Author: Melissa Croce

MacKids Spotlight: Daniel Kraus

Meet the author of the middle grade series The Teddies Saga, Daniel Kraus! Daniel shares more about his inspiration for this series, his most memorable teachers and librarians, his favorite childhood books, and more in this Q&A!

Book 2 of the Teddies Saga, They Stole Our Hearts is now available! Plus Book 1, They Thew Us Away, is now available in paperback! Five teddy bears set out on an epic journey to figure out why they were left behind—and maybe learn the meaning of life, too—in this action-packed middle grade trilogy from New York Times-bestselling author Daniel Kraus. Perfect for Five Nights at Freddy’s fans!

Read a Q&A with Daniel here →

Activity Kit: Santa Baby

Santa Baby by Jonathan Stutzman; illustrated by Heather Fox

Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox, the duo behind Llama Destroys the World, take their trademark hijinks up to the North Pole in this laugh-out-loud, heartfelt Christmas-themed picture book.

Santa is feeling old, and being in the business of Christmas for centuries is . . . well, it isn’t all milk and cookies. In hopes of regaining some of his pep, Santa asks the spirit of Christmas to give him something for a change: skim off a couple of years and make him younger.

But Christmas magic is powerful, and Santa gets more than he wished for. Instead of a fresh new outlook and boundless energy, he needs diapers and a nap—stat. With Christmas only a few days away, the elves rush to teach Santa Baby the basics. But will there be enough time to prepare their new bundle of holiday joy for the job?

“Plenty of laughs…playfully complemented by Fox’s child-friendly illustrations.” —Horn Book

Download the SANTA BABY activity kit!

Activity Kit: The Runaway Belly Button

The Runaway Belly Button by John Flannery; illustrated by Mika Song

In the charming and lighthearted picture book, The Runaway Belly Button, John Flannery and Mika Song bring to life the sweetly goofy Belly Button as she reminds you how nice it is to be sparkling clean.

Grace loved to get dirty. But she was also pretty good at getting clean—she took proper care of Hands, paid extra attention to Feet, and even remembered to scrub behind Ears. There was just one body part she tended to forget: Belly Button.

Day after day, Belly Button got dirtier… and stinkier… and filthier. Until after one particularly neglectful bath, Belly Button decides she’ll have to get outie there to look and smell great again.

“Both solid entertainment and useful hygiene instruction.” – Publishers Weekly

Download THE RUNAWAY BELLY BUTTON activity kit!

Discussion Guide: Whose Right Is It? The Second Amendment and the Fight Over Guns

For the majority of the United States’ history, the right to own a gun belonged to a “well regulated militia.” That changed in 2008 with the historic District of Columbia v. Heller case, which ruled that the Second Amendment protected an individual’s right. In the years since, the debate over gun legislation has reached a crescendo. And the issue grows ever relevant to children across America, with an estimated three million exposed to shootings every year. From metal detectors to see-through backpacks to shooting drills, kids face daily reminders of the threat of guns.

Hana Bajramovic’s Whose Right Is It? The Second Amendment and the Fight Over Guns reveals how a once obscure amendment became the focus of daily heated debate. Filled with historical photos and informative graphics, the book will show young readers how gun legislation has always been a part of American history and how money, power, and systemic racism have long dictated our ability to own guns.

“The story is fascinating and, in its evenhanded treatment of the subject, valuable for research and classroom use…Extremely well documented, the book concludes with an epilogue that brings the book up-to-date, making it both important and timely.” —Booklist

“[E]ven readers personally invested in the gun rights position will find the historical context eye-opening.” —The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books

Download the discussion guide here →