A one-of-a-kind STEM gem! Join fellow science lovers in this creative, non-fiction, poetical exploration surrounding the history and little-known origins of the ice age and the La Brea Tar Pits.

Playful language and masterful illustrations make for a compelling read instead of a dry scientific tale...This stirring story and its dynamic illustrations may manage to enthrall even the least nature-focused kiddo.--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Thousands of years ago...

Surrounded by sagebrush,

Mugwort, and water fleas,

Sloth searched:

Browsing,

Munching on grass and twigs,

Seeking water.

But stepped into sticky stuff instead.

Sloth struggled.

Slowed.

Stopped.

Stuck!

An author's note at the end provides additional historical and scientific details. Additional backmatter includes a timeline, a glossary, and a Who's Stuck? list.

More Accolades:

Unearthed! Uncovered! Unstuck! With its engaging storytelling, illustrations and backmatter, this book is an excellent resource for both learning and leisure. Highly recommended. --Nadia Ali, children's book author

This is an amazing story that was so informative and amazing. I knew nothing about all the various species of animals stuck in the pits but also the history and the fact that they are still trapping animals. It is a must for any classroom. --Deb Buschman, children's book author and SCBWI Wisconsin Regional Advisor

Using lyrical, minimal text and extensive science details, interactive animal dynamics come alive. A recurring theme is the hope of escape, portrayed by a dragonfly, hinted at in early pages but celebrated on the final double spread. Back matter provides clarity about the timing and processes, with examples of fossil types and further text/timeline. The enticement is priceless, and the payoff does not disappoint. --Sandy Brehl, children's book author and blogger at Unpacking Picture Book Power

Joyce Uglow's skilled poetic style weaves its way through the entire story. The back matter, including the glossary, makes it a great fit for classrooms and libraries. A perfect gift for anyone who treasures a beautifully composed book and enjoys learning history in a straightforward, uncomplicated way. --Kathy Groth, children's book author

This book will excite children with its fascinating story and thrill teachers with its beautiful language. --Kelly Flanagan, children's book author

A fascinating story of a unique geographical location! It's written in such an engaging way and chock full of interesting information. Every library needs this book! --Cynthia Mackey, children's book author

The back matter is extensive and so interesting, from scientific findings to charts to amazing details for curious readers. I recommend this book for science classrooms and all classrooms and libraries. Young readers will be intrigued! --Lori Dubbin, children's book author

The repetition of Joyce Uglow's words plus the engaging illustrations by Valerya Milovanova make this book one that children will enjoy reading over and over, as they get to learn about terms like climate change, fossils, ecosystems, paleontologists, among others. I highly recommend for homes, libraries, and schools. --Mariana Ríos, children's book author

Stuck! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits takes readers on a captivating journey into ancient Los Angeles. The tar pits have intrigued explorers and scientists for centuries, revealing secrets of prehistoric creatures like mammoths and saber-toothed cats. The story explains the formation of the pits and how they preserved bones with engaging illustrations and fun facts. Readers will travel through the mysteries of fossil excavation, fostering curiosity about the natural world and inspiring appreciation for the history beneath their feet. A wonderful addition to any home or school library! --Lori Keating

This book is DELIGHTFUL! Not only is the content fascinating, but it's also fun to read--which can't be said of all nonfiction picture books. If I were still teaching, I would absolutely buy this for my classroom. Love the illustrations too! --Kerry Hansen, children's book author

You better watch out, you better not . . . What?! Laugh it up with the Big Man himself as he shares some of the funniest (and oddest) letters that children have mailed to the North Pole!

A timely and cogent word to the wise.--Booklist

A work that readers will want to pore over before drafting their own notes to St. Nick.--Publishers Weekly

The energetic digital collage illustrations play up the poems' outrageous absurdity.--Horn Book

From hilarious complaints to wacky requests to gripes from elves and Vixen (bless him), this rowdy collection of sidesplitting poems is guaranteed to get you in a holly-jolly spirit. Just make sure you don't land on the naughty list yourself!

What's the one thing better than drawing? Drawing with MOM!

In this unique parent-child doodle book, moms and their kids create joint works of art by following over 100 creative prompts that get them both working on the same drawing. Co-create a castle, a cake, or the perfect petting zoo as you talk, laugh--and most importantly, bond--during hours of drawing, doodling fun!

