“Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.” —Buddha The loss of a loved one is one of the most difficult things a person can endure, and it is all too easy to lose sight of ourselves in the experience of grief. Yet it is in these times of trouble, when comfort is most needed, that it seems hardest to find. When I Look to the Sky is a collection of thoughts, prayers, and poems, carefully selected to provide those who grieve with much-needed strength and support in their darkest moments. Serving as a source of both emotional support and personal guidance, When I Look to the Sky helps put things in perspective, allowing each of us to come to terms with loss in our own way, and in our own time. When I Look to the Sky mixes hope with introspection, sorrow with beauty, and loss with love. Its timeless quotes and captivating verses belong in the hands of anyone who looks to the sky for answers. From the Hardcover edition.

A boy and a gorilla create an unbelievable bond in this powerful WWII tale for young readers, for fans of Alan Gratz and Michael Morpugo. “A wonderful story of hurt, kindness, and what it means to be human in an inhumane world.” -The Times of London, Children's Book of the Year In 1940, with his father off to war, Joseph is sent on a train out of his British town into the care of Mrs. F., a gruff woman with no great fondness for children. But he soon discovers her softer side when she takes him to the rundown city zoo and he learns she is the only one who ever checks in on it. Many of the animals have escaped, been released, or have sadly starved . . . but not Adonis, a huge silverback gorilla. Adonis is strong and ferocious-and a danger to the whole city if a bomb should fall and damage the fence that keeps him in. But as Joseph struggles in his new school and starts to spend more time at the zoo, he finds, unexpectedly, Adonis becoming a loyal new friend. From acclaimed author Phil Earle comes a touching historical fiction story of how a boy and a gorilla find redemption in each other amid the toughest of circumstances.

"There are times when a full moon will guide you, a storm will excite you, and a big, blue sky will inspire you to believe anything is possible. These are a few of the many gifts we receive from the sky and universe when life feels scary and confusing. Told by a grandmother to her grandchild, ''If You Look Up to the Sky'' is about the power of everlasting love and the ways the sky connects us through good times and bad. It offers a child comfort in knowing that you never need to be afraid... if you look up to the sky."--Jacket flap.

This shocking, boisterous novel was a runaway bestseller and award winner in Japan: “Pressingly real . . . In these pages, you will find the lives of all of us” (Japan Times). Searingly honest and sexually explicit, So We Look to the Sky is a novel told in five linked stories that begin with an affair between a student and a woman ten years his senior, who picks him up for cosplay sex in a comics market. Their scandalous liaison, which the woman's husband makes public by posting secretly taped video online, frames all of the stories, but each explores a different aspect of the life passages and hardships ordinary people face. A teenager experimenting with sex and then, perhaps, experiencing love and loss; a young, anime-obsessed wife bullied by her mother-in-law to produce the child she and her husband cannot conceive; a high school girl, spurned by the student, realizing that being cute and fertile is all others expect of her; the student's best friend, who lives in the projects and is left alone to support and care for his voracious, senile grandmother; and the student's mother, a divorced single parent and midwife, who guides women bringing new life into this world and must rescue her son, crushed by the twin blows of public humiliation and loss, from giving up on his own. Narrating each story in the distinctive voice of its protagonist, Misumi Kubo weaves themes including sex, love, the female body, gossip, and the bullying that leaves young people feeling burdened and helpless into a profoundly original novel that lingers in the mind for its affirmation of the raw, unquellable force of life.

Takes the reader on a voyage of discovery as the author traces a single mass of air traveling from the Canadian Rockies to the northeastern United States.

Modern history unearthed as a boy becomes an innocent victim of corruption in Bolivia's crime world, where the power of family is both a prison and a means of survival. It's 1999 in Bolivia and Francisco's life consists of school, soccer, and trying to find space for himself in his family's cramped yet boisterous home. But when his father is arrested on false charges and sent to prison by a corrupt system that targets the uneducated, the poor, and the indigenous majority, Francisco and his sister are left with no choice: They must move into prison with their father. There, they find a world unlike anything they've ever known, where everything—a door, a mattress, protection from other inmates—has its price. Prison life is dirty, dire, and dehumanizing. With their lives upended, Francisco faces an impossible decision: Break up the family and take his sister to their grandparents in the Andean highlands, fleeing the city and the future within his grasp, or remain together in the increasingly dangerous prison. Pulled between two undesirable options, Francisco must confront everything he once believed about the world and his place within it. In this heart-wrenching novel, Melanie Crowder sheds light on a little-known era of modern South American history—where injustice still looms large—and proves that hope can be found, even in the most desperate places. Perfect for fans of Ruta Sepetys, Matt de la Pena, and Jacqueline Woodson. Praise for An Uninterrupted View of the Sky: ★ "Crowder delivers a disturbing portrait of innocent families trapped in corrupt systems, as well as a testament to the strength of enduring cultural traditions and the possibility of finding family in the unlikeliest places."—Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ "Readers will feel utterly invested in Francisco's various challenges...A riveting, Dickensian tale."—Kirkus, starred review ★ "Themes of poverty, social injustice...violence toward women, coming-of-age, romantic love, and a sliver of precarious hope are woven into the plot...[An] important addition to libraries."—School Library Journal, starred review "[A] trenchant novel...This hard-hitting, ultimately hopeful story will open readers’ eyes to a lesser-known historical moment and the far-reaching implications of U.S. policy."—Booklist "[This novel] is raw, gripping, poetic and bold....Crowder takes you on an emotional pilgrimage that you won’t want to end."—RT Book Reviews, five-starred review Praise for Audacity: 2015 National Jewish Book Award finalist Washington Post Best Children’s Poetry Book New York Public Library Best Book for Teens ILA Notable Book for a Global Society ALA Top 10 Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick ALSC Notable Children's Book nominee ★ "Crowder breathes life into a world long past...Compelling, powerful and unforgettable."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ "[An] impactful addition to any historical fiction collection."—School Library Journal, starred review ★ "With a thorough historical note, glossary of terms, and bibliography, this will make an excellent complement to units on women’s rights and the labor movement, but it will also satisfy readers in search of a well-told tale of a fierce heroine."—BCCB, starred review ★ "This is an excellent title that can open discussions in U.S. history and economics courses about women’s rights, labor unions, and the immigrant experience."—School Library Connection, starred review

Trying to escape from grief over the death of her husband, Elizabeth Fuller embarks with her 12-year-old son on a journey to the Australian Outback. Seeking answers she has no questions for, she finds herself a participant in "the most meaningful and exciting adventure on earth". In this other world, when her heart seems most wrenched and she feels most out of place, Fuller enters through a gateway to comfort and love.