Children's Services

From Sharon Creech, Newbery Medal winner and New York Times bestselling author, comes a powerful coming-of-age story of a girl who discovers the endless possibilities her future may hold, with help from a brilliant teacher and a boy with a generous smile.

Perfect for fans of Love That Dog, this tale is about the transformative power of imagination and the journey to becoming who you are meant to be. This middle grade novel is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 5 to 6, at home or at school. It’s a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.

Gina Filomena has been told she has an overactive imagination. With her bright clothing and artistic spirit, she’s always felt different from the other kids in her class. That is, until she meets her new neighbor, a mysterious boy named Antonio with a wide, welcoming smile.

Add in a creative new teacher, Miss Lightstone, and a world of possibilities opens up for Gina, Antonio, and their classmates. With the help of Antonio and Miss Lightstone, will Gina find the answers to the questions Who am I? and Who do I want to be?

Explorer Troop 301 tries to save an exploding planet from a fluffy bunny and a devious alien in the first book of this highly illustrated chapter book series based on the award-winning kids' podcast!

Eight-year-old Finn lives is the first kid born in space and he spends his days looking for a new planet to call him with his three best friends and his robot, Foggy.

He's used to wild, galaxy hopping adventures. But when Explorer Troop 301 gets stuck on a planet that's about to explode, Finn and his friends will have to face giant aliens, a leader with mind control powers, and one evil, fluffy bunny rabbit in order to save the planet . . . and themselves.

Blast off into a brand-new adventure inspired by the popular award-winning kids' podcast, now in its eighth season!

--Chicago Tribune

Abandoned by her white father, thirteen-year-old Red Dove faces another lean winter with her Lakota family on the Great Plains. Willful and proud, she is presented with a stark choice: leave her people to live in the white world, or stay and watch them starve. Red Dove begins a journey to find her place in the world and discovers that her greatest power comes from within herself.

A silly and spooky highly illustrated series that’s perfect for fans of Eerie Elementary and Notebooks of Doom, featuring art on every page and fun activities at the end of each book!

Cousins Malia, Dante, and Ivan are looking for a portal to 13th Street. They need to help their new friend Mickey find his way home! But waiting for them are sharks that can shock them with an electric charge. Can the cousins reach Mickey before it's too late?

Each story in this hilarious and safely spooky series from award-winning author David Bowles is designed to set independent readers up for success—with short, fast-paced chapters, art on every page, and progress bars at the end of each chapter!

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE!

"I wish I'd had these books as a kid. Hilarious!" -- Dav Pilkey, creator of Captain Underpants and Dog Man

They may look like Bad Guys, but these wannabe heroes are doing good deeds... whether you like it or not! This New York Times bestselling illustrated series is perfect for fans of Dog Man and Captain Underpants.

Seriously, WHAT is going on with Snake?! Terrible powers have been revealed! Evil allies have materialized! Inter-dimensional doors have opened! Shady-looking cloaks have been purchased! What is his deal?!

And that's not all! Why does Agent Fox suddenly have a whole lot more backstory than we'd counted on?! Dang it! We need answers! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!

Wolf and the gang are back. And things are worse than ever. Or badder than ever... if you think that sounds cooler and don't have a problem with bad grammar.

BAD GUYS #12 WILL MELT YOUR BRAIN...

"Chris Grabenstein just might be the smartest writer for kids in the universe." --James Patterson

Meet the Smartest Kid in the Universe in this brand new, fun-packed read from the New York Times Bestselling Author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library and coauthor of Max Einstein!

"For centuries, humans have consumed information through their eyes and our ears," said Dr. Backbridge. "Here is my prediction. In the not-too-distant future, we are going to ingest information. You won't need to read a book or attend lectures. The chemicals in these pills will do your learning for you."

12 year old Jake's middle school is about to be shut down. Jake and his friends know their school's worth saving-if they could only figure out how! When Jake spies a bowl of jellybeans at the hotel where his mom works, he eats them. But uh-oh-those weren't just jellybeans, one of the scientists at his mom's conference is in the process of developing the first ingestible information pills. And THAT'S what Jake ate.

Before long, Jake is the smartest kid in the universe. But the pills haven't been tested yet. And when word gets out about this new genius, people want him. The government. The mega corporations. Not all of them are good people! Can Jake navigate all the ins and outs of his newfound geniusdom (not to mention the ins and outs of middle school!) AND use his smarts to figure out how to save his school? (Hint-it will take someone smart enough to decipher an almost forgotten pirate legend!) It turns out, sometimes even the smartest kid has a lot to learn!

"Clever, fast-paced and incredibly funny--Chris Grabenstein has done it again." --Stuart Gibbs, New York Times Bestselling author of Spy School

Charise Mericle Harper (Crafty Cat, Just Grace, Fashion Kitty) delivers another hilarious and charming early graphic novel series starring Pepper and Boo, two darling dogs, and their suspicious housemate, the cat.
Meet Pepper and Boo. They are two dogs who do not know much about cats. (Who does?) They wonder why the cat sleeps so much (in their beds!), licks itself so much, what the cat is thinking, and what makes the cat happy.
Luckily, the cat can explain. The cat knows a lot about being a cat. They know a cat will sleep anywhere (a box, a keyboard, a sink, and Boo's bed) and any time of day. They know what cats like and do not like to eat. They also know that although they are different, they're happy to have housemates like Pepper and Boo.
Harper cleverly shifts point-of-view between the cat and two dogs, creating laugh-out-loud moments through her text and art that younger readers will want to return to again and again.

Ask any father, or any daughter--the relationship between dads and daughters is special, and vitally important.

