When Zimdalamashkermishkada starts a new school, he decides to shrink his name to the shorter, simpler Zim, but when his new friend Elly sees him for who he truly is, Zimdalamashkermishkada finds the confidence to step proudly into his long name.

The Little Engine is a classic fairytale that all children should know. Originally written in the early 20th century, the story is one of perseverance and confidence. You and your child can now read this original children’s classic with this new edition full of colorful illustrations.

"Wordy Birdy loves to talk, but will she ever learn to listen?"--

When second-grader Alvin Ho is invited to a birthday party given by a girl, his fear of everything causes him to dread going.

Miri is eager to return to her beloved Mount Eskel after a year at the capital, but the king and queen ask her to first journey to a distant swamp and start her own miniature princess academy for three royal cousins, but once there she must solve a mystery before she can return home.

"After a spectacular performance in your first, and only, high school football game, sitting on the bench might seem like a letdown. But not for this player, who is secretly scared of letting everybody down."--

When budget cuts lead to the elimination of Delano Middle School's girl soccer team, Melina Stern and the other seventh and eighth graders are invited to try out for the high school varsity team--but the older players clearly do not want the middle schoolers around, and the girls are having trouble playing as a team.

Preparing for spelling bees, having a secret admirer, and waiting for her chest size to catch up with her enormous feet are pressure enough, but twelve-year-old Vanessa must also deal with loneliness and very real fears as her mother, Florida's Governor, runs for President of the United States.

"Jeremy is getting his shot at playing the Big Bad Wolf, and he really wants to shine! But sometimes he finds it hard to get past his stutter. And he's not so sure what to do if this comes up during stage time. With help from his "pack"--his teacher, family, and friends--Jeremy practices his part. And practices. And practices. Now, the day for the play has arrived, and this Big Bad Wolf is about to find out just how much his pack has his back!"--

Allie loves everything about volleyball--except hitting. She doesn't think she's good at it, and every time she messes up, her belief in her own abilities dwindles. Finally, she asks for help. Her idol, Nikki, agrees to coach her once a week. If Allie can learn to spike as well as she blocks, she could become one of the team's strongest players.