New Release Books by Alma Fullerton

A diagnosis of dyslexia could change everything for an aspiring fifth-grade gymnast struggling at school in this authentic, high-energy novel in verse. The print edition of this title is set in a font developed to be easy to read. The gym is where Claire shines and she’s on her way to qualifying for the state championships. But at school, she’s known as a troublemaker—which is fine with her since it helps her hide her reading problem. Claire has never been able to make sense of the wobbling jumble of letters on a page. When a sympathetic principal wonders if she’s acting out because she may have dyslexia, she’s stunned. Claire has always assumed she’s dumb, so she’s eager to get evaluated. But her mother balks. Afraid Claire will be labeled “stupid,” she refuses testing. Can Claire take on both her reading challenges and her mother’s denial? Is it worth jeopardizing her dream of the state championships? Told in clear and poignant verse and featuring black and white illustrations, Claire’s struggle with something that seems to come easily to everyone else will resonate with readers and have them cheering her on.

The beloved story of Kioni, her mischievous goats, and a day of communal cooking at school returns in an enhanced edition with four pages of activity prompts and discussion questions-- "Publisher"

Eight-year-old Izzy Parker''s biggest problem is feeling anxious and afraid. Her mom''s decision to move them across the country to Prince Edward Island didn''t help. In her honest, awkward, and anxious journal, Izzy writes down the story of her life and how she is trying to be a little less afraid.

A young girl takes action against ocean pollution in a timely story with unique plastic-waste diorama art from award-winning author-illustrator Alma Fullerton.

It is time to plant the rice crop in Malini’s Sri Lankan community, and the little girl is both excited and nervous to help for the first time. What if she does it wrong? Will she be responsible if the crop fails? When the oxcart rumbles in loaded with seedlings, she reluctantly agrees to watch the big, imposing animal while the driver takes a break. Suddenly, the skies go dark with monsoon rain. A flash flood pours down the road, separating Malini from the driver and her family. They are shouting for her to run for higher ground, but what about the rice? Summoning up courage she never dreamed she possessed, Malini resolves to save ox, cart, and seedlings, no matter what it takes. Award-winning author Alma Fullerton tells Malini’s story in expressive free verse that vibrates with emotion and energy. The moods of Sri Lanka’s rainy season come alive as Kim La Fave, illustrator of the award-winning Shin Chi’s Canoe, uses a fresh style that is both contemporary and impressionistic to depict the courage of one little girl facing the power of a flash flood.

"Who says girls can''t fish? When Nina asks her grandfather to take her fishing with him on his old banca boat, his answer is always the same: "A boat is not the place for a girl." But Nina is determined to go. She knows that if her lolo will show her how to jig the lines, to set the hook, and to pull in a fish, hand over hand, she can prove to everyone in their Filipino fishing village that she deserves her turn in the boat, girl or no!"--

In a Tanzanian village school, Anna struggles to keep up. Her walk home takes so long that when she arrives, it is too dark to do her homework. Working through the lunch hour instead, she doesn’t see the truck from the bicycle library pull into the schoolyard. By the time she gets out there, the bikes are all gone. Anna hides her disappointment, happy to help her friends learn to balance and steer. She doesn’t know a compassionate friend will offer her a clever solution—and the chance to raise her own cloud of dust. Brought to life by Brian Deines’ vivid oil paintings, Alma Fullerton’s simple, expressive prose captures the joy of feeling the wind on your face for the first time. Inspired by organizations like The Village Bicycle Project that have opened bicycle libraries all across Africa, In a Cloud of Dust is an uplifting example of how a simple opportunity can make a dramatic change in a child’s life.

Every day Kato trudges barefoot past fields and soldiers on the long, hot road to his Ugandan village well. When an aid worker brings a life-changing gift of shoes for all the village children, Kato finds something to give her in return: one small piece of beauty in a war-torn land.-- "Publisher"

After years of domestic life, Casey''s famous mom is anxious to go back to her old life as a pop singer, without Casey. Devastated, Casey is left to keep the house running and care for her autistic sister, while her stepdad withdraws into his own private grief. To find comfort, Casey begins building fires to send smoke signals to her mother, hoping her mother will see her message. Soon the ritual fires won''t be able to relieve her growing resentment. One day she won''t be able to build a fire big enough to contain it all.

Your mother''s suicide attempt has left her in a coma from which she''s never waking up. You know that she wouldn''t want to live like this, but could you really help her die? Here you are, making the hardest decision of your life and there''s no one to help you: Your father has disappeared into depression. Your best friend is becoming someone you no longer want to know. There is a girl who could help, maybe, if you''d let her. But in the end, it''s all up to you. A free-verse novel from debut author Alma Fullerton plunges deep inside the psyche of a young man faced with a life-and-death decision.

This compact novel is a sharp read that few will be able to put down.

Libertad and his younger brother, Julio, live near the Guatamala City dump. When their mother dies, Libertad and Julio try to earn a living as street musicians while they work their way north to cross into the United States to find their father.

After their mother is killed in a freak accident, Libertad and his little brother Julio brave the dangers of traveling from poverty-stricken Guatemala City to the United States in the hopes of reuniting with their father.