Best Selling Books by Mary Ann Rodman

Claire discovers beautiful performances require lots of skill, and it''s going to take many small failures and perseverance if she wants to ice skate like a pro.

Even though Zach finds roller coasters scary, he rides one with Grandpa in an attempt to make him happy again after Grandma''s death.

Ellie counted the days on the kitchen calendar. October 2nd was a Saturday. Twenty-one days until Jimmy had to go. That was a long time. Maybe the war would be over by then. But the days slipped by as fast as the trees shed their leaves. And the war didn''t end. Ellie hates the stars proudly displayed in her neighbours'' windows: a blue one for every man gone to serve in the war, a gold one for every man who will never return. She doesn''t want a star – all she wants is for her big brother Jimmy to stay safely at home. But then Jimmy is called up, and Ellie can only desperately hope that his star never turns gold. "You won''t find a better novel to paint a picture of family life and woes during World War Two" - Lovereading4kids

An unflinching story about racism and culture clash in the 1960s. The year is 1964, and Alice Ann Moxley''s FBI-agent father has been reassigned from Chicago to Jackson, Mississippi, to protect black people who are registering to vote. Alice finds herself thrust into the midst of the racial turmoil that dominates current events, especially when a Negro girl named Valerie Taylor joins her sixth-grade class -- the first of two black students at her new school because of a mandatory integration law. When Alice finds it difficult to penetrate the clique of girls at school she calls the Cheerleaders (they call her Yankee Girl), she figures Valerie, being the other outsider, will be easier to make friends with. But Valerie isn''t looking for friends. Rather, Valerie silently endures harassment from the Cheerleaders, much worse than what Alice is put through. Soon Alice realizes the only way to befriend the girls is to seem like a co-conspirator in their plans to make Valerie miserable. It takes a horrible tragedy for her to realize the complete ramifications of following the crowd instead of her heart.

When Kevie''s mother has a baby, Kevie, his older brother, and their father make soup for when the new baby comes home.

“Stubborn and strong and a little bit wild.” Emmy wants a birthday gift that is just like her Emmy loves trees, especially the mimosa tree that grows in her grandmother’s pasture. So when Emmy decides she wants a mimosa tree of her own for her birthday, she is dismayed to find that many garden stores don’t sell them. Emmy is crushed—until she discovers that the answer to her problem is growing right before her eyes! Mary Ann Rodman’s joyful story will appeal to all who cherish a special dream, and help readers appreciate the natural world around them. Illustrator Tatjana Mai-Wyss’s whimsical watercolor and collage illustrations capture Emmy’s exuberant personality and the story’s hopeful ending.

This reassuring picture book about standing up for yourself and finding security in new experiences is a great read for any first-time camp goers or overnight stays. Roxie is excited to be going away to Camp K-9 for a fun-filled summer, but she''s scared that the other dogs will find out she''s brought her blankie along in her Pooch Pouch. What if the other campers find out and call her a scaredy-cat? Even worse, a mean bully named Lucy seems determined to cause trouble. But as it turns out, maybe some of the other campers have secrets too... Mary Ann Rodman''s lighthearted but meaningful story of summer, secrets, and friendship is complemented by Nancy Hayashi''s warm, humorous illustrations that are sure to comfort anyone who has ever dealt with a bully.

Emmy loves trees. She loves oak trees with acorns. She loves pine trees with cones, and willow trees with swishy branches. But best of all, Emmy loves the mimosa tree that grows in her grandmother''s pasture. So when Emmy decides she wants a mimosa tr

See below for English description. Aujourd''hui, c''est ma première leçon de patin. Je vais voler dans les airs, atterrir sur un pied et tourner si vite que tu ne pourras même pas me voir! Claire est impatiente d''aller sur la glace et de patiner encore et encore! Elle va sauter, bondir et virevolter! Il suffit d''attendre: bientôt, elle passera à la télévision et éblouira le public partout dans le monde. Mais lorsque Claire arrive à la patinoire pour sa toute première leçon, les choses ne se déroulent pas comme elle les avait imaginées. Les débutants portent d''horribles patins bruns. Et qui a envie de s''entraîner à marcher sur place quand on devrait apprendre à sauter et à bondir? BOUM! Wouch-crac. Patience, Claire! Pour apprendre à patiner, il faut apprendre à tomber... et à se relever! Dans ce récit humoristique où les attentes se heurtent à la réalité, Claire découvre que les belles performances requièrent beaucoup d''habileté, et qu''elle devra vivre plusieurs petits échecs et faire preuve de persévérance si elle veut patiner comme une professionnelle. Today''s my first ice skating class. I''ll fly through the air, land on one foot, and spin so fast you can''t see me! Claire can''t wait to get out on the ice and skate, skate, skate! She''s going to jump, leap, and twirl! Just you wait -- pretty soon she''ll be on TV and dazzling audiences everywhere. But when Claire and her mom arrive at the ice centre for Claire''s very first skating lesson, it''s not everything Claire was dreaming it would be. Beginners wear ugly brown skates, and who wants to practice marching in place when you can get right to it? But not so fast, Claire! One overeager foot on the ice, and... Wibble. Wobble -- BOOM! In this humorous tale of expectation meets reality, Claire discovers beautiful performances require lots of skill, and it''s going to take many small failures and perseverance if she wants to skate like a pro. Original title: Wibble Wobble BOOM!

Six-year-old Lily has a best friend all picked out for play group day, but unfortunately the differences between first-graders and second-graders are sometimes very large.

Théo attend avec impatience le retour de sa maman de la maternité. Pour fêter l''arrivée du nouveau bébé, la famille décide de préparer une soupe surprise ! Tout le monde s''affaire dans la cuisine, mais bientôt, la simple recette va devenir un vrai casse-tête !