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Graphic Novel Preview: Surviving the Wild Series

Graphic Novel Preview: Surviving the Wild Series

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Our new Graphic Novel Preview series invites readers to look inside graphic novels. This month, we’re highlighting Surviving the Wild, a new graphic novel series by Remy Lai coming to bookshelves near you in 2022. This heartfelt, funny, and suspenseful young reader graphic novel adventure series stars heroic animals surviving against the odds! Every book includes nonfiction content about wildlife and information on how kids can help protect the environment.

Look inside the Surviving the Wild series here →

Activity Kit: Santa Baby

Activity Kit: Santa Baby

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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!

Enter to win a selection of books from Odd Dot + RSVP for our Virtual Teacher Event!

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Enter for a chance to win a selection of books from Odd Dot! Odd Dot’s books are designed to encourage a love of learning through books about tinkering, crafting, coding, making music, writing jokes, creating your own secret language, and so much more! Encourage kids to develop new skills, experiment with new ideas, and imagine new possibilities through hands-on activities that support curriculum concepts. Learn more about Odd Dot’s books here.

Join the Odd Dot team for a special teacher event on 
Saturday, October 24 at 1:30pm ET / 10:30am PT!

We’ll walk you through a sample activity from the TinkerActive Workbooks that can be easily replicated at home and incorporated into classroom lessons (using only household materials!) Plus, the Odd Dot team will buzz about some of their newest books! 

Enter for your chance to win books + RSVP here.
Explore all of Odd Dot’s books here.

Activity Kit: The Runaway Belly Button

Activity Kit: The Runaway Belly Button

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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!

Teacher’s Guide: True or False

Teacher’s Guide: True or False

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In True or False, former CIA analyst Cindy Otis will take readers through the history and impact of misinformation over the centuries, sharing stories from the past and insights that readers today can gain from them. Then, she shares lessons learned in over a decade working for the CIA, including actionable tips on how to spot fake news, how to make sense of the information we receive each day, and, perhaps most importantly, how to understand and see past our own information biases, so that we can think critically about important issues and put events happening around us into context.

Download the teacher’s guide here →

Activity Kit: A Little Space for Me

Activity Kit: A Little Space for Me

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A Little Space for Me by Jennifer Gray Olson

With clever, inventive art and universally relatable themes, A Little Space for Me by Jennifer Gray Olson is a heartwarming picture book about the importance of mindfulness, understanding, and finding a moment of peace within a big, busy world.

Sometimes, when it’s too loud, too crowded, too messy, too smelly, or for no reason at all, you might just need a little bit of space to feel like yourself again.

“Inventive compositions will transport readers into the thoughts and emotions of the protagonist. Both text and art show familiar experiences, but Olson also leaves them open to interpretation, showing people can interact with the world in different ways . . . Ripe for discussion.” —Kirkus

“A thought-provoking rumination on mindfulness . . . Olson’s art is gorgeous . . . An excellent choice for a bedtime book as kids wind down from their chaotic days.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Download the A LITTLE SPACE FOR ME activity kit!

Activity Kit: Con Quest

Activity Kit: Con Quest

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Con Quest by Sam Maggs

Cat and Alex are excited to be at the world’s most popular comics convention—and they’re even more excited to compete in the Quest, a huge scavenger hunt run by their favorite nerdy celebrity. The big prize: a chance to meet him!

The twins ditch their older sister Fi and set off to find geeky clues, tackle nerdy challenges, and cross as many items as possible off their Quest list, which includes volunteering at an Artist Alley booth, gathering cosplayers in enough colors to make a double rainbow, and actually finding something healthy to eat in the convention center!

Can the twins work together even when they disagree on how to compete? Will Fi find Cat and Alex before their parents realize they’re missing? Most importantly, can these ultimate fans complete the ultimate Quest?

“An absolute love letter to con culture… The next best thing to actually attending a con.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“An exciting read… A geektastic book for those who love conventions or who want a sneak peek into comic-con culture.” —Booklist

Download the CON QUEST activity kit!

Activity Kit: Let’s Get Sleepy

Activity Kit: Let’s Get Sleepy

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Let’s Get Sleepy by Tony Cliff

These cats are on an adventure to find that darn mouse named Sleepy.

But Sleepy is a sneaky mouse—he’s hard to find. The cats will have to look everywhere: all over town, out by the beach, up in space, and even back in time with the dinosaurs! Can the cats catch that mouse? Even if they don’t, at the end of the day, they may just get “sleepy” after all.

While seek-and-find elements are at work in the adorable artwork, the rhyming text reminds readers that the journey is more important than the destination—and that the most valuable treasure is a day richly lived with friends.

“Only confirmed ailurophobes will fail to enjoy sharing this kitty’s day.” – Kirkus

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Download the LET’S GET SLEEPY activity kit!