New Releases by Trinka Hakes Noble

2020-2021 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award List Gordy and his family live in Detroit, Michigan, the heart of the United States automobile industry. Every night after coming home from work at one of the plants, Gordy''s father teaches him how to box. Their hero is the famous American boxer Joe Louis, who grew up in Detroit. But the Great Depression has come down hard on the economy. Detroit''s auto industry is affected and thousands of people lose their jobs, including Gordy''s father. When his mother takes on work with a Jewish tailor, Gordy becomes friends with Ira, the tailor''s son, bonding over their shared interest in boxing and Joe Louis. As the boys'' friendship grows, Gordy feels protective of Ira, wanting to help the new boy fit in. At the same time, America is gearing up for the rematch between Joe Louis and the German boxer, Max Schmeling. For many Americans this fight is about good versus evil (US against Nazi Germany). Against the backdrop of the 1938 Fight of the Century, a young boy learns what it means to make a stand for a friend.

Our Readers (also known as "primers") are modeled after the popular nineteenth-century McGuffey Readers, which were used to teach life lessons and reading skills to young children. Using colorful illustrations and a variety of writing forms, The New Jersey Reader showcases the state''s rich heritage and natural charms, as well as its place in American history. Poems, state symbols, and riddles engage beginning readers. Prose, biographies, and short stories challenge more advanced readers. Topics include early Native American culture, the state nickname, famous citizens (Molly Pitcher and John Woolman), and the Revolutionary War. A timeline listing major events in state history is also featured.Trinka Hakes Noble''s many awards include ALA Notable Children''s Book and Booklist Children''s Editors'' Choice. Trinka lives in Bernardsville, New Jersey. K. L. (Kate) Darnell has illustrated all of the books in the Reader series. In addition to her work as an illustrator, Kate is an art instructor. She lives in East Lansing, Michigan.

Long, long ago there was a time when men did not venture into the deep ocean waters. It was believed that the world was flat and to sail beyond the horizon meant falling off the edge of the earth. So even though they were drawn to and fascinated by the ocean, men feared it. And as men lived their lives above the water, far beyond their view and in the ocean''s deepest depths lived mysterious and magical sea creatures, half girl and half fish. These shy, gentle creatures were called mermaids and much loved by the ocean. And when men finally overcame their fear and ventured out to sea, risking disaster and even death, it was the mermaids who came to their rescue. Written by award-winning author Trinka Hakes Noble, this original legend explains the origin of sea glass, attributing it to the tears of mermaids, weeping for lives lost at sea.

Lizzie loves school almost more than anything. First she loved Nursery school. She loved Kindergarten even more. When the time comes for Lizzie to start First Grade, she can''t wait. Everyone tells her it will be a whole year of school. And Miss Giggliano, the first-grade teacher, tells her class to make this the best year of school ever. Yippee! thinks Lizzie--a whole year of school! And what a year it is. Miss G.''s class wins the Centipede Reading Award. And they even win the Nature Study Award for their bee and butterfly garden. It''s a great year! But all great things must come to an end. When the last day of school arrives, Lizzie is dismayed. How can this be? It was supposed to be a whole year! But good news soon arrives and Lizzie, along with Miss G., finds herself in a different classroom and eager to learn!

Long, long ago, the ancient people of the forest gathered around warm fires and told the tale of a time long past, when the land known as "Michigane" was covered with ice and snow. For thousands of years the cruel North Wind ruled the land North of Up North, chasing away the gentle, benevolent winds from the East, West and South. Winter stayed the whole year round, so nothing could live in Michigane. Not until an old warrior and a young boy traveled through the frigid cold with nothing but warm hearts and an old pair of mittens was there hope that the frozen land would eventually come to life.Trinka Hakes Noble is the noted author of numerous award-winning picture books including The Scarlet Stockings Spy, the ever-popular Jimmy''s Boa series and Meanwhile Back at the Ranch (both featured on Reading Rainbow). Her many awards include ALANotable Children''s Book, Booklist Children''s Editors'' Choice, IRA-CBC Children''s Choice, Learning: The Year''s Ten Best, and several Junior Literary Guild Selections. Trinka makes her home in Bernardsville, New Jersey. The Legend of Michigan is the 20th book that Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen has illustrated for Sleeping Bear Press. His other titles include The Legend of Sleeping Bear, the #1 Midwest bestselling Legend of the Petoskey Stone, and Texas Bluebonnet runner-up Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot. Gijsbert and his family live in Bath, Michigan.

