The Serpent Cam to Glouchester
by M.T. Anderson

In a small Massachusetts fishing village in August of 1817, dozens of citizens claimed to have seen an enormous sea serpent swimming off the coast. Terrified at first, the people of Gloucester eventually became quite accustomed to their new neighbor. Adventure seekers came from miles around to study the serpent and aggressively hunt it down, but the creature eluded capture. The Gloucester sea serpent was then, and remains now, a complete mystery. Reviving the rhythms and tone of a traditional sea chanty, M.T. Anderson recounts this exhilarating sea adventure through the eyes of a little boy who secretly hopes for the serpent's survival.

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs
by Giles Andreae

When Flinn discovers a pirate hiding in the school supply closet, it's all aboard, me hearties, for a real live pirate adventure! Captain Stubble needs Flinn's help to find his stolen ship, but there are some mean pirate dinosaurs on the loose, and Flinn and his friends soon sail into trouble....Will fearless Flinn be able to captain the ship and defeat the pirate dinosaurs?

Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack
by Doreen Cronin

The cows on Farmer Brown's farm are typing again. Duck can't wait to show everyone their latest note. Just what are they up to this time? Duck's not telling, but if you follow the alphabet one letter at a time, you'll find out. And you'll have as much fun as the animals are going to have, and learn your letters, too! This alphabetical adventure for the very youngest fans of Duck brings alphabet books to a whole new level -- click, clack, quackity-quack!

Double Pink
by Kate Feiffer

Madison loved pink. Wholly, completely, deeply, truly pink. Is there any other color in the world? No -- never. What for? Did there ever need to be? Day by day, Madison begins to create a totally pink world. What could be more perfect? Perfectly pink! But something is missing.... Then Madison remembers her favorite brown bear, her red fire truck, her green balloon. Pink is nice -- it really is -- but it needs the other colors to shine, and so does Madison! What is she to do now?

Lights Out
by Arthur Geisert

Mama and Papa are firm: lights out at eight o"clock. But their little piglet is afraid of the dark. They say, "If you can figure something out, go ahead." So the piglet devises an ingenious series of contraptions that allow him to obey his parents while still keeping the light on long enough to fall asleep. Dominoes, tricycles, bowling balls, and baseball bats play a part as each action and reaction leads gradually to the final tug on the lamp"s switch. Follow Arthur Geisert"s detailed etchings as they reveal each step of kinetic wonder leading gradually to lights out.

The Fire
by Annette Greissman

When the fire starts, Maria is scared, but she remembers the rules of fire safety, and soon she and her family are safely out of the house. But even though the firefighters are brave and strong, the fire still rages. Maria feels they’ve lost everything, but Mama gently reminds her of all they still have. With a lyrical text and poignant, stunning illustrations, The Fire pays tribute to the bravery and dedication of firefighters everywhere. And for those who believe in the strength of families and their extraordinary ability to brave hardship, The Fire will be a compelling story that goes straight to the heart.

Eddie’s Kingdom
by D.B. Johnson

Trash in the hall! Loud music! Nothing is right with Eddie's neighbors. Everyone in the Peaceable Building is fighting. And they are blaming Eddie. "Are you the kid who bangs the ball on my wall?" growls Mrs. 4. How can Eddie help his neighbors to get along? The ingenious way that Eddie brings everyone together surprises them all. With his signature art style, author D. B. Johnson portrays the busy life of tenants in an apartment building. In Eddie, he creates an unlikely hero, a child who puts everything into perspective for his neighbors with a little help from his talent and pencil.

Please Puppy Please
by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee

In page after page of tail-wagging fun, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Beacon Award-winning producer Tonya Lewis Lee, take a close-up look at what happens when a couple of high-energy toddlers meet their match in an adventurous pup who has no plans of letting up. Irresistible illustrations by Coretta Scott King Award winner Kadir Nelson unleash countless memorable moments of toddlerhood, and puppyhood, which families with four-legged friends will enjoy over and over again.

Emma Kate
by Patricia Polacco

That adorable Emma Kate has an imaginary friend.They walk to school together every morning, and sit together in class.They sleep over at each other’s houses, and do their homework side by side.They even have their tonsils out and eat gallons of pink ice cream together. But a hilarious twist ending will have readers realizing there’s more to this imaginary friend than meets the eye! Another of Polacco’s immensely popular younger books, Emma Kate is a wonderfully original story of pretend play and real friendship.

