What does it truly mean to be alive? Does it mean being safe? Does it mean living in one place where everything is perfect, and the world is merely something you can watch through transparent walls? In Darya Ahmadi’s The Glass House on the Hill,...

Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote, "Home is the nicest word there is." That’s exactly what Brownie, a stray dog, hopes for in Brownie’s Adventures: Island Tales of a Dog from Trinidad by Manuela Giger. Every day, she wanders the beaches and sidewalks of Trinidad, hungry not...

Are you happy, sad, or angry? Do you know what those words mean? In Animals Feeling Like Us by R. M. Smith, young readers meet a parade of animals who show different emotions in a fun, friendly way. Whether it’s the HAPPY Hippo flashing a...

Izzie tries to be invisible every day during Reading Circle, and she succeeds until the day Miss Mira, the teacher, calls on her to read a passage. Izzie froze. Soon, the class was giggling, and Izzie pleaded that Miss Mira skip her on the grounds...

Mazel’s Mishpacha by Karen Gorback, PhD, introduces young readers to a lively schnoodle who literally stumbles into belonging. When the curly-coated pup wanders into a synagogue on Rosh Hashanah, he seeks shelter but discovers something much greater. The congregation welcomes him, and Mazel soon becomes...

Suzy and Roxy Go Camping by Katie D. Saucedo is a charming children’s story that explores themes of friendship, teamwork, and nature. The story follows two adorable friends, a dog and a cat, who are about to embark on an epic adventure. They’re going camping...

Smiley had a lot to learn. He didn’t know why he was in a dog shelter. Had he done something wrong? In Olena Kagui’s What Smiley the Rescue Dog Didn’t Know, Smiley is quickly adopted into a loving family, so he doesn’t have to feel...

Do you like gummy bears? What about bear claws? No, I’m not talking about actual living creatures. Well, perhaps in a way I am. Dennis McGregor’s You Stole My Name brings together a whole list of animal names that favorite foods have adopted. It’s all...

ISA StoryWorld: Chandler's Stay by Kristen A. Peters is an insightful, compassionate story told through the eyes of a twelve-year-old autistic boy named Chandler who is facing a frightening hospital stay without the ability to name or communicate his strong, confusing feelings. The book explores...

It’s a sunny summer day, and the neighborhood feels happy, but Rover the dog doesn’t feel that way. He enjoys painting, but nothing he creates looks good to him. After messing up again and again, he starts doubting himself. He even wonders if there’s anything...