Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck, Book 8

Greg Heffley's on a losing streak. His best friend, Rowley Jefferson, has ditched him, and finding new friends in middle school is proving to be a tough task. To change his fortunes, Greg decides to take a leap of faith and turn his decisions over to chance. Will a roll of the dice turn things around, or is Greg's life destined to be just another hard-luck story?

About the Author

 Jeff Kinney is an online game developer and designer, and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. In 2009, Jeff was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to New England in 1995. Jeff lives in southern Massachusetts with his wife and their two sons.

Turkey Trouble

Turkey Trouble

Review

PreSchool- Grade 3—As Thanksgiving approaches, Turkey fears that he will be the centerpiece of the holiday meal. Thus begins his quest for the perfect disguise so he won't be found when the time arrives. He ties a brush on the back of his head and wears a tiny saddle because surely no one would eat a horse for dinner. But the animals still recognize him. He tries to become a cow, a pig, a sheep, and a rooster. He does not look like any of them. When he hears Farmer Jake tell his wife that if they can't find the turkey, maybe they should eat the rooster for dinner, the protagonist comes up with the perfect ruse. This book is as silly as Denys Cazet's offerings about Minnie and Moo (HarperCollins) and just as funny. Harper's comical watercolor illustrations pair naturally with Silvano's clever, filled-with-wordplay text. A first choice for holiday collections.—Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME END

"Stuffed with clever wordplay, groanable puns, and easy-to-ham-it-up animal sounds, the chuckle-inducing narrative makes a crowd-pleasing read-aloud. Turkey's getups are exuberantly silly and the animals' sardonic facial expressions are sublime." -School Library Journal 

 "Kids will eat this up this clever and comical tale."

 -Booklist

"This book is as silly as Denys Cazet's offerings about Minnie and Moo and just as funny. Harper's comical watercolor illustrations pair naturally with Silvano's clever, filled-with-wordplay text. A first choice for holiday collections." -Publisher's Weekly

About the Author

Author Wendi Silvano was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has lived in Oregon, Colorado and Peru. Silvano taught preschool and elementary school for 11 years, and now writes from her home in Grand Junction, Colorado. She has won several writing awards, including The Children’s Choice Award and The EdPress Award for Excellence in Children’s Magazine Fiction. 

Lee Harper is a children’s book author/illustrator living with his family in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Lee is the illustrator of Woolbur by Leslie Helakoski (HarperCollins 2008), Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano (Marshall Cavendish 2009), and Snow! Snow! Snow! which he both wrote and illustrated ! (Simon and Schuster 2009). Besides writing and illustrating Lee loves to visit schools.

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility: A BabyLit Opposites Primer

BabyLit

A series of board books for brilliant babies

Jennifer Adams

BabyLit artwork Alison Oliver

BabyLit is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. With clever, simple text by Jennifer Adams, paired with stylish design and illustrations by Sugar's Alison Oliver, these books are a must for every savvy parent's nursery library.

Jennifer Adams is the author of a dozen books including Remarkably Jane: Notable Quotations on Jane Austen and the popular Y Is for Yorick: A Slightly Irreverent ABC Book for Grown-Ups. Jennifer works as a writer and editor in Philadelphia.

Alison Oliver runs Sugar design studio. Alison's design portfolio includes everything from logos to packaging and product design for clients such as Chronicle Books, Citibabes, and Aerie, as well as Gibbs Smith. She lives in New York.

About the Author

Alison Oliver runs Sugar design studio. Alison's design portfolio includes everything from logos to packaging and product design for clients such as Chronicle Books, Citibabes, Aerie, as well as Gibbs Smith. She lives in Manhattan.

Jennifer Adams is the author of a dozen books including Remarkably Jane: Notable Quotations on Jane Austen and the popular Y Is for Yorick: A Slightly Irreverent ABC Book for Grown-Ups. Jennifer works as a writer and editor in Salt Lake City.

