Books for Readers 8-12

With unexpected twists and compelling characters, Don’t Feed the Lion explores how young people grapple with antisemitism, prejudice, allyship, and the courage to speak up.

"This book . . . gives kids the tools to recognize and stand up to hate.” —Jake Tapper, CNN Anchor and New York Times Best-Selling Author

Annie and Theo Kaplan have a family ritual: every Friday night they celebrate Shabbat with their energetic, immigrant grandparents. But this Shabbat, which happens to fall on Annie’s eleventh birthday, isn’t like the others. Thirteen-year-old Theo’s soccer hero—Wes Mitchell—has posted an antisemitic message that quickly goes viral, leaving his parents disgusted, his sister enraged, and Theo himself clobbered by a torrent of confusion, anger, sadness, and a deep desire to just ignore it. 

Antisemitism quickly affects the entire Kaplan family in various ways. Theo’s teammates think Mitchell’s comments were no big deal, and Theo notices an uptick in anti-Jewish commentary around school. A rare act of rebellion draws Annie into the fray, and a new classmate shows that ignoring pain is no way to get through it.

Don’t Feed the Lion asks readers of all backgrounds: What will you do when it’s your turn to choose?

Saddle up and learn about the animals living in the wilderness of the Western US in this children’s singsong tale of adventure.

An assortment of friendly desert animals greets a young cowgirl as she heads out West on her pony. Along the way, she says “Howdy!” to a scampering jackrabbit, a howling coyote, and a charging buffalo as she trots farther down the trail. Readers are introduced to these regional critters of the West before arriving at the surprise—and endearing—ending.

Renowned author Jan Peck and award-winning illustrator Herb Leonhard come together for this Western-inspired children’s book. Written in rhythmic verse and filled with vibrant illustrations, this educational tale is sure to enlighten readers while capturing their imaginations.

Praise for Way Out West on My Little Pony 

“For each [animal], there’s a happy singsong greeting that kids will love to chant. . . . Illustrator Leonhard shows us Western landscapes and animals, and a jaunty rider and pony with a pleasing blend of magic and realism.” —Foreword Reviews

“The rich mixture of imagination, real animals, and exuberant rhyming make this a solid choice for story time or anytime.” —Jeanette Larson, children’s literature consultant

“Jan Peck brings the West to life for children with rhythmic and enchanting lyrics about horny toads, prairie dogs, armadillos, jackrabbits, roadrunners, longhorns, and buffalo.” —Glenn Dromgoole, author of Good Night Cowboy and Good Night Cowgirl

 “The prose is charming and sparkling with animation. It will ignite children's imaginations.” —Debbie Raindl, children’s services, John Ed Keeter Public Library, Saginaw, Texas

The classic children’s folktale of the Gingerbread Boy gets a spicy Cajun twist—and comes with a delicious recipe for cornbread.

Down on the bayou in the heart of Cajun country lives a little old woman who is very lonely. One day, she decides to make a cornbread boy. Taking down her grandmère’s magical black iron skillet, she adds all the right ingredients, careful not to forget a big dash of cayenne pepper.

When the cornbread boy pops out of the oven, he blinks his chili-pepper eyes, sprouts arms and legs, and sprints out the door before the old woman can catch him. Through the swamp and past the creatures curiously sniffing after him, the cornbread boy runs until he meets an artful alligator who is in for one spicy surprise.

In this flavorful retelling of the classic Gingerbread Boy tale, international storyteller extraordinaire Dianne de Las Casas presents a delightful romp through Cajun country that will have readers of all ages hungry for more.

Praise for The Cajun Cornbread Boy

“An old tale sprouts legs and takes off, enlivened by a dash of Cajun flavor. Catch it if you can!” —Aaron Sheard, The Author of Lightning Larry

“Dianne de Las Casas mixes humor, high spirits, lively narration and a colorful setting to bring alive the timeless tale of the Gingerbread Boy.” —Robert D. San Souci, author of The Talking Eggs: A Folktale from the American South and Little Pierre: A Cajun Story from Louisiana

Colorful illustrations of the rich cultural celebration re-create the look and mood of Carnival.

Introduce your little reader to numbers with this tale of a boy in ancient China crafting an abacus to help his father count a warlord’s treasure.

