From the New York Times bestselling authors of I’m Not Dying with You Tonight comes a story about friendship, privilege, sports, and protest.**
With a rocky start to senior year, cheerleaders and lifelong best friends Eleanor and Chanel have a lot on their minds. Eleanor is still in physical therapy months after a serious concussion from a failed cheer stunt. Chanel starts making questionable decisions to deal with the mounting pressure of college applications. But they have each other’s backs—just as always, until Eleanor’s new relationship with star quarterback Three starts a rift between them.
Then, the cheer squad decides to take a knee at the season’s first football game, and what seemed like a positive show of solidarity suddenly shines a national spotlight on the team—and becomes the reason for a larger fallout between the girls. As Eleanor and Chanel grapple with the weight of the consequences as well as their own problems, can the girls rely on the friendship they’ve always shared?
Story Thieves meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library in this wacky, hilarious, and fast-paced middle-grade series starter, with the perfect combination of magic, imagination, and adventure.
Javi Santiago is trying his best not to fail sixth grade. So, when the annual “invite any three people to dinner” homework assignment rolls around, Javi enlists his best friend, Wiki, and his sister, Brady, to help him knock it out of the park.
But the dinner party is a lot more than they bargained for. The family’s mysterious antique table actually brings the historical guests to the meal…and Blackbeard the Pirate is turning out to be the worst guest of all time.
Before they can say “avast, ye maties,” Blackbeard escapes, determined to summon his bloodthirsty pirate crew. And as Javi, Wiki, and Brady try to figure out how to get Blackbeard back into his own time, they might have to invite some even zanier figures to set things right again…
**For fans of Small Spaces and the Goosebumps series by R.L Stine comes a chilling ghost story about a girl living in the decrepit and creepy mansion, who discovers something in the woods is after her. **
All Ginny Anderson wants from her summer is to sleep in, attend a mystery writing workshop, and spend time with her best friend. But when Ginny’s father–a respected restoration expert in Chicago–surprises the family with a month-long trip to Michigan, everything changes. They aren’t staying in a hotel like most families would. No, they’re staying in a mansion. A twenty-six room, century-old building surrounded by dense forest. Woodmoor Manor.
But unfortunately, the mansion has more problems than a little peeling wallpaper. Locals claim the surrounding woods are inhabited by mutated creatures with glowing eyes. And some say campers routinely disappear in the woods, never to be seen again.
As terrifying as it sounds, Ginny can’t shake the feeling that there’s something darker . . . another story she hasn’t been told. When the creaky floors and shadowy corners of the mansion seem to take on a life of their own, Ginny uncovers the wildest mystery of all: There’s more than one legend roaming Saugatuck, Michigan, and they definitely aren’t after campers.
It’s after her.
“This is a teeth-chattering, eyes bulging, shuddering-and-shaking, chills-at-the-back-of-your-neck ghost story. I loved it!” —R.L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps series on Scritch Scratch
From award-winning author Pat Zietlow Miller, a timeless story about creativity, exploration, and friendship
What can you do with a rock?
You can skip them.
You can sort them.
Best of all, you can share them.
Rocks are simple, but the things you can do with them are endless. Rocks can build, sparkle, and tell a story. They can be memories. They can even be a little bit magic. This ode to curiosity and creative play from* New York Times* bestselling author Pat Zietlow Miller and acclaimed illustrator Katie Kath is bound to inspire.
An adorable rhyming Halloween book with educational nonfiction elements woven in, perfect for classrooms and libraries!
Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me lots of BUGS to eat! Follow along as a young bat takes flight on Halloween night and eats lots of delicious bugs along the way! Includes educational backmatter with lots of fun facts about bats and their favorite insects.
The first book in Duck & Cluck, a brand new funny early reader series for beginning readers—perfect for fans of Mo Willems and Elephant and Piggie.
Meet Duck and Cluck. They are friends. Mostly. But they do not always agree.
Duck has found an egg. Cluck thinks the egg belongs to her instead. And sharing? Out of the question!
This simple but hilarious read-aloud follows the two friends as they make their case for why the egg belongs to them. And in the end, they both learn important lessons about manners and sharing. That Egg is Mine is the perfect laugh-out-loud purchase for any kindergarten or first-grader learning to read, or for anyone searching for comic books for ages 6-8.
