she doesn''t belong. She''s just one girl. But after hearing about the discrimination experienced by her mother and other women, Jillian realizes that maybe all it takes is for just one girl to step forward. A new entry in the Tales of Young Americans series.

A teacher who wants to knit mittens as Christmas gifts for her students finds a creative solution when she runs into a yarn shortage.

2020-2021 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award List Gordy and his family live in Detroit, Michigan, the heart of the United States automobile industry. Every night after coming home from work at one of the plants, Gordy''s father teaches him how to box. Their hero is the famous American boxer Joe Louis, who grew up in Detroit. But the Great Depression has come down hard on the economy. Detroit''s auto industry is affected and thousands of people lose their jobs, including Gordy''s father. When his mother takes on work with a Jewish tailor, Gordy becomes friends with Ira, the tailor''s son, bonding over their shared interest in boxing and Joe Louis. As the boys'' friendship grows, Gordy feels protective of Ira, wanting to help the new boy fit in. At the same time, America is gearing up for the rematch between Joe Louis and the German boxer, Max Schmeling. For many Americans this fight is about good versus evil (US against Nazi Germany). Against the backdrop of the 1938 Fight of the Century, a young boy learns what it means to make a stand for a friend.

Our Readers (also known as "primers") are modeled after the popular nineteenth-century McGuffey Readers, which were used to teach life lessons and reading skills to young children. Using colorful illustrations and a variety of writing forms, The New Jersey Reader showcases the state''s rich heritage and natural charms, as well as its place in American history. Poems, state symbols, and riddles engage beginning readers. Prose, biographies, and short stories challenge more advanced readers. Topics include early Native American culture, the state nickname, famous citizens (Molly Pitcher and John Woolman), and the Revolutionary War. A timeline listing major events in state history is also featured.Trinka Hakes Noble''s many awards include ALA Notable Children''s Book and Booklist Children''s Editors'' Choice. Trinka lives in Bernardsville, New Jersey. K. L. (Kate) Darnell has illustrated all of the books in the Reader series. In addition to her work as an illustrator, Kate is an art instructor. She lives in East Lansing, Michigan.

In 1918 a deadly influenza epidemic was sweeping across America. The pandemic ravaged families, leaving thousands of children as orphans. But in the tenement apartments of New York City''s Lower East Side, one young girl is determined to keep her family safe. While her mother is sick with consumption, nine-year-old Loretta (Rettie) Stanowski does all the cleaning, washing, shopping, and cooking for her family. To earn money, she washes rags for the rag picker and cleans the halls and stairways of their apartment building. But Rettie knows the best way to get even more money is to participate in the Ragamuffin Parade that marches down Broadway Avenue on Thanksgiving morning. With the influenza outbreak, quarantines are ordered and large gatherings are banned. Will the parade be cancelled?

Lizzie loves school almost more than anything. First she loved Nursery school. She loved Kindergarten even more. When the time comes for Lizzie to start First Grade, she can''t wait. Everyone tells her it will be a whole year of school. And Miss Giggliano, the first-grade teacher, tells her class to make this the best year of school ever. Yippee! thinks Lizzie--a whole year of school! And what a year it is. Miss G.''s class wins the Centipede Reading Award. And they even win the Nature Study Award for their bee and butterfly garden. It''s a great year! But all great things must come to an end. When the last day of school arrives, Lizzie is dismayed. How can this be? It was supposed to be a whole year! But good news soon arrives and Lizzie, along with Miss G., finds herself in a different classroom and eager to learn!

Delly Porter has a happy life. She needs new shoes, but doesn''t really mind because she loves the soft, silky feel of the dirt road beneath her bare feet. She''s a good artist, too, even if she has to make her own art supplies. And she loves her schoolteacher, Miss Violet, who lets her help in the classroom. Life only looks brighter when Miss Violet announces the school will have a Shoebox Social to help raise funds for new art materials. But when what should be a festive occasion is threatened by prejudice and cruelty, Delly finds out that one must stay true to oneself to successfully navigate life''s joys and sorrows. From Trinka Hakes Noble, the author of The Scarlet Stockings Spy and The Last Brother, comes the story of a young girl who learns the most precious things in life are not measured in dollars and cents but by the warmth of one''s heart. And that truth, beauty, and love are in the eye of the beholder.

The Pine Barrens region in New Jersey has long been a place of mystery, with its dark pine groves, black swamps, and dank bogs, oftentimes shrouded in mist and fog. Reputed to be haunted by spirits, it’s an unsettling place to be sure. But of all the mysterious happenings and sights to be found in the Pine Barrens, there is none so intriguing as the Jersey Devil. Since its first reported sighting in 1735, local lore has it that a “devil-like” creature with the head of a horse, the wings of a bat, and the hooves of a goat has menaced townspeople, frightened livestock, and caused all manner of trouble over the years. Is the Jersey Devil real? Award-winning author Trinka Hakes Noble weaves a spellbinding tale about the origins of the legend of the Jersey Devil. Atmospheric illustrations by artist Gerald Kelley bring the tale to spooky life.

