Jerdine Nolen

From beloved comedian, actress, and New York Times bestselling author Tiffany Haddish comes Layla, the Last Black Unicorn, a hilarious, original picture book tale about a lovable but awkward unicorn who learns why her uniqueness is her biggest strength.It’s not easy to fit in when you stand out. When Layla arrives for her first day of school at Unicornia, the school for unicorns, she realizes that she’s not like the other kids there. They’re all pastel colors and know the rules to Horn Ball and none of them come from the Woods like Layla does. Try as she might to make friends, Layla’s just . . . different. But when her class gets lost during a field trip to the Fiddle Dee Deep Forest, it’s up to Layla to step up and save the day.Layla, the Last Black Unicorn is a hilariously heartwarming picture book about self-acceptance, self-esteem, and standing up for standing out by New York Times bestselling author, Grammy Award-winning comedian, and actress Tiffany Haddish and Jerdine Nolen, author of the Coretta Scott King Honor Book Thunder Rose.

In this Level Three I Can Read, join twins Jada and Jamal, and their best friends Carlita and Josh as they come up with a colorful springtime plan to spruce up their schoolyard. Everyone in the neighborhood is invited! ???????CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP! It’s springtime on Bradford Street. Jada and Jamal are searching for signs of spring. So are their best friends, Carlita Garcia and Josh Cornell. But the most surprising sign of spring awaits them at school tomorrow . . . a surprise that blossoms into a colorful plan to beautify the schoolyard just in time for Earth Day. Get set to dig in and join the neighborhood fun with the Bradford Street Buddies! This Level 3 I Can Read title is written for independent readers and includes challenging words and more complex themes and stories.

From the author of Eliza's Freedom Road and Calico Girl (a Kirkus Best Book of the Year) comes a dramatic historical middle grade novel that is "a unique lens through which to examine the 1849 Gold Rush" (School Library Journal) following an enslaved girl taking the chance to find freedom on the Overland Trail to California. In Alexandria, Virginia, in the mid-19th century, a slave-owning family is facing financial trouble. The eldest son, Jason, thinks going to California to mine for gold might be the best way to protect his father's legacy. He'll need a cook, a laundress, and a hostler for the journey, and one of them is twelve-year-old Clementine, whose mother calls her Hope. From Independence, Missouri--the "Gateway to the West"--she and the others join a wagon train on the Emigrant Overland Trail. But what Jason didn't consider is taking the three enslaved people west will give them an opportunity to free themselves--manifesting their destiny.

“Powerful storytelling and immersive art.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Vibrant writing and magical realism lift this story to one of triumph.” —Publishers Weekly “Nolen's lively prose style recalls the richness of the oral tradition in this tale of triumphant courage and abiding hope.” —The Horn Book “A moving choice for children’s collections.” —Booklist A Parents’ Choice Silver Award Recipient In this inspiring story in the tradition of American black folktales, an enslaved brother and sister are inspired by a majestic and mysterious bird to escape to freedom in this dramatic and unforgettable picture book.There was nothing civil about that war. They should have called it what it was: a big, bad war. Brother and sister Millicent and John are slaves on Simon Plenty’s plantation and have suffered one hurt and heartbreak after another. Their parents had told them old tales of how their ancestors had flown away to freedom just as free and easy as a bird. Millicent and John hold these stories in their hearts long after their parents are gone. “Maybe such a time will come for you,” their parents said. Then one day a mysterious bird appears in their lives. The bird transforms them and gives them the courage to set their plan into motion and escape to freedom.

From the author of Eliza's Freedom Road and Calico Girl (a Kirkus Best Book of the Year) comes a dramatic historical middle grade novel that is "a unique lens through which to examine the 1849 Gold Rush" (School Library Journal) following an enslaved girl taking the chance to find freedom on the Overland Trail to California. In Alexandria, Virginia, in the mid-19th century, a slave-owning family is facing financial trouble. The eldest son, Jason, thinks going to California to mine for gold might be the best way to protect his father's legacy. He'll need a cook, a laundress, and a hostler for the journey, and one of them is twelve-year-old Clementine, whose mother calls her Hope. From Independence, Missouri--the "Gateway to the West"--she and the others join a wagon train on the Emigrant Overland Trail. But what Jason didn't consider is taking the three enslaved people west will give them an opportunity to free themselves--manifesting their destiny.

