Kathy MacMillan

This early encyclopedia introduces readers to many cat breeds. From hairless cats to cats with curly fur or ears, each breed is special in its own way. This book highlights each cat's appearance, behavior, and history. It also features a map of the breed's place of origin. Features include a glossary, additional resources, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Early Encyclopedias is an imprint of Abdo Reference, a division of ABDO.

Sign along to the activities, traditions, tastes, and scenes of winter with this adorable board book from ASL expert Kathy MacMillan—an engaging tool that helps little ones communicate while celebrating the season. Signing with young children isn’t complete without the seasons! Sign the Seasons: Winter teaches eight essential signs for every child and parent to know during the winter season, including winter, snow, coat, hat, snowball, snowman, sled, and hot chocolate. With a simple story about the activities, traditions, and scenes that make winter special, children can learn American Sign Language (ASL) in context, making it perfect for baby communication and early learning. Even better, each sign includes adorable illustrations from Ekaterina Ladatko and accurate instructions from ASL expert Kathy MacMillan so that children can practice them again and again. Nothing makes learning sign language more fun than a snowy day and yummy hot chocolate!

Sign along to the activities, traditions, tastes, and scenes of fall with this adorable board book from ASL expert Kathy MacMillan—an engaging tool that helps little ones communicate while celebrating the season. Signing with young children isn’t complete without the seasons! Sign the Seasons: Fall teaches eight essential signs for every child and parent to know during the autumn season, including fall, trees, leaf, squirrel, popcorn, pumpkin, apple, and pie. With a simple story about the activities, traditions, and scenes that make fall special, children can learn American Sign Language (ASL) in context, making it perfect for baby communication and early learning. Even better, each sign includes adorable illustrations from Ekaterina Ladatko and accurate instructions from ASL expert Kathy MacMillan so that children can practice them again and again. Nothing makes learning sign language more fun than colorful leaves and pumpkin treats!

A CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL HOT OFF THE PRESS PICK This third volume in the popular Little Hands Signing series teaches 10 key ASL signs for every parent and child to know: eat, cracker, banana, sweet potato, bread, cereal, apple, chicken, carrot, and cookie. These practical and fun pull-tab board books introduce basic sign language. They were created by ASL expert Kathy MacMillan to help caregivers and children communicate. Sign language makes it easy to communicate with your child, and Nita makes it fun! With adorable illustrations by Ekaterina Ladatko, Nita and her family learn 10 ASL signs throughout the day. A simple story about Nita and her parents teaches each sign in context. Even better, each page slides open to reveal accurate instructions on how to make each sign, plus tabs on the side of each page make it simple to locate every sign for later reference.The bestselling Little Hands Signing series includes: Nita's First Signs Nita's Day Nita's Food Signs

Don’t miss this captivating sequel to the acclaimed She Spoke by Kathy MacMillan and Manuela Bernardi. When the world tells you to stay quiet, do you listen, or do you speak up? In She Spoke Too: 14 More Women Who Raised Their Voices and Changed the World, with the touch of a button readers can hear Mother Jones (Mary Harris Jones), Gerda Weissmann Klein, Patsy Takemoto Mink, Judy Heumann, LaDonna Harris, Antonia Hernández, Dr. Mae Jemison, Jacinda Ardern, Zuzana Caputová, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Kamala Harris, Maria Ressa, Shamsia Hassani, and Greta Thunberg. Simply press the button featuring each iconic woman to hear her words, or press the button again to turn the sound off. Through succinct profiles, stunning portraits by illustrator Becky Thorns, and the original voices of these international women, She Spoke Too will inspire readers of all ages to share their own truths and change the world.

Sometimes the coolest places are right outside your front door. Learning about Baltimore's interesting and unique culture has never been so super fun

Research shows that signing with young children can reduce frustration for both parent and child, increase IQ, stimulate language learning, enhance bonding, and raise a child's self-esteem. All those reasons are great, but the best reason to start signing with your child is that signing with babies, toddlers, and young children improves everyday life and communication. A child who can express him or herself with the aid of signs is far less likely to get frustrated and throw tantrums, and can initiate conversations about topics that interest them, which leads to adults talking more about those topics, which leads to a motivated and interested child absorbing more spoken language, which helps develop spoken language skills. Signing with children naturally complements other language and literacy activities such as books, fingerplays, rhymes, and songs. Little Hands and Big Hands offers solid background information on signing with children ages birth to six, along with hands-on games, fingerplays, songs, and more that parents can use throughout the day to smooth transitions, calm a fussy child, or engage a stubborn one. Each activity is accompanied by photos of the relevant signs. Even better: the book features American Sign Language, which, as a real language, stimulates children's language development in a way that made-up gestures can't. Author Kathy MacMillan is a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter and has been sharing the joys of signing for years through her "Little Hands Signing" programs for children and families.