The Day the Crayons Quit

The Day the Crayons Quit

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Best Books of the Month, July 2013 Picture Books: The Day the Crayons Quit, Drew Daywalt’s clever story of a box of crayons gone rogue will get the whole family laughing at the letters written by the occupants of the ubiquitous yellow and green box. The combination of text and Oliver Jeffers' illustrations match the colors' personalities beautifully as the crayons share their concern, appreciation, or downright frustration: yellow and orange demand to know the true color of the sun, while green--clearly the people pleaser of the bunch--is happy with his workload of crocodiles, trees, and dinosaurs. Peach crayon wants to know why his wrapper was torn off, leaving him naked and in hiding; blue is exhausted and, well, worn out; and pink wants a little more paper time. The result of this letter writing campaign is colorful creativity and after reading this book I will never look at crayons the same way again--nor would I want to. ---Seira Wilson

From Booklist

Duncan’s crayons are on strike. One morning he opens his desk looking for them and, in their place, finds a pack of letters detailing their grievances, one crayon at a time. Red is tired. Beige is bored. Black is misunderstood. Peach is naked! The conceit is an enticing one, and although the crayons’ complaints are not entirely unique (a preponderance centers around some variation of overuse), the artist’s indelible characterization contributes significant charm. Indeed, Jeffers’ ability to communicate emotion in simple gestures, even on a skinny cylinder of wax, elevates crayon drawing to remarkable heights. First-class bookmaking, with clean design, ample trim size, and substantial paper stock, adds to the quality feel. A final spread sees all things right, as Duncan fills a page with bright, delightful imagery, addressing each of the crayons’ issues and forcing them into colorful cooperation. Kids who already attribute feelings to their playthings will never look at crayons the same way again. Grades K-3. --Thom Barthelmess

Review

**From Publishers Weekly, Starred Review**

“Making a noteworthy debut, Daywalt composes droll missives that express aggravation and aim to persuade, while Jeffers’s (This Moose Belongs to Me) crayoned images underscore the waxy cylinders’ sentiments: each spread features a facsimile of a letter scrawled, naturally, in the crayon’s hue; a facing illustration evidences how Duncan uses the crayon, as in a picture of a giant elephant, rhino, and hippo (Gray laments, “That’s a lot of space to color in all by myself”). These memorable personalities will leave readers glancing apprehensively at their own crayon boxes."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

(Publisher's Weekly)

"Jeffers delivers energetic and playful illustrations. The drawings are loose and lively, and with few lines, he makes his characters effectively emote. Clever spreads, such as Duncan’s 'white cat in the snow' perfectly capture the crayons’ conundrum, and photographic representations of both the letters and coloring pages offer another layer of texture, lending to the tale’s overall believability. A comical, fresh look at crayons and color."--Kirkus Reviews

 **From THE WALL ST. JOURNAL**  "Fresh and funny. Oliver Jeffers's quirky, joyful illustrations convey the strength and comedy of the crayons' sentiments, and children ages 4-8 will laugh in recognition at seeing their own color preferences reflected back at them."

About the Author

Although Drew Daywalt grew up in a haunted house, he now lives in a Southern California home, haunted by only his wife, two kids, and five-month-old German Shepherd. His favorite crayon is Black.

Oliver Jeffers (www.oliverjeffersworld.com) makes art and tells stories. His books include How to Catch a Star; Lost and Found, which was the recipient of the prestigious Nestle Children’s Book Prize Gold Award in the U.K. and was later adapted into an award-winning animated film; The Way Back Home; The Incredible Book Eating Boy; The Great Paper Caper; The Heart and the Bottle, which was made into a highly acclaimed iPad application narrated by Helena Bonham Carter; Up and Down, the New York Times bestselling Stuck; The Hueys in the New Sweater, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year; and This Moose Belongs to Me, a New York Times bestseller. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Oliver now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Gorgeous

Gorgeous

Review

"When I wasn't laughing out loud (which was often), I was wiping away a tiny tear."  - Meg Cabot

"Paul Rudnick is a champion of truth and love and great wicked humor, whom we ignore at our peril." - David Sedaris

"[G]leefully wacky and irreverent . . . readers are treated to Rudnick's considerable talents as a satirist as he uproariously eviscerates our celebrity-mad, class-conscious, appearance-obsessed, reality-TV-vapid culture with puckish delight . . . a wicked good time, with moments both outlandish and touching. And as a summer beach read? Well, it's perfect." - Libba Bray, New York Times Book Review

"Rudnick's first Y.A. novel is full of magic, snark, style, heart, and hilarity." - The Atlantic Wire

"Paul Rudnick's young adult debut, Gorgeous, is not a fairy tale. 'Because in real life, fairy tales always end badly.' What it is is a satire sharp as a stiletto heel that takes on celebrity culture, the fashion industry, consumerism, and princess stories. Oh, and it's wickedly hilarious." - Boston Globe

"With writing that's hilarious, profane, and profound (often within a single sentence), Rudnick casts a knowing eye on our obsession with fame, brand names, and royalty to create a feel-good story about getting what you want without letting beauty blind you to what's real." - Publishers Weekly,

 “Acute, wickedly funny observations on appearance and identity punctuate this sprawling, caustic fairy tale that cheerfully skewers the fashion and film worlds and their celebrity-culture spawn. . . . A Cinderella story with a difference, Becky's journey to reconcile her inner household drudge and outer princess starts where most fairy tales end.” - Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Paul Rudnick is a frequent contributer to the NEW YORKER and ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, as well as an Obie Award-winning playwright, and the screenwriter for ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES and IN & OUT. This is his first young adult novel.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

“My mother loved Marilyn Monroe,” I told the prince.

