Alfie tries to save Halloween from too many princesses in this fourth book in the Absolutely Alfie series! It's almost Halloween at Alfie's school and everyone is excited to dress up in costumes for the class Halloween party. Shy Bella asks Alfie if she wants to be bunny rabbits together. Alfie is happy to agree and to get to know this new and interesting classmate. But when almost all of Alfie's other friends decide to be princesses, Alfie begins to doubt her decision. Alfie is so torn. Can she be both . . . and not hurt anyone's feelings? Probably not!
In Alfie Jakes's second grade class, friendship and fairness rule in this adorable third installment of the Absolutely Alfie series! Second grader Alfie Jakes knows that when it comes to some friendships, one day you're in, and the next you're out. When Alfie's former best friend, Lulu, announces that she's hosting the best sleepover ever--and that she's only allowed to invite six girls--Alfie desperately wants to go but is not sure she'll be one of the lucky few. Lulu's classmates are doing all they can to win her favor, a task that often ends in tears. Can Alfie convince her used-to-be best friend that a party is better when everyone is invited--or will she get herself uninvited instead?
From the author of the National Book Award nominee A TANGLE OF KNOTS comes an inspiring novel about figuring out who you are and doing what you love. Albie has never been the smartest kid in his class. He has never been the tallest. Or the best at gym. Or the greatest artist. Or the most musical. In fact, Albie has a long list of the things he's not very good at. But then Albie gets a new babysitter, Calista, who helps him figure out all of the things he is good at and how he can take pride in himself. A perfect companion to Lisa Graff's National Book Award-nominated A Tangle of Knots, this novel explores a similar theme in a realistic contemporary world where kids will easily be able to relate their own struggles to Albie's. Great for fans of Rebecca Stead's Liar and Spy, RJ Palacio's Wonder and Cynthia Lord's Rules. Praise for Lisa Graff's novels Tangle of Knots (nominated for a National Book Award)
* Combining the literary sensibility of E. B. White with the insouciance of Louis Sachar, Graff has written a tangle that should satisfy readers for years to come.--Booklist, starred review Double Dog Dare
Graff's...story is lighthearted and humorous, but honestly addresses the emotions associated with divorce. Her characters' voices, interactions, and hangups are relatable, as they battle each other and adjust to their families' reconfigurations.--Publishers Weekly
* Combining the literary sensibility of E. B. White with the insouciance of Louis Sachar, Graff has written a tangle that should satisfy readers for years to come.--Booklist, starred review Double Dog Dare
Graff's...story is lighthearted and humorous, but honestly addresses the emotions associated with divorce. Her characters' voices, interactions, and hangups are relatable, as they battle each other and adjust to their families' reconfigurations.--Publishers Weekly
From the author of the National Book Award nominee A Tangle of Knots comes an inspiring novel about figuring out who you are and doing what you love. Albie has never been the smartest kid in his class. He has never been the tallest. Or the best at gym. Or the greatest artist. Or the most musical. In fact, Albie has a long list of the things he's not very good at. But then Albie gets a new babysitter, Calista, who helps him figure out all of the things he is good at and how he can take pride in himself. A perfect companion to Lisa Graff's National Book Award-nominated A Tangle of Knots, this novel explores a similar theme in a realistic contemporary world where kids will easily be able to relate their own struggles to Albie's. Great for fans of Rebecca Stead's Liar and Spy, RJ Palacio's Wonder and Cynthia Lord's Rules. Praise for ABSOLUTELY ALMOST
* "Albie comes through significant emotional hardship to a genuine sense of self-worth."--School Library Journal, starred review * "A perfect book to share with struggling readers."--Booklist, starred review * "Achingly superb, Albie's story shines."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review * "Graff's...gentle story invokes evergreen themes of coming to appreciate one's strengths (and weaknesses), and stands out for its thoughtful, moving portrait of a boy who learns to keep moving forward, taking on the world at his own speed."--Publishers Weekly, starred review "Lately the patrons of my school library have been asking, 'Do you have any books like Wonder by R.J. Palacio?' and now I have the perfect offering."--BookPage "Maybe the wonder of Absolutely Almost is that it's willing to give us an almost unheard of hero."--Betsy Bird, Fuse #8 Blog "Graff...again draws on her ability to create rich lifeworlds for her characters to present a boy who is gifted in many ways....[T]his is a sharp portrait of an outsider's inner perspective, and Albie's coming to terms with himself will be cheered by many."--BCCB Reviews