How to Use This Book

Start your creative engines. . . it's time to draw with Mom! One hundred pages of delightful prompts will get you and Mom drawing--and talking--together! Some prompts can be done simultaneously, while others require you to do your part first and Mom to do hers after. You'll also find mini conversation starters to get you talking along the way. Your first prompt awaits . . . let's go!

Child: Create matching friend shirts! Talk about some possible ideas. Maybe peanut butter on one and jelly on the other, a salt shaker on one and pepper on the other, or even a half heart on each. Draw the first shirt here, then . . .

Mom: . . . draw the second shirt design here!

Conversation Starter: Why did you pick the design you did? Does it represent anything special?

An absolute necessity for anyone looking for a kid-friendly history book.--Time for Kids, Kid Reporter

This engaging and surprisingly entertaining effort seems like the perfect choice to accompany and expand lesson plans. A hardworking addition to U.S. history shelves.--Kirkus Reviews (Starred)

This book introduces students to the Declaration in an informative and well-rounded manner. They are not just told what the document says but asked to think about it and question it.VERDICT A great way to nourish an informed citizenry. Highly recommended.--School Library Journal (Starred)

This title presents exactly what the title describes....The collage-style illustrations...practically tell a story themselves, often managing to add humor to what is frequently considered a somewhat dry topic. The result is a book that is not only educational, but fun as well. --School Library Connection, Recommended

A 2022-2023 Dogwood Title (Grades 6-8) (Missouri Association of School Librarians)

We hold these truths to be self-evident...

Do you know what's actually in the full Declaration of Independence? How it was written? What was happening at the time? How to read the formal language? Don't worry! Because now, in The Side-by-Side Declaration of Independence, kid patriots (and grown-ups alike!) can tackle the Declaration like never before. Decipher the original text of the Declaration on each left-hand page with help from a plain English translation on each right-hand page. Bright illustrations, historical explanations, helpful definitions, and other fun facts round out this brilliant introduction to one of the world's most important documents.

[T]he cause is just, and readers will come away with a firmer understanding that, as the introduction has it, the story of this country's founding is 'everyone's story.'--Booklist

A Junior Library Guild Gold Selection

This book will delight visual learners, history lovers, and trivia enthusiasts. It would also validate the diversity of the United States's heroes, encourage critical thinking, and inspire further research. A solid addition to any library or classroom.--School Library Journal

The founding of America was not accomplished by a handful of people; it required the heart, soul, and grit of an entire nation. Today, we rightfully honor the efforts of the Founding Fathers, but what about everyone else who sacrificed for the cause?

Introducing Forgotten Founders, the inspiring book of stories about the heroic women, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, and others who played pivotal roles in America's birth. Make no mistake: these were no historical footnotes. These were brave men and women without whom the war simply could never have been won and the new republic never begun.

Readers will meet

• Sybil Ludington, the sixteen-year-old girl who rode all night to warn of a British attack
• Nancy Hart: the indomitable woman who captured six Loyalist soldiers
• Cuffee Wells Saunders, the talented physician who won his freedom and saved lives serving in the Continental Army
• Phyllis Wheatley, the gifted Black poet whose work was praised by Voltaire and George Washington
• Deborah Sampson, the colonial woman who dressed as a man to enlist in the Continental Army
• Peter Salem, the former slave who became the hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill
• and many more!

Read, learn, and discover in beautiful new ways that America's origin story really is everybody's story.

Chadwick Boseman, King of Wakanda, A Hero On and Off the Screen, shows the power of grit, perseverance, and character in a dynamic biography for kids.

★ This empowering and engaging middle grade biography series about Black changemakers gets off to a strong start.....Strongly recommended for juvenile nonfiction collections.--School Library Journal, starred review

★ The book beautifully chronicles Boseman's struggles and triumphs....Readers will be enraptured with this magnificent tribute to the life of Chadwick Boseman, who was a true hero that anyone could look up to.--Booklist, starred review

2025 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book Winner

From Howard University to the red carpet at the Academy Awards, from James Brown to the Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman was a talented and multi-award-winning actor and performer. Prior to his death from colon cancer in 2020, Boseman's rise to fame might have seemed overnight to some, but decades of hard work and dedication to his craft brought him to the highest levels an actor can achieve.

An inspiration to millions, the life of Chadwick Boseman is indeed proof that Black history matters.