“As did mine.”

“My mom read all of these trashy books about her.”

The prince paused and then admitted, “As did mine.”

“Really?” I said, tickled at the thought of my mom and Princess Alicia with the same taste in paperbacks.

“And that Warhol fellow also did a portrait of my mum,” the prince told me. “All in bright blue and orange, as if he’d used crayons. If Warhol was still around he’d be after you like mad. The way everyone is. People have been warning me, you know. They claim that you’re a gold-digging, predatory Hollywood siren. They say we’ll end up in the tabloids, shouting drunken filth at each other across a nightclub dance floor. They say that you’ll drag me into a fiendish morass of narcotics and cheap publicity and deviant sexual practices.”

“And what do you tell them?”

“I tell them, ‘God, I hope so.’”

Then he leaned down and kissed me.

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Paperboy

Paperboy

For fan of The King’s Speech and The Help comes a textured novel about a boy who shutter and the summer that changes his life.

An 11-year-old boy living in Memphis in 1959 throws the meanest fastball in town, but talking is a whole different ball game. He can barely say a word without stuttering, not even his own name. So when he takes over his best friend’s paper route for the month of July, he knows he’ll be forced to communicate with the different customers, including a housewife who drinks too much and a retired merchant marine who seems to know just about everything.

The paper route poses challenges, but it’s a run-in with neighborhood junkman, a bully and thief, that stirs up real trouble – and puts the boy’s life, as well as that of his family’s devoted housekeeper, in danger.

Review

“An unforgettable boy and his unforgettable story, I loved it.” – Rob Buyea, author of Because of Mr.Terupt and Mr.Terups Falls Again.

“Paperboy offers a penetrating look at both the mystery and the daily frustrations of stuttering. People of all ages will appreciate this positive and universal story as I did, but it will be particularly meaningful to anyone who has ever struggled with stuttering.” – Jane Fraser, president of The Stuttering Foundation of America.

The well-crafted characters, the hot Southern summer, and the coming-of-age events are reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird. But this has added dimension in the way it brilliantly gets readers inside the head of a boy who stutters … This paper boy is a fighter and his hope fortifies and satisfies in equal measure.” – Booklist, Starred.

“ A tense, memorable story”. – Publisher’s Weekly, Starred

“Carefully crafted language, authenticity of setting and quirky characters that ring fully true all combine to make this a worthwhile read … An engaging and heartfelt presentation that never whitewashes the difficult time and situation as Little Man comes of age.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Vawter portrays a protagonist so true to a disability that one cannot help but empathize with the difficult world of a stutterer. Yet, Victor’s story has much broader appeal as the boy begins to mature and redefine his relationship with his parents, think about his aspirations for the future, and explore his budding spirituality. The deliberate pacing and unique narration make Paperboy a memorable coming-of-age novel.” – School Library Journal

“The protagonist tells his tale in short paragraphs that capture the way he imagines his own fluent speech – articulate, economical, and completely devoid of commas, since there are already too many pauses in his actual speech. Confidence born of his weeks of accomplishment eases his stutter somewhat, and readers will offer quiet but heartfelt congratulations when he finally utters his own name, which begins with the letter most difficult for him to pronounce.” – The Bulletin, Recommended

About the Author

 VINCE VAWTER, a native of Memphis, retired after a 40-year career in newspapers, most recently as the president and publisher of the Evansville Courier & Press in Indiana. Paperboy is his first novel.

Source: amazon.com

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A Clash of Honor

A Clash of Honor
(Book #4 in the Sorcerer's Ring)

In A CLASH OF HONOR ( Book #4 in the Sorcerer’s Ring), Thor has returned from The Hundred as a hardened warrior, and now he must learn what it means to battle for his homeland, to battle for life and death. The McClouds have raided deep into MacGil territory – deeper than ever before in the history of the Ring – and as Thor rides into an ambush, it will fall on his head to fend off the attack and save King’s Court.

Godfrey has been poisoned by his brother by a very rare and potent poison, and his fate lies in Gwendolyn’s hands, as she does whatever she can to save her brother from death.

