Sitewide Banner Image
The Bookshop is open for your Holiday shopping enjoyment. Do come by and peruse!
Childrens
"The Chicago Kidz" series is a fun and educational collection of stories about a diverse group of kids who love to explore their hometown, Chicago. The series starts with "The Envy of the Winds," where the kids try to fly a kite in Grant Park. When the North Wind refuses to blow their kite into the air, the kids' pleas eventually lead all the winds to compete, creating the myth of how Chicago became known as "The Windy City." This fascinating story helps kids understand one of the city's famous nicknames and blustery nature, while they encounter a range of emotions (like envy) and enjoy a thrilling adventure.
In other books, The Chicago Kidz explore the meanings behind the City's other nicknames like "The Second City," "The City That Works," "The City of Big Shoulders," and "The City of Neighborhoods." As the series continues, the Chicago Kidz take their adventures to new cities, comparing and learning about places like New York City, San Francisco, Atlanta, Paris, Beijing, Johannesburg, Mexico City, Rio, Sydney and more. These trips help them understand the similarities and differences between cities and appreciate the unique qualities of each one. Join them on each adventure!
The authors, Ima Kidd (a composite pseudonym), include native Chicagoans, a retired Chicago Public School educator, a therapist, a minister, a poet, a screenwriter, parents and grandparents who enjoy "edutaining" children and adults of all ages.
Best Board Books, 2025 theSkimm Good For You Awards
A BabyLit(R) Anatomy Primer
BabyLit(R) is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. With clever, simple text by Jennifer Adams, paired with stylish design and illustrations by Sugar's Alison Oliver, these books are a must for every savvy parent's nursery library.
Illus. in full color. "While other mice are gathering food for the winter,
Frederick seems to daydream the summer away. When dreary winter comes, it is
Frederick the poet-mouse who warms his friends and cheers them with his
words."-- "Wilson Library Bulletin." "A splendid achievement."--(starred)
"School Library Journal.
"
Frederick seems to daydream the summer away. When dreary winter comes, it is
Frederick the poet-mouse who warms his friends and cheers them with his
words."-- "Wilson Library Bulletin." "A splendid achievement."--(starred)
"School Library Journal.
"
Winner of the John Newbery Medal
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award
An Indiebound Bestseller
A New York Times Bestseller Award-winning author Amina Luqman-Dawson pens a lyrical, accessible historical middle-grade novel about two enslaved children's escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom. Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there's no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp. In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to find his mother and help his new home. Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award
An Indiebound Bestseller
A New York Times Bestseller Award-winning author Amina Luqman-Dawson pens a lyrical, accessible historical middle-grade novel about two enslaved children's escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom. Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there's no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp. In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to find his mother and help his new home. Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.
The early Railroads became a sign of hope to American people. The work was dangerous. They were a close group who supported each other...men of great honor. By 1910 the railroads employed 1,699,420 Americans. They were conductors, brakemen, firemen, engineers, porters, telegraphers, switchmen and section gangs. Some of the hardest workers were the section gangs. One group called Gandy Dancers, sang songs that helped keep them working together to straighten the tracks. This is a story about the Gandy Dancers, a forgotten group of men like the Pullman Porters. This is our second book in our black history series that we should never forget.
From bestselling illustrator and Coretta Scott King honoree Laura Freeman and award-winning author Glennette Tilley Turner comes the little-known story of Harriet Tubman's daring rescue of her enslaved brothers on Christmas Day This historical picture book about the legendary Underground Railroad conductor, abolitionist, and suffragist was written based on personal interviews with Tubman's last surviving relative. A story of courage, hope, and family, The Gift of Freedom takes readers on an inspiring journey during one of America's darkest times. Harriet Tubman was always a keen observer. She learned to use the North Star for a compass, to tell time by the stars, and to find her way by natural signs as well as any hunter could. She could navigate dense forests, locate waterways in the area, and identify the white Quakers and Black mariners who were willing to help enslaved people escape. When Tubman first fled north, she knew she might never have another chance to run away. Yet after she arrived safely in the free city of Philadelphia, she risked her own freedom again and again to help other Freedom Seekers--and those she'd had to leave behind. She never forgot her family in Maryland, and on Christmas Day in 1854, Tubman returned again, hoping to give three of her brothers the best possible gift--the gift of freedom! Includes a letter to readers, an author's note, and a bibliography.
Newbery Medal Winner! Step back to an English village in 1255, where life plays out in dramatic vignettes illuminating twenty-two unforgettable characters. Maidens, monks, and millers' sons -- in these pages, readers will meet them all. There's Hugo, the lord's nephew, forced to prove his manhood by hunting a wild boar; sharp-tongued Nelly, who supports her family by selling live eels; and the peasant's daughter, Mogg, who gets a clever lesson in how to save a cow from a greedy landlord. There's also mud-slinging Barbary (and her noble victim); Jack, the compassionate half-wit; Alice, the singing shepherdess; and many more. With a deep appreciation for the period and a grand affection for both characters and audience, Laura Amy Schlitz creates twenty-two riveting portraits and linguistic gems equally suited to silent reading or performance. Illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings by Robert Byrd -- inspired by the Munich-Nuremberg manuscript, an illuminated poem from thirteenth-century Germany -- this witty, historically accurate, and utterly human collection forms an exquisite bridge to the people and places of medieval England.
Make goodbyes fun with animal rhymes and colorful lift-the-flap illustrations!
"So long!" "See you later!" There are so many ways to say goodbye! Lift the flaps in this colorful book to discover favorite animals (and maybe a few new ones, too) and fun goodbyes. Children and grown-ups alike will be giggling before you can say, "Toodle-Loo, Kangaroo!"
A collection of the best-known fairy and folk tales set down by the Brothers Grimm, now repackaged for the Union Square & Co. Signature Clothbound Editions line. For most children, reading the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm is an essential experience; but when these stories were first collected, fairy tales were considered entertainment for adults as well. This edition of Grimm's Fairy Tales brings together the best-known fairy and folk tales set down by the Brothers Grimm, including "Sleeping Beauty," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Hansel and Gretel," "The Frog-Prince," and "Rumpelstiltskin," in a package aimed at readers returning to the beloved stories of their youth.
A #1 New York Times bestseller! This winning debut picture book from Mexican artist Flavia Z. Drago about finding the courage to make friends is perfect for the spooky season -- or anytime. Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. And he loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can't see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves? With fancifully detailed artwork and visual humor, debut picture-book creator Flavia Z. Drago's vivid illustrations tell a sweet and gently offbeat story of loneliness, bravery, and friendship that is sure to be a treat for little ghouls and goblins everywhere.