​

A fast-paced, interactive adventure series for kids, featuring death-defying moments in history! This time featuring the destruction of Pompeii!

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in southern Italy in 79 A.D. is perhaps the most famous disaster in world history. Young readers make decisions and determine their own survival by joining the inhabitants of Pompeii in the days and hours before and after the devastation in Decide and Survive: Destruction of Pompeii.

Don't forget: YOU, the reader, are in the driver's seat! This time, you're eleven-year-old Quintus, a Roman scribe and slave who's tasked with saving civilization, and himself, from a huge obstacle--a live volcano! With each page turn YOU decide which way the story, and mystery, unravels.

A book like no other--to be used in a variety of ways--challenges puzzle-solving readers and ignites a love of history for life. The perfect gift or educational book, slyly written as an interactive narrative adventure, will delight and enthrall avid and reluctant readers with its energy and excitement.

An added educational bonus, extensive backmatter includes a timeline and information about how we're still learning about the tragedy.

About the Decide & Survive series:

Your Call to Adventure!

Dear Reader, this is your story.

You control how history happens through the choices you make.

Don't read this book from the first page to the last. Instead, follow the directions at the bottom of each page. When you're offered options, choose wisely because your decision could end in disaster as easily as triumph.

No matter how your story ends, feel free to start over and create a different story with a new outcome.

Adventure, mystery, danger, and fortune await. Good luck!

A brilliant, colorful way to learn your first words in French!

Introduce your child (or yourself!) to the incredible language of French! Featuring over 800 first words with bright, bold illustrations, My First Book of French provides each word in English, French, and a romanization that makes pronunciation a breeze. Readers will also find cultural tips, sample sentences, and simple hints on usage and word choice. An index in the back includes a complete list of all words in the book with handy page references.

With a special emphasis on the culture and customs you'll find in France itself, My First Book of French is divided into sections including People, Personal Pronouns, Courtesy, Geography, Family, Transportation, Science, Sports, Holidays and Festivals, Meals, and more.

About the Series

The Little Library of Languages teaches beginners the basics of foreign languages through brightly colored illustrations and simple explanations of grammar, spelling, language systems, pronunciations, counting, and more. The perfect gift for families about to travel abroad or for kids who love learning about other people and places.

Titles in the series include:

My First Book of French (Spring 2022)
My First Book of Japanese (Spring 2022)
My First Book of Mandarin (Fall 2022)
My First Book of Spanish ISpring 2023)
My First Book of Thai (Spring 2024)
My First Book of Korean (Fall 2024)

What's the one thing better than drawing? Drawing with DAD!

In this unique parent-child doodle book, dads and their kids create joint works of art by following over 100 creative prompts that get them both working on the same drawing. Co-create a robot, a spaceship, or a secret treasure map as you talk, laugh--and most importantly, bond--during hours of drawing, doodling fun!

How to Use This Book

Start your creative engines. . . it's time to draw with Dad! One hundred pages of delightful prompts will get you and Dad drawing--and talking--together! Some prompts can be done simultaneously, while others require you to do your part first and Dad to do his after. You'll also find mini conversation starters to get you talking along the way. Your first prompt awaits . . . let's go!

Child: It's Donuts with Dad! Draw a box full of all your favorite donuts.

Dad: Draw your favorite donuts, too!

Conversation Starter: Did you pick the same ones? Different ones? Is there a new type you'd like to try?

2025 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book Winner

From soldiers to pilots, nurses to factory workers, moms and dads to brothers and sisters--the stories in Heroes of World War II highlight timeless examples of courage, sacrifice, and selflessness.

• Ira Hayes, a Native American who was one of the six Marines to raise the flag on Iwo Jima.
• Dorothy Still, a prisoner of war nurse in the Philippines whose makeshift hospital treated thousands of prisoners.
• Guy Stern, one of the original Ritchie Boys who worked to gather intelligence on the front lines.
• Plus many, many more.

Black History Heroes: Mae Jemison: Shooting for the Stars: The First Black Woman in Space shows the power of grit, perseverance, and character in a dynamic biography for kids.

★ This empowering and engaging middle grade biography series about Black changemakers gets off to a strong start.....Strongly recommended for juvenile nonfiction collections.--School Library Journal, starred review

2025 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book Winner

From Stanford and Cornell to the Peace Corps and from a trip on the space shuttle to an appearance on Start Trek, Mae Jemison's life continues to feature the hard work and dedication to science, healthcare, and care for others that brought her to the highest levels of a career in science.

