Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.

A mysterious compass with a fifth direction transports a young boy to an extensive cave system filled with bats, treacherous drops and hidden dangers. Luckily, survival expert Bear Grylls is on hand to guide him safely out, facing his fears and gaining in confidence along the way.

When eight-year-old Jack and his seven-year-old sister, Annie, join a group of nineteenth-century explorers aboard the H.M.S. Challenger, they learn about the ocean, solve the mystery of its fabled sea monster, and gain compassion for their fellow creatures.

Twelve-year-old Max, who loves the legend Buelo tells him about a mythical gatekeeper who can guide brave travelers on a journey into tomorrow, sets out on a dangerous quest to discover if he is true of heart and what the future holds, armed with a treasured compass, a mysterious stone rubbing, and Buelo's legend as his only guides.

Several months after the tragic events set in motion by bully Betty Glengarry, Annabelle McBride is struck by lightning during a powerful summer storm, leaving her with heightened senses that give her a new understanding of animals and help her learn about compassion and forgiveness.

"What's a day in the life of a small-town fire department like? In this action-packed adventure, Fire Chief Fran leads her fire-fighters through everything from inspections and drills to dangerous blazes. If a puppy is in danger or a café is ablaze, Fran and her crew are ready to help! When the lights flash and the bells blast, these firefighters leap into action; they need to move fast. With energy and grit, compassion and calm, they help their...

Omar is fiercely competitive and very impatient about anything that holds him back. . . especially other people. Activity camp is brilliant because he's the best at all the challenges, it's just so annoying that not all his teammates are as quick or brave or strong as he is. It would be much easier just to ditch them and go it alone. But when he's given a mysterious compass it transports him to a thick jungle that is impossible to get through quickly...

In an alternative world in which every human being is accompanied by an animal familiar, the disappearance of several children prompts Lyra and her bear protector to undertake a journey to the frozen Arctic in pursuit of kidnappers.

In winning a medal she is no longer there to receive, a tight-lipped little Polish girl teaches her classmates a lesson. Includes a note from the author's daughter, Helena Estes. "Wanda wears the same faded blue dress to school every day -- yet she says she has one hundred beautiful dresses at home, "all lined up." The other girls don't believe it, and when Peggy starts a daily game of teasing Wanda about the hundred dresses, everyone joins in. Maddie,...

"Kaia is the brave type. Like hottest-hot-pepper brave. But there is one thing that scares her: BEES! And right now, thousands of bees live on her roof because Kaia's dad is a beekeeper. But only he goes on the roof, not Kaia--unless she can find a way to be the brave girl she always says she is."--