Service Alert
Website maintenance April 24 10pm ET
On Wednesday April 24 at 10pm ET the CELA website will be unavailable for about 15 minutes for planned maintenance.
On Wednesday April 24 at 10pm ET the CELA website will be unavailable for about 15 minutes for planned maintenance.
Showing 1 - 20 of 21 items
By Alma Fullerton. 2022
A diagnosis of dyslexia could change everything for an aspiring fifth-grade gymnast struggling at school in this authentic, high-energy novel…
in verse. The print edition of this title is set in a font developed to be easy to read.The gym is where Claire shines and she’s on her way to qualifying for the state championships. But at school, she’s known as a troublemaker—which is fine with her since it helps her hide her reading problem. Claire has never been able to make sense of the wobbling jumble of letters on a page.When a sympathetic principal wonders if she’s acting out because she may have dyslexia, she’s stunned. Claire has always assumed she’s dumb, so she’s eager to get evaluated. But her mother balks. Afraid Claire will be labeled “stupid,” she refuses testing. Can Claire take on both her reading challenges and her mother’s denial? Is it worth jeopardizing her dream of the state championships?Told in clear and poignant verse and featuring black and white illustrations, Claire’s struggle with something that seems to come easily to everyone else will resonate with readers and have them cheering her on.By Kenn Nesbitt, Mike Gordon. 2005
By Kate Coombs, Lee Gatlin. 2018
Twilight's here. The death bell rings. Everyone knows what the death bell brings—it's time for class! You're in the place…
where goblins wail and zombies drool. (That's because they're kindergartners.) Welcome to Monster School. In this entertaining collection of poems, award-winning poet Kate Coombs and debut artist Lee Gatlin bring to vivid life a wide and playful cast of characters (outgoing, shy, friendly, funny, prickly, proud) that may seem surprisingly like the kids you know . . . even if these kids are technically monsters.By Kate Coombs, Lee Gatlin. 2018
Twilight's here. The death bell rings. Everyone knows what the death bell brings—it's time for class! You're in the place…
where goblins wail and zombies drool. (That's because they're kindergartners.) Welcome to Monster School. In this entertaining collection of poems, award-winning poet Kate Coombs and debut artist Lee Gatlin bring to vivid life a wide and playful cast of characters (outgoing, shy, friendly, funny, prickly, proud) that may seem surprisingly like the kids you know . . . even if these kids are technically monsters.By Kenn Nesbitt, Mike Gordon. 2005
By Joan T. Zeier. 2017
How could George write a poem? He wasn't a poet. But then George touches down in the Land of Hogs:…
Poetry Pig Farm! Pigs William Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson help George learn to become a poet.By Caroline Kaufman. 2019
Teen Instagram sensation and author of Light Filters In @poeticpoison returns with a second collection of short, powerful poems…
about love, forgiveness, self-discovery, and what it’s like living after a hard-fought battle with depression, in the vein of poetry collections like Milk and Honey and the princess saves herself in this one. In her second book of poetry, Instagram sensation Caroline Kaufman—known as @poeticpoison—explores the shock, wonder, and beauty of an uncertain future. When the World Didn’t End is a vivid account of trying to find a path forward while reckoning with the pain of the past, embracing imperfection, and unlearning the language of self-criticism.It’s an ode to the awkward silence between goodbye and hanging up, to hearts that continue to beat after they’re broken, to the empty spaces that depression leaves behind. With vulnerability and insight, this powerful collection of short poems holds up a mirror to the doubt and longing inside us all. This collection features completely new material plus some fan favorites from Caroline’s account. Filled with haunting, spare pieces of original art, When the World Didn’t End will thrill existing fans and newcomers alike.By Liz Garton Scanlon, Audrey Vernick. 2018
When a substitute teacher named Miss Pelly comes to class, one student bristles at the change in routine-Miss Pelly doesn't…
follow the rules like Mrs. Giordano. But in time, our student learns that even though the substitute may do things a little differently, and she may be a bit silly, mixing things up might not be so bad. Told in a series of epistolary poems, this funny, relatable picturebook is a great fit for classrooms and for any child nervous about new experiences.By Kenn Nesbitt, Mike Gordon. 2005
By Sharon Creech. 2001
With a fresh and deceptively simple style, acclaimed author Sharon Creech tells a story with enormous heart. Written as a…
series of free-verse poems from Jack's point of view, Love That Dog shows how one boy finds his own voice with the help of a teacher, a writer, a pencil, some yellow paper, and of course, a dog. With classic poetry included in the back matter, this provides the perfect resource for teachers and students alike. "I guess it does look like a poem when you see it typed up like that." Jack hates poetry. Only girls write it and every time he tries to, his brain feels empty. But his teacher, Ms. Stretchberry, won't stop giving her class poetry assignments—and Jack can't avoid them. But then something amazing happens. The more he writes, the more he learns he does have something to say.By Yelena Bryksenkova, Caroline Kaufman. 2018
In the vein of poetry collections like Milk and Honey and Adultolescence, this compilation of short, powerful poems from teen…
Instagram sensation @poeticpoison perfectly captures the human experience. In Light Filters In, Caroline Kaufman—known as @poeticpoison—does what she does best: reflects our own experiences back at us and makes us feel less alone, one exquisite and insightful piece at a time. She writes about giving up too much of yourself to someone else, not fitting in, endlessly Googling “how to be happy,” and ultimately figuring out who you are. This collection features completely new material plus some fan favorites from Caroline's account. Filled with haunting, spare pieces of original art, Light Filters In will thrill existing fans and newcomers alike.it’s okay if some thingsare always out of reach.if you could carry all the starsin the palm of your hand,they wouldn’t behalf as breathtakingBy Meg Kearney. 2017
