Vinney the frog is frustrated with his size. “While walking to school, George called me dwarf,” he complains. “In the library, I couldn’t reach the books with chapters.” Given the smallest role in the school play, ignored on... Read More

When Little Frog finds a present wrapped up with a big bow just for him, what a surprise it is! His imagination runs wild as he wonders about all the wonderful things “something special” might be. A special something could be... Read More

Nuance and understatement deepen this story about an Icelandic girl’s developing relationship with her pony, and teach an important lesson about how an animal’s needs must always take priority, even over the desires of an eager... Read More

The author’s youngest son, Joel, thinks he is God. As God, “J” doesn’t need to eat, protect himself from Minnesota winters, or take his prescribed medication. J was diagnosed with schizophrenia in college, and since then, his... Read More

“In El Salvador, I was René the brave, René the strong and René the funny. I cannot believe it. Here, in the United States, René is a girl’s name.” Embarrassed by the teasing from the kids at his new school, René proactively... Read More

As this novel begins, the protagonist, a sixty-year-old lawyer and judge in Toronto, is reinstated to the bar and attends the Red Mass, a traditional ceremony that is “the archaic opening [of] the courts with a church service.” The... Read More

Walking sticks are useful to “pull up” hills and “lead down,” to measure the depth of a creek, to point out bird eggs and woodchuck holes. Daniel Stockton’s stick is also a sweet metaphor for a grandfather relationship and... Read More

“‘I don’t want to stay with Grandma! I’m not used to speaking Spanish,’ I told my mom.” The boy in this story feels inadequate with the Spanish language, highlighting a common problem for children and grandchildren of... Read More