New Releases by Margaret McNamara

Mrs. Connor's class learns about Juneteenth.

Visit the state capitol with Mr. Tiffin and his students to learn all about how a bill is voted on and passed. This kid-friendly picture book from the perennially popular Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom series follows a group of students passionately engaged in learning how the US government works. Mr. Tiffin’s students are learning how a bill can become a law and are eagerly brainstorming ideas to make their state a better place. Mr. Tiffin announces that whoever has the best idea will have the opportunity to present their bill to Representative Noor during their class trip to the state capitol. Jeremy believes that they should name an official state cookie. At first it seems like a brilliant idea – until his classmates begin to argue over cookie flavors and pick sides! The only way to settle this debate is with a class vote. When the students visit the capitol the following week to present their bill, Jeremy realizes that even the best ideas require a bit of compromise and often yield surprising – and delicious! – results.

The first graders at Robin Hill School learn about and celebrate the Lunar New Year in this easy-to-follow Level 1 Ready-to-Read story! Eigen’s mom has come to talk to Mrs. Connor’s class about a special holiday called Lunar New Year. She tells them all the fun ways that the holiday is celebrated around the world. But can the students guess why it’s Eigen’s favorite holiday?

Fans of the musical Hamilton and their children won't want to miss this stunning picture book biography about Eliza Hamilton, American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton's extraordinary wife and an important figure in her own right. Includes an afterword from Phillipa Soo, the actress who originated the role of Eliza in Hamilton! We all know the story of scrappy Alexander Hamilton and his rise in American politics--but how much do we know about his workmate, inspiration, and stabilizing force, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton? Margaret McNamara employs the letter-writing style of the period to tell the story of Eliza Hamilton, who was born into a family of considerable wealth, power, and influence in Albany, New York, in 1757. Eliza was expected to marry into a similarly powerful family . . . until she met and fell in love with the charismatic Hamilton. She stood by him throughout his tumultuous life, and after his death, she single-handedly collected his papers and preserved them for historians and musical-theater writers of the future. Eliza outlived Hamilton by fifty years; during that time she founded the first orphanage in New York State, raised funds for the Washington Monument, and kept the flame of her husband's memory and achievements alive. This is a beautiful and informative biography featuring extensive back matter--including information about America's revolution, the historical relevance of letter writing, and a timeline--and exquisite, thoroughly researched art that mirrors paintings from 18th-century America. Every Hamilton lover will want to gift it to the young readers in their lives.

Everyone in Mrs. Conner's first-grade class loves their visitor, Sparky the bunny, except Reza, who tries to overcome his fear when the teacher gives him a special job.

Hannah looks forward to Robin Hill School's celebration of one hundred days of classes, but when a cold keeps her home the day of the party she decides to bring in the one hundred buttons she found anyway.

When Mrs. Connor's class celebrates Earth Day, Emma decides to start small by recycling, using only what she needs, and picking up trash when she goes for a walk.

Mrs. Connor's first grade class decides to send colorful fall leaves to students in another state where the leaves do not change color.

Unhappy with her choice of pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, Katie thinks it is too small until her father shows her that the best things often come in small packages.

The Robin Hill School first-graders put on a class play in this Level 1 Ready-to-Read, the thirty-first book in the Robin Hill School series! Mrs. Connor’s class is putting on a play at Robin Hill School! Emma is excited to land a role...but when the big day comes, she forgets her lines. Will Mrs. Connor’s breathing exercise help Emma calm down and save the show?

Mr. Tiffin and his students from the perennially popular How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? and The Dinosaur Expert make friends with, Librarian Beck a new character in the series who also happens to be non-binary. This thoughtful picture book is about a wood-working project that helps a young student become a book lover. Everyone in Mr. Tiffin's class couldn't be more excited that the new school library has finally opened. Everyone except Jake. Jake is a slow and careful reader. Sometimes he reads the same page more than once to figure everything out. And he often feels left behind on class Library Day. All that changes when Librarian Beck notices Jake running his fingers across the grooves of a brand-new bookshelf and offers him an old, worn book: Woodworking for Young Hands. Jake checks the book out, studies the pictures and instructions, and renews the book again and again. When the school year comes to an end, Jake has the perfect gift idea for the librarian who changed his life--and he makes it with his own two hands.

The Robin Hill School first graders learn about being thankful in this Level 1 Ready-to-Read, the twenty-ninth book in the Robin Hill School series! It’s almost Thanksgiving, and Mrs. Connor asks the class to think about what they are thankful for. Reza and his mama make a list together. He can’t wait to talk to his class about his family, his dog, his bike, and so much more! But then at school, everyone takes turns saying what they’re thankful for, and the other kids say the same things Reza wanted to say! Can Reza think of something else he’s thankful for before it’s his turn to speak?

Real-life 7-year-old Sophia Spencer was bullied for loving bugs until hundreds of women scientists rallied around her. Now Sophie tells her inspiring story in this picture book that celebrates women in science, bugs of all kinds, and the importance of staying true to yourself. Makes a perfect gift for nature lovers on Earth Day and every day! Sophia Spencer has loved bugs ever since a butterfly landed on her shoulder--and wouldn't leave!--at a butterfly conservancy when she was only two-and-a-half years old. In preschool and kindergarten, Sophia was thrilled to share what she knew about grasshoppers (her very favorite insects), as well as ants and fireflies... but by first grade, not everyone shared her enthusiasm. Some students bullied her, and Sophia stopped talking about bugs altogether. When Sophia's mother wrote to an entomological society looking for a bug scientist to be a pen pal for her daughter, she and Sophie were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response--letters, photos, and videos came flooding in. Using the hashtag BugsR4Girls, scientists tweeted hundreds of times to tell Sophia to keep up her interest in bugs--and it worked! Sophia has since appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and NPR, and she continues to share her love of bugs with others.

