Nobody notices the Queen on the corner. Nobody, that is… except one young girl. Through her eyes, the woman who dwells in the abandoned plot is a warrior queen, with many battles fought and won. When, one day, danger comes to the street and the Queen on the corner sounds the alarm, the little girl must find a way to thank her. Can she bring the community together to turn the Queen’s corner into a home?
A cinematic journey through the Seoul subway that masterfully portrays the many unique lives we travel alongside whenever we take the train. A poetic translation of the bestselling Korean picture book.
Accompanied by the constant, rumbling ba-dum ba-dum of its passage through the city, the subway has stories to tell. Between sunrise and sunset, it welcomes and farewells people, and holds them — along with their joys, hopes, fears, and memories — in its embrace.
Originally published in Korean and brought to English-speaking audiences with the help of renowned translator Deborah Smith (The Vegetarian), I Am the Subway vividly reflects the shared humanity that can be found in crowded metropolitan cities.
Translated by Deborah Smith.
Sometimes I Am Furious is a hilarious and reassuring story about how tough it can be being – and having– a toddler, from bestselling duo Timothy Knapman and Joe Berger.
Life is all fun and games when everything’s going your way. But some days, suddenly, something becomes horribly UNFAIR. A melting ice cream, a too-tight t-shirt, a boy who doesn’t share . . . it’s enough to make you FURIOUS. But, as this little girl discovers, it’s nothing that a deep breath, a happy song and a good cuddle can’t sort out.
A funny, friendly and relatable book for young children (and their parents) about big emotions and how to handle them.
Today I’m a baby bear
I want to hug.
I wouldn’t mind a cuddly squeeze.
I’m baby bear, so yes, please!
Developing emotional and social intelligence is a huge part of young children’s development, and parents are often left grappling with how best to discuss feelings of shyness, social anxiety and physical boundaries with their children. In Sometimes I’m a Baby Bear, Sometimes I’m a Snail, author Moira Butterfield deftly broaches the many different feelings children face – from feeling cuddly like a baby bear or playful like a puppy, to wanting some peace and quiet alone, like a snail curled up in its shell. Through these charming animal comparisons, we see that all feelings are valid and are given tools for how to respect boundaries. Gwen Millward’s lively illustrations bring every emotion vividly to life. A final spread provides extra tools to parents and carers to help young children express their feelings in a calm and constructive way.
“Science shows that empathy is learnable and that reading is an important empathy-building tool. This collection will help parents and educators to surround children with empathy experiences, inspiring them to understand others better, and tackle societal problems like racism.” EmpathyLab Founder Miranda McKearney OBE.
The aim of the Read for Empathy collection is for schools, libraries, families and community groups to use the books to help raise a generation with strong empathy skills. Chosen by expert judges, the primary collection features 40 books for 4-11 year olds, including picturebooks, novels, poetry, non-fiction and graphic novels, all published within the last three years.
Each title on this list was selected because of its empathy-building job, offering children the opportunity to expand their understanding of different people and life experiences, and helping them to find ways of experiencing and building empathy.
The 2024 Read For Empathy book collection comes at a time when empathising with others has never been needed more. Themes of this year’s collection include: changing society for the better; the world’s big empathy issues (war, climate change, refugees); handling and sharing emotions; the power of empathy in relationships; understanding people’s experience of challenging life circumstances; hope for the future; empathy for characters; and identity.
You can see the full collection here. More information is available on the Empathy Lab website.
A coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel featuring a girl with severe allergies who just wants to find the perfect pet!
At home, Maggie is the odd one out.
Her parents are preoccupied with the new baby they’re expecting, and her younger brothers are twins and always in their own world.
Maggie thinks a new puppy is the answer, but when she goes to select one on her birthday, she breaks out in hives and rashes. She’s severely allergic to anything with fur!
Can Maggie outsmart her allergies and find the perfect pet?
The beautiful true story of one girl’s journey growing up autistic and the challenges she faced in the ‘normal’ world.
Abigail wass not like the other children in the class at school. Abigail didn’t didn’t know she was autistic until she was an adult.
This is her true story of growing up in the confusing ‘normal’ world, all the while missing some Very Important Information about herself.
There are be scary moments involving toilets and crowded trains, heart-warming tales of cats and pianos, and funny memories including her dad and a mysterious tub of ice cream. Along the way you’ll also find some Very Crucial Information about autism.
If you’ve ever felt different, out of place, like you don’t fit in – this book is for you.
Between dog and human there is a special bond. A bond that must never be broken . . .
Pup and his boy are inseparable. But both their worlds change forever when Pup is cruelly taken away and abandoned.
With nowhere else to turn, Pup becomes a Street Dog – part of a misfit pack fighting for survival on the streets.
Pup clings to the hope of one day being reunited with his boy. But as time passes, his hope shrinks. Will he ever know love like his boy’s again?
Eleven-year-old Danny Chung loves drawing more than anything – certainly more than maths, which, according to his dad and everyone else, is what he is ‘supposed’ to be good at. He also loves having his own room where he can draw in peace, so his life is turned upside down when a surprise that he’s been promised turns out to be his little, wrinkly, ex-maths-champion grandmother from China. What’s worse, Nai Nai has to share his room, AND she takes the top bunk!
Nai Nai can’t speak a word of English, which doesn’t make things easy for Danny when he is charged with looking after her during his school holidays. Babysitting Nai Nai is NOT what he wants to be doing!
Before long though it becomes clear to Danny that there is more to Nai Nai than meets the eye, and that they have more in common that he thought possible …
A beautiful, moving story of family, friendship and self-discovery.
Super rich. Super shy. Super lonely.
Lucas is all alone.
Since his mum died, Lucas and his dad don’t seem to understand each other at all – it’s almost as if they’re speaking different languages. With a long, hot summer facing him, Lucas is dreading the drama club that his dad has signed him up for – he doesn’t know how to be around new people and he can’t stand performing. But the people Lucas meets at the club force him to open up and start talking, and when disaster strikes, Lucas is forced to step in and help. Can his new-found friends teach Lucas how to be himself?
Filled with empathy and insight, and sensitively touching on issues including grief, anxiety, loneliness with great understanding and an incredible lightness of touch, How to be Me is a kind, heartwarming, and uplifting story, from the author of the high-acclaimed novels Ella on the Outside and Not My Fault – perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson and Lisa Thompson.
© BooksForTopics 2015-2024
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