Molly Beth Griffin

During the summer of 1926 in the lake resort town of Excelsior, Minnesota, sixteen-year-old Garnet, who dreams of indulging her passion for ornithology, is resigned to marrying a nice boy and settling into middle-class homemaking until she takes a liberating job in a hat shop and begins an intense, secret relationship with a daring and beautiful flapper.

Silhouette of a Sparrow

Nico the Toad is always a bit grumpy. But recently he's been grumpier than ever. Stella the Mouse, Delilah the Spider and Bo the Parakeet think the school trip to the art museum will cheer him up. But the animal friends have never left the school before. If they stick together nothing can go wrong, can it? Friendship takes centre stage in this early chapter book from the Classroom Critters series.

School Trip Trouble

The girl wants a leaf pile to leap in. A big leaf pile, a huge leaf pile, an enormously enormous leaf pile! She rakes and rakes and rakes, but there are not enough leaves in her yard to make the leaf pile of her dreams. And she can't do it alone. She will need some help. And so it begins: one neighbor kid here, a couple of neighbor kids there, others from down the street. They all have leaves to contribute as they build a pile together in a nearby vacant lot. Beautiful leaves from so many trees: maple, oak, gingko, aspen, birch, locust, catalpa. Beautiful children from so many families, all in pursuit of a single goal. The result is a dream come true. And now what? These kids know just what to do. In The Big Leaf Leap, playful phrasing evokes fall's crisp air, warm sun, and rustling leaves. Energetic illustrations depict the satisfying effort of new friends working together to create something wonderful. A deep, soft, crunchy, springy leaf pile. A tall, wide leaf pile. A big, huge, enormously enormous leaf pile! And when all the work is done, it's time to play. To count down together. To leap.

The Big Leaf Leap

The last week of the school year is one party after another! Stella the Mouse, Nico the Toad, Delilah the Spider and Bo the Parakeet are animal best friends who live in a school, and they LOVE parties. The four friends are so excited to take part in the fun. But then, oh no! When the students get on the bus, the teachers all wave GOODBYE! They will be gone all summer long! How will the four friends make it until they see their human friends again in the autumn?

Party Time

Nico the Toad is always a little grumpy. But lately he's been grumpier than ever. Stella the Mouse, Delilah the Spider, and Bo the Parakeet think the field trip to the art museum will cheer him up. But the animal friends have never left the school before. If they stick together nothing can go wrong-can it? Friendship takes center stage in this early chapter book from the School Sidekicks series.

Field Trip Trouble

Testing week at school is coming, and Stella the Mouse, Nico the Toad, Delilah the Spider and Bo the Parakeet are stressed out. Everyone wants to do well. They know their brains are ready, but they're so nervous anyway, all jitters and tummy aches! Find out how the animal friends calm their nerves in this relatable early-chapter book from the Classroom Critters series.

Test Stress

Stella the Mouse, Nico the Toad, Delilah the Spider, and Bo the Parakeet are all delighted that today is the first day of school, and the children will be back--but some of the children, the new ones, seem nervous and unhappy, so the four school friends set out to find some way to make those children feel welcome.

A New Year

Four animal best friends live together in a school. Stella the Mouse, Nico the Toad, Delilah the Spider, and Bo the Parakeet each love different subjects and different activities, so every part of the school day has something special to offer each curious critter. They are excited to greet the children in the morning and sad to see them go in the afternoon-but they know their best friends are there to stay. The Capstone Interactive edition comes with simultaneous access for every student in your school and includes read aloud audio recorded by professional voice over artists.

Friends All Day

Stella the Mouse, Nico the Toad, Delilah the Spider and Bo the Parakeet all love every child at school, so they decide to do something nice for the kids. After all, showing your love to your friends can feel really good. Unfortunately, none of their ideas seem to work out.

Plans Gone Wrong

Sports day arrives, and Stella the Mouse, Nico the Toad, Delilah the Spider and Bo the Parakeet are excited about joining in the fun. Stella wants everyone to make a team for the relays. But Bo says no. He just wants to sit under a tree with his book. Can they be a team without him? You will find the answer in this sweet story from the early-chapter book series Classroom Critters.

Sports Day Fun

Stella the Mouse, Nico the Toad, Delilah the Spider and Bo the Parakeet are animal best friends who live in a school. They are so excited to see the children arrive on the first day of school in the autumn! But they notice that some children are very nervous. Is it possible that these children are brand new to school? The animal friends must do everything they can to make the new children feel at home, and help them to love school as much as the friends do. They want to make sure that everybody is ready for a new year of fun!

Stella the Mouse, Nico the Toad, Delilah the Spider and Bo the Parakeet each love different subjects and different activities, so every part of the school day has something special to offer each curious creature. They are excited to greet the children in the morning and sad to see them go in the afternoon. Thankfully the animal friends all live at the school together.

On a backpacking trip with her aunt and uncle, a young girl collects rocks while hiking in the forest, by the river, and at the lake, but when her pack becomes too heavy too carry, she finds the perfect solution.

Rhoda's Rock Hunt

Crash! Boom! Bang! The school is having building work, so Stella the Mouse, Nico the Toad, Delilah the Spider and Bo the Parakeet grab their hard hats and explore. The art room, music room and library are a mess, and they can't find Goldie the Goldfish. Is all of this construction worth the mess and stress? This early chapter book from the Classroom Critters series will answer that very question.

Hard Hat Heroes

Atop the rippling waves— the breeze ruffling his fluff— Loon Baby waits, alone, and wonders: Will his mother ever come back? With sensitivity and a spare prose, first-time author Molly Beth Griffin navigates the quiet panic that Loon Baby experiences in the absence of Mama. Anne Hunter’s soft cross-hatched and watercolor paintings shape a serene lake-scape with varied scenes that amplify and illuminate the emotion this book captures.

Loon Baby

A heartfelt story of changing perspectives, set in the Midwest. Ten Beautiful Things gently explores loss, a new home, and finding beauty wherever you are. Lily and her grandmother search for ten beautiful things as they take a long car ride to Iowa and Lily's new home with Gran. At first, Lily sees nothing beautiful in the April slush and cloudy sky. Soon though, Lily can see beauty in unexpected places, from the smell of spring mud to a cloud shaped like a swan to a dilapidated barn. A furious rainstorm mirrors Lily's anxiety, but as it clears Lily discovers the tenth beautiful thing: Lily and Gran and their love for each other. Ten Beautiful Things leaves the exact cause of Lily's move ambiguous, making it perfect for anyone helping a child navigate change, whether it be the loss of a parent, entering or leaving a foster home, or moving.

Ten Beautiful Things

A heartfelt story of changing perspectives, set in the Midwest. Ten Beautiful Things gently explores loss, a new home, and finding beauty wherever you are. Lily and her grandmother search for ten beautiful things as they take a long car ride to Iowa and Lily's new home with Gran. At first, Lily sees nothing beautiful in the April slush and cloudy sky. Soon though, Lily can see beauty in unexpected places, from the smell of spring mud to a cloud shaped like a swan to a dilapitated barn. A furious rainstorm mirrors Lily's anxiety, but as it clears Lily discovers the tenth beautiful thing: Lily and Gran and their love for each other. Ten Beautiful Things leaves the exact cause of Lily's move ambiguous, making it perfect for anyone helping a child navigate change, whether it be the loss of a parent, entering or leaving a foster home, or moving.

These poems find hope in connections-connections with people, creatures, and the wonder of the natural world-as the poet responds to personal struggles and to the turmoil our society faces today.

Molly Beth Griffin

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