Gareth has fallen deeper into a state of paranoia and discontent, hiring his own tribe of savages as a personal fighting force and giving them Silver Hall – ousting The Silver and causing a rift in King’s Court that threatens to blow up into a civil war. He also schemes to have the fierce Navaruns take Gwendolyn away, selling her off in marriage without her consent.

Thor’s friendships deepen, as they journey to new places, face unexpected monsters and fight side by side in unimaginable battle. Thor journeys to his hometown and, in an epic confrontation with his father, he learns a great secret of his past, of who he is, who his mother is – and of his destiny. With the most advanced training he’s ever received from Argon, he begins to tap powers he didn’t know he had, becoming more powerful each day. As his relationship with Gwen deepens, he returns to King’s Court in the hopes of proposing to her – but it may already be too late.

Andronicus, armed with an informer, leads his million-man Empire army to once again attempt to breach the Canyon and crush the Ring.

And just as things seem like they can’t get any worse at King’s Court, the story ends with a shocking twist.

Will Godfrey survive? Will Gareth be ousted? Will King’s Court split in two? Will the Empire invade? Will Gwendolyn end up with Thor? And will Thor finally learn the secret of his destiny?

With its sophisticated world-building and characterization, A CLASH OF HONOR  is an epic tale of friends and lovers, of rivals and suitors, of knights and dragons, of intrigues and political machinations, of coming of age, of broken hearts, of deception, ambition and betrayal. It is a tale of honor and courage, of fate and destiny, of sorcery. It is a fantasy that brings us into a world we will never forget, and which will appeal to all ages and genders. At 85,000 words, it is the longest of all the books in the series!

About The Author – Morgan Rice

Morgan is author of the#1 Bestselling THE SORCERER’S RING, a new epic fantasy series, currently comprising four books and counting, which has been translated into five languages.

Morgan Rice is also author of the #1 Bestselling THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, a young adult series comprising eight books, which has been translated into six languages.

Morgan is also author of the #1 Bestselling THE VAMPIRE LEGACY, a young adult series comprising two books and counting.

Morgan is also author of the #1 Bestselling ARENA ONE and ARENA TWO, the first two books in THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY, a post-apocalyptic action thriller set in the future.

source: amazon.com

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Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Inspirational yet honest, and always rhythmically rollicking, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! is a perfect sendoff for children, 1 to 100, entering any new phase of their lives. Kindergartners, graduate students, newlyweds, newly employeds – all will glean shiny pearls of wisdom about the big, bountiful future. The incomparable Dr. Seuss rejoices in the potential everyone has to fulfill their wildest dreams: “You’ll be on your way up! / You’ll be seeing great sights! / You’ll join the high fliers / who soar to high heights.”  At the same time, he won’t delude the starry-eyed upstart about the pitfalls of life: “you can get all hung up / in a prickle-ly perch. / And your gang will fly on. / You’ll be left in a Lurch”.

But fear not! Dr. Seuss, with his inimitable illustrations and exhilarating rhymes, is convinced (“98 and ¾ percent guaranteed”) that success is imminent. As long as you remember “to be dexterous and deft. And NEVER mix up your right foot with your left, “things should work out. --- Emile Coulter

Author

 Dr. Seuss

“A person’s, no matter how small,” Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, would sat. “Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained and delighted.”

Brilliant, playful, and always respectful of children, Dr. Seuss charmed his way into the consciousness of four generations of youngsters and parents. In the process, he helped millions of kids learn to read.

Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 2, 1904. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1925, he went to Oxford University, intending to acquire a doctorate in literature. At Oxford, Geisel me Helen Palmer, whom he wed in 1927. Upon his return to America later that year, Geisel published cartoons and humorous articles for Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at that time. His cartoons also appeared in major magazines such as Life, vanity fair, and Liberty. Geisel gained national exposure when he won an advertising contract for an insecticide called Flit. He coined the phrase, “Quick, Henry, the Flit!” which became a popular expression.

Geisel published his first children’s book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, in 1937, after 27 publisher rejected it.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, an Academy Award, three Emmy Awards, three Grammy Awards, and three Caldecott Honors, Geisel wrote and illustrated 44 books. While Theodore Geisel died on September 24, 1991, Dr. Seuss lives on, inspiring generations of children of all ages to explore the joys of reading.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool- Grade 3 – The master of enjoyable didacticism offers a flight of fancy into the future of a generic “you” who is venturing out into the world, where he will have ups and downs but will succeed and finally “MOVE  MOUNTAINS!” While doting relatives will find this extended greeting card an ideal gift for nursery school graduates, the story will have less appeal for children than Seuss’ story books and easy readers. Seuss’ characteristic drawings carry and extend the text through mazelike streets, over colorful checkerboard landscapes, into muddy blue “slumps”, through heady highs when fame results from success at the game of life, and through dark, lonely confrontations with graveyard – like fears in times of solitude. While the text gives a strong message of self-determination and potential, the small, male “you” pictured seems more of a passive passenger on his journey through life, reacting to things as they come and walking along with his eyes shut on both the first and last pages of the text. Although this does not rank among the best of Seuss’ books, its stress on self-esteem and imaginative artwork make it a good addition to picture-book collections – Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. 