Against the odds, eighteen-year-old Liz McLane, adoptee and aspiring poet, searches for her birth mother in this sensitive and daring…
novel told through her own accessible and moving poems and journal entries. A student at NYU in Greenwich Village, Liz McLane is pursuing her dream of becoming a poet and, at the same time, determined to find her birth mother, no matter what the results may be. Through her journals, Liz records her struggle to navigate adoption bureaucracy and laws. In spare and poignant poems, she confides her fears and her prayers. Could her birth mother be the unknown guitarist in Washington Square Park, who sings a soulful song in a strangely familiar voice? Against a backdrop of college life—classes on Alice Munro and Billy Collins and an active social life—and with the help of her sister, friends, and a private investigator, Liz summons the courage to face the truth about her mother and herself. This is an unforgettable novel full of heart that addresses the primary questions all adoptees must answer for themselves: who was the woman who gave me life, and why did she decide to give me away? Based on author Meg Kearney’s own experiences.By D. J. Steinberg. 2019
A book for all preschoolers-to-be from the author of Kindergarten, Here I Come! Now includes a sheet of stickers!From saying…
goodbye to parents on the very first day of school to watching butterflies hatch in spring, D. J. Steinberg celebrates all the landmark moments of preschool. Because the year is full of so many firsts, this collection of funny, joyful poems is a must-have for all small scholars in the making.By Joseph Slate. 2000
A playful take on a topic that all parents can relate to-getting sick! The ever-lovable Miss Bindergarten is not feeling…
well. The flu strikes on Sunday, so she has to stay home from kindergarten on Monday. Mr. Tusky (who is a wee bit rusty) will be her substitute, but it just won't be the same. The kindergartners miss Miss Bindergarten! They pass the time by making get-well cards and singing songs, all the while counting out the days that Miss Bindergarten is away. What ever will they do without her?By Anna Dewdney, Reed Duncan. 2022
A Netflix Original seriesWith over 30 million copies in print, Anna Dewdney's New York Times bestselling Llama Llama books have…
provided hours of comfort and fun-to-read-aloud rhyme.Summer days are getting shorter and it's almost time for the first day of school for Llama! But Llama Llama isn&’t ready for summertime to end. It's been full of backyard camping, family picnics, and ice cream with friends. All he wants is for summer to go on forever! He&’s anxious about his first day back at school but maybe, with some help from his friends and Mama Llama, going back to school will be fun after all!By Sara Holbrook, Karen Sandstrom. 2002
A fun and quirky collection of school poems every kid will relate to. Celebrated performance poet Sara Holbrook's poems range…
from begging for a few more minutes' sleep to a "slam-dancing ride" on the big yellow bus, from the teacher who picks up signals with "antennae in her hair" to a full-on zombie invasion. Silly, serious, and everything in between, these poems show kids that poetry is not just for grown-ups! Writing prompts and mini poetry lessons throughout introduce readers to many of the elements of poetry and invite kids to write poems of their own.By Natasha Wing. 2022
Grab your backpack and get ready for the second grade in the latest big moment to be celebrated in Natasha…
Wing's best-selling series!It's the night before a young boy's first day of second grade, and he's excited. He's spent all summer reading and preparing for the year ahead, and he can't wait to learn more about what fun surprises second grade has to offer. Join him and his friends on their journey through the new school year in this delightful story, told in the style of Clement C. Moore's classic tale.By James Preller. 2020
With gorgeous multimedia paintings-and-collages by acclaimed artist Mary GrandPre, James Preller's All Welcome Here promises to be an evergreen gift…
picture book for children about to take the big leap into their first days of school.The bus door swishesOpen, an invitation.Someone is not sure . . .The first day of school and all its excitement, challenges, and yes, anxieties, are celebrated here in connected haiku poems. A diverse cast of characters all start—and finish—their first days of school, and have experiences that all children will relate to.By Amber McBride. 2023
They Both Die at the End meets The Bell Jar in this haunting, beautiful young adult novel-in-verse about clinical depression…
and healing from trauma, from National Book Award Finalist Amber McBride.Whimsy is back in the hospital for treatment of clinical depression. When she meets a boy named Faerry, she recognizes they both have magic in the marrow of their bones. And when Faerry and his family move to the same street, the two start to realize that their lifelines may have twined and untwined many times before.They are both terrified of the forest at the end of Marsh Creek Lane.The Forest whispers to Whimsy. The Forest might hold the answers to the part of Faerry he feels is missing. They discover the Forest holds monsters, fairy tales, and pain that they have both been running from for 11 years.By Linda Sue Park. 2021
If your house were on fire, what one thing would you save? Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park explores different answers…
to this provocative question in linked poems that capture the diverse voices of a middle school class. Illustrated with black-and-white art. When a teacher asks her class what one thing they would save in an emergency, some students know the answer right away. Others come to their decisions more slowly. And some change their minds when they hear their classmates’ responses. A lively dialog ignites as the students discover unexpected facets of one another—and themselves. With her ear for authentic dialog and knowledge of tweens’ priorities and emotions, Linda Sue Park brings the varied voices of an inclusive classroom to life through carefully honed, engaging, and instantly accessible verse.