Young Chuan lives with his father in the beautiful palace of a powerful Chinese warlord. As a reward for his cleverness in solving the warlord’s puzzle, Father is given the job of tallying the warlord’s treasure—brilliant jewels, rich brocades, and spices from a thousand lands. Life at the palace is luxurious but filled with so many interruptions Father often loses count! The varying totals lead the suspicious warlord to accuse him of stealing, and Father is about to lose hope. Just in time, Chuan discovers a special use for the warlord’s lovely jade beads—a use that will help Father keep an accurate tally and cause the warlord to pronounce Chuan as clever as his Father. Often used by teachers of the primary grades to illustrate the powerful concept of “base ten,” various types of counting frames appeared in China during the Middle Ages. The Warlord’s Beads is a valuable tool for introducing young readers to the wonder of numbers as well as the beauty and mystery of ancient China.

Praise for The Warlord’s Beads

A November/December 2001 Booksense 76 Selection

Accelerated Reader Program Selection

“Debon’s distinctive artwork adds to the fairy tale feeling of this story.” —Children’s Literature

“Debon evocatively depicts court dress and decorative details . . . Capped with a diagram for a modern version of Chuan’s counting frame made of cardboard, pipe cleaners, and o-shaped breakfast cereal.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Debon’s well-composed, often dramatic, and sometimes comical paintings bring the story to life. With or without the math lesson, a good picture book for reading aloud.” —Booklist 

“Helpful to children learning how to count, add, and subtract and is a good choice for most collections.” —School Library Journal

“Children will not be disappointed in this sequel to the award-winning The Warlord’s Puzzle.” —JoAnn Lum, Hipfish Magazine

Embark on a magical journey through Florida’s diverse landscapes.

Join our young protagonist aboard the Panhandle Pullman for an unforgettable adventure filled with breathtaking sights and exciting discoveries. From the emerald waters of St. George Island to the historic streets of St. Augustine, each stop offers new wonders to explore. Taste the Tupelo honey, and marvel at the wildlife of the Florida Keys. Encounter manatees and sea turtles, alligators, crocodiles. Blast off at a NASA rocket launch! All Aboard, Florida! celebrates the beauty, history, and wonders of Florida in a captivating tale for children of all ages. Climb aboard and get ready for a journey of a lifetime.

Deep in the bayou where critters reside lived a lovable little crawfish they all knew as Clyde. The big crawfish said he would always be too small to play, but Clyde had an idea of how his giant cousin up in Maine could help! Young readers will enjoy the trick while also learning the importance of inclusion.

In the swamp, Gary the gator befriends Jerry, a cellphone who has fallen off a swamp boat.

Jerry offers Gary access to many wonders of the world, but Gary misses slowing down and enjoying his bayou life with his friends and family. In this colorful picture book, young readers will discover if Gary and Jerry can strike a good balance between modern technology and the simple life.

Petit Pierre has made a home for himself on the coast where Louisiana meets Mississippi, and now it is time for him to learn how to plunge-dive. Brown pelicans typically pick up this behavior by watching others do it. Will a new friend help Pierre learn how to dive? Young readers will follow his progress and, along the way, find out more about Gulf of Mexico marine life.

Lucille St. Lewis and her family have just moved to Louisiana. When her new friends at school find out she’s never eaten boiled crawfish, she feels left out. Will she like these “mudbugs”? One thing is for certain—she won’t be needing a fork! In this fun picture book, young readers will enjoy witnessing Lucy’s introduction to a Bayou State staple.

Visit Florida from A to Z and discover that the state is more than just a vacationer’s dream. Throughout each brightly colored page, young readers will identify fun and familiar places, food, and activities while learning new words and concepts on their alphabetical journey of the Sunshine State. From alligators and egrets to mangroves and oranges, this friendly introduction to Florida’s weather, geography, and more will be rewarding to read and reread both in classrooms and at home. The state’s wildlife, flowers, landscapes, and more are captured in the breezy, balmy illustrations, which feature fun facts and a  picture search. 

Did you know that more than one thousand shipwrecks have been found off the Florida Keys? Or that the Florida panther, the state animal, can travel more than twenty miles in a single night? These fascinating Florida facts are just a few of the engaging concepts that children (and adults) will learn on their educational jaunt through America’s southernmost state. A list of Florida state symbols completes this delightfully rhyming primer.

Surrounded by the waters of the Mississippi, the blooming magnolias, and the buzzing mosquitoes, a solitary raccoon made his home in a cypress trunk.

