From We Need Diverse Books, the organization behind Flying Lessons & Other Stories, comes another middle-grade short-story collection--this one focused on exploring acts of bravery--featuring some of the best own-voices children's authors, including R. J. Palacio (Wonder), Rita Williams-Garcia (One Crazy Summer), Linda Sue Park (A Long Walk to Water), and many more. Not all heroes wear capes. Some heroes teach martial arts. Others talk to ghosts. A few are inventors or soccer players. They're also sisters, neighbors, and friends. Because heroes come in many shapes and sizes. But they all have one thing in common: they make the world a better place. Published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books, this vibrant anthology features thirteen acclaimed authors whose powerful and diverse voices show how small acts of kindness can save the day. So pay attention, because a hero could be right beside you. Or maybe the hero is you. AUTHORS INCLUDE: William Alexander, Joseph Bruchac, Lamar Giles, Mike Jung, Hena Khan, Juana Medina, Ellen Oh, R. J. Palacio, Linda Sue Park and Anna Dobbin, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Ronald L. Smith, Rita Williams-Garcia, and short-story contest winner Suma Subramaniam “As with the two previous anthologies from We Need Diverse Books, this collection admirably succeeds in making available to all readers a wider and more representative range of American voices and protagonists.” —The Washington Post

Based on the true story of a boy in Brooklyn who became neighbors and friends with his hero, Jackie Robinson. Stephen Satlow is an eight-year-old boy living in Brooklyn, New York, which means he only cares about one thing-the Dodgers. Steve and his father spend hours reading the sports pages and listening to games on the radio. Aside from an occasional run-in with his teacher, life is pretty simple for Steve. But then Steve hears a rumor that an African American family is moving to his all-Jewish neighborhood. It's 1948 and some of his neighbors are against it. Steve knows this is wrong. His hero, Jackie Robinson, broke the color barrier in baseball the year before. Then it happens--Steve's new neighbor is none other than Jackie Robinson! Steve is beyond excited about living two doors down from the Robinson family. He can't wait to meet Jackie. This is going to be the best baseball season yet! How many kids ever get to become friends with their hero?

Love—and kittens—to the rescue! Olive Downing has big dreams for her Victorian bed-and-breakfast. She doesn’t need her handsome new neighbor pointing out the flaws in her plan. But Cal Pope isn’t the average busybody. The gruff firefighter can be sweet, charming—and the perfect partner for the town fundraiser. Then Cal surprises her with two adorable rescue kittens. Maybe there’s a soft heart underneath his rough exterior that needs rescuing, too… From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness. Small-Town Sweethearts Book 1: The Marine's Secret Daughter Book 2: The Sergeant's Unexpected Family Book 3: His Unexpected Twins Book 4: The Scrooge of Loon Lake Book 5: The Sergeant's Matchmaking Dog Book 6: The Hero Next Door

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: Ella's next door neighbor, Mr. Willis, is mean. She stays out of his way as much as possible. But when she accidentally sends her baby brother's favorite teddy bear into Mr. Willis' garden, Ella is forced to go over to his house. And Ella is in for a SHOCK!

Three stories of triumph combine to empower young readers to look inward for strength and create their own definition of bravery. Told in gentle, rhyming couplets, this collection of stories presents relatable moments of unease and the strength found in conquering fears. A roaring nighttime thunderstorm, the first day of preschool, and a doctor's visit, in turn, encourage young readers to forge their own paths of strength in times of distress. Illustrated in rich, emotional scenes that depict vignettes of daily life, this book provides comfort and empowerment for resilience and resolution.

Ex-Marine. Ex-Wife. Ex-hausted.I left my brothers in the Marines to start a family.I left my ex-wife when that family drove her to drink and drugs.Now all I have left is my son - and he's all I care about.I can't afford to make another mistake.And the girl who moved in next door? Mistake written all over her.She's got the sweetest smile, the hottest damn curves and behind it all...a haunted look. I can't take my damn eyes off her.My powerful body and coarse attitude make her nervous - and as she tries to start a new life away from her abusive ex, she has her own reasons to stay away. But we can't help it. We're f*cking drawn to each other.And when she tells me how much she wants a baby...I make every mistake in the book.Because I want a family again.I want her. My son. And a baby.And when her past comes calling...I'll fight to hell and back to keep it.Hero Next Door is a full, standalone romance with a hot ex-Marine single dad and a sweet heroine trying to deal with her darker past. No cheating or cliffhangers, and a Happily Ever After guaranteed.

The virtuosity and high spirits of Sophie Hannah's poems are unusual at any time of day. She handles rhymed metrical forms with wily insouciance and passes the 'memorability test' with flying colours. A surrealising impulse unsettles even the most tidy of her stanzas with a shrewd imaginative wantonness. Her experiments with subject-matter produce something more satisfying than 'social verse'. An urban person who prefers shopping, eating and romance to hopping over cowpats on a country walk, she writes with generous rather than reductive wit.