An inspiration to millions, the life of Mae Jemison is indeed proof that Black history matters.

Black History Heroes shares the lives and inspirations of black men and women who changed the world, yesterday, today, and for tomorrow. Written by former pro-baseball player, inspirational speaker, and author Chris Singleton.

A fast-paced, interactive adventure series for kids, featuring death-defying moments in history! This time featuring the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor!

The surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, was a devastating and horrific moment in American history. Young readers make decisions, and determine their own survival, by joining forces on the ground in the days and hours before and after the devastation in Decide and Survive: Attack on Pearl Harbor.

Don't forget: YOU, the reader, are in the driver's seat! This time, you're an eleven-year-old child of US naval military officers, enjoying life on the island, when the bombing begins. Your first decision is whether to go in search of your father or stay and protect your mother and sister. Along the way, readers are asked to protect half-Japanese classmates, save their abducted family, or even help raise Adolph Hitler to become a good person. With each page turn YOU decide which way the story, and mystery, unravels.

A book like no other--to be used in a variety of ways--challenges puzzle-solving readers and ignites a love of history for life. The perfect gift or educational book, slyly written as an interactive narrative adventure, will delight and enthrall avid and reluctant readers with its energy and excitement.

As an added educational bonus, extensive backmatter includes a timeline, information about the Japanese fighter planes, details about the nuclear bombings of Japan, the internment of Japanese Americans in the US, Japanese stereotypes in American comic books of the time, and the Nanking Massacre.

About the Decide & Survive series:

Your Call to Adventure!

Dear Reader, this is your story.

You control how history happens through the choices you make.

Don't read this book from the first page to the last. Instead, follow the directions at the bottom of each page. When you're offered options, choose wisely because your decision could end in disaster as easily as triumph.

No matter how your story ends, feel free to start over and create a different story with a new outcome.

Adventure, mystery, danger, and fortune await. Good luck!

For every little one on your list, a 3-D book about space you can touch and move--all on your own! Help your youngest loved ones leap into STEAM and stay curious about the cosmos forever.

Don't just read about space--make it move! In Hands-On Academy Space, little hands will literally make solar systems spin, moons eclipse, and universes expand with wheels, tabs, flaps, and more made from sturdy, durable artcard, all while learning the fundamentals of space exploration and the mysteries of the cosmos. Bold, colorful art and simple vocabulary round out this first-of-its-kind, fully interactive STEAM book! A perfect addition to preschool shelves and early-learning programs, and a fun way to inspire STEAM (and answer tough questions!) at a time when inquisitive minds are beginning to blossom.

Topics covered include:

• The solar system
• The sun
• The moon
• The earth
• The planets
• Comets and asteroids
• Galaxies
• The universe
• Human space exploration
• What it's like in space

Part of the Hands-On Academy STEAM series, an exciting, interactive new way for young, budding minds (and hands!) to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

A brilliant, colorful way to learn your first words in Spanish!

Introduce your child (or yourself!) to the incredible language of Spanish! Featuring over 800 first words with bright, bold illustrations, My First Book of Spanish provides each word in both English and Spanish along with cultural tips, sample sentences, and simple hints on usage and word choice. An index in the back includes a complete list of all words in the book with handy page references.

ith a special emphasis on the culture and customs you'll find in Spanish-speaking countries, My First Book of Spanish is divided into sections including People, Personal Pronouns, Courtesy, Geography, Family, Transportation, Science, Sports, Holidays and Festivals, Meals, and more.

The Little Library of Languages teaches beginners the basics of foreign languages through brightly colored illustrations and simple explanations of grammar, spelling, language systems, pronunciations, counting, and more. The perfect gift for families about to travel abroad or for kids who love learning about other people and places.

Titles in the series include:

My First Book of French (Spring 2022)
My First Book of Japanese (Spring 2022)
My First Book of Mandarin (Fall 2022)
My First Book of Spanish (Spring 2023)
My First Book of Thai (Spring 2024)
My First Book of Korean (Fall 2024)

In this gorgeous collection, twenty-five of Emily Dickinson's most beloved poems are illustrated with stunning, full-color collage artwork.

