Books published by Astra Publishing House

As World War II threatens the United States in 1941, fourteen-year-old Junior Bledsoe fights his own battles at home. Junior struggles with school and with angerat his father, his insufferable granddaddy, his neighbors, and himselfas he desperately tries to understand himself and find his own aim in life. But he finds relief in escaping to the quiet of the nearby woods and tinkering with cars, something he learned from his Pop, and a fatherly neighbor provides much-needed guidance. This heartfelt and inspiring prequel to the author's Blue and Comfort also includes an author's note and bibliography.

The step-by-step process of air travel from the perspective of a young girl on a trip with her parents is revealed in this informative picture book.

In this hilarious, tongue-in-cheek picture book about manners, zoo animals attempt to follow proper etiquette when they are accidentally invited to tea with the queen.

This appealing book for young children is filled with vibrant full-colour Hidden Pictures puzzles featuring trains, planes, cars and other things that go, plus classic black-and-white puzzles and eight pages of high-quality stickers to mark the hidden objects.

This book is filled with vibrant full-colour Hidden Pictures puzzles, plus classic black-and-white puzzles with a special bonus: 12 pages of colourful stickers to mark the hidden objects!

This irresistible book is packed with more than 100 puzzles straight from the Highlight's magazine. Drawn in Highlights' classic black-and-white style, each puzzle is carefully designed to engage and entertain children while honing their concentration skills and attention to detail.

This irresistible book is packed with more than 100 puzzles straight from the Highlight's magazine. Drawn in Highlights' classic black-and-white style, each puzzle is carefully designed to engage and entertain children while honing their concentration skills and attention to detail.

Rhyming board book highlighting love that features photographs of adorable babies with baby animals, plus a shiny Mylar mirror.

In this book, beloved author-illustrator Suzanne Bloom counts down to bedtime from ten terribly tired tigers to one really weary wombat.

With the help of Goose and Fox, Bear learns a valuable lesson in Suzanne Bloom's lovable new story, the seventh in this popular series.

Bear and Fox learn about compromise in this endearing story, told with Suzanne Bloom's gentle humour and trademark pastel illustrations.

Tells the story of Tess's first day of school and her very first ride on a school bus in this reassuring back-to-school classic.

Discover favourite vehicles by pointing to and finding them in every illustrated scene, while touching and feeling the embossed pages.

Touch and feel the embossed pages while finding and pointing to all of the fun that happens on the farm.

This lyrical bedtime book is an ode to baby birds everywhere and to sleepy children, safe in their beds.

Stinky is a monster who loves pickles and possums but is terrified of people.

The attributes of 28 different lizards are revealed in this STEM non-fiction picture book.

For fans of Stuart Little and Poppy, here is a middle-grade adventure in which a mouse and a shrew, lost at sea, try to navigate to their home in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Braving multiple dangers, they discover they have more in common than they could ever have imagined. Mr. Popli, the mouse Mayor of Garbage Island, is always at odds with Archibald Shrew, a brilliant but reckless inventor. When Garbage Island splits apart, they're trapped together in Mr. Popli's houseboat, desperate to find their way home. At first, they only argue, but when they face a perilous thunderstorm and a series of predators, they begin to work together and recognize--in themselves and in each other--strengths they didn't know they had. Nonstop action and deep emotion intertwine in this tale of opposites who discover that with bravery, creativity, and friendship, they can triumph.

This brand-new collection of 365 rib-tickling, laugh-out-loud jokes is guaranteed to bring loads of giggles to children and their grown-ups.

This side splitting humour collection features 365 uproarious knock-knock jokes, with tons of funny cartoons to complement the jokes.

Collection of 365 jokes for children, suitable for children aged 6-9

Ten-year-old Celie's grandmother has moved in with her family, and Granny's forgetfulness is starting to worry Celie. In the meantime, she can tell her parents are keeping secrets, but she can't talk to her best friend Lula or her sister Jo, because they're both keeping secrets, too! Why is Lula not sharing with Celie? Who is Jo texting all the time? And what is Celie supposed to do when special time with her grandmother becomes much more complicatedand possibly dangerousthan Celie can manage on her own? Once again Celie turns to her diary as she tries to sort this all out, filling the pages with heartfelt and often humorous entries, notes, drawings, and pages from her top-secret spy notebook.

In this fourth book in the Last-But-Not-Least Lola series, Lola feels anything but thankful to be stuck at home during the Thanksgiving holiday with her overworked parents, busy brother, three grandparents (who are likely to discover she's lied to them), dog-sitting duties, and a hidden hair knot that--like the knot of her emotions--feels as big a

Lola's mom is home but not home, because she's frantically working all the time. Lola's friends are here but not here as allegiances among the foursome change faster than you can forget your lines for a school play. Lola means well but can't help acting on her emotions and getting into trouble. She'll need to dig for bravery as she deals with a possible ghost next door, stage fright, and, hardest of all, making amends with her friends. Lola is braver than she thinks and her friendships are stronger than she realizes in this funny, heartwarming tale.

Once more Celie turns to her diary, filling the pages with heartfelt and often humorous entries, notes, drawings and pages from her top-secret spy notebook.

A stunningly illustrated nonfiction book about a brown bat named Otis

Once more Celie turns to her diary, filling the pages with heartfelt and often humorous entries, notes, drawings and pages from her top-secret spy notebook.

Lola's back! She patched things up with frenemy Amanda Anderson, but it's not happily ever after for these two best friends, at least not yet. Lola doesn't want to share Amanda, especially not with Jessie, who seems to be around . . . all the time. Can there be more than two best friends? And what does a wild chicken have to do with anything? Hint: The answer involves a class trip to a farm. When Lola is around, you never know what will happen next. This second book in Christine Pakkala's dynamic series is sure to capture the hearts of readers who love a spunky heroine and some unexpected antics.