* "Albie comes through significant emotional hardship to a genuine sense of self-worth."--School Library Journal, starred review * "A perfect book to share with struggling readers."--Booklist, starred review * "Achingly superb, Albie's story shines."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review * "Graff's...gentle story invokes evergreen themes of coming to appreciate one's strengths (and weaknesses), and stands out for its thoughtful, moving portrait of a boy who learns to keep moving forward, taking on the world at his own speed."--Publishers Weekly, starred review "Lately the patrons of my school library have been asking, 'Do you have any books like Wonder by R.J. Palacio?' and now I have the perfect offering."--BookPage "Maybe the wonder of Absolutely Almost is that it's willing to give us an almost unheard of hero."--Betsy Bird, Fuse #8 Blog "Graff...again draws on her ability to create rich lifeworlds for her characters to present a boy who is gifted in many ways....[T]his is a sharp portrait of an outsider's inner perspective, and Albie's coming to terms with himself will be cheered by many."--BCCB Reviews
Carve out family time for this Halloween read following Bobby and Lucy as they roll with the tricks and treats of the spookiest season!
Tricks and treats-that's what Halloween is all about. This year, Bobby has lots of both! He has a special treat planned with his beagle puppy, Lucy. And the tricks? Bobby is getting those at school with the new kid, Jack. Bobby can't figure Jack out. And ever since Jack arrived, things have gone missing around the classroom. Halloween has never been so mysterious!
Tricks and treats-that's what Halloween is all about. This year, Bobby has lots of both! He has a special treat planned with his beagle puppy, Lucy. And the tricks? Bobby is getting those at school with the new kid, Jack. Bobby can't figure Jack out. And ever since Jack arrived, things have gone missing around the classroom. Halloween has never been so mysterious!
Be thankful for your furry friends in this story of a boy and his beagle!
Bobby has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. He might soon become a big brother, his grandmother is coming for a visit, and he's absolutely thankful for his mom's pies, especially the pumpkin ones. But the number-one thing Bobby wants to give thanks for? His dog, Lucy. Lately, though, Lucy hasn't been her usual frisky self. She's quiet. She seems unhappy. Is something wrong with Lucy?
Bobby has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. He might soon become a big brother, his grandmother is coming for a visit, and he's absolutely thankful for his mom's pies, especially the pumpkin ones. But the number-one thing Bobby wants to give thanks for? His dog, Lucy. Lately, though, Lucy hasn't been her usual frisky self. She's quiet. She seems unhappy. Is something wrong with Lucy?
Companion to the New York Times bestseller Nat Enough!
You can stay stuck or go forward, but you can't go back.
Natalie has just arrived at summer camp and soon realizes it isn't anything like the brochure. Instead of spending the summer with her best friends, Zoe and Flo, Natalie is stuck with her ex-BFF, Lily, and someone even more annoying than the endless mosquitoes: Millie Flatbottom. Even worse, she's constantly pushed out of her comfort zone and forced to come face-to-face with some of her greatest fears. Although summer camp isn't at all what Natalie expected, could it be exactly what she needs?
A prequel to the 1995 Newbery Medal winner "Walk Two Moons," "Absolutely Normal Chaos" proves that Sharon Creech is not the kind of author you meet once and forget -- she writes with a memorable voice that speaks directly to the thoughts and feelings of her readers. "Absolutely Normal Chaos" chronicles the daily life of 13-year-old Mary Lou Finney during her most chaotic and romantic summer ever.
Sharon Creech fans will recognize Mary Lou Finney and her infamous summer journal from their appearance in "Walk Two Moons."
Mary Lou's journal opens with a plea, " Here it is: my summer journal . . But please PLEEEASSSE DON'T READ IT!"