The students of Stanton Elementary School, which is a polling place, find out all they can about voting and then encourage everyone in their neighborhoods to cast their ballots.

When Mason and Mia were babies, they pooped a lot—always in their diapers. Now that they''re big kids, it''s time to use the potty. But what is the potty for? Naps? NO. Books? NO. Playing the drums? No, no, no! Mason and Mia look ahead to official big-kid territory in Poop or Get off the Potty!, this hilarious, instructive story from with special emphasis on that momentous toddler milestone: pooping in the potty!

Charlie, the smallest child in his first grade class, is amazed to discover that of the three pumpkins his teacher brings to school, the tiniest one has the most seeds.

An unexpected snow day gives the kids of Robin Hill school a day to relax and have some fun in this Ready-to-Read Level 1 story. The kids in Mrs. Connor’s class love the snow! And they love snow days even more! But when the snow will not stop falling, Nia realizes that staying at home is not so much fun after all.

Usher in National Poetry Month with Mr. Tiffin and his students, stars of the hugely popular How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? and The Apple Orchard Riddle. Once again, Margaret McNamara sets her playful, child-friendly story in the classroom, and this time, poetry—from metaphors to acrostics to haiku—is the name of the game. The focus here is on Elinor, whose confidence falters as she tries to write something "perfect" for Poem in Your Pocket Day and impress a visiting poet. G. Brian Karas's accessible, adorable illustrations add to the fun. Includes a list of Mr. Tiffin's tips for celebrating Poem in Your Pocket Day. "A nimble introduction to poetry as well as a sensitive look at the perils of perfectionism." —The New York Times "Pair this book with the works of Shel Silverstein, Paul B. Janeczko, Jack Prelutsky, Douglas Florian, or Robert Louis Stevenson." —School Library Journal, Starred

Readers of Disney Fairies, The Never Girls, and Rainbow Magic will absolutely love the fifth book in the Fairy Bell Sisters series by Margaret McNamara, a delightful chapter-book series about Tinker Bell's little sisters for kids ages 6-10. Springtime means spring-cleaning for the fairies of Sheepskerry Island. It also means getting to search for treasure in the jumble pile—a giant collection of unwanted items outside Queen Mab's palace. When Sylva Bell and her best friend, Poppy Flower, find Queen Mab's old fairy dollhouse in the pile, they are overjoyed! But as the two friends play with it, they start to unlock its secrets and discover its special magic—a magic that has a history of putting friendships to the test.

Aspiring young fairies who adore Rainbow Magic and Disney Fairies will delight in the fourth magical installment in Margaret McNamara's Fairy Bell Sisters series, about Tinker Bell's little sisters. All the fairies on Sheepskerry Island look up to Clara Bell. Clara can do anything, which is why the younger Bell sisters—Rosy, Goldie, Sylva, and Squeak—are so proud of her. But when Clara starts to grow into her magical powers, things get a little bumpy. At first it's fun to practice her charms, especially since a colony of gnomes is visiting Sheepskerry Island for the Valentine's Games . . . and one of them, Rowan, seems to like her—very much. But when Clara and Rowan are faced with very serious trouble, Clara tries to do magic that's too hard for her—way too hard for her. Will she have to pay a terrible price? Julia Denos sprinkles her signature fairy dust on each and every page, bringing the illustrations of the Fairy Bell Sisters to life.

Mr. Tiffin and his students from the perenially popular How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? are back in this picture book about a school trip to an apple orchard! In this playful, humorous, and child-friendly classroom story, the students learn a lot about apples and apple orchards—including how apples are harvested, how cider is made, and what the different varieties of apples are—while trying to solve a riddle. The book also celebrates how some children learn differently than others. Margaret McNamara and illustrator G. Brian Karas bring us another fun and educational picture book.

Margaret McNamara tells the stories of Tinker Bell’s little sisters in her charming chapter-book series, the Fairy Bell Sisters. Readers of the Disney Fairies and Rainbow Fairies series will adore these magical fairy tales. In the second book in the series, Rosy and the Secret Friend, it’s summertime, and the island cottages are taken over by the Summer People. The fairies are supposed to stay in hiding, away from the big, scary humans. But one Summer Child, Louisa, is sick and lonely. Kindhearted Rosy knows just what to do to make her feel better. Soon Rosy and Louisa are secret friends! How can Rosy keep such a big secret from her very own sisters? Whimsical illustrations by Julia Denos make these books a magical read.

With Sylva and the Fairy Ball, Margaret McNamara launches the Fairy Bell Sisters, an enchanting new chapter-book series. The books feature Tinker Bell’s little sisters and are a must-read for lovers of the Rainbow Fairies and Disney Fairies stories. Clara Bell, Golden Bell, Rosy Bell, Sylva Bell, and baby Squeak are fairy sisters who live on Sheepskerry Island. Usually Sylva and her sisters get along just fine—until the week of the Fairy Ball. Sylva has her heart set on going—she’ll get to wear magical diamond wings and walk on beautiful satin ribbons under the stars! But fairies must be at least eight years old to attend, and poor Sylva’s birthday is the day after the ball. But before the night is over, Sylva’s big sisters will need her to come to their rescue. Charming illustrations by Julia Denos bring the world of fairies to life.

When Hannah goes to the beach with her mother, she is shocked to find her first-grade teacher, Mrs. Connor, lying there in a bathing suit as if she were an ordinary person. Full color.

Who are some of America's greatest inventors? What did they do? Learn about three inventors and how they changed the world. -- Publisher's note.

Individual Big Book

Individual Big Book

Individual Big Book

Individual Big Book

Individual Big Book