Discover the early life and legacy of groundbreaking American writer Toni Morrison in this beautifully illustrated nonfiction picture book biography.Born Chloe Ardelia Wofford in Ohio, Toni Morrison grew up listening to her family tell myths, legends, and stories from the Bible. She loved hearing the music and power of the words. Toni also heard new stories from the students from other countries who went to her school. After an early childhood of soaking up tales from those around her, it was no surprise Toni grew into a voracious reader. She worked at her town library as a teenager and was an editor for a New York publisher as an adult. When it came time for her to write her own stories, she knew she wanted to write about her people—Black people. Early in the morning and late at night after her children were asleep, Toni began work on what would become an acclaimed and trailblazing body of work. This luminous picture book has back matter with further reading on Toni Morrison’s life and work.

A Kirkus Best Book of the Year "A poignant and hopeful glimpse at the past for today's curious readers." --Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor author From the award-winning author of Eliza's Freedom Road comes the powerful tale of a slave girl's triumphant journey to freedom with her family during the Civil War.Twelve-year-old Callie Wilcomb and her family are enslaved, and the Civil War gives them hope that freedom may be on the horizon. On May 23, 1861, the State of Virginia ratified their vote to secede from the Union. In Virginia, a window was opened where the laws of the land no longer applied. Because of the Contraband Law, enslaved people no longer had to be returned to their owners, granting them a measure of protection and safety. With the possibility of Callie and her family escaping their bonds forever, Callie is eager to learn and become educated and hopes to teach others one day. Through hardship and loss--with love and strong family ties--Callie proves that freedom is in her stars.

CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP It's springtime on Bradford Street. Jada and Jamal are searching for signs of spring. So are their best friends, Carlita Garcia and Josh Cornell. But the most surprising sign of spring awaits them at school the next day . . . a surprise that blossoms into a colorful plan to beautify the schoolyard just in time for Earth Day. Get set to dig in and join the neighborhood fun with the Bradford Street Buddies

Christopher Award-winning author Jerdine Nolen imagines a young woman's journey from slavery to freedom in this intimate and powerful novel that was named an ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults nominee. It is 1854 in Alexandria, Virginia. Eliza's mother has been sold away and Eliza is left as a slave on a Virginia farm. It is Abbey, the cook, who looks after Eliza, when she isn't taking care of the Mistress. Eliza has only the quilt her mother left her and the stories her mother told to keep her mother's memory close. When the Mistress's health begins to fail and Eliza overhears the Master talk of the Slave sale auction and of Eliza being traded, she takes to the night. She follows the path and the words of the farmhand Old Joe: "Travel the night. Sleep the day...Go east. Keep your back to the setting of the sun. Come to the safe house with a candlelight in the window...That gal, Harriet, she'll take you." All the while, Eliza recites the stories her mother taught her as she travels along her freedom road from Mary's Land to Pennsylvania to Freedom's Gate in St. Catharines, Canada, where she finds not only her freedom but also more than she could have hoped for.

Camping is going to be so much fun. Or is it?The backyard campout is tonight. Jada and Jamal Perkins have never slept in a tent before. Neither have their best friends, Carlita Garcia and Josh Cornell. It's really dark in the backyard. And what's that noise? It's coming from the bushes. Crunch Crunch Crunch Scrunch Scrunch Scrunch Will an unexpected visitor ruin the Bradford Street Buddies campout under the stars? Grab a flashlight and find out in this neighborhood adventure.This is a Level 3 reader. Level 3 includes many fun subjects kids love to read about on their own. Themes include friendship, adventure, historical fiction, and science. Level Three books are written for early independent readers. They include some challenging words and more complex themes and stories.

The neighborhood block party is today. Jada and Jamal Perkins are super excited. Their best friends, Carlita Garcia and Josh Cornell, are on their way over. Mr. Perkins promised them a BIG surprise. Thump Thump Thump Bump Bump Bump The surprise is thumping and bumping its way around the Perkinses' backyard. What could it be? And how will the Bradford Street Buddies get a surprise that BIG to the block party?

A young girl wants her father to be home more, but her wish takes an unexpected turn in this story of enduring love between parent and child from an award-winning author and illustrator. Irene loves her family, especially when her father is home. But Papa is gone a lot, and so Irene makes a wish for him to be with the family more. Her wish comes true in an unexpected way when Papa, who was drinking lemonade in the garden at the exact moment Irene made her wish, swallows a watermelon seed and begins a surprising transformation. Slowly and beautifully, day after day, Irene's father turns into a tall, stately, and loving tree. Papa is a beautiful tree, but Irene wants her real Papa back. How could Irene have made such a wish, and how can she make things right?