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs
by Betty Birney

When Eben McAllister reads about the Seven Wonders of the World, he longs to escape the small farming community of Sassafras Springs and do some exploring f his own. No one else ever seems to want to leave Sassafras however -- not even his best pal, Jeb. Then his pa, tired of Eben's moping, challenges him to find Seven Wonders in Sassafras Springs that can stand up to the real Seven Wonders of the World. And if he does? Then Eben will get the adventure he's been craving for -- a trip out West. Eben doesn't reckon he'll have any luck -- he can't think of even one thing that would be called "interesting," let along wonderous, in Sassafras, but he figures he'll give it a try; there's nothing else to do in Sassafras anyway. While his mission puzzles and annoys some of his friends and neighbors, Eben perseveres, little knowing that he is in for a big surprise.

Free Baseball
by Sue Corbett

Felix knows his dad was a famous baseball player in Cuba—and that his father risked everything to send Felix to America. But his mom won’t reveal anything else. When a team with Cuban players comes into town, Felix wonders if they knew his dad, and sneaks into their locker room to ask. That’s when the players mistake him for their new batboy.

The Adventures of Vin Fiz
by Clive Cussler

Ten-year-old twins Lacey and Casey Nicefolk live on a tiny herb farm in California, wishing they could see the world . . . but how, when times are so hard? That is where Sucoh Sucop comes in (you may notice his name is Hocus Pocus spelled backward).The mysterious man leaves the twins a magic box that can transform any toy into a life-sized reality. Soon Casey and Lacey, and their faithful hound Floopy, are soaring cross-country through the sky in the enchanted Vin Fiz, Casey’s model of a Wright Brothers biplane.Yet the ride is not a smooth one. The twins encounter danger after danger, and must rescue a town held captive by gold-hungry bandits, not to mention a runaway train full of terrified passengers!

The Fruit Bowl Project
by Sarah Durkee

Call it six degrees of separation. The kids in 8th Grade Writer’s Workshop are awestruck when their teacher announces that through her husband’s cousin, she’s met rock superstar Nick Thompson and has invited him to their class. He’s come to talk about writing and he’s even cooler than they imagined. Nick, known for his music as well as his lyrics, tells the kids his secret: A song is just a bowl of fruit–one must figure out how to paint it. Words are to a writer what paint is to a painter. How many ways can one arrange the fruit? An infinite number. There’s style, voice, genre, and much more to consider. Nick gives the kids two weeks to complete the assignment using seven seemingly ordinary elements. Each student must tell an interesting story, reflecting his or her style. And soThe Fruit Bowl Project begins. Rap, poetry, monologue, screenplay, haiku, fairy tale–and more.

The 7 Professors of the Far North
by John Fardell

Sam, Zara and Ben never expected their vacation to turn into a life-or death rescue mission. But when Uncle Ampersand is kidnapped by the nefarious Professor Murdo, the three children must race to the Arctic to save him. Numerous twists and turns put them to the test as they decode encrypted messages, navigate secret passages, scale giant buildings and hurtle over—and under—dangerous ice fields, all the while unsure of whom they can trust. And when they finally discover Murdo’s ultimate plan, they come to a startling realization: It’s not just Ampersand’s fate on their shoulders . . . it’s the fate of the whole world.

The Homework Machine
by Dan Gutman

The unlikely foursome made up of a geek, a class clown, a teacher's pet, and a slacker -- Brenton, Sam "Snick,", Judy and Kelsey, respectively, -- are bound together by one very big secret: the homework machine. Because the machine, code named Belch, is doing their homework for them, they start spending a lot of time together, attracting a lot of attention. And attention is exactly what you don't want when you are keeping a big secret.

Year of the Dog
by Grace Lin

It’s the Chinese Year of the Dog, and as Pacy celebrates with her family, she finds out that this is the year she is supposed to -find herself. As the year goes on, she struggles to find her talent, makes a new best friend, and discovers just why the Year of the Dog is a lucky one for her after all. Universal themes of friendship, family, and finding one’s passion in life make this novel appealing to readers of all backgrounds. This funny and profound book is a wonderful debut novel by prolific picture book author and illustrator Grace Lin, and has all the makings of a modern classic.

When Guinea Pigs Fly!
By James Proimos and Andy Rheingold

Brooks, Leone, and Allen are three guinea pigs who live a comfortable life at a pet store called The Natural Pet. One day a fellow named Needleman, who's smitten by the pet store owner, Aurora, purchases the trio of guinea pigs, and mistakenly releases them in a park. The guinea pigs, realizing that freedom isn't all they imagined it to be, begin their journey to get back to the pet store. Along the way, they encounter squirrels, pigeons, rats, and cockroaches. This being the first book in the series, the guinea pigs don't quite make it back, but the adventure is off and running!

