The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg;
Late one Christmas Eve after the twon has gone to sleep, the boy boards the mysterious train that waits for him: The Polar Express bound for the North Pole. When he arrives, Santa offers the boy any gift he desires. The boy modestly ask for one bell from the harness of the reindeer. The gift is granted. On the way home the bell is lost. On Christmas morning the boy finds the bell under the tree. The mother of the boy admires the bell, but laments that it is broken-for you see, only believers can hear the sound of the bell.
In strange and moving shades of full color art, Chris Van Allsburg creates an other worldly classic of the Christmas season. The Polar Express evokes the same sense of mystery as his previous imaginative books.
STEAM Lab for kids by Liz Lee Heinecke
52 Creative Hands-on projects for exploring Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.
The Creative projects in STEAM lave for Kids are designed to demonstrate that there's math and science to be found in great art! From rubber band shooters to edible stained glass, young engineers and artists alike will find inspirations in these 52 art-forward labs.
Elephant Secret by Eric Walters
Samantha Gray has one parent, her dad, and a big family: eleven elephants. Living in an elephant sanctuary and raised close to the herd, Sam understands the animal's behavior, interacts with them easily, and has a special relationship with each one. She finds her elephants kind, caring, protective, and much easier to get along with than most people-such as her dad's lawyer girlfriend Joyce.
With a new arrival at the sanctuary, Sam's world is upended. She knew raising a newborn elephant would be hard, time-consuming work. But she never anticipated the secrets surrounding this baby, which threaten the herd's peaceful existence, the sanctuary's everyday routine, and even Sam and her dad's place among their elephants.
"I was born and raised with elephants. My first word wasn't Daddy it was Ella, which is what I used to call them. My father had never been much for taking pictures, but almost all the pictures of me growing up had an elephant in them. When I drew Pictures of my family in the early years of school, I always included me, my father and the rest of our herd. I guess if anybody knew how elephants thought and felt, it should be me."
Finding Gobi The True Story of One Little Dog's Big Journey by Dion Leonard
Welcome to the Gobi Desert in China, where the temperatures reach 120 degrees and one wrong move can spell death. Through this harsh environment, ultramarathon runners compete in a grueling 155-mile race. Dion Leonard trainedhard for this competition, and he intended to win.
On the second day of the race, a little stray dog began to run alongside Dion, nipping at his heels as if to say "Hurry up! Hurry up!" Up mountains and across raging rivers, the scrappy pup ran mile after mile with Dion. He named her Gobi.
The crossed the finish line together-not first, but together- and Dion decided to bring Gobi home to Scotland.
But before he could get her home, Gobi disappeared. In a city of more than 3 million people, the search seemed hopeless, but this tale of friendship would outlast miles and mysteries and , most of all, change both of their lives forever.