Sign language makes it easy to communicate with your child, and Nita makes it fun! The second book in the Little Hands Signing series (which introduced the bestselling Nita's First Signs), Nita's Day teaches ten new and essential ASL signs for every parent and child to know: wake up, change, clothes, eat, potty, go, play, bath, book, and bed. A simple story about Nita and her parents teaches each sign in context. Even better, each page slides open to reveal accurate instructions on how to make each sign, plus tabs on the side of each page make it simple to locate every sign for later reference. No signing book collection is complete without Nita!

"Rich in politics, intrigue, and betrayal, Dagger and Coin is a complex feminist fantasy featuring a tough and prickly ex-princess that I couldn't help but adore."—Heidi Heilig, author of The Girl from EverywhereThe sequel to Sword and Verse follows a familiar face—Soraya—as she attempts to rebuild a nation after the downfall of the monarchy. Readers who love Rae Carson and Kristen Cashore won’t be able to put this fantasy down.Soraya Gamo was meant to be queen of Qilara, until an Arnath slave rebellion upended the social order and destroyed the capital city. Now, improbably, she sits on the new ruling council beside Mati, Raisa, and Jonis from Book 1, and must work with her former enemies.She finally holds the political power she always wanted—but over a nation in ruins. As she helps to rebuild Qilara, she can, at last, use what everyone once told her to hide: her brain.But not everyone is ready to accept that the Arnathim are no longer enslaved to the Qilarites. So when a slave ship arrives in the city, full of Arnathim captured before Qilara fell, the civil unrest that has been bubbling since the rebellion erupts.Forced to confront her own prejudices, Soraya struggles to gain the trust of the Arnath people she once disregarded and establish peace in what has become chaos. With the threat of attacks high, Gelti, a former guard captain, trains Soraya in self-defense. As the two grow close, tension within the city ramps up, with danger, betrayal, and deception meeting Soraya everywhere she turns.Friends become foes, adversaries become companions, and the clashing of classes threatens to unravel all the good Soraya has been trying to do. Can Soraya, raised to be a submissive Qilarite lady, learn to be a true leader? Or will the sins of her past forever haunt the footsteps of her future?

When the world tells you to stay quiet, do you listen, or do you speak up? In She Spoke: 14 Women Who Raised Their Voices and Changed the World, with the touch of a button readers can hear Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Dolores Huerta, Dr. Maya Angelou, Dr. Jane Goodall, Shirley Chisholm, Susan Shown Harjo, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Leymah Gbowee, Dr. Temple Grandin, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Tammy Duckworth, Dr. Joanne Liu, Abby Wambach, and Malala Yousafzai. Through succinct profiles, stunning portraits by illustrator Kathrin Honesta, and the original voices of these women, She Spoke will inspire readers of all ages to share their own truths and change the world.

In a sweeping fantasy that award-winning author Franny Billingsley calls "fascinating and unique," debut author Kathy MacMillan weaves palace intrigue and epic world-building to craft a tale for fans of Rae Carson and Megan Whalen Turner.Raisa was just a child when she was sold into slavery in the kingdom of Qilara. Before she was taken away, her father had been adamant that she learn to read and write. But where she now lives, literacy is a capital offense for all but the nobility. The written language is closely protected, and only the King, Prince, Tutor, and Tutor-in-training are allowed to learn its very highest form.So when she is plucked from her menial labor and selected to replace the last Tutor-in-training who was executed, Raisa knows that betraying any hint of her past could mean death.Keeping her secret guarded is hard enough, but the romance that's been blossoming between her and Prince Mati isn't helping matters. Then Raisa is approached by the Resistance—an underground rebel army—to help liberate the city's slaves. She wants to free her people, but that would mean aiding a war against Mati.As Raisa struggles with what to do, she discovers a secret that the Qilarites have been hiding for centuries—one that, if uncovered, could bring the kingdom to its knees.

Baby sign language makes it easy to communicate with your child, and Nita makes it fun! Nita's First Signs teaches ten essential signs for every parent and child to know, including eat, more, hungry, milk, all done, ball, play, love, please, and thank you. A simple story about Nita and her parents teaches each sign in context, and repetition throughout each story makes them easy to practice. Even better, each page slides open to reveal accurate instructions on how to make each sign, plus tabs on the side of each page make it simple to locate every sign for later reference. Baby sign language collections aren't complete without Nita!

