North Star Editions Showcase

Outside of a handful of years living in Massachusetts during/after graduate school (woohoo, Simmons!), I have always lived in Minnesota. It’s a great place for a book fiend to live. We have a thriving children’s lit community, tons of independent bookstores, and my city is part of a big library system where I can almost always find any book I’m looking for. We are also home to many publishing companies, including the one I am spotlighting today. North Star Editions, Inc. publishes fiction and nonfiction for children and teens. You can learn more about the books available from their many imprints on their website. I recently opened up a package that contained new titles from many of their imprints and wanted to share them here.

All descriptions from the publisher. A big thanks to North Star Editions, Inc. for always sending me so many interesting books!

All Families Set 2 (Set of 6)

People grow up in all kinds of families, which all have their own dynamics, challenges, and perspectives. This series describes several types of families and offers young readers ways of processing their families’ experiences and accepting their classmates’ situations. Each book also features a “Many Identities” special feature, several “Did You Know?” facts, a table of contents, a reading comprehension quiz, a glossary, additional resources, and an index. This Focus Readers series is at the Beacon level, aligned to reading levels of grades 2-3 and interest levels of grades 3-5.

My Name Is Brave (Set of 2

Brave does not mean fearless. Brave means doing what you know you must do even though you may be frightened to do it. My Name is Brave places a spotlight on the ordinary individuals who became extraordinary by being brave and making a difference where others wouldn’t. Reading Level: Grades 4-5, Social Studies, Interest Level: Grades 2-5

Indigenous History in the United States: 1865 to Today (Set of 6)

Millions of Indigenous people live in the United States today. They are citizens of hundreds of Native nations, each with its own past, present, and future. The six books in this series explore Indigenous history in the United States from the end of the Civil War to the current day. Each book features authoritative text, fascinating sidebars, a “Voices from the Past” special feature, a table of contents, quiz questions, a glossary, additional resources, and an index. This Focus Readers series is at the Navigator level, aligned to reading levels of grades 3–5 and interest levels of grades 4–7.

Read and Grow Phonics Fiction (Set of 50)

Help kids ignite a passion for reading with Read and Grow’s collection of 50 fully decodable fiction books. Educational experts and phonics specialists helped create Read and Grow’s innovative phonics program. The set includes five sequential levels that gradually increase in complexity to boost learners’ confidence. Each Read and Grow book contains vibrant illustrations, explanations of the reading scheme, examples of new sounds, and phonics and comprehension activities. The Read and Grow collection is aligned to reading to levels of K–1 and interest levels of PreK–2.

Maggie Sparks and the Monster Baby: Book 1 by Steve Smallman, Esther Hernando (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781631639241 Publisher: North Star Editions Publication date: 01/01/2025 Series: Maggie Sparks, Ages 7-9)

Maggie Sparks does NOT want a baby brother!
Especially not one who is noisy, smelly, and gets ALL the attention.
The good thing is, Maggie’s a witch. A super powerful, super smart, super talented witch . . . who sometimes gets her spells wrong. But that won’t stop her from finding a way to win back her mom and dad from the evil monster baby. Especially when she’s got Bat, her pet chameleon, to help.
All she needs is a little magic . . .

Maggie Sparks and the Swimming Pool Sharks: Book 2 by Steve Smallman, Esther Hernando (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781631639272 Publisher: North Star Editions Publication date: 01/01/2025 Series: Maggie Sparks, Ages 7-9)

Maggie Sparks does NOT like swimming!
It’s cold and wet and, worst of all, she’s not very good at it.
So when Mom decides to sign her up for swimming lessons, Maggie is not happy. Thankfully, Maggie is a super powerful, super smart, super talented witch. She is determined to use her powers to get into the elite Sharks swimming group and help her best friend, Arthur, along the way.
All she needs is a little magic . . .

Maggie Sparks and the Truth Dragon: Book 3 by Steve Smallman, Esther Hernando (Illustrator) (ISBN-13: 9781631639302 Publisher: North Star Editions Publication date: 01/01/2025 Series: Maggie Sparks, Ages 7-9)

Maggie Sparks is NOT telling the truth!
Well, not now that everyone’s believed her lying cousin Ella over her, landing Maggie in BIG trouble.
But the more lies Maggie tells, the more chaos they cause, and the less her best friend, Arthur, wants to be friends with her. Luckily, Maggie’s a super powerful, super smart, super talented witch. She’s determined to use her powers to put things right again, ace her school project, and win back Arthur’s friendship.
All she needs is a little magic . . .

Racing the Clouds by Sydney Dunlap (ISBN-13: 9781631639166 Publisher: North Star Editions/Jolly Fish Press Publication date: 02/18/2025, Ages 10-15)

If thirteen-year-old Sage had done one thing differently that day last November, everything would be fine. Only she didn’t, so she and her dad had to leave Philadelphia for a new life in middle-of-nowhere Virginia. Her dad has never actually said he blames her for what happened, but how could he not?

Sage is determined to push it all out of her mind, but then, just before summer vacation, she hears from the grandparents she’s never met. They want her to visit, and she realizes this could be her chance to mend the rift that’s kept everybody apart.

When she meets Grandmother Marion, though, Sage is sure her trip is headed for disaster. Except she wasn’t counting on making a new friend or rescuing a sweet stray dog. With them by her side, maybe she can find the courage to face what she’s been avoiding all along.

From the award-winning author of It Happened on Saturday comes a heartfelt and empowering story that explores the complexity of family relationships, the value of forgiveness, and how to find your way forward in a tough situation with resilience and hope.

Rain, Rain by Josh Banday (ISBN-13: 9781963802023 Publisher: North Star Editions/Little Digital Publication date: 03/11/2025, Ages 4-8)

In this debut picture book from actor and comedian Josh Banday, a bored and grouchy child escapes the torment of rainy-day errands by weaving a fantastic tale of adventure from within their little yellow raincoat. But even imaginary homes where imaginary neighbors dish out imaginary cheese with imaginary crackers have their problems: Weeples.

Weeples are a menace. They can’t be reasoned with, trapped, or mailed to Florida. As more and more weeples fill the cozy confines of the raincoat, it’s up to our child to find a solution that will make the weeples POOF once and for all.

This playful tale of off-the-wall imagination and problem-solving is a window into the mind of the bored child. It also serves as a gentle reminder that laughter and imagination can work their magic even on the dreariest of days.

Filed under: new books