about the book
Little Callie’s family can’t afford the home they’re staying in anymore and must move to a smaller apartment. Callie’s mom promises that it will be a nice place to live, but that they will have to put on a yard sale to get rid of the many objects that simply won’t fit at the new place.
Callie watches while people poke and prod at all of the things that are “home” to her. Her headboard, their furniture, and even potted plants are on the lawn with small price stickers on them. Nothing seems to escape being sold.
As she sees a bearded man put her bicycle in the back of his truck, and a strange woman comments on how cute she is—asking, “Are you for sale?” Callie reaches her tipping point and runs over to her mother and father, begging not to be sold! Her parents promise they would never sell her, not for a “million, trillion dollars.”
By the end of the day, Callie will have to learn that perhaps family means more than the material things you share.
about the author
Eve Bunting grew up in Maghera, Northern Ireland, which didn’t have a library. Now, decades later, the village has grown into a town and its library has an entire section dedicated to Eve’s books. Even though she’s lived in the United States for a long time now, Maghera still considers her a local author.
While attending college in Ireland, she met her husband. They lived in Belfast for a number of years, but were frustrated with the bad economy, religious discrimination, and rainy weather. So in 1958, the couple and their three children moved to California.
At age 36, when her children didn’t need as much of her attention, Eve took a writing class at Pasadena City College. Three years later, in 1972, her first book was published. She’s gone on to write over 250 books that span age groups and genres. Spying on Miss Muller is even autobiographical.
Her books have received numerous awards, including the Golden Kite Award (1976), Edgar Award (1993), and Caldecott Medal (1995).
Eve and her husband have been married for over 50 years. They live in Pasadena, California.
Sources:
Author biography: KidsReads
Author biography: Goodreads
Author biography and video interview: Reading Rockets
Author interview: Scholastic
Also by Eve Bunting:
Thunder Horse. Roaring Brook Press. November 2017.
Ghost Cat. Sleeping Bear Press. September 2017.
Scary, Scary Halloween. HMH Books for Young Readers. July 2017.
The Mother’s Day Mice. HMH Books for Young Readers. April 2017.
The Valentine Bears. HMH Books for Young Readers. 2016.
Mr. Goat’s Valentine. Sleeping Bear Press. 2016.
Whose Shoe? Clarion. 2015.
Washday. Holiday House. 2014.
P Is for Pirate : A Pirate Alphabet. Sleeping Bear Press. 2014.
Washday. Holiday House. 2014.
Big Bear’s Big Boat. Clarion. 2013.
Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? Clarion. 2013.
Ballywhinney Girl. Clarion. 2012.
Tweak Tweak. Clarion. 2011.
Hey Diddle Diddle. Boyds Mills Press. 2011.
Pirate Boy. Holiday House. 2011.
Finn McCool and the Great Fish. Sleeping Bear Press. 2010.
Will It Be a Baby Brother? Boyds Mills Press. 2010.
The Banshee. Clarion. 2009.
Our Library. Clarion. 2008.
S Is for Shamrock : An Ireland Alphabet. Sleeping Bear Press. 2007.
The Baby Shower. Charlesbridge. 2007.
Emma’s Turtle. Boyds Mills Press. 2007.
about the illustrator
Lauren Castillo is an author and Caldecott Honor winning illustrator. She graduated from the Maryland Institute’s College of Art and immediately went on to graduate school, earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Lauren uses mixed mediums in her work, including marker, ink, pen, watercolor, salt (which adds a cool effect to watercolor), and acetone for transferring her art (don’t try this at home!). Some of the illustrators and artists who have inspired Lauren along the way are Tomie DePaola, Richard Scarry, and Shel Silverstein, and a couple of her absolute favorites are Mercer Mayer and Maurice Sendak.
Lauren does her writing and illustrations at an in-home studio in Los Angeles, California. When she isn’t busy working though, she enjoys a great cup of coffee, sunny days, good music, and collecting old bits of fabric and wallpaper—she loves the neat patterns on them!
Sources:
Illustrator website
Illustrator interview: Pen and Oink
Illustrator interview: Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Also by Lauren Castillo:
A Boy, a Mouse, and a Spider : The Story of E.B. White. Henry Holt & Company (BYR). October 2017.
It’s Not Time for Sleeping by Lisa Graff. Clarion. 2016.
City Cat by Kate Banks. Farrar Straus Giroux (BYR). 2013.
Happy Like Soccer by Maribeth Boelts. Candlewick Press. 2012.
The Reader by Amy Hest. Amazon Children’s Publishing. 2012.
Alfie Runs Away by Kenneth M. Caddow. Farrar Straus Giroux (BYR). 2010.
Buffalo Music by Tracey E. Fern. Clarion. 2008.
read more!
From There to Here by Laurel Croza
When a little girl’s family moves to Toronto from Saskatchewan, she’s not happy. Life here is so different than there. Dad used to come home over lunch, but now he doesn’t—plus “supper” is now “dinner.” What will it take for the little girl to see Toronto in a better light?
Washday by Eve Bunting
It’s washday in April 1889! Since Lizzie’s mother is pregnant and can’t help Grandmother on washday, Lizzie is happy to help out. However, it does mean missing the tea party she had planned with her friend and their dolls. The two work together to clean all the clothes, and once everything is hung out to dry, Lizzie gets a surprise.
Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead
Peter and his dog, Harold, lay awake in their new home as they worry about what lurks in the woods at the edge of the property. The next day, Peter and Harold make a guardian named Lenny out of blankets and cushions. Both feel much better, but worry that Lenny might be getting lonely, so they create Lucy as a friend. When they meet the new neighbor Millie, the five become fast friends, and Millie shows Peter that the woods aren’t as scary as he imagines.