At the southernmost tip of New Jersey lie the resort town of Cape May and its sparkling sandy beaches, sheltering the Delaware Bay. Formed by melting glaciers thousands of years past, the Delaware River flows from its headwaters to spill into the Delaware Bay. And for thousands of years, fragments of quartz rock have ridden the river, plucked from the mountains lining its banks. Polished and buffed as they tumble along, these rock particles dazzle like gemstones when tossed onto Cape May''s sandy shores. Beloved by beachcombers, these "diamonds" are the daughters of the river, linking the state''s past and present. Delving into the natural beauty of New Jersey''s famous coastline, storyteller Trinka Hakes Noble has crafted a wondrous tale explaining the origin of the Cape May Diamond.Trinka Hakes Noble''s award-winning picture books include The Last Brother, The Scarlet Stockings Spy (an IRATeachers'' Choice, 2005), and the popular Jimmy''s Boa series. Her awards include ALANotable Children''s Book, IRA-CBC Children''s Choice, and several Junior Literary Guild Selections. She lives in Bernardsville, New Jersey. E.B. Lewis is the acclaimed illustrator of numerous award-winning picture books, including the 2005 Caldecott Honor Book, Coming On Home Soon. He teaches illustration at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and is a member of the Society of Illustrators in New York City. He lives in Folsom, New Jersey.

Delly Porter has a happy life. She needs new shoes, but doesn''t really mind because she loves the soft, silky feel of the dirt road beneath her bare feet. She''s a good artist, too, even if she has to make her own art supplies. And she loves her schoolteacher, Miss Violet, who lets her help in the classroom. Life only looks brighter when Miss Violet announces the school will have a Shoebox Social to help raise funds for new art materials. But when what should be a festive occasion is threatened by prejudice and cruelty, Delly finds out that one must stay true to oneself to successfully navigate life''s joys and sorrows. From Trinka Hakes Noble, the author of The Scarlet Stockings Spy and The Last Brother, comes the story of a young girl who learns the most precious things in life are not measured in dollars and cents but by the warmth of one''s heart. And that truth, beauty, and love are in the eye of the beholder.

The Pine Barrens region in New Jersey has long been a place of mystery, with its dark pine groves, black swamps, and dank bogs, oftentimes shrouded in mist and fog. Reputed to be haunted by spirits, it’s an unsettling place to be sure. But of all the mysterious happenings and sights to be found in the Pine Barrens, there is none so intriguing as the Jersey Devil. Since its first reported sighting in 1735, local lore has it that a “devil-like” creature with the head of a horse, the wings of a bat, and the hooves of a goat has menaced townspeople, frightened livestock, and caused all manner of trouble over the years. Is the Jersey Devil real? Award-winning author Trinka Hakes Noble weaves a spellbinding tale about the origins of the legend of the Jersey Devil. Atmospheric illustrations by artist Gerald Kelley bring the tale to spooky life.

Each paperback in this series features a trio of fictional stories highlighting a moment in history, with content taken from our popular Tales of Young Americans picture-book series. The Battles contains three stories focusing on key American battles: the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. The Scarlet Stockings Spy is set during the Revolutionary War. In Philadelphia 1777, childhood games now become life-and-death actions for Maddy Rose and her Patriot soldier brother, as British spies are everywhere. In The Town that Fooled the British, the War of 1812 comes to life when the British target St. Michaels, Maryland, in their campaign to defeat America. But a young boy''s quick thinking helps the town escape destruction. The Last Brother is set on the battlefields of Gettysburg where Gabe, a Union Army bugler, meets and befriends Orlee, a young Confederate bugler. Now, with the battle looming ahead of him, Gabe is conflicted about what to do.

State birds, flowers, trees, and animals brought to board book form for the youngest book lovers. Toddlers will delight in these books filled with rhyming riddles framed by brightly painted clues, introducing elements that make each state so special.

Ten-year-old Walking Turtle is of the Lenni Lenape tribe. He lives with his family in a small village alongside the Passaic River in what will become northern New Jersey. They have a relatively peaceful life, with nature offering up a bounty of resources for food and shelter, amply meeting their needs. Walking Turtle is close to his younger cousin, Little Talk. He feels protective of Little Talk, who has difficulty walking. Together they roam the forests near their village, with Walking Turtle carrying his cousin on his back. But in the autumn of Walking Turtle''s tenth year, his father tells him that soon he must leave childhood friends behind and begin warrior school. Walking Turtle worries about what will become of Little Talk when he leaves for his training. And what is his future?Trinka Hakes Noble is the award-winning author of numerous picture books, including The Orange Shoes and The Scarlet Stockings Spy. She lives in Bernardsville, New Jersey.