Young Hewitt Anderson is sweet, smart, polite--and very, very small. This warmly humorous tale is "proof that, when it comes to heart, physical size isn't the whole story" (Kirkus Reviews). Descended from a long line of giants, the J. Carver Worthington Andersons take their height very seriously indeed. You see, without exception all of the many J. Carver Worthington Andersons have been giants until now. And poor Hewitt--hidden in the floorboards, trapped in the flour vat, lost in the bedsheets--has his struggles being tiny. Oh, his parents worry: How will their son manage to live in a world of big things? Leave it to Hewitt to prove the power of being small. Inspired by the tale of "Jack and the Beanstalk," the inimitable Jerdine Nolen tells an original story of bravery and the power of the individual. Kadir Nelson's imaginative and loving illustrations create a world where smallness rules--a world that children will want to return to again and again.

Mortimer Henryson is thrilled when he is finally accepted by Camp Wannaleaveee, his father's childhood sleepaway camp. Until he reads the camp rule: NO PETS OF ANY KIND ARE ALLOWED It breaks Mortimer's heart to leave his beloved Plantzilla behind. And then at camp, Mortimer discovers that the horrible, much-feared bully Bulford Whipland is his roommate. Does Plantzilla have a plan to watch over his friend and save the day? Friendship and true devotion conquer all in this charmingly madcap picture book by best-loved team of Jerdine Nolen and David Catrow. Everyone should have a friend like Plantzilla --why not adopt a plant of your own?

Mortimer Henryson loves Plantzilla, the plant he's been taking care of all year in his third-grade classroom. He loves him so much, he takes him home for summer vacation. What could go wrong with a . . . plant? But life in the Henryson household soon takes a strange turn. A pot roast disappears, then steaks from the grill--and where has Mrs. Henryson's prize Chihuahua gone? In this hilarious story told ingeniously through letters, Jerdine Nolen and David Catrow team up to show that when there's enough love, even the most unlikely character can become part of a family.

Young Hewitt Anderson is sweet, smart, polite--and very, very small. This warmly humorous tale is "proof that, when it comes to heart, physical size isn't the whole story" (Kirkus Reviews). Featuring illustrations by Kadir Nelson, winner of the Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement Descended from a long line of giants, the J. Carver Worthington Andersons take their height very seriously indeed. You see, without exception all of the many J. Carver Worthington Andersons have been giants until now. And poor Hewitt--hidden in the floorboards, trapped in the flour vat, lost in the bedsheets--has his struggles being tiny. Oh, his parents worry: How will their son manage to live in a world of big things? Leave it to Hewitt to prove the power of being small. Inspired by the tale of "Jack and the Beanstalk," the inimitable Jerdine Nolen tells an original story of bravery and the power of the individual. Kadir Nelson's imaginative and loving illustrations create a world where smallness rules--a world that children will want to return to again and again.

"This magical tale of friendship will send youngsters scurrying to find (or invent) a dragon of their own." (Los Angeles Times)When a dragon hatches on her pa's farm, a young girl finds a best friend. At first Ma and Pa are wary of Hank, but it's not long before they see him as their daughter does--and welcome the baby dragon into their family.As it turns out, Hank is not cut out for farm life, but still, he warms the hearts of those around him and leaves a legacy that no one will ever forget.This imagination-sparking classic picture book from two masters of the field concludes with two fun activities to share.

Harvey Potter was a very strange fellow indeed. He was a farmer, but he didn't farm like my daddy did. He farmed a genuine, U.S. Government Inspected Balloon Farm.So begins this enchanting original tall tale. Set in the rural south and populated with a truly unforgettable cast of characters--including, if you look very carefully, a rabbit, a Tyrannosaurus rex, a cat, a chicken, a cow, and a pig hidden in each remarkable illustration--this is a book that is filled with wonderful impossibilities and magical imagination. Told in the great tradition of summer nights and front porch yarns, Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm will lift your spirit right off the ground, just as it does Harvey Potter.Harvey Potter was a very strange fellow indeed. He was a farmer but not like any farmer you've ever met. He didn't grow corn, okra, or tomatoes. Harvey Potter grew balloons. No one knew exactly how he did it, but with the help of the light of a full moon, one friendly child catches a peek of just how Harvey Potter does it. And keeps some magic for herself."This is the best sort of fantasy imaginative, inventive, and believable. Harvey Potter is a wonder he's the owner of a genuine U.S. Government Inspected Balloon farm. And Nolen's tale about this man, narrated by the African-American girl who learns balloon-farming magic from him, is equally wondrous.... This title should sail onto every library shelf. May Nolen grow a bumper crop of books." School Library Journal."Downright glorious."Publishers Weekly(starred review).