What begins grudgingly as a dreaded assignment for school becomes a hilarious chronicle of the circle of people and events that make her summer. There is Carl Ray, the mysterious and troublesome cousin that comes to visit; Beth Ann Bartels, the best friend who's recently gone boy crazy; Alex Cheevy, the boy that makes Mary Lou's brains " mushy" and, of course, the Finney clan, her " normally strange family." What follows is a story of a summer filled with lessons and observations on love, death, friendship and family.
An unsent letter in a first edition copy of Charlotte's Web leads to a hunt for treasure in this heartwarming middle grade mystery from the author of The Mother-Daughter Book Club. Now that Truly Lovejoy's father has been injured by an IED in Afghanistan and is having trouble finding work back home, the family moves from Texas to tiny Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire, to take over Lovejoy's Books, a struggling bookstore that's been in the family for one hundred years. With two older brothers and two younger sisters clamoring for attention, her mother back in school, and everyone up to their eyebrows trying to keep Lovejoy's Books afloat, Truly feels more overlooked than usual. So she pours herself into uncovering the mystery of an undelivered letter she finds stuck in a valuable autographed first edition of Charlotte's Web, which subsequently goes missing from the bookshop. What's inside the envelope leads Truly and her new Pumpkin Falls friends on a madcap treasure hunt around town, chasing clues that could spell danger. Fans of Heather Vogel Frederick's Mother-Daughter Book Club series "will rejoice for a new series with a similarly cozy New England setting, great characters, and literary references to beloved classics" (School Library Journal).
From the #1 bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars Michael L. Printz Honor Book
Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist Katherine V thought boys were gross
Katherine X just wanted to be friends
Katherine XVIII dumped him in an e-mail
K-19 broke his heart
When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun--but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.
Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist Katherine V thought boys were gross
Katherine X just wanted to be friends
Katherine XVIII dumped him in an e-mail
K-19 broke his heart
When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun--but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.
Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.
Acadia Greene wants answers. What happened to the frogs she used to see at her favorite local pond? Why do leaves change color in the fall, and why don't evergreen needles do the same? What is the water cycle, and what is transpiration? How do time zones work, and why does the sun set at different times in different places within a single zone? How do germs infect us? Acadia doesn't mean to do science, but she has questions and her parents refuse to simply give her the answers. "Conduct an experiment," they tell her. "Use the scientific method." So Acadia makes hypotheses, designs experiments, analyzes data, and draws conclusions. Acadia does science.
The author, Katie Coppens writes a recurring column for NSTA's middle school magazine Science Scope on science and literacy called The Integrated Classroom.
Acadia Greene wants answers. Who keeps stealing her blueberries just as they ripen on the bushes? Why is her hair curly? Why does the sun wake her up so early in the summer? Why does the tide submerge her sandcastles? How do rocks become sand? Acadia doesn't set out to do science, but she has these important questions and her scientist parents refuse to simply feed her the answers. "Conduct an experiment," they tell her. "Use the scientific method." So Acadia gathers evidence, makes hypotheses, designs experiments, uses the results to test her hypotheses, and draws conclusions. Acadia does science.
The author, Katie Coppens writes a recurring column for NSTA's middle school magazine Science Scope on science and literacy called The Integrated Classroom.
It's a hot, hot summer, and in the depths of the Toronto Transit Authority's Lost and Found, 17-year-old Duncan is cataloging lost things and sifting through accumulated junk. And between Jacob, the cranky old man who runs the place, and the endless dusty boxes overflowing with stuff no one will ever claim, Duncan's just about had enough. Then he finds a little leather book. It's a diary filled with the dark and dirty secrets of a twisted mind, a serial killer stalking his prey in the subway. And Duncan can't make himself stop reading.
What would you do with a book like that? How far would you go to catch a madman?
And what if time was running out. . . .
What would you do with a book like that? How far would you go to catch a madman?
And what if time was running out. . . .
"From the Hardcover edition."