As yet another Christmas approached with no friends to share the holiday season, Roux vowed to make a change. He built a tall bonfire, in the Cajun tradition, in hopes that Papa Noel would see the warm light of the flames on his Christmas Eve flight. 

Roux tucked himself into bed that cold, lonely night with not an inkling that Santa would indeed stop by his swampy abode. The jolly man in red brought gifts for the raccoon who had been nice all year, but gifts, he knew, were not what would bring little Roux cheer. As Santa set off to continue his Christmas Eve rounds, he scoured the bayous and towns for what would make Roux’s holiday complete. Can Santa find the perfect present to save Roux’s Christmas? 

This heartwarming story about the power of hope and the magic of friendship is sure to brighten your holiday reading. Children will enjoy this story of an unlikely friendship set in the southern swamps that references customs and traditions familiar to the littlest Cajuns. A recipe for Roux’s Bayou Stew completes this special tale.

Within these colorful pages, it’s Carnival time all year long!

A young storyteller relives the memories from her most recent Mardi Gras, describing ladders on the neutral ground and the perennial favorite of a fried chicken meal on the parade route. From a streetcar ride on Twelfth Night, she rolls on through Fat Tuesday and meets Mardi Gras Indians and revels in king cake and the music of a marching band, capturing all the highlights of a local’s Mardi Gras season. Who can forget spray string and stink bombs, the cotton candy cart, masking in the streets, and flambeaux lighting the way for night parades? As she Mardi Gras mambos and dances in the streets, she calls out for friends and relatives riding on floats to throw her something a little extra special.

This homage in verse captures a true local’s version of a family-friendly Mardi Gras and celebrates a city’s joy in its traditions. Children will find similarities between their own Carnival experiences and reflect on their own family’s customs. For those new to the festivities, the images—saturated with all things purple, green, and gold—will introduce visitors and newcomers alike to the real Mardi Gras. The celebration is so much more than a party and parades. It’s a holiday steeped in the culture of New Orleans and the joie de vivre of families and friends who come together during a special time of year to share in the revelry.

Sing along with the Carnival version of the favored nursery rhyme “The Wheels on the Bus.” This playful parody entertains with festive flair, as during Mardi Gras, it’s not a bus but a decorated float brimming with beads that delight the youngest parade-goers. Through engaging art and fun prose, children are transported to the parade route, enchanted by the magical sights and scenes of the season. 

Excitement fills every page! Tractors honk to the crowds as they pass, pulling the floats all Mardi Gras long. As beads fly through the air and crowds cheer, “Throw me something, mister!” drums boom and dance teams twirl. The best of a young reveler’s favorite Carnival parades are all found here. Join in the fun as the floats roll all through the town!

The rhythmic flow of the verse and colorful illustrations immerse readers in the joyous and culturally rich experience of Mardi Gras. Perfect for read-aloud sessions and interactive story times, this whimsical yet educational introduction to the Carnival celebration is an ideal addition to preschools, library shelves, and home collections. 

It’s Christmas time in Louisiana! This year Elise and her mother are traveling from New Orleans to join her family in Natchitoches to celebrate the season in a very special way.

Along north Louisiana’s Cane River, holiday traditions include parades—even a boat parade!—along the river and a Christmas festival with arts and crafts and carolers singing. The light-bedecked city of Natchitoches enchants Elise. Christmas lights blink from every lamppost and storefront. The twinkling colors are reflected in the river, and fireworks light up the sky. The sugary scent of funnel cakes and cotton candy saturates the evening breeze. But Elise’s favorite holiday treat is the famous Natchitoches meat pie that Maw-Maw sells at her festival booth every year. Can you guess her secret ingredient?

Natchitoches, Louisiana’s oldest city, has celebrated the Christmas season with a festival for a century. Today, the Natchitoches Christmas Festival lasts six weeks long and features hundreds of thousands of lights, days of entertainment for children and adults, and visits from Santa. And everyone’s favorite festival food? The Natchitoches meat pie, of course! The official recipe for this yummy snack concludes the tale of Elise’s family Christmas.

In Louisiana’s Cajun Country, a celebration like no other occurs each Mardi Gras. The families of Acadiana come together on Fat Tuesday to host a centuries-old tradition: the Courir de Mardi Gras. During the running of the Mardi Gras, brightly costumed participants run, beg, sing, and dance for their neighbors as they gather tasty ingredients for the gumbo that will be shared at a dance party under a shining Mardi Gras moon. 