To a whole generation of filmgoers, Jeff Bridges is "the Dude," but to a more important group of people he is "Dad." The actor-musician-artist and one of his real-life daughters have teamed up to produce a book to inspire fathers and daughters--and whole families--to find the joy and closeness in their relationships.

When Belle announces to Dad that this day is "Daddy Daughter Day," it sparks a series of adventures that turns the house and the backyard into a clay work shop, a beauty parlor, and even a circus, with Mom and little brother Sammie getting involved!

Written by Isabelle Bridges-Boesch, and illustrated by Jeff himself, this is a book for daughters, fathers, and families to treasure all their lives!

When a girl walks through the woods with her grandma, she's so excited about reaching their destination that she misses out on what's around her. But with Grandma's help, she learns how to breathe, be peaceful, and notice the little surprises along the way. Find mindfulness in nature through this gentle story.

Watch out, Broadway! Babymouse tries out for the school play in the next book in the Babymousetastic, highly illustrated Babymouse: Tales from the Locker series.

All of middle school's a play--at least, it seems that way to Babymouse. So when she hears about auditions for the school play, she jumps at the chance. She knows she's destined to be the lead! Or the lead's best friend. Or...Clown #2? Babymouse scrambles to memorize her one line, work on set design, and try to wrap her head around stage directions. But when the big show has a major glitch, it will take all of Babymouse's newfound skills to save the play.

Le exhausted sigh.

With a noisy giant crashing around the kingdom, the Princess in Black uses the Sparkle Signal to call ALL her heroic friends together--for the biggest adventure yet.

The Princess in Black is ready for her snowy playdate with the Goat Avenger and the Princess in Blankets. It's a perfect day to build snow monsters and battle them for practice. But just when they're about to wage battle, a huge foot smashes their snow monster. "SQUASHY!"

It's a giant, and it's smashing everything in its path! The giant is too strong for the three friends, so the Princess in Blankets has an idea: it's time to light the Sparkle Signal and summon help. With a rising crescendo of a plot and a delightfully surprising ending, the latest adventure in the New York Times best-selling series features all the Princess in Black's friends as heroes for the first time.

Welcome! For the first time, you are invited INSIDE Mr. Lemoncello's one-of-a-kind Gameworks Factory in book five of the fun-filled, action-packed bestselling series from the much-loved coauthor of the I Funny and Max Einstein series!

Now with a brand-new look packed with shelf and kid appeal!

Far away from his magical library, everyone's favorite game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, is building something new. Something SECRET. And he's about to let the world see it. He'll reveal that hidden deep within the Lemoncello-tastic new building is a single ticket. A titanium ticket.

Four lucky boys and girls are about to win the chance to go inside the building on a spectacular scavenger hunt that will take them through bigger-than-life live-action games--towering, skyscraper-size Jenga; dizzying real-life Chutes and Ladders; death-defying games of Rush Hour; plus ball pit moats and more! Each game will get the players closer to the titanium ticket. But the real secret? Mr. Lemoncello is thinking about his legacy, and whichever player finds the ticket will be the first to win a spot in an elite group of kids who will compete in the next books to win Mr. Lemoncello's ENTIRE EMPIRE!

* "A worthy successor to . . . Willy Wonka." --Booklist, starred review of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

The Misfits must work together to fend off mysterious attacks in this magical finale to the #1 New York Times bestselling Magic Misfits series from acclaimed and wildly popular celebrity Neil Patrick Harris!
Ridley Larsen is everything you want in a friend. She's tough as nails, she's fiercely loyal, and she's smart as a whip. But she can be a harsh critic, which has put her position with the Magic Misfits on the rocks, even as the threat of the group's longtime enemy Kalagan looms large. Ever since his recent appearance in Mineral Wells, the kids know that a showdown with the vicious magician is imminent.
They must first deal with a series of odd instances and random attacks, though, all of which they use to bring themselves closer to discovering where Kalagan may be hiding, and the nature of his true identity. But can Ridley finally master her temper and put her essential magical skills to good use? She'll do anything to protect her friends, and when the time comes, she'll find that the Magic Misfits are strongest when they all work together.
Join the Magic Misfits as they discover adventure, friendship, and more than a few hidden secrets in this finale of the unique and always surprising series. Whether you're a long-time expert at illusion or simply a new fan of stage magic, hold on to your top hat!

Award-winning author Dashka Slater spins a tale of friendship, magic, and eternal life in The Book of Fatal Errors, an evocative and witty middle-grade fantasy.

Rufus doesn’t just make mistakes – he makes fatal errors. Clumsy and awkward, he feels entrapped by his teasing classmates and their constant laughter. But now it is summer. Rufus is free. He roams the wildlands of his grandfather’s mysterious homestead, blissfully unaware of the danger up ahead.

And there is much danger. Rufus and his snooty cousin Abigail soon become entangled in the tantalizing world of the feylings, mischievous fairly-like creatures desperate to find their way home. In helping the feylings, Rufus tumbles down a dark path rich with age-old secrets and difficult truths. Any move he makes might be his final fatal error.

Or perhaps, his most spectacular beginning.

A silly and spooky new highly illustrated series that's perfect for fans of Eerie Elementary and Notebooks of Doom, featuring art on every page and fun activities at the end of each book!

Cousins Dante, Malia, and Ivan are happy to be back in their home town. But then their school bus takes a wrong turn and they end up on 13th Street! There are new monsters to fight, but at least they have their friend Susana and their bus driver to help them. Will the gang ever make it to their first day of class?

Each story in this hilarious and scary new series from award-winning author David Bowles is designed to set independent readers up for success--with short, fast-paced chapters, art on every page, and progress bars at the end of each chapter!