"Thrilling and delightful!"--Pseudonymous Bosch, New York Times bestselling author The Navel Twins are at it again, for the fourth and final time! This time their travels take them to the North Pole where they are forced to sky dive, go dog sledding, get rescued by a man in a hot air balloon who looks vaguely like Santa, and finally find the long-lost Library of Alexandria. If they can get through that, they might have a fighting chance at finally going back to being couch potatoes. But that's a tall order for the world's most unenthusiastic siblings.
Eleven-year-old twins Oliver and Celia Navel live on the 4-1/2th floor of the Explorers Club with their father, Dr. Navel. Their mother, Dr. Navel, has been missing for years. So when an explorer shows up with a clue as to where his wife could be, Dr. Navel drags Oliver and Celia to Tibet to find her. Once there, the twins fall out of airplanes, encounter Yetis, travel through waterfalls, and end up in the Demon Fortress of the Warrior King where they-just possibly-might find their mother and save their father from the Poison Witches. Thing is, they would much rather be watching television. And if their trip doesn't work out as planned, the twins could end up as slaves to Sir Edmund Thitheltorpe III, an evil explorer with breath that smells like boiled carrots, who has it in for the whole Navel family.
When we last saw Oliver and Celia Navel, they had fallen into the clutches of Sir Edmund S. Titheltorpe-Schmidt III and were doomed to spend their entire summer vacation doing his deadly bidding.
In their second unwanted adventure, "We Dine with Cannibals," Oliver and Celia will travel from the ruins of ancient temples to the shadowy forests of the Amazon. They'll need all their reality TV survival skills when they ride a llama, race the rapids, and even fly an airplane! If that's not enough excitement for you (it is decidedly too much excitement for Oliver and Celia Navel), they'll be forced to learn the proper etiquette for a cannibal feast and confront the strangest and most brutal rite of passage ever devised by human imagination: dodgeball.
The second installment of the Accidental Adventures series is just as funny, just as exciting, and just as kid-friendly as the first.
In their second unwanted adventure, "We Dine with Cannibals," Oliver and Celia will travel from the ruins of ancient temples to the shadowy forests of the Amazon. They'll need all their reality TV survival skills when they ride a llama, race the rapids, and even fly an airplane! If that's not enough excitement for you (it is decidedly too much excitement for Oliver and Celia Navel), they'll be forced to learn the proper etiquette for a cannibal feast and confront the strangest and most brutal rite of passage ever devised by human imagination: dodgeball.
The second installment of the Accidental Adventures series is just as funny, just as exciting, and just as kid-friendly as the first.
What if you found your own grave--and it wasn't empty? Discover the dark delights of faeries and fortune-tellers in this gently spooky book from the author of Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times, sure to appeal to fans of Coraline. Grave robbing is a messy business. A bad business. And for Thomas Marsden, on what was previously an unremarkable spring night in London, it becomes a very spooky business. For lying in an unmarked grave and half covered with dirt is a boy the spitting image of Thomas himself. This is only the first clue that something very strange is happening. Others follow, but it is a fortune-teller's frightened screams that lead Thomas into a strange world of spiritualists, death, and faery folk. Faery folk with whom Thomas's life is bizarrely linked. Faery folk who need his help. Desperate to unearth the truth about himself and where he comes from, Thomas is about to discover magic, ritual, and the uncanny truth that sometimes the things that make a boy ordinary are what make him extraordinary.
Fans of Brandon Mull and James Riley will love this middle grade fantasy trilogy about a regular kid who discovers that the truth about his past could be the answer to saving the future. All Jack Blank knows is his bleak, dreary life at St. Barnaby's Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost, an orphanage that sinks more and more into the swampland of New Jersey with each passing year. His aptitude tests project him as spending a long, unhappy career as a toilet brush cleaner. His only chance at escape comes through the comic books donated years ago to the orphanage that he secretly reads in the dark corners of the library. Everything changes one icy gray morning when Jack receives two visitors that alter his life forever. The first is a deadly robot straight out of one of his comic books that tries its best to blow him up. The second is an emissary from a secret country called the Imagine Nation, an astonishing place where all the fantastic and unbelievable things in our world originate--including Jack. Jack soon discovers that he has an amazing ability--one that could make him the savior of the Imagine Nation and the world beyond, or the biggest threat they've ever faced.