**For fans of A Snicker of Magic and The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl comes a suspenseful dark fantasy duology, perfect for middle school readers that love stories of magic and sisterhood with a dash of danger.
**
Maren’s life has finally gone back to normal. Her sister, Hallie, is doing much better, she’s still allowed to work in her family’s dream shop, and there’s been no sign of Obscura, the evil nightmare thief.
But when Lishta, Maren’s grandmother, finds an ad for a sleepaway camp designed for dreamers, alarm bells start to ring. Lishta’s never heard of the camp directors, and she’s worried and wants to investigate. Maren and Hallie pose as campers with Lishta taking a job as the lunch lady.
Almost right away something seems off. Campers all wake up humming the same song, a whole bunk of girls does their hair the exact same way, and everyone seems to have had the same dream. And things go from bad to worse when Maren discovers most of the camp population has been sleepwalking.
As the girls investigate the camp, Maren and Hallie discover a nefarious plot that could affect the entire world. Maren will have to figure out who’s really behind the camp and stop them from turning more dreamers in sleepwalking zombies, before it’s too late.
**From the #1 *New York Times *bestselling author of *This Is Where It Ends *comes another heartbreaking, emotional and timely page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Hope Juvenile Treatment Center is ironically named. No one has hope for the delinquent teenagers who have been exiled there; the world barely acknowledges that they exist.
Then the guards at Hope start acting strange. And one day…they don’t show up. But when the teens band together to make a break from the facility, they encounter soldiers outside the gates. There’s a rapidly spreading infectious disease outside, and no one can leave their houses or travel without a permit. Which means that they’re stuck at Hope. And this time, no one is watching out for them at all.
As supplies quickly dwindle and a deadly plague tears through their ranks, the group has to decide whom among them they can trust and figure out how they can survive in a world that has never wanted them in the first place.
**This empathetic and inclusive picture book empowers kids to love themselves and their identities, stand up to hate, and have each others’ backs no matter what.
When I say something is unfair to me, but it’s fair for you, what does that make it?**
When I meditate, it all gets clear.
And if you listen, you will really hear.
I am not alone. I am enough.
It can be scary to feel like you’re all on your own, especially in the face of prejudice. But always remember: you are not alone! Based on the Grammy award nominated hip-hop group Alphabet Rockers’ empowering song, “Not Alone,” this uplifting picture book reminds kids that they always belong. Encouraging words invite readers to love their beautiful selves, celebrate their identities, and use their voices against hate, You Are Not Alone asks us to step up for each other and have each others’ backs, no matter what.
The thrilling conclusion to the Hollow Dolls duology continues Simone’s story as she sets out with her friends to stop the body walker once and for all.
Simone is still reeling from learning the truth about her mother, Maeve. But she knows she has to stop her before she finds what she’s looking for and ends up hurting her friends in the process.
When Simone stumbles across an old legend about a handful of folks with rare and powerful talents who fled to a secret island haven, she wonders if the soul summoner Maeve seeks could be there. So she and Sebastian set off to find it, hoping to get to there before Maeve does.
But as Simone and her traveling party draw closer to the island, it becomes clearer that Maeve will stop at nothing to get what she wants. And if her evil isn’t stopped, it could mean terrible consequences for everyone Simone loves.
With the gripping feel of a new classic, the Hollow Dolls duology will enthrall middle school readers who love fantasy, magic, and danger. Perfect for 5th grade and above.
The Hate U Give meets Internment in this pulse-pounding thriller about an impenetrable dome around Baltimore that is keeping the residents in and information from going out during a city-wide protest.
Jamal Lawson just wanted to be a part of something. As an aspiring journalist, he packs up his camera and heads to Baltimore to document a rally protesting police brutality after another Black man is murdered.
But before it even really begins, the city implements a new safety protocol…the Dome. The Dome surrounds the city, forcing those within to subscribe to a total militarized shutdown. No one can get in, and no one can get out.