Each paperback in this series features a trio of fictional stories highlighting a moment in history, with content taken from our popular Tales of Young Americans picture-book series. The Battles contains three stories focusing on key American battles: the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. The Scarlet Stockings Spy is set during the Revolutionary War. In Philadelphia 1777, childhood games now become life-and-death actions for Maddy Rose and her Patriot soldier brother, as British spies are everywhere. In The Town that Fooled the British, the War of 1812 comes to life when the British target St. Michaels, Maryland, in their campaign to defeat America. But a young boy''s quick thinking helps the town escape destruction. The Last Brother is set on the battlefields of Gettysburg where Gabe, a Union Army bugler, meets and befriends Orlee, a young Confederate bugler. Now, with the battle looming ahead of him, Gabe is conflicted about what to do.

State birds, flowers, trees, and animals brought to board book form for the youngest book lovers. Toddlers will delight in these books filled with rhyming riddles framed by brightly painted clues, introducing elements that make each state so special.

Ten-year-old Walking Turtle is of the Lenni Lenape tribe. He lives with his family in a small village alongside the Passaic River in what will become northern New Jersey. They have a relatively peaceful life, with nature offering up a bounty of resources for food and shelter, amply meeting their needs. Walking Turtle is close to his younger cousin, Little Talk. He feels protective of Little Talk, who has difficulty walking. Together they roam the forests near their village, with Walking Turtle carrying his cousin on his back. But in the autumn of Walking Turtle''s tenth year, his father tells him that soon he must leave childhood friends behind and begin warrior school. Walking Turtle worries about what will become of Little Talk when he leaves for his training. And what is his future?Trinka Hakes Noble is the award-winning author of numerous picture books, including The Orange Shoes and The Scarlet Stockings Spy. She lives in Bernardsville, New Jersey.

Long ago in a faraway place there lived two mothers. One, a humble peasant woman who struggled daily to provide for her children. And the other, a mother spider who also worked hard to care for her family. And although it would appear they were as different as night and day, these two mothers had more in common than would first seem. As the only holiday gift she can give her children, one cold Christmas Eve the peasant woman goes to the forest to get a tree, never noticing that someone has made a home among its branches. During the night, the mother spider spins webs decorating the tree, resulting in a Christmas that neither mother will ever forget. Based on an old Ukrainian story, Trinka Hakes Noble (The Orange Shoes) crafts an original heartwarming tale of the grace that can be found in the true spirit of Christmas. Trinka Hakes Noble''s numerous picture books include The Scarlet Stockings Spy (IRA Teachers'' Choice 2005), The Last Brother, The Orange Shoes (IRA Teachers'' Choice 2008), and Apple Tree Christmas. Ms. Noble lives in northern New Jersey. Stephen Costanza attended the Philadelphia College of Art. His picture books are Mozart Finds a Melody, Noodle Man: The Pasta Superhero, and Ten Big Toes and a Prince''s Nose. He lives in Belfast, Maine.

In July 1863 the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fought outside the sleepy Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg. In The Last Brother the story of one small boy is told amidst the dramatic events of those early days of July. Though he is only 11 years old, Gabe is a bugler in the Union Army. He takes his responsibility very seriously; after all, there are over 60 different battle calls for buglers to learn. But what is even more important to Gabe is watching over his older brother Davy who, as a foot soldier, is right in the thick of the fighting. Two of Gabe''s older brothers have already perished, and he is not willing to lose the only one he has left. During those long days, Gabe meets another young bugler -- one who fights for the other side. Suddenly, what was so definite and clear has become complicated by friendship and compassion. Does one have to choose between service to country, to kin or to a friend? As the cannons fire and the battle rages on, Gabe must do his duty while searching for a way to honor all that he holds dear.Trinka Hakes Noble is the noted author of numerous award-winning picture books, including The Scarlet Stockings Spy, the ever-popular Jimmy''s Boa series and Meanwhile Back at the Ranch (both featured on "Reading Rainbow"). Her many awards include ALA Notable Children''s Book, Booklist Children''s Editors'' Choice, IRA-CBC Children''s Choice, Learning: The Year''s Ten Best, and several Junior Literary Guild Selections. Trinka makes her home in Bernardsville, New Jersey. Robert Papp''s award-winning artwork includes hundreds of illustrations for major publishers across the United States, and his first children''s book, The Scarlet Stockings Spy was named an IRATeacher''s Choice in 2005. Robert lives in historic Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Introducing our latest new series - a board book for each state! State birds, flowers, trees, and animals brought to board book form for the youngest book lovers. Toddlers will delight in these books filled with rhyming riddles, framed by brightly painted clues that introduce adorable things that make each state so special.

"Using numbers many of Pennsylvania''s state symbols, history, landscapes, and famous people are introduced. Topics include the Liberty Bell, fireflies, Gettysburg, Betsy Ross, and coal miners"--Provided by publisher.

Looking for some diversion, a bored rancher drives to the town of Sleepy Gulch little knowing that some amazing things are happening to his wife and ranch during his absence.

Jimmy''s boa constrictor wreaks havoc on the class trip to a farm.