In 1932, as famine rages across Ukraine, the Soviet government calls for the harshest punishment for those who keep for themselves even five stalks of grain. When their mother is accused of hoarding and summarily killed, Nadia and Taras must leave their home on a desperate quest for survival. Attempting to navigate a closed country, to stay together, and to stay alive, Nadia and Taras must face secret police, soldiers, and fellow citizens forced to abandon charity and sometimes even humanity in the face of impossible hunger. Unsure who to trust and unable to find refuge, they search for somewhere, anywhere, where they can be safe. Historical fiction at its finest, Five Stalks of Grain is powerfully written and beautifully illustrated, drawing on Ukrainian artistic traditions to tell a story of loss, grief, and hardship with delicate strength. It is a record of a time of profound suffering and a reckoning with the human cost of a tragedy shaped by politics and policy.

A delightfully fun and rhythmic story about overcoming our fears and learning to try something new. Ditter Von Dapp is a quirky rabbit who is painfully afraid of the light. Having confined himself to a cozily dark cave to avoid his biggest fear, he is one day forced to light a candle in order to find a lost left shoe. Despite being afraid that the light "might drive me crazy or turn me to goo," Von Dapp slowly discovers just how wonderful light can be. In his newly illuminated world, he finds that a wise mouse had stolen his shoe to teach him a valuable lesson. With playful rhymes and incredibly rich illustrations, children and parents will delight in reading Ditter Von Dapp's journey. His realization that the light isn't something to be afraid of will help children learn to face their own fears--they just might open themselves up to a new world they never would have imagined and find a new friend in the process!

Little Brother sees monsters everywhere, so he'd rather stay safely inside and read all about them in his books. Big Sister believes monsters are nothing but phony baloney make-believe and drags Little Brother on a hair-raising adventure to prove it. Brave Enough is an entertaining adventure about how everyone can be brave in their own way and their own time

Courage is something that comes from your heart. But if you can't find it there, you can wear it on your head at first. Mae is a girl. Bear is a bear. But over the course of one life-changing, slightly nerve-racking train ride, they find out that this might be the only thing they don't have in common. Kate Hoefler's signature lyricism and Jessixa Bagley's sweetly wry art combine for a gently whimsical, people (and bear) pleaser of a story about the fear of being different, the ways we overcome this fear, and the fact that often what's different is a lot more familiar than we might think. With courage, determination, and a dash of friendship, Mae and Bear discover all the humor, warmth, and beauty found in togetherness and in the unknown.

Alex's goal in life is simple: to snowboard all day, every day. His ultimate dream is to be part of the Backcountry Patrol, an elite group of snowboarders who patrol the ungroomed slopes of British Columbia. But first, he and three other young hopefuls (Dave, Bryce and Hope) must endure a series of tests, which takes them to remote and dangerous terrain. When Bryce disappears, the teens are left with Sam, their dubiously qualified instructor, and no links to the outside world. As Alex and Hope scramble to find out what happened to Bryce, they must confront their own fears of the whiteout conditions and the ominous, mysterious drop.

When Superheroes feel worried or scared, When they fret, when they sweat, when they feel unprepared . . . They could run off screeching, they could but they don't. Because real superheroes just wouldn't, they won't. Even superheroes get scared sometimes. When that happens, do they run and hide? NO! They acknowledge the feeling, then choose to be brave! There are villains to fight and cities to save! Young readers can follow the superheroes' examples and take deep breaths, ask for help, and face new challenges.

When a storm brings down his father's boat, Digory Beale is forced to leave home to discover his fate. For if Digory has been orphaned, he can never go home agian. On his journey, Digory becomes the apprentice to Henry Winstanley, a charming stranger whose life's obsession is to save sailors' lives. Digory must face his fears of the sea to help Henry bring candles to the amazing rock lighthouse Henry has built on a killer reef. But who could have known the force of the monster storm that was heading their way? In this poignant page-turner, Digory comes to understand the many facets of courage-and what it means to be a true hero.

A turtle afraid of small dark places, and therefore of crawling into his shell, asks a variety of animals for advice, only to find out that each has a fear of its own.