Long ago in a faraway place there lived two mothers. One, a humble peasant woman who struggled daily to provide for her children. And the other, a mother spider who also worked hard to care for her family. And although it would appear they were as different as night and day, these two mothers had more in common than would first seem. As the only holiday gift she can give her children, one cold Christmas Eve the peasant woman goes to the forest to get a tree, never noticing that someone has made a home among its branches. During the night, the mother spider spins webs decorating the tree, resulting in a Christmas that neither mother will ever forget. Based on an old Ukrainian story, Trinka Hakes Noble (The Orange Shoes) crafts an original heartwarming tale of the grace that can be found in the true spirit of Christmas. Trinka Hakes Noble''s numerous picture books include The Scarlet Stockings Spy (IRA Teachers'' Choice 2005), The Last Brother, The Orange Shoes (IRA Teachers'' Choice 2008), and Apple Tree Christmas. Ms. Noble lives in northern New Jersey. Stephen Costanza attended the Philadelphia College of Art. His picture books are Mozart Finds a Melody, Noodle Man: The Pasta Superhero, and Ten Big Toes and a Prince''s Nose. He lives in Belfast, Maine.

In July 1863 the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fought outside the sleepy Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg. In The Last Brother the story of one small boy is told amidst the dramatic events of those early days of July. Though he is only 11 years old, Gabe is a bugler in the Union Army. He takes his responsibility very seriously; after all, there are over 60 different battle calls for buglers to learn. But what is even more important to Gabe is watching over his older brother Davy who, as a foot soldier, is right in the thick of the fighting. Two of Gabe''s older brothers have already perished, and he is not willing to lose the only one he has left. During those long days, Gabe meets another young bugler -- one who fights for the other side. Suddenly, what was so definite and clear has become complicated by friendship and compassion. Does one have to choose between service to country, to kin or to a friend? As the cannons fire and the battle rages on, Gabe must do his duty while searching for a way to honor all that he holds dear.Trinka Hakes Noble is the noted author of numerous award-winning picture books, including The Scarlet Stockings Spy, the ever-popular Jimmy''s Boa series and Meanwhile Back at the Ranch (both featured on "Reading Rainbow"). Her many awards include ALA Notable Children''s Book, Booklist Children''s Editors'' Choice, IRA-CBC Children''s Choice, Learning: The Year''s Ten Best, and several Junior Literary Guild Selections. Trinka makes her home in Bernardsville, New Jersey. Robert Papp''s award-winning artwork includes hundreds of illustrations for major publishers across the United States, and his first children''s book, The Scarlet Stockings Spy was named an IRATeacher''s Choice in 2005. Robert lives in historic Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia 1777 is no place for the faint of heart. The rumble of war with the British grows louder each day, and spies for and against the Patriots are everywhere. No one is above suspicion. Still, everyday life must go on and young Maddy Rose must help her mother, especially since her father''s death at the Battle of Princeton and now with her beloved brother Jonathan off with Washington''s army. But when childhood games become life-and-death actions, Maddy Rose is drawn ever deeper into events that will explode beyond her imagining. As young America stands on the very brink of its fight for freedom, it becomes clear that even the smallest of citizens can play the largest of parts, and that the role of a patriot has nothing to do with age and everything to do with heart. In The Scarlet Stockings Spy, Trinka Hakes Noble melds a suspenseful tale of devotion, sacrifice, and patriotism with the stark realities of our country''s birth.Noted picture book author and illustrator Trinka Hakes Noble has pursued the study of children''s book writing and illustrating in New York City at Parsons School of Design, the New School University, Caldecott medalist Uri Shulevitz''s Greenwich Village Workshop, and New York University. She has authored and illustrated numerous books including the popular Jimmy''s Boa series, which has been translated into six languages. Trinka lives in Berrnardsville, New Jersey. The Scarlet Stockings Spy is her first book with Sleeping Bear Press. Because Robert Papp''s childhood drawings of his favorite superheros were such a pleasure, it was only natural that he would wind up an illustrator. Nowadays, his award-winning artwork appears on book covers and in magazines instead of on the refrigerator. He has produced hundreds of cover illustrations for major publishers across the United States. Robert lives in historic Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Introducing our latest new series - a board book for each state! State birds, flowers, trees, and animals brought to board book form for the youngest book lovers. Toddlers will delight in these books filled with rhyming riddles, framed by brightly painted clues that introduce adorable things that make each state so special.

Jimmy''s boa constrictor wreaks havoc on the class trip to a farm.

A pet boa constrictor wreaks havoc on a posh garden party.

Jimmy''s birthday party at SeaLand turns out to be a big splash when everyone ends up in the big tank.

Jimmy''s boa constrictor wreaks havoc on the class trip to a farm.