Poems include Hope is the Thing with Feathers, I'm Nobody! Who are you?, A Bird came down the Walk, Success is counted sweetest, and many more. Brief commentary and helpful definitions accompany each poem, making The Illustrated Emily Dickinson among the most accessible--and beautiful--introductions to the Belle of Amherst available.

From the Introduction:

SUGGESTION 1: Enjoy the poems. This seems far more important than trying to puzzle out what the author meant (or what other people believe the author meant).

SUGGESTION 2: Engage with the poems by asking questions....

SUGGESTION 3: Be your own boss. Read the poems in order or jump around as you see fit. Share them or savor them all by yourself. Say them aloud or whisper their words in your heart.

Poetry makes life better. There is NO wrong way to experience a poem.

So, read on, dear friend. And thank you for choosing poetry.

? A gallery of stately trees around the world associated with times and events both historic and prehistoric....Moving and, as a way of connecting today's readers to significant moments of the past, effective.--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Nominee, 2024-2025 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Awards (MASL), Picture Book Category

Nominee, 2025 Utah Beehive Awards (CLAU), Informational Category

For generations, trees have silently witnessed history's most pivotal moments. Here are their stories.

In the sweep of wind over grass,

near the pulse of rivers,

we stand,

monuments of bark

and age-curled green.

Above, an avalanche of stars.

Below, the ocean of earth.

Within, the uncounted lives

birthed, bloomed, and plucked

from the gardens we tend.

We survive.

We remember.

We witness.

In evocative verse and stunning artwork, Witness Trees is the story of the world's most enduring witnesses: the trees. From the Flower of Kent apple tree still standing in Sir Isaac Newton's yard, to the English oak given to Jesse Owens after facing down Hitler at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, to the California redwood saved from destruction by July Butterfly Hill, to the Callery pear tree still miraculously alive after the World Trade Towers fell, Witness Trees is a moving tribute to the world's most famous trees, many of which still need humanity's protection. Be moved, be inspired, be amazed by the quiet, reverberating voices of nature's sentinels: the witness trees.

For each tree depicted, there is information about that tree and the events it witnessed. Among the trees lovingly discussed are 20 treees you can visit today.

Van Cleave's decision to pull on both legend and historical fact works to the book's advantage here, underscoring the idea that trees are witness not just to events in human history but also to the narratives we create around them in our attempts to shape an unpredictable world into orderly stories. The trees have no need for such order, anchored solidly into the earth, and the somber tone and poetic text have an aloof thoughtfulness--not coldly emotionless but distant enough to see an arc of wonder in the progress of the world.--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

'Our roots run deep--/ they grip history, / a restless forever, ' open the incantatory first-person plural lines propelling this tribute....landscape illustrations comfortably portray historical and geographical scenes....By piling on examples, Van Cleave impresses upon readers trees' enduring power.--Publishers Weekly

A breathtaking visual encyclopedia of the world's most fascinating mammals

Featuring more than 125 amazing mammals and hundreds of vintage zoological illustrations, Mammalia is the gorgeous guide to the mammal class (a.k.a. home to you and me!). Enchanting artwork from some of the world's most accomplished zoological artists adorns over 140 pages of facts, charts, and taxonomic trees. Written by Lindy Mattice, author of How to Speak Animal, this visual tome is as stunning as it is informative and a must-have vintage treasure.

Animals include:

• American Bison
  
• Bighorn Sheep
• Astor Markhor
• Black Wildebeest
• Wild Water Buffalo
• Alpine Ibex
• Vampire Bat
  
• Fruit Bat
• Horseshoe Bat
• Bismarck Masked Flying Fox
• Moose
  
• Reindeer
• and more...

Discover our democracy's central document is this fun and interactive book with flaps, wheels, color-changing words, and more!

A 2021 Notable Social Studies Trade Book (NCSS-CBC)

Finalist, IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards: The Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book

Explore the U.S. Constitution like never before! Amazing interactive features like color-changing words, flaps, wheels, and a special vocabulary decoder help kids learn about types of government, checks and balances, the Bill of Rights, the amendment process, and more! There's never been a better way--or a more important time--to discover the world-changing importance of this powerful founding document.

In cheery infographic-style illustrations and chatty but succinct prose, Miles and Pinilla have boiled down the basics of the U.S. Constitution without shortchanging history or legal tradition....Both history geeks and casual students should easily ratify this one.--Publishers Weekly

From the Book:

The Constitution is a special document that was written in 1787. It explains how the United States governement should be set up. It also explains the purpose of that government and how it should protect the freedoms of the people. The Constitution is one of the most important documents ever written in the history of the world.