In a sweeping fantasy that award-winning author Franny Billingsley called "fascinating and unique," debut author Kathy MacMillan weaves palace intrigue and epic world building to craft a tale for fans of Rae Carson and Megan Whalen Turner. Raisa was just a child when she was sold into slavery in the kingdom of Qilara. Before she was taken away, her father had been adamant that she learn to read and write. But where she now lives, literacy is a capital offense for all but the nobility. The written language is closely protected, and only the King, Prince, Tutor, and Tutor-in-training are allowed to learn its very highest form. So when she is plucked from her menial labor and selected to replace the last Tutor-in-training, who was executed, Raisa knows that betraying any hint of her past could mean death. Keeping her secret guarded is hard enough, but the romance that's been blossoming between her and Prince Mati isn't helping matters. Then Raisa is approached by the Resistance-an underground rebel army-to help liberate the city's slaves. She wants to free her people, but that would mean aiding a war against Mati. As Raisa struggles with what to do, she discovers a secret that the Qilarites have been hiding for centuries-one that, if uncovered, could bring the kingdom to its knees.

MacMillian and Kirker’s knack for creating storytimes that engage and delight young ones have made their previous books bestsellers. Now they’re back with an all new assortment of original fingerplays, transitional rhymes, movement songs, flannelboards, sign language rhymes and other activities to spice up storytimes for ages two and up. This ready-to-go sourcebook for children’s librarians, early literacy specialists, and other adults who work with young children offers everything needed to plan and host quality storytimes, includingmore than a dozen thematic groupings of activities, featuring such fun topics such as “All About Me,” “Bugs and Insects,” “Fairy Tales and Castles,” and “People in my Neighborhood”; recommended storytime books for each theme, along with material lists, patterns for flannelboards and stick puppets, and illustrations of American Sign Language signs; andcoding for each entry indicating which Common Core State Standards for Kindergarten skills it supports. Using the guidance and activities contained in this book, storytimes will be more magical than ever!

Whether you’ve been presenting baby story times for fifteen years or fifteen minutes, you probably already know that the first five years of life are key for brain development and early literacy. Many public libraries have instituted baby and toddler programs, but finding exciting materials for baby story time that go beyond nursery rhymes can be a challenge. Baby Storytime Magic is a treasure trove of new and exciting ideas for programs, all of which revolve around themes from a baby’s world. Inside this resource you’ll findFinger plays, bounces, flannel boards, activities with props, songs, American Sign Language activities, and more, with items arranged by type of materialTips for planning story times, with advice on logistical issues such as age grouping, scheduling, formats, and physical setupGuidance on involving caregivers in baby story times, including suggested scripts for explaining the benefits of each activity and how to use it at homeAge-appropriate book recommendationsInformation on the stages of early childhood development, plus an appendix of recommended additional resourcesA thematic index to find the right story time quicklyLinks to full-sized, downloadable flannel board patterns, craft patterns, and worksheetsPacked with ready-to-use activities, reducing prep time substantially, this book is a valuable early literacy tool for every children’s librarian.

Storytime audiences grow ever more diverse, and it’s important that the materials used in programs reflect that richness of experience. Multiculturalism need not be an occasional initiative attached to particular holidays. In this book best-selling authors MacMillan and Kirker offer a new paradigm for multicultural programs, one in which diversity is woven into any and every storytime, no matter what the topic. Arranged thematically around dozens of popular storytime themes, the authors Present original and traditional resources from all over the world that will enrich storytimes for ages 2 through 5Offer concrete book recommendations, fingerplays, and other activities that can be integrated into existing storytimesInclude download links for flannelboard and stick puppet patterns, and illustrations of American Sign Language signs With numerous activities and programming suggestions, this book will seamlessly integrate and enhance cultural awareness for children all year round.

This time-saving program planner for librarians and classroom teachers alike includes everything you need to get started- reading lists, flannelboard patterns, poems, songs, easy crafts, even take-home activities to extend the learning process. The many creative ideas packed inside include - Activities keyed to popular classroom themes, with one chapter for each week of the school year - Lessons that reinforce skills in key learning areas such as reading, writing, and math - American Sign Language and Spanish language activities that make diversity awareness a part of children's learning - Teachable concepts that can be mixed and rearranged for maximum flexibility, complementing classroom schedules Both veterans and novices will find plenty to help make kindergarten days richer, more rewarding, and more fun.

American Sign Language is more than just an assortment of gestures. It is a full-fledged unique language, with all the characteristics of such. This helpful and user-friendly guide for librarians and other library personnel involved in library programming demonstrates everything from how to set up programming involving sign language for all ages to dealing with and paying interpreters. The book also discusses how to publicize programs to the public and within the deaf community and how to evaluate and improve the library's sign language collection. Kathy MacMillan's impressive understanding and knowledge of the deaf community and the importance of sign language_as well as her exceptional handling of the numerous erroneous myths about deafness and sign language that are, unfortunately, still often current_make this handbook an indispensable tool for all library personnel looking to reach out to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.