My Dog Never Says Please
Ages 4-8
Illustrated by Tedd
Arnold
Dial
“Williams aptly expresses Ginny Mae’s frustrations and longings...Arnold’s exuberant drawings triumph on every page.” --Publisher’s Weekly
An IRA-CBC Children’s Choice for
1998
Parent's Choice Awards recommended title for 2000
Mommy Doesn’t Know My
Name
Ages 3-8
Illustrated by Andrew Shachat
Houghton Mifflin
“Text and illustrations resonate with the strength of preschoolers’ needs to understand and assert their own identities...It’s a fun, crazy book that works extremely well.”--SLJ
Old
MacDonald in the City
Ages 3 - 8
illustrated by Thor Wickstrom
Golden/Random House
In a unique take on the familiar song, Old MacDonald is a food vendor in a city park, and whenever his back is turned, his cart is overrun with animals--from one horse to ten ants.
"..rollicking retelling of the traditional song...clever twist turns it into a counting book as well as a sing-along. A natural for storytime." --SLJ
The
Witch Casts a Spell
Ages 3 - 8
illustrated by Barbara Olsen
Dial
All the ghoulish folks in town, and one curious little girl, head for the Halloween party at Mummy's house. Text is set to the tune of "Farmer in the Dell."
"...this Halloween story is a winner for sharing with one child or a group...children will easily join in after hearing the first few words of each stanza and the repeated refrain. An enjoyable holiday story that encourages participation." --SLJ
Secret Pal Surprises
Ages 7 - 10
illustrated by Jackie Snider
A Hyperion Chapters book
When Mrs. Hall's third grade class picks secret pals for Valentine's Day, Tommy ends up with Jake, the new kid. Jake's big, so big he looks like he could be in fifth grade. If Tommy doesn't get Jake something he likes, there's no telling what he might do...
Edwin
and Emily
Ages 6 - 8
illustrated By Abby Carter
A Hyperion Chapters Book
Emily loves to play--whether outdoors in the snow, or indoors with her big brother, Edwin. Edwin knows lots of new, exciting games, and is happy to teach them--as long as Emily plays fair. So how does Emily get hold of Edwin's clothes, his toy car, and half of his candy bar? This sibling duo's funny adventures are a delight to read in any season.
Emily
At School
Ages 6 - 8
illustrated by Abby Carter
A Hyperion Chapters Book
"Can't you read?" said a boy in a striped T-shirt. He pointed to a name tag on the desk. "Alex," he said. "that's me. I'm new, and you are sitting in my chair."
Emily frowned. "I know how to read," she said. "I just didn't look at the name tag."
Emily found her desk. It was right in front of Alex's desk and next to Jenny's desk.
Last year she and Jenny had been in the same class. Emily smiled at Jenny. Then she looked back at Alex and stuck out her tongue.
THIRD GRADE FRIENDS (series title)
Ages 7 - 10
illustrated by George Ulrich
Scholastic Little Apple
BOOK #1: Here's Hilary
Hilary is a total mess. She's the queen of clutter. And you can usually tell what she's eaten because she's wearing it on her shirt! But Hilary doesn't mind. That is, until her teacher gets upset that she's late to school--again.
But how will Hilary ever clean up
her act when she can't even clean out her desk? That's where the
secret plan comes in. It's the deal that Hilary makes with the
class geek, Gordon, to try to get her life in order. It's a
weird plan, but it's worth trying. After all, third grade cannot
get any messier than it already is!
BOOK #2: Josh Taylor, Mr. Average
Hilary is the wall-ball champion. Gordon is the brainiac who aces every subject. And Josh...well, Josh isn't really the best at anything. In fact, he's pretty average all around. But that's about to change.
Josh is sure he can be great at something, too. And Hilary and Gordon want to help their friend find a special talent. But nothing is working! And with school elections coming up, Josh is really bummed. He wants to be Class Representative more than anything. But who would ever vote for Mr. Average...?
BOOK #3: Hilary's Super Secret
Hilary Hopkins has a big secret.
She found out something about her teacher, Ms. Foster. But she
can't tell anyone. Well, except for Josh and Gordon, of
course.
Her two best friends have to know. They are the only ones
who can help with her plan. And the plan must be kept secret,
too.
That's a whole lot of secrets! Will Hilary, Josh, and Gordon be
able to keep them safe?
The plan depends on it....
BOOK #4: Gordon and the New Girl
There's a new girl visiting class. Marķa is from Mexico, and she is very smart. Maybe even as smart as Gordon! Gordon thinks they could be good friends. Except that strange things happen to him whenever Marķa is around. He falls out of his chair, he drops things--Gordon's become a total klutz!
Hilary and Josh think they know what's wrong--Gordon's got a crush on the new girl. And Josh says that all girls (except for Hilary, of course!) are trouble. Can Gordon break Marķa's spell?
Or will he stay clumsy forever?
THE
MARVELOUS MIND OF MATTHEW MCGHEE, AGE 8 (series title)
Ages 6 - 9
illustrated by Abby Carter
Aladdin/Simon
& Schuster
BOOK #1: Master of Minds?
Meet Matthew. He's your typical third grader. He likes to play baseball, has a hard time remembering to do his homework, and wishes his parents would give him a bigger allowance.
Then one day something very unusual happens to Matthew: He discovers he can control people with his mind. Now it doesn't matter if he does his homework or not, he doesn't get in trouble, and suddenly his parents give him a raise--without him even asking for it!
This is the best superpower any kid could ever ask for--or so Matthew thinks, until his power starts to spin out of control!
Weird things are happening to Matthew McGhee. First, a purple blob follows him home. Then he hears his mom making plans to send him away to a faraway place. When Matthew finds an egg-shaped bruise on his arm, he knows for sure something very strange is going on.
Matthew's always thought he was different from other kids, but he never thought he was from a different planet! Do these weird occurrences mean that aliens are coming to bring him home?
When the phone rings one night, it's for Matthew. It's the call he's been waiting for....
On the way home from school one day Matthew finds a penny. Remembering the rhyme his grandfather taught him -- "Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you'll have good luck"--Matthew slips the penny into his pocket and takes it home.
Suddenly Matthew becomes a very lucky boy. First his parents take him to the pound to pick out a puppy. Then at school he makes an amazing catch during the softball game. Could it be that this penny really is a lucky penny?
NEW!
PRINCESS
POWER (series title)
HarperCollins
Ages 8 - 12
illustrated by Chuck Gonzales
BOOK #1: The Perfectly Proper Prince
Princess Lysandra finds sewing, napping, and decorating the palace to be extremely boring. She wants adventure! So when Lysandra meets Fatima, Elena, and Tansy, she couldn't be happier. But their first quest comes even sooner than expected, when they stumble upon a frog that just might have royal blood running through his veins....
BOOK #2: The Charmingly Clever Cousin
Princess Fatima doesn't care much for her brother-in-law, Ahmed. His cousin Yusuf is much more charming with his elegant mustache and impressive magic tricks. Yet when Ahmed goes to visit his dying father--and never returns--Fatima starts to worry. Something suspicious is going on, and it just might be up to the princesses to come to the rescue!