National Network for Equitable Library Service

This program is read by Taye Diggs. An audiobook about what it means to be a friend from Taye Diggs and Shane W. Evans, the writer/artist team that brought us Chocolate Me! and Mixed Me. Friends lend a hand when they can They help blend and mend it doesn't depend on whether you're doing wrong or right. A friend can send or lend a shining light to a situation. Add some bright to any frustration. On pretty much any occasion. Two best friends do almost everything together. They have each other's backs.

This program is read by Taye Diggs and features a bonus interview with his son, Walker Diggs. From Taye Diggs and Shane W. Evans comes Mixed Me!, another inspiring audiobook collaboration. Mom and Dad say I'm a blend of dark and light:"We mixed you perfectly, and got you just right."Mike has awesome hair. He has LOTS of energy! His parents love him. And Mike is a PERFECT blend of the two of them. Still, Mike has to answer LOTS of questions about being mixed. And he does, with LOTS of energy and joy in this charming story about a day in the life of a mixed-race child.

From Taye Diggs and Shane W. Evans comes I Love You More Than ..., another heartfelt audiobook collaboration. My child. I am not always with youas much as I'd like. But you are always in my mind and my heart. Some families look different than others. A father who doesn't live full-time with his son tells him all the ways he misses and loves him. I Love You More Than ... by Taye Diggs, illustrated by Shane W. Evans, is perfect for families who are separated, whatever the circumstances.

From the legendary author of Hatchet , a laugh-out-loud middle-grade romp about a boy, his free-thinking dad, and the puppy-training pamphlet that turns their summer upside down. Twelve-year-old Carl is fed up with his father's single-minded pursuit of an off-the-grid existence. His dad may be brilliant, but dumpster-diving for food, scouring through trash for salvageable junk, and wearing clothes fully sourced from garage sales is getting old.

This program is read by Taye Diggs. The boy is teased for looking different than the other kids. His skin is darker, his hair curlier. He tells his mother he wishes he could be more like everyone else. And she helps him to see how beautiful he really, truly is. For years before they both achieved acclaim in their respective professions, good friends Taye Diggs and Shane W. Evans wanted to collaborate on Chocolate Me!, a story based on experiences of feeling different and trying to fit in as kids.

Real life and fairy tales collide in Never After: The Broken Mirror, the third installment of the funny and thrilling series from #1 New York Times-bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz. The Never After crew is back for another twisted adventure. This time, they're off to Snow Country--that is, after they rescue the beleaguered Lord Sharif of Nottingham from the evil Robin Hood, who has been plaguing the land with his thievery and mischief. But Robin's antics aren't the only dangers afoot in the Kingdom of Never After.

Presented in light-hearted, rib-tickling verse that's perfect for reading aloud, You Can Read sings it loud and proud: Books are awesome. And so are the people who read them. In this fun and funny celebration of literacy, kids of all ages will discover that the act of reading is a daring adventure that can take you anywhere! You can read at the playground, under the sea, at the opera and even in outer space! It turns out you can read everywhere! And when you do, you open yourself to a universe of adventure.

What happens when one small boy picks up one small piece of litter? He doesn't know it, but his tiny act has big consequences. From the minuscule to the universal, What Matters sensitively explores nature's connections and traces the ripple effects of one child's good deed to show how we can all make a big difference.

Waiting for the Whales illuminates the unique friendship between grandparent and child and celebrates the restorative power of the natural world. An old man lives alone on a bluff overlooking the sea, tends his garden and waits. Only when the whales return each year to the bay in front of his cottage is his loneliness eased. Until, one day, an unexpected visitor arrives. Originally published over thirty years ago, this award-winning picture book is sure to enchant a whole new generation of readers.

Beloved illustrator Wallace Edwards invites us into the world of Professor I.B. Doodling, a traveling artist who takes suggestions from schoolchildren in order to create fantastical hybrid animals. The result of these visits is Unnatural Selections , a collection of magnificent beasts, from the stately Whalephant to the talented Lizabouboon. Sure to inspire the imagination, Wallace Edwards's intricate illustrations invite you to pore over them again and again.