But once upon a time, many years ago, the moon vanished, nearly putting an end to the fais-do-do! A fiendish duo hooked the festive moon and towed it away, depriving the revelers of their purple, green, and gold moonbeams.

So young Leloup set off on a quest to recover the shining sentry. A sprinkling of familiar bayou characters and critters are scattered throughout this fairytale. Through teamwork, and some silly shenanigans, they help our hero as he returns the moon to its proper place in the Cajun sky, just in time to enjoy a celebratory gumbo and dance to some zydeco tunes. He might have even found some Mardi Gras treasure along the way!

Leloup’s story is full of fun references to the Acadian culture and is complete with a glossary of Cajun words, phrases, and places.

It is time for nap at Sassy’s house. But she is wide awake! Young readers will follow along as Sassy travels the state of Louisiana, enjoying music in New Orleans, picking strawberries in Ponchatoula, and touring the swamps. Wait, was she sleeping and dreaming the whole time?

Derived from a patriotic Grammy-nominated spoken word album recorded by The Duke in 1973.

Now, in  An American Boy Grows Up, we can join Little Duke on his journey through this great land and learn about true American values of love, freedom, compassion, honesty, family, unity, hope, liberty & justice, honor and peace.

Derived from a patriotic Grammy-nominated spoken word album recorded by The Duke in 1973.

Now, in The People, we can join Little Duke on his journey through this great land and learn about true American values of love, freedom, compassion, honesty, family, unity, hope, liberty & justice, honor and peace.

Derived from a patriotic Grammy-nominated spoken word album recorded by The Duke in 1973.

Now, in America, Why I Love Her, we can join Little Duke on his journey through this great land and learn about true American values of love, freedom, compassion, honesty, family, unity, hope, liberty & justice, honor and peace.

Santy's arrival by johnboat is announced by a ruckus between his pet raccoon and Paw's coonhound. After a feast of ham biscuits, Maw and Paw open their musical gifts, and Santy joins in on the frollicatin'.

A Rocky Mountain Twist on the classic Christmas poem!

The Rocky Mountains come alive on a cold Christmas Eve as a cowboy makes his way home. Upon arrival, he spies a big, fat red feller on the rooftop of his cabin and lassoes the suspected cattle rustler. Ordinarily, fate would have dictated dire consequences, but childhood memories reveal the stranger as Santa Claus and the two reunite.

The pair bask in the warmth of the cabin as the cowboy tells of his Rocky Mountain days. He lives a hard life on the Western frontier but would never consider anything else. When Santa takes flight to continue his journey, he leaves behind a package to ease his new friend’s troubles along with a wish: May your trail be easy and your burden be light!

Melville’s Sumptuous Tribute to a New England Culinary Classic

Chowder is chapter fifteen from one of the greatest works of American literature, Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. It is so beautifully written, so descriptive and colorful, one can virtually smell the fishy, salt air and picture the warm interior of the Try Pots Inn. Curl up on a cold evening and taste the mouthwatering chowders of Nantucket’s most famous fictional landmark in this homage to New England’s classic dish.

This short work is part of Applewood’s American Roots series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of America’s most famous writers.

Hemingway's Iconic Guide to Camping

In this piece from 1920—originally published as a newspaper article in the Toronto Daily Star—a young Ernest Hemingway provides solid advice to the novice camper. In his typically succinct style, Hemingway gives tips on bug avoidance, bed preparation, and offers expert outdoor cooking instructions. Any city man enjoying an open-air vacation who follows Hemingway’s advice “ought to be able to sleep comfortably every night, to eat well every day and to return to the city rested and in good condition.” This short work is part of Applewood’s “American Roots,” series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of America’s most famous writers.

Discover the Unique Backgrounds of America’s Founding Fathers 

This small, elegant hardcover features short biographies and artful line portraits of each of the signers of the United States Constitution. An ideal companion to Applewood Books’s bestselling edition of the Constitution of the United States of America, this gift sized title includes a gold die stamped cover and a traditional design in line with other titles in our Books of American Wisdom series.

Discover one of the most influential textbooks of all time, considered the third-best selling book of all time in America and the most cherished guide to spelling in American history.

With its distinctive blue cover, it earned the nickname the blue-backed speller and was used over the span of nearly a century. This lovingly reproduced hardback is an exact reproduction of Noah Webster's 1824 edition of the American Spelling Book. An essential gift for any history or language lover, this guide remains an inspiration for new generations of spellers today.

