What's New For Kids To Do...

October 2019


New EVERYBODY Books

I Can Only Draw Worms

This is part counting book, part introduction to worms, but all superbly silly. The fact that the author/illustrator can only draw worms will not take anything away from the laugh-out-loud adventure readers will have as they turn the pages of this slightly subversive picture book.

The Pigeon HAS to Go to School

Why does the Pigeon have to go to school? He already knows everything! And what if he doesn't like it? What if the teacher doesn't like him? What if he learns TOO MUCH!?!

Ask not for whom the school bell rings; it rings for the Pigeon!


When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” In this imaginative take on that popular saying, a child is surprised (and disappointed) to receive a lemon tree from Grandma for her birthday. After all, she DID ask for a new gadget! But when she follows the narrator’s careful—and funny—instructions, she discovers that the tree might be exactly what she wanted after all. This clever story, complete with a recipe for lemonade, celebrates the pleasures of patience, hard work, nature, community . . . and putting down the electronic devices just for a while.

Sun (Seasons with Granddad Series)

It's the hottest day of the year, hotter than broccoli soup, hotter than the Atacama Desert, hotter than the surface of the sun. It's just the right kind of day for a boy and his granddad to go for a picnic. But as the sun beats down, Granddad keeps having to stop for a rest, and by the time they find the perfect picnic spot, some pirates have beaten them to it. Good thing they have enough food to share!

What If...? Then We...

"What if . . . we got lost far, far, far away, and couldn't find our way home? Then we would become the bravest explorers in the world." So begin the adventures of two intrepid polar bears. Traveling on a ship imagined from an iceberg, the bears encounter magnificent sights and scary situations. When a city made of crayons melts, the bears use pencils to create a beautiful gray world. When all the words in the universe disappear, the bears invent their own language. When something really big and really scary happens, they whistle and hold hands until it's not as big or scary anymore. And when they find their way back home, they're ready to imagine a thousand more possibilities. This companion title to the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book One Day, The End. is ultimately a book about imagination, friendship, and finding possibilities in the smallest moments.

How To Read a Book

Find a tree—a

black tupelo or

dawn redwood will do—and

plant yourself.

(It’s okay if you prefer a stoop, like Langston Hughes.)

With these words, an adventure begins. Kwame Alexander’s evocative poetry and Melissa Sweet’s lush artwork come together to take readers on a sensory journey between the pages of a book.

Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise

It’s homework time for the little red chicken, who has just learned about something every good story should have: an elephant of surprise. Or could it be an element of surprise (as her amused papa explains)? As they dive in to story after story, looking for the part that makes a reader say “Whoa! I didn’t know that was going to happen,” Papa is sure he can convince Chicken he’s right. After all, there are definitely no elephants in “The Ugly Duckling,” “Rapunzel,” or “The Little Mermaid” — or are there? Elephant or element, something unexpected awaits Papa in every story, but a surprise may be in store for the little red chicken as well. Full of the same boisterous charm that made Interrupting Chicken so beloved by readers, this gleeful follow-up is sure to delight fans of stories, surprises, and elephants alike.

Word Play

Go "outside," "elsewhere," and down the "rabbit hole" with this hilarious introduction to compound words. Young readers will fall in love with the English language as they watch star cartoonist Ivan Brunetti put his sly spin on vocabulary. The lesson here? Even "homework" is fun when you let yourself play with the words.

Patrick Eats His Peas

Equal parts adorable and bratty, this sweet bear transforms daily routine into fun adventures. As he keeps his parents on their toes from breakfast to bedtime, Patrick will also keep young readers coming back for more. Geoffrey Hayes, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award-winner and the uncontested master of children's comics, gives us four classic Patrick stories.

Fox + Chick: The Party and Other Stories

Join the dynamic, yet opposite duo as they learn to appreciate differences among friends: Fox and Chick don't always agree, but Fox and Chick are always friends. With sly humor and companionable warmth, Sergio Ruzzier deftly captures the adventures of these seemingly opposite friends.

Little Dancers: Showtime!

The little dancers are ready to shine on stage! Miss Amy’s ballet studio is putting on a dance performance called the Butterfly Ball. Rosa and her four friends rehearse leaping, balancing, and twirling to perfect their dances for the recital! But when Rosa's audition goes awry, she is cast in a disappointing role. Rosa feels like all her hard work was for nothing, until her friends help her discover her small part is of great importance. Rosa feels as beautiful as a butterfly . . . and maybe even more special!

Wild Orca: The Oldest, Wisest Whale in the World

Told from the perspective of young Mia and her family on a whale-watching excursion in the San Juan Islands, here is a moving homage to Granny, the world’s oldest known orca. This intimate and informative story celebrates the importance of respecting and protecting wildlife. It also sheds light on communication and family connections in both human and orca communities, all while answering essential questions about how these intelligent animals live.

The Pout-Pout Fish and the Can't-Sleep Blues

One night in the ocean, the Pout-Pout Fish can't get to sleep! He's all ready for bed, but he just can't catch a snooze. When he asks his friends for advice, they're all sure they know what he should do—count sheep, use a pillow made of rocks, swim in circles—but nothing works. What to do when good advice isn't good for everyone? Little guppies will love The Pout-Pout Fish and the Can't-Sleep Blues, a bedtime story about learning from experience and doing what's best for you!

Mermaids Fast Asleep

Mermaids Fast Asleep is a stunning and lyrical bedtime picture book that looks at how mermaids sleep in the sea. This wonderful read-aloud book about mythological sea creatures is the perfect nighttime read for your little dreamer, with poetical text from writer Robin Riding and dