With the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, many educators and libraries are focusing on space-themed summer reading programs, like StarNet’s fantastic “Summer of Space,” to encourage readers to celebrate the history of space exploration and inspire children to dream big. Rocket Man is the perfect middle grade book to supplement these amazing learning programs and resources because of its personal look at the men who were willing to do something that had never been done before.

Ruth Ashby’s dramatic story of John Glenn’s near-disastrous mission in Friendship 7 takes young readers through his small-town Ohio childhood, his extraordinary experiences as a fighter pilot in two wars, and his life as an astronaut in the prestigious and dangerous Mercury 7 program. The book concludes with Glenn’s successful career as a U.S. senator and his triumphant return to space in 1998 at the age of 77.

Rocket Man was an NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book, and made the NSTA Recommended list when it was published. Get a glimpse inside the book by reading an excerpt.

Be sure to follow Peachtree on Instagram and enter the giveaway to win a copy of Rocket Man!

“Highly readable… Ashby also skillfully includes historical events in the narrative.” ―School Library Journal

“This is a must-read for its historical perspective on the space program as well as its inspirational story.” ―Science and Children

Be sure to follow Peachtree on Instagram and enter the giveaway to win a copy of Rocket Man, or get your copy today from local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble!

We are eager to get this inspiring and endearing books into the hands of as many readers as possible, so we are excited to offer the chance to win 1 of 2 copies of Madeline Finn and the Shelter Dog, along with an adorable button featuring our favorite therapy dog Bonnie! To be entered to win, follow or like Peachtree Publishing Company on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook (your choice!), and comment below. Good luck!

*No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington, D.C. who are 18 years of age or older as of date of entry. Sweepstakes will begin March 18th, 2019 and end March 22nd, 2019 at 11:59 pm EST.  Two winners will be selected randomly to receive the prize. Winners will be notified by March 25th, 2019. Void where prohibited.

To celebrate the upcoming publication and give readers a glimpse of the truly stunning illustrations, we are offering the chance to win 1 of 2 special limited prints of incredible art from Countdown, signed by illustrator Thomas Gonzalez. The giveaway will run until August 20th, and all you need to do is leave a comment below to be entered to win! (And be sure to connect with us on Facebook and Instagram for more entry opportunities!)*

*No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington, D.C. who are 18 years of age or older as of date of entry. Three entries maximum per individual; one entry per platform, per individual. Giveaway will run on Peachtree’s blog, Facebook profile, and Instagram profile. Void where prohibited.

So to celebrate, we’re giving away five children’s books that you’re sure to enjoy! Check out the titles below, and comment on this blog post by May 4th to enter for your chance to win all five books.*

With engaging rhymes and bright, bold images, award-winning author and illustrator Susan Stockdale introduces young readers to a wide range of unusual flowers. Can you imagine a flower that looks like a ballerina? A baboon? A napping baby? Back matter tells a little bit more about each flower (including color photographs) and describes the pollination process.

Gretchen Brandenburg McLellan brings readers an amusing and touching story about transitions and the importance of observing them. With Grace Zong’s charming illustrations, the distinct cast of lively characters comes to life on the page.

As Henry observes his Aunt Lilla work with the beehives on their Lowcountry farm, he becomes fascinated with her bee suit and her ability to communicate with the bees. When he learns that the bees are getting ready to look for a new place to live, he tries to find a way to communicate with the sister bees to convince them to stay.

In this powerful biography of George Moses Horton, the first southern African-American man to be published, Don Tate tells an inspiring and moving story of talent and determination.

Nineteen poems in a variety of verse forms with accompanying science notes take readers on a decomposer safari through the “brown food web,” from bacteria through tardigrades and on to rove beetle predators. Glossary, hands-on investigations, and resources are included in the back matter.

Looking for more ways to celebrate Children’s Book Week? Check out all the great resources online and find events happening in your area! What are you doing to celebrate Children’s Book Week? Comment below and enter to win!

*No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington, D.C. who are 18 years of age or older as of date of entry. Void where prohibited.

Sophia—a former child prodigy and 17-year-old math mastermind—has been having panic attacks since she learned that after high school, former prodigies either cure cancer or go crazy. It’s a lot of pressure. So Sophia doesn’t have the patience for games right now. She especially doesn’t have the patience to figure out why all these mysterious playing cards keep turning up inside her textbooks.

Joshua—a highly intelligent and cheerfully unambitious amateur magician—has been Sophia’s classmate and has admired her for as long as he can remember. He thinks the time is perfect to tell Sophia how he feels. He doesn’t know how wrong he is.

A long-awaited follow-up to Life in Outer Space, this heartwarming tale of unconventional romance, perfect timing, and finding your own magic is perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and David Levithan and anyone who believes in making friends with the freaks.

For all the little makers itching to invent, Izzy Gizmo is your gal. Izzy Gizmo’s inventions are marvelous, magnificent—and they often malfunction. But when she finds a crow with a broken wing, she just has to help! Izzy tries again and again to build a new pair of wings, but nothing is working. And that makes Izzy really cross! Can Izzy overcome her failures? Or is her friend destined to live as a crow who can’t fly?

“This story of a girl engineer is sorely needed and has potential to develop and nourish readers’ interest in STEAM subjects. Additionally, themes of creativity and tenacity, together with the portrayal of a girl who’s allowed to show anger and frustration, make this a worthwhile read. Fun, with depth.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The text is full of challenging new words for young readers and the text rhymes, which allows the story to flow in a fun, inventive way. The theme of not giving up after a first, second, and third failure will resonate with readers of all ages. This book will inspire kids to get out there and to try new things.” —School Library Journal

With valuable STEAM components, as well as themes of failure, learning from your mistakes, and not giving up, Izzy Gizmo is already being hailed as a process-oriented, determined, and creative engineer for young readers to emulate. We can’t wait to get this book into the hands of other little inventors, but first, we thought we’d sneak a peek at the very places where those inventors are at work!

How to enter:

1. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

What you’ll win:

1. A copy of Izzy Gizmo
2. An Izzy-approved measuring tape key chain with level

It’s time for more free books! This week’s giveaway is Rapunzel from Bethan Woollvin. If you loved her New York Times Best Illustrated Little Red, this new twist on the classic fairy tale is a must read.

Rapunzel is trapped in her tower by the wicked witch, but it doesn’t take long for the fearless girl to take matters into her own hands.

Enter for your chance to win a copy in our Goodreads Giveaway! The giveaway will last one week, so make sure you enter soon!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Rapunzel

by Bethan Woollvin

Giveaway ends September 15, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

We love giveaways! They’re our favorite thing! We’re channeling our inner King enthusiasm for this week’s giveaway, King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse from Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers.

King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse is the third book in the adorable new King & Kayla series! This easy-to-read mystery series is the perfect transitional book for children learning to apply analytical and critical thinking skills. Find out more about this title, and check out some additional resources, here.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse

by Dori Hillestad Butler

Giveaway ends September 01, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Jane Addams and all of us at Peachtree invite you to #BeDangerous and enter our Dangerous Jane Sweepstakes*! Jane’s passion for promoting peace and helping those in need, and her persistence and determination despite criticism, resonates in our communities now more than ever, and we want to hear the stories of all those who are carrying on Jane’s activism work in their own communities. Learn more about Jane Addams here.

How to enter:

1. Make sure that you’ve followed us on Twitter, or liked our page on Facebook.

2. Reply and re-tweet our tweets, or reply with a comment on Facebook to the questions we will be posting daily from August 14th to August 25th (including weekends). We’ll be asking different questions each day about civic engagement, literacy, and social justice.

3. Every reply & re-tweet or comment counts as an entry. Feel free to respond to any and all questions we ask, but you don’t have to respond to all of them to win. The more questions you tweet or comment about, the more entries you have in our sweepstakes!

What you’ll win:

A brand new copy of Dangerous Jane and several #BeDangerous buttons!

Ask yourself: How will you change the world today?

Let us know on Twitter and Facebook starting August 14th!

Read about how bookstore Little Shop of Stories is engaging the community in a guest post written by co-owner Diane Capriola here!

*No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington, D.C. who are 18 years of age or older as of date of entry. Sweepstakes will begin August 14th, 2017 and end August 25th, 2017 at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be selected randomly to receive the prize. Winners will be notified by August 30th, 2017. Void where prohibited.

Madeline Finn does NOT like to read. Not books. Not magazines. Not even the menu on the ice cream truck. Fortunately, Madeline Finn meets Bonnie, a library dog. Reading out loud to Bonnie isn’t so bad. When Madeline Finn gets stuck, Bonnie doesn’t mind. Madeline Finn can pet her until she figures the word out.

We can’t wait to get this book into the hands of readers who are not so keen on being readers. Read more about Madeline Finn in our latest New Book Wednesday post, and enter to win your free galley today!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Madeline Finn and the Library Dog

by Lisa Papp

Giveaway ends September 30, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

“So adorable readers may attempt to hug the page.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“It’s a warm, encouraging story that suggests that perfection isn’t necessary in order to achieve one’s goals, and that help can be found in unexpected corners.” ―Publishers Weekly