Matt Tavares

"With only one sleep left before Christmas Eve, Dasher can't contain her excitement for her favorite holiday. With the sound of Christmas carols on the breeze and twinkling lights radiating from a nearby city, she sneaks off to visit the festivities. As night deepens and snow starts falling, Dasher realizes she can no longer spot the North Star in the sky to help guide her home. But thanks to a child, some Christmas spirit, and a special gift, she...

Before he is known as the Babe, George Herman Ruth is just a boy who lives in Baltimore and gets into a lot of trouble. But when he turns seven, his father brings him to the gates of Saint Mary's Industrial School for Boys, and his life is changed forever. At Saint Mary's, he's expected to study hard and follow a lot of rules. But there is one good thing about Saint Mary's: almost every day, George gets to play baseball. Here, under the watchful eye...

Depicts in accessible text and evocative imagery the life-risking ventures of tightrope daredevil The Great Blondin, describing the times he walked more than 1,100 feet on a rope hung 160 feet above the Niagara River while performing increasingly challenging feats.

"It's 1976 and on Friday nights in Wilkins, Indiana, it seems like everyone in town shows up to cheer on the boys' basketball team. Cars fill the parking lot and fans pack the gymnasium for every home game. Most people don't know it, but Wilkins actually has more than one basketball team. And what the newly formed girls' team lacks in resources they more than make up for with grit and ball skill. But teammates Judi, Cindy, and Lisa aren't satisfied...

When Jim's gingerbread pirate, Captain Cookie, comes alive, the tasty treat prepares to battle Santa Claus, who likes to eat cookies on Christmas Eve

"Young Benjamin Franklin wants to be a sailor, but his father won't hear of it. The other trades he tried bored him through and through. But each time he fails to find a career, he took some important bit of knowledge with him, and that tendency is exactly what made him the versatile genius we remember today." -- inside front jacket flap

Presents the story of the work that was done by so many on both sides of the ocean to create this enduring symbol of freedom and the fundraisers held by everyday people to build her the pedestal on which she would forever stand.

A respectful tribute to the sentinel guards who keep vigil at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery combines evocative illustrations with spare text describing how Tomb Guards execute their duties with exacting precision to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country

The horse is ready, the air is bracing, and everyone is bundled into the sleigh. So let the wind blow and the snow start to fall! This family is off to Grandfather's house for a delicious feast. Matt Tavares illuminates the original text of Lydia Maria Child's verse about Thanksgiving Day.

Stretch: There's nothing like a good stretch before you jump or wiggle or bounce or run, and the ever energetic team of Doreen Cronin and Scott Menchin show kids (and their parents) how a good stretch can be good fun. Especially if you're stretching your imagination at the same time! Oliver's game: Oliver Hall loves baseball. He loves the ritual of helping out in his grandfather's store, Hall's Nostalgia, and he loves listening to Grandpa Hall's...