Alone in a strange place, Jamal doesn’t know where to turn…until he meets hacker Marco, who knows more than he lets on, and Catherine, an AWOL basic-training-graduate, whose parents helped build the initial plans for the Dome.
As unrest inside of Baltimore grows throughout the days-long lockdown, Marco, Catherine, and Jamal take the fight directly to the chief of police. But the city is corrupt from the inside out, and it’s going to take everything they have to survive.
A brand-new series from Jen Calonita, set in the world of Fairy Tale Reform School! Not everyone born royal is meant to rule…
In Enchantasia, becoming a legendary prince or princess doesn’t happen overnight. Enter Royal Academy, the training ground for the fairy tale leaders of tomorrow!
But Devin has major reservations about her new school and her royal future. How can she be a princess and the best creature caretaker Enchantasia has ever seen? It doesn’t help that there’s something seriously weird about RA’s headmistress. Olivina seems obsessed with preparing students for possible attacks from villains (“A royal can’t rule when they’re stuck in a tower!”) Devin gets that being Snow White and Rapunzel’s fairy godmother has probably made Olivina pretty paranoid, but anytime someone steps a toe out of line, Olivina becomes more of a fairy nightmare than a fairy godmother.
Something isn’t right with this lady, and Devin is determind to find out what. But what Devin discovers could change the fairy tale world forever…
**Teach kids about cross-cultural communication and reaching out to others with this simple, heartwarming story
Perfect for those looking for:**
stories about connection
colorful, engaging art
books about communication and respecting others
classroom picture books
When a boy comes across a fish and says hello, the fish does not respond. The boy is shocked. What a rude fish! But soon he realizes that it isn’t up to the fish to speak Boy. Rather, if he wants to communicate, it’s up to the boy to take the time to learn how to speak Fish.
Celebrate the connections we have to those different from us with* Do You Speak Fish!*
The first book in Duck & Cluck, a brand new funny graphic novel series for beginning readers—perfect for fans of Mo Willems and Elephant and Piggie.
Meet Duck and Cluck. They are friends. Mostly. But they do not always agree.
Duck has found an egg. Cluck thinks the egg belongs to her instead. And sharing? Out of the question!
This simple but hilarious read-aloud follows the two friends as they make their case for why the egg belongs to them. And in the end, they both learn important lessons about manners and sharing. That Egg is Mine is the perfect laugh-out-loud purchase for any kindergarten or first-grader learning to read, or for anyone searching for comic books for ages 6-8.
**This empathetic and inclusive picture book empowers kids to love themselves and their identities, stand up to hate, and have each others’ backs no matter what.
When I say something is unfair to me, but it’s fair for you, what does that make it?**
When I meditate, it all gets clear.
And if you listen, you will really hear.
I am not alone. I am enough.
It can be scary to feel like you’re all on your own, especially in the face of prejudice. But always remember: you are not alone! Based on the Grammy award nominated hip-hop group Alphabet Rockers’ empowering song, “Not Alone,” this uplifting picture book reminds kids that they always belong. Encouraging words invite readers to love their beautiful selves, celebrate their identities, and use their voices against hate, You Are Not Alone asks us to step up for each other and have each others’ backs, no matter what.
“A tale that is chilling on more than one level… Zombie rats and ghastly ghosts galore—but the haunting comes from more than the spectral cast” — Kirkus
When 13-year-old Glennon McCue, his mom, and his fragile sister are left with their uncle at his lighthouse on Isle Philippeaux, Glennon desperately wants leave the desolate isle and return home. But his father is away, so Glennon is forced to spend his break surrounded by fog, rats, and chilling myths. Nothing seems quite right… with the island or with his family.
A storm rocks the island and a ship crashes near the lighthouse, leaving behind a group of sailors. Something is off about the survivors, who seem more monster than human. Soon it becomes clear that there won’t be boats to take anyone home, and Glennon and his family are trapped.
It will take all Glennon’s courage to save his family from the curse of the isle and the real monster in his life.
Pick up Monsters in the Mist if you are looking for:
A book for middle school students, 5th grade to 9th grade
Mystery books for kids 9-12
Chilling ghost stories and ghost books for kids (perfect for Halloween!)