In 1939 Robert L. May, a copywriter working at Chicago's Montgomery Ward & Co., wrote a holiday story at the request of his employer. Almost two and a half million copies of the little tale about a reindeer with a shiny red nose were given away to all the children who visited Montgomery Ward stores that year. The rest is history. Seventy-five years later, the beloved classic is once again available in a hardcover faithful facsimile of the 1939 Rudolph, with original text and original Denver Gillen illustrations.

A May/June 2000 BookSense ’76 Selection

Accelerated Reader Program Selection

In China, a beautiful ceramic tile lies shattered on the ground, and the artist who dropped it is sentenced to the land’s worst punishment. The fierce warlord will execute the artist unless some wise person can put the seven pieces back together. That person will then be invited to live in the castle. Both locals and strangers from far away wait their turns for a chance to solve the warlord’s puzzle.

After learning why these people are waiting to enter the castle, a peasant boy convinces his poor but wise father to join the line. This little boy starts them off on the first step to solving the puzzle—entering the contest.

Accelerated Reader Program Selection

’Round Christmastime, things are a little different on the Emerald Isle. Instead of logs thrown onto the fire, we find turf blazing bright. Instead of cold eggnog spiced just right, the mother and father are enjoying their stout. You’ll find no Donner or Cupid or Blitzen, but Ould Neddy the donkey and his small cart. Father Christmas with his Irish eyes twinkling ushers in his seven elves, to enjoy the poteen and plum pudding and unpack his large sack. And thus begins the wondrous Irish Night Before Christmas.

This humorous tale in the same vein as the famous Cajun Night Before Christmas® is the Irish version of Father Christmas’s yearly visit. Told in delightful brogue, it will have everyone wishing “Nollaig sona agut!” (Merry Christmas to you!).

Father Christmas, with his Irish eyes twinkling, ushers in his seven elves and thus begins this Irish tale.

Jenny Giraffe is all set for the big Christmas parade, the caroling, and especially, the arrival of Papa Noel. But Jenny has never experienced the holiday season and hasn’t any idea what Christmas is all about or even who Papa Noel is! Luckily, her friends T-Boy, Lita, Claude, and Angelle are going to teach her all about the joyous season through the special Christmastime celebrations in Louisiana.

Jenny Giraffe Discovers Papa Noel brings the holiday spirit to homes everywhere through the fun-loving adventures of everyone’s favorite four-legged artist. From the celebrated Christmas parade to the tradition of the Christmas tree to the story of Baby Jesus’ birth, Jenny learns to appreciate the excitement and love of the season. She even gets to participate in some truly unique Louisiana festivities like the lighting of the bonfires along the river to guide Papa Noel on his route to deliver his gifts. But Jenny is still puzzled about who this jolly man is and why it is that some people call him Santa Claus. Perhaps only on Christmas Eve will everything become much clearer.

Author Kathleen Welch, a member of the Core Committee for developing the Louisiana Alzheimer’s State Plan, and her husband, illustrator Alan McGillivray, provide a child’s perspective in their tale for little ones experiencing Alzheimer’s and dementia in their family. As the elder elephant and her young grandson spend the day together, she forgets her hat, loses her brush, gets lost, confuses her grandson’s name, and tells stories of things that happened long ago as if they just occurred. When danger threatens, her love for her family shines through the clouds of her memory and she remembers things she learned as a child. The author provides a guide to further discussion with young children and a resource list for families facing this devastating disease.

Home to thousands of US sailors, the USS Alabama fought bravely in World War II, but after she finished her service, the battleship was set to be scrapped. The people of Alabama decided they had to save the ship named for their proud state. No one was more determined than Alabama’s schoolchildren.

Author Karyn Tunks traces the story of the children’s efforts in this informative and entertaining account. Tunks reveals a wealth of detail about life at sea before the ship was decommissioned and the many challenges Alabamians faced in securing the ship’s permanent home.

Artist Julie Dupré Buckner captures the feeling of the era in her detailed, vivid illustrations of the ship, those who called her home, and those who saved her for future generations. Complete with a glossary, illustrated ship’s diagram, and timeline, USS Alabama: Hooray for the Mighty A! offers beginning readers a glimpse of the fascinating history of the battleship and how even the smallest of actions can produce incredible results.