New Releases by Kirby Larson

Having been left behind by their owners and forced to ride out the deadly storm, Bobbi the dog breaks free from his chain and goes in search of food on his own, followed endlessly by a frightened, blind cat whose entire survival depends on his new best friend. 35,000 first printing.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NEWBERY HONOR AWARD WINNER A classic YA novel about a teenage girl searching for a sense of home and family that celebrates the true spirit of independence on the American frontier. For most of her life, sixteen-year-old Hattie Brooks has been shuttled from one distant relative to another. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she summons the courage to leave Iowa and move all by herself to Vida, Montana, to prove up on her late uncle’s homestead claim. Under the big sky, Hattie braves hard weather, hard times, a cantankerous cow, and her own hopeless hand at the cookstove. Her quest to make a home is championed by new neighbors Perilee Mueller, her German husband, and their children. For the first time in her life, Hattie feels part of a family, finding the strength to stand up against Traft Martin’s schemes to buy her out and against increasing pressure to be a “loyal” American at a time when anything—or anyone—German is suspect. Despite daily trials, Hattie continues to work her uncle’s claim until an unforeseen tragedy causes her to search her soul for the real meaning of home. This young pioneer''s story is lovingly stitched together from Kirby Larson’s own family history and the sights, sounds, and scents of homesteading life.

Life Together Sunday School Resources begin with children''s daily life experiences and lead them to encounter God''s word together, with each other, with their families, and with their community. Using a lectionary-based approach that focuses on building Christian relationships and community, Life Together uses learner''s experiences, wraps them around the Word, reinforces the message contained in the worship and makes key connections to themes of Christian life. Life Together is a dated, quarterly resource. Quarters are divided so that they intersect both with the school year and the church year.--Publisher''s website.

Life Together Leader Guides: - address the need for a variety of active learning styles.- mirror the structure of worship - Gather, Hear, Celebrate, and Send - with a consistent pattern for each session- uses the same key idea and driving question that link all Life Together resources.- include Biblical texts from the Revised Common Lectionary.- offer imaginative and easy-to-prepare teaching suggestions and activities that encourage interaction and faith-sharing, teach key ideas, and help children to make connections to worship and to daily life.

Sharp-tongued and lonely Griselda gets a magic kerchief from a mysterious stranger, and when she wears it she can speak only kind words to the people she meets.

"Everything has changed...since the war started. Nanea had hoped that going back to school would make life seem normal again. But it hasn''t. There are still curfews and blackouts and constant reminders of war. Nanea''s dear friend Donna had to leave Hawaii, and Nanea''s big brother keeps talking about joining the Army. She can''t bear the thought of him far from home and in danger. In the swirl of changes, Nanea turns to hula. Dancing makes her feel better, and soon she learns how much it lifts the spirits of the soldiers, too. When a surprising hula partner boosts everyone''s morale, Nanea gets a big idea" -- Back cover.