In this heartwarming title from the Piggy and Bunny picture book series, the two friends explore what scares them as they prepare for their first campout together. When Bunny admits to being frightened of monsters, Piggy responds that ?even if there WAS a monster, I wouldn't scream like you!? When Bunny asks, ?What if the monster GROWLS at you?? Piggy answers, ?PWAAT! I can be loud, too!? Then, one by one, all of Bunny's questions about what to do if a monster came near are countered confidently by Piggy. Soon Bunny begins to feel differently about monsters, and says, ?I can even turn off the light and wish that monster goodnight!? To which Piggy then admits, ?NOOO!! I'm a wee bit scared of the dark.? With Bunny on the left-facing page of every spread and Piggy on the right, the two create a rhythmic back-and-forth that is soothing yet fun. What Piggy and Bunny learn together is that everyone gets frightened sometimes, and having a good friend nearby is the perfect antidote. Children will appreciate that neither of them makes fun of the other's fears, and instead they find ways to comfort and reassure each other. With soft, gentle artwork and deceptively simple text, award-winning author-illustrator Geneviève Côtè has crafted a beautiful picture book that will be a regular favorite at storytime. This would also be a perfect title to begin classroom discussions about emotions, particularly fear, and how to identify, manage and express them.

Sometimes it takes a lot to get your webbed feet wet! An adorable picture book makes a splash with a satisfying story about conquering your fears. I cannot swim, and that is bad. A landlocked duck is very sad. One day, an egg rolled out of a nest and right into a deep pond. Now that egg is a little duck, and the water is still very scary. Jumping into the pond at all seems impossible, never mind swimming in a line with all his brothers. “You’re a duck, and ducks don’t sink,” Big Frog points out. Practicing in a puddle helps a little, while backrubs and snacks from his mother help a little more. Big Frog offers to hold his friend’s wing and dive in together, but our little duck knows that some challenges need to be faced alone. Even when they are very scary!

Working up the courage to take a big, important leap is hard, but Jabari is almost absolutely ready to make a giant splash. Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He’s finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he’s a great jumper, so he’s not scared at all. “Looks easy,” says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. He needs to figure out what kind of special jump to do anyway, and he should probably do some stretches before climbing up onto the diving board. In a sweetly appealing tale of overcoming your fears, newcomer Gaia Cornwall captures a moment between a patient and encouraging father and a determined little boy you can’t help but root for.

Eleven-year-old Jake Reynolds wants to save seal pups from the talons of bald eagles, protect his little sister Sierra and confront the wolf he is sure stalks Hidalgo Island. But his best friend Emily calls him a chicken, comforts Sierra when she falls and doesn't believe the wolf exists. Even as Jake hears howling in the night, part of him hopes Emily is right; he may dream of being a hero, but he is terrified by the thought of running into a wolf. When Jake leads Emily into the woods in search of adventure, he finds more than he bargained for—and discovers things about himself that he never knew existed.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of She Persisted comes a book about friendship, flying, and facing your fears together. Max and Marla do everything together. So when Max makes a kite and wants to go fly it, he can't understand why Marla doesn't want to join! And when an autumn wind makes a mess in their yard, Marla finds a perfect pile of leaves to hide away in. Little does she know that she can't avoid the kite forever! All she needs is the courage to believe in herself. In this heartwarming tale of flying and fun, Max and Marla learn that the best way to face your fears is to have a best friend at your side. Praise for Max and Marla Are Flying Together: "An uplifting tale about overcoming fear." --Kirkus Reviews

Dylan O'Connor is in trouble again. While riding his bike home after dark, he has a run-in with a truck but doesn't give it a second thought until police show up at his door the next day. CCTV cameras put Dylan at the scene of a crime, and when the police question him, Dylan realizes he was an inadvertent witness. But he doesn't tell them the driver of the truck was Jeff Walker, a nasty piece of work. Dylan knows it's in his best interests to keep his mouth shut. Then he starts getting stalked by Jeff's weirdo sidekick, Eliot Barnes, a classmate of Dylan's. Is Eliot trying to protect Dylan, or is he making sure he stays silent? This is the fourth story featuring Dylan O'Connor after The Snowball Effect, Caught in the Act, and Rise of the Zombie Scarecrows.