Beauties blossom aplenty in this welcome volume. The Secret Gardens of Frances Hodgson Burnett can't fail to captivate the minds and hearts of young readers and even, perhaps, plant some seeds there.--Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked, co-founder of Children's Literature New England

★ The gray drudgery of industrial Manchester, England, contrasts with the vivid floral hues of Burnett's gardens in stunning illustrations that perfectly pair with the book's timeless message: 'hope is never far for those who can imagine.'--Foreword Reviews, Starred Review

Secret gardens, hidden gates, flowering passageways. A picture book biography of Frances Hodgson Burnett's winding and captivating life.

Frances Hodgson Burnett--best known for writing The Secret Garden, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and The Little Princess--had a difficult childhood, losing her father when she was very young and moving with her family from England to Tennessee in hopes of a better life.

She'd been making up stories her entire life but didn't try to write professionally until she was a teenager to help feed her family. Her first submissions to a magazine were published and she eventually became well known all over the world.

This is Hodgson Burnett's life story, told in lyrical prose evoking some of the same magic of her own stories.

Additional accolades:

Burnett's own rags-to-riches story is compelling, too. The distinctive illustrations bring her gardens to life on the page through the graceful forms and rich, varied colors of trees, bushes, vines, and flowers....the theme of gardens as a source of beauty and healing is evident throughout this engaging biographical narrative.--Booklist

I am delighted to think that this lovely picture book will encourage children (and indeed their parents) to read The Secret Garden, one of the best children's books ever written.--Ann Thwaite, prize-winning British biographer, author of Beyond the Secret Garden: The Life of Frances Hodgson Burnett

Burnett's The Secret Garden is known to many, but the beautifully written and illustrated The Secret Gardens of Frances Hodgson Burnett introduces her extraordinary life to young readers, and will inspire them to create gardens of their own. --Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina, Award-winning Author of Frances Hodgson Burnett: A Life, Professor of English, Paul Murray Kendall Chair in Biography, University of Massachusetts

Angelica Carpenter tells the full and inspiring story of Frances Hodgson Burnett's ever- changing life - through hardships and fame - which she faced with her indomitable spirit and her love of words. Beyond the biographical details is a wealth of information. As the pages turn and the years pass, Helena Perez Garcia's detailed and glorious illustrations of bright bursting flowers and color are like a walk through a dazzling sunlit garden. The story and pictures reflect the undaunted spirit of a born writer who solved any problem with words and imagination. --Aliki, beloved author/illustrator of more than fifty books for children

Historical fiction at its finest! A sweet and sensitive, accessible middle grade novel in verse, following an unlikely friendship in the aftermath of the American Civil War.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Finalist, 2024 CYBILS Awards for Poetry, Novels in Verse

2025 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book Winner

As Reconstruction begins, two 12-year-old girls join forces and head north to find their families....Elly's and Halle's distinct voices and strong personalities balance each other nicely as each in turn gives and receives help....A moving post-Civil War story of comradeship and self-discovery.--Kirkus Reviews

The Civil War is over.

Aurelia, the daughter of a destitute plantation owner, reels from the aftermath of a war that has torn her life apart.

Halle, a newly freed slave, looks for a family she fears is lost forever.

When fate brings the two girls together, they head north in a joint quest for freedom: one from human shackles, the other from pride.

Differences and judgment soon give way to an unexpected friendship between two girls who have more in common than meets the eye, as do we all. Heartwarming and life-changing, This Opening Sky is a tale of hope that proves that when love overcomes prejudice, we're all set free together.

Excerpts from the This Opening Sky

Aurelia

My hands are torn,

blistered and bleeding.

No longer the hands of a young lady.

I drop my hoe and unwrap my bandaged fingers.

Nails, once perfectly manicured,

now dirty and broken.

The hands of a field worker.

Sary

Stay, Miss Ruby Lee say.

Please don't go.

She all the mama

I know now.

What if Mama

come for me?

Pa say

he be back.

What if he come

and I be gone?

But if they come

and these folk

don't let me go,

like they do Cassie and Thad,

then what I'm gonna do?

Seem like stayin'

be wastin'

my free.