Gift guide, The New York Times, June 21, 2008: “One book that has proved to be popular for graduates of all ages since it was first published in 1990”

From the Inside Flap

Illus. in full color “Don’t be fooled by the title of this seriocomic ode to success; it’s not ‘Climb Every Mountain,’ kid version. All journeys face perils, whether form indecision, from loneliness, or worst of all, from too much waiting. Seuss’ familiar pajama – clad hero is up to the challenge, and his odyssey is captured vividly in busy two-page spreads evoking both the good times (grinning purple elephants, floating golden castles) and the bad (deep blue wells of confusion). Seuss’ message is simple but never sappy: life may be a ‘Great Balancing Act,’ but through it all ‘There’s fun to be done.”

From the Back Cover

Everyone loved Dr. Seuss! A true original, he wrote and illustrated over 50 classic children’s books with total sales of more than 100 million copies.

source: amazon.com

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

“In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf.” So begins Eric Carle’s moderns classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. More than 12 million copies of this book have been sold in its original, full-sized edition, and the beloved tale of science and gluttony has been translated into 20 languages. This five-by-four-inch miniature edition is truly tiny, with tiny type, but it is a nice size for small hands to hold and flip through the pictures. Despite its diminished state, the book is complete in every detail, following the ravenous caterpillar’s path as he eats his way through one apple ( and the pages of the book itself) on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wedneas a stomachache. And no doubt you know what happens next! Kids love butterfly metamorphosis stories, and this popular favorite teaches counting and the days sday, and so on, through cherry pie and sausage – until he is really fat and hof the week, too. A fun gift package for caterpillar fans – Karin Snelson

Author

 Eric Carle is acclaimed and beloved as the creator of brilliantly illustrated and innovatively designed picture books for young children.

Eric was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1929, and moved with his parents to Germany when he was six years old. After graduating from art school, he returned to America, the land of his happiest childhood memories, and found works as a graphic designer.

After seeing an advertisement designed by Eric, respected educator and author, Bill Martin Jr, called to ask him to illustrate a story he had written. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what Do You See?, with its distinctive collage style, was the result of their collaboration. This favorite was the beginning of Eric Carle’s true career. Soon Eric was writing his own stories, developing a close bond with Ann Beneduce, the founder of Philomel Books, who would be his editor for nearly 40 years. In 1969 they published the celebrated classic, The Vey Hungry Caterpillar, which has eaten its way into the hearts of literally millions of children all over the world and has been translated into more than 30 languages. Since this beginning, Eric Carle has illustrated more than seventy books, many best sellers, most of which he also wrote.

Eric Carle has two grown-up children, a on and a daughter. He and his wife Barbara divide their time between Massachusetts and Florida.

A Look Inside “The Very Hungry Caterpillar

From Publishers Weekly:

In honor of the 40^th anniversary of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar comes the first-ever pop-up edition of this book. When the familiar, tiny caterpillar pops out of his egg, a dial lets readers help him chug across Carle’s earthy color palette. Next, the caterpillar eats his way through a week’s worth of pop-up fruit, as well as a full-page display of sweet and savory treats, (resulting in a stomach-ache), before his eventual transition into a butterfly. The pop-ups, particularly a half-cylinder tree trunk that sprouts from the center of the spread and a large accordion like cocoon, are well executed and engaging. While the prominent use of white space lends a sparser feel than in the picture book, the shimmering wings of the pop-up butterfly dazzle on the final spread.

From the Inside Flap

Brilliantly innovative designer and artist Eric Carle has dramatized the story of one of Nature’s commonest yet loveliest marvels, the metamorphosis of the butterfly, in a picture book to delight as well as instruct the very youngest reader or listener. Cleverly die-cut pages show what show the caterpillar ate on successive days, graphically introducing sets of up to 10 objects and also the names of the days of the days of the week in rotation, as well as telling the central story of the transformation of the caterpillar. The final, double-page picture of the butterfly is a joyous explosion of color, a vibrant affirmation of the wonder and beauty of Nature.

source: amazon.com

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