To be fully alive is to work for the common good. --Corita Kent

Frances Kent always loved making things. When she joined the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, she took the name Corita--meaning little heart--and devoted her life to what mattered most to her: art and religion. As an art teacher, Sister Corita emphasized practice and process over the final product and taught her students to experiment and break the rules. As a religious person, she turned her faith into concrete action and spoke out about the injustices she saw in the world. In the height of post-war consumerist culture, Corita, a contemporary of Andy Warhol, turned advertising on its head and wrote a new kind of scripture. Complimented by Victoria Tentler-Krylov's vibrant illustrations that--like Corita's work--incorporate typography and ads, author Dan Paley paints a portrait of the little-known but immensely influential pop-art nun whose messages are just as relevant today as they were in years past.

A tribute to the unsung heroes of firefighting that takes readers along on a high-stakes mission to battle one of the deadliest natural disasters.

A lone figure stands on a tower, watching and waiting. Lightning strikes. Tree bark sparks. A wisp of white smoke rises in the distance. It is time to act.

Frightening images of raging wildfires top the daily news. On the ground, smoke fills the air as people prepare to flee their homes ahead of encroaching flames. Who helps to get this crisis under control? And what do these heroes do? They hold the line.

They Hold the Line delivers a dramatic inside look at the work of the highly trained first responders who risk their lives to fight wildfires. From hotshot handcrews to those who support them, wildland firefighters serve as stewards of the land, managing the health of our forests and the safety of our communities.

Powerfully written by Dan Paley and brought vividly to life by Caldecott Honor-winning artist Molly Mendoza, this compelling and informative book explores wildland firefighters' complex jobs in a fascinating and approachable way. Thoroughly researched and packed with graphics, labels, sidebars, vocabulary, scientific concepts, historical facts, and so much more, They Hold the Line is an outstanding resource for young readers, families, communities, classrooms, and libraries.

A spectacular, up-close look at heroic firefighting.--Booklist, starred review

Energetic and engrossing.--Horn Book Magazine, starred review

REAL-LIFE INSPIRATION: The author was inspired to write this book by a question his sons asked as they watched fires rage from their Southern California home in August 2018: Who protects us from the fires? This book is an attempt to answer that question.

TIMELY NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK: As fires rage over a wider swath of the United States and countries across the globe, and as fire season lengthens year over year, this book will resonate with anyone who has been impacted. And as these fires make national and international news, there's an increasing need for resources even for kids who aren't affected directly.

IMPORTANT RESOURCE BOOK: For families and communities experiencing the aftermath of a fire or other natural disaster, this book provides incredible insight into firefighters' responsibilities. It can also encourage neighboring communities to empathize and help those in need.

FIREFIGHTER BOOK FOR KIDS: Firefighters are perennially popular with young kids as they visit fire trucks and stations, dress up as firefighters, and learn about public service professions. They Hold the Line introduces the roles that make up firefighting crews, explores firefighting techniques, and takes an engaging graphic nonfiction approach to the fascinating topics of fire, firefighting, and fire safety.

EXPERT AUTHOR: Dan Paley's background in public policy and planning, as well as science communication, makes him uniquely qualified to educate readers on this complex topic.

Perfect for:

• Young readers fascinated by firefighters, fire truck crews, and natural disasters
• Teachers, librarians, and parents seeking accessible nonfiction books for boys and girls
• Readers who enjoy graphic nonfiction books
• Anyone affected by wildfires/wildfire season

They say Luigi always ran barefoot. And they speak of his greatest challenge--the race nobody thought he could win, not even Luigi himself.

Maybe it's urban legend, or maybe the true events have acquired added luster in Dan Paley's memory. After all, a story this amazing couldn't possibly be true, could it?

• Suffused with nostalgia for soft summer evenings in a city neighborhood, with kids playing in the street, neighbors visiting, twilight seeming like it would never end....
• A tall tale that kids will never tire of.
• Aaron Boyd's colorful illustrations vividly recreate an urban Philadelphia street and its houses, shops, and memorable people.

But one day while making deliveries, they collided on a street corner. Rubio's cheeses and Julienne's fruits flew skyward and fell on their heads, creating spontaneous juicy pairings that they couldn't help but taste. The forbidden combinations were out of this world. Nothing could ever be the same.

Fortunately for Rubio and Julienne, their forbidden adventures end more happily than Romeo and Juliette's, though not before our heroes overcome a few obstacles and accidents, one of which prompts a mortified Rubio to exclaim, What cheese through yonder window breaks?

A backmatter menu of child friendly delicious fruit-cheese combinations augments the story.

Lexile Level 580

Fountas and Pinnell Level O

They say Luigi always ran barefoot. And they speak of his greatest challenge--the race nobody thought he could win, not even Luigi himself.

Maybe it's urban legend, or maybe the true events have acquired added luster in Dan Paley's memory. After all, a story this amazing couldn't possibly be true, could it?

• Suffused with nostalgia for soft summer evenings in a city neighborhood, with kids playing in the street, neighbors visiting, twilight seeming like it would never end....
• A tall tale that kids will never tire of.
• Aaron Boyd's colorful illustrations vividly recreate an urban Philadelphia street and its houses, shops, and memorable people.

They say Luigi always ran barefoot. And they speak of his greatest challenge--the race nobody thought he could win, not even Luigi himself.

Maybe it's urban legend, or maybe the true events have acquired added luster in Dan Paley's memory. After all, a story this amazing couldn't possibly be true, could it?

• Suffused with nostalgia for soft summer evenings in a city neighborhood, with kids playing in the street, neighbors visiting, twilight seeming like it would never end....
• A tall tale that kids will never tire of.
• Aaron Boyd's colorful illustrations vividly recreate an urban Philadelphia street and its houses, shops, and memorable people.