The Case of the Missing Marquess
by Nancy Springer

When Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared—on her 14th birthday nonetheless—she knows she alone can find her. Disguising herself as a grieving widow, Enola sets out to the heart of London to uncover her mother’s whereabouts—but not even the last name Holmes can prepare her for what awaits. Suddenly involved in the kidnapping of the young Marquess of Basilwether, Enola must escape murderous villains, free the spoiled Marquess, and perhaps hardest of all, elude her shrewd older brother—all while collecting clues to her mother’s disappearance!

The Art Book for Children

An introduction to art for children everywhere, The Art Book, Children’s Edition brings the clarity and innovation of Phaidon’s best-selling The Art Book to our youngest readers ever. An A to Z guide of 30 great artists – each featured on a double-page spread – and their most famous works designed for both parent and child to enjoy together. The book encourages the children to look closely at the featured works and use their imagination to understand why artists choose to create the pieces they do and in the ways that they do.

Let Me Play
by Karen Blumenthal

Can girls play softball? Can girls play basketball or ice hockey or soccer? Can girls become lawyers or doctors or engineers? Of course they can... today. But just a few decades ago, opportunities for girls were far more limited, not because they weren't capable of playing or didn't want to become doctors or lawyers, but because they weren't allowed to. Then quietly, in 1972, something momentous happened: Congress passed a law called "Title IX," forever changing the lives of American girls.

Who’s That Baby? New Baby Songs
by Sharon Creech

No matter what kind of baby they are, all new babies see, hear, think, and feel so many different things. But most of all they feel loved. Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech and Caldecott Medal winner David Diaz give beautiful voice to that love in this celebration of family and the joy a new baby brings.

I Can Make a Difference
by Marian Wright Edelman

Marian Wright Edelman has drawn from a variety of cultures and peoples to compile these timeless stories, poems, songs, quotations, and folktales that speak to all children to let them know that they can make a difference in today's world.

Walter the Giant Storyteller’s Giant Book of Giant Stories
by Walter Mayes

Those colossal lies about “evil” giants are all just a gigantic misunderstanding. You’ve heard all the stories of mean and bloodthirsty giants: David and Goliath, Jack and the Beanstalk, Gilgamesh. Imagine you found an unconscious giant on the shores of your tiny ravaged village—what would you do? Walter the Giant Storyteller is that unlucky giant, shipwrecked by a violent storm at sea. He awakens to find himself tied down and on trial for his life. He knows he’s a good giant, but that doesn’t seem to matter to the mob of tiny people holding him captive and responsible for the crimes of all evil giants in history. He has to use his best storytelling skills to convince the crowd that good giants do exist—because if he doesn’t, he’ll become a giant of legend himself.

Hear That Train Whistle Blow!
by Milton Meltser

From the very first passenger train to roll down the tracks in 1825 to the advent of today’s high-speed trains, the railroad has been and is still one of the most vital forces in civilization. Focusing on American railroad history but touching on other countries, award-winning author Milton Meltzer shows how something as ubiquitous as the railroad is, in fact, a force that changed the world.

Klondike Gold
by Alice Provenson

Eureka! In 1897 gold was discovered in the Klondike, setting off a wave of gold fever. Thousands of prospectors trekked northward in the hopes of finding fortune. Based on the true story of one young prospector, this book traces the grueling journey through the mountains and up the Yukon River to claim a stake and dig for gold. Using a unique format to showcase the action, Caldecott-winning illustrator Alice Provensen tells the tale of the rugged adventurers who braved the harsh conditions and risked incredible odds, all for the slim chance of striking it rich.

Out-of-This-World Astronomy: 50 Amazing Activities and Projects
by Joe Rhatigan and Rain Newcomb

What are stars? Why does the moon change shape? Budding astronomers will find answers to all their questions about the night sky--and far more--in these 50 eye-opening activities. Youngsters will learn to use binoculars and telescopes, and how to chart their viewing highlights in a stargazing notebook. A photographic trip to the moon will inspire kids to map its many phases, calculate a person's lunar weight, and find out what happens during an eclipse. Voyaging farther out also reveals why the other planets wouldn't make a good home for humans, and will help children understand why Earth is a very special place.