Praise for The Wolf of Cape Fen:
“Brandt’s striking debut is eerie and intriguing, set in a deftly built world that feels both cozily familiar and unsettlingly odd. A stunning seaside fairy tale that will absorb readers until the very end.”—Booklist
“Unfolding gradually as Eliza relentlessly pieces the past together, this intriguing mystery culminates in a startling, literally transforming climax.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Atmospheric…this fabulist middle grade effectively employs a dream-fueled magic system that reckons with consequences.”—Publishers Weekly
Praise for A Wilder Magic:
“Readers who enjoyed the Savvy series by Ingrid Law and Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve will love this little gem.” —Rebecca Williams, Portland Book Review
“The relationship between magic, nature, and intent adds a thoughtful level of complexity and cost to this sophomore novel by Brandt…a poignant blend of loss and optimism as readers empathize with Sybaline’s rebellion against inevitable change.” —Publishers Weekly
“[Kids] expecting a big move may find comfort in Sybaline’s eventual acceptance of her need to leave the valley.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
A heartwarming celebration of all skin shades, from sun-browned to autumn-leaf-gold!
Amrita and Kiki are best friends and sunflower sisters. Amrita’s older sister is getting married, but when the elder relatives arrive, they start dispensing some old-fashioned and dubious advice. Luckily, Amrita’s mother has a lesson or two to teach about that! With the support and empowerment of their moms, the sunflower sisters are two strong, confident girls—one South Asian the other Nigerian—finding joy in their own skin.
A new page-turning thriller from USA Today bestselling author David Bell.**
When a girl disappears, who do you suspect?
When 17-year-old Hunter Gifford wakes in the hospital on the night of homecoming, he’s shocked to learn he and his girlfriend, Chloe Summers, have been in a terrible car accident. Hunter has no memory of the crash, and his shock turns to horror when he is told Chloe’s blood has been found in the car—but she has disappeared.
Back at school, his fellow students taunt him, and his former best friend starts making a true-crime documentary about the case—one that points the finger directly at Hunter. And just when things can’t get any worse, Chloe’s mother stands in front of the entire town at a candlelight vigil and accuses Hunter of murder.
Under mounting pressure from the police, Hunter takes matters into his own hands by questioning anyone who might know the truth and posting videos to prove his innocence. When Hunter learns he and Chloe were seen arguing loudly outside the dance, he faces a sickening possibility. Was he angry enough to kill the person he loved?
Praise for David Bell:
“David Bell is a top-notch storyteller and Layover is his best book yet. I flew through this twisty, riveting psychological thriller at breakneck speed, hooked from the first page right up through the book’s breathless conclusion.”—Cristina Alger, New York Times bestselling author of Girls Like Us
“With hints of Patricia Highsmith’s THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, this is a riveting thriller.” —Palm Beach Daily News
“Readers will find themselves thoroughly immersed in this riveting thriller…both compelling and surprising.”—Booklist
“Bell is a brilliant craftsman as well as storyteller.”—The Providence Journal
Mysterious disappearances. An urban legend rumored to be responsible. And one group of friends determined to save their city at any cost. Stranger Things meets Jordan Peele in this utterly original debut from an incredible new voice.
For over a year, the Bronx has been plagued by sudden disappearances that no one can explain. Sixteen-year-old Raquel does her best to ignore it. After all, the police only look for the white kids. But when her crush Charlize’s cousin goes missing, Raquel starts to pay attention—especially when her own mom comes down with a mysterious illness that seems linked to the disappearances.
Raquel and Charlize team up to investigate, but they soon discover that everything is tied to a terrifying urban legend called the Echo Game. The game is rumored to trap people in a sinister world underneath the city, and the rules are based on a particularly dark chapter in New York’s past. And if the friends want to save their home and everyone they love, they will have to play the game and destroy the evil at its heart—or die trying.
From the author/illustrator team behind The Snatchabook comes a music-filled journey to bedtime.
*
“Orange moon,
blue baboon.
Blue baboon
spies bassoon.”*
Blue baboon is eager to play the bassoon with her new friends. But a monsoon threatens to spoil the fun. Fortunately a big balloon arrives in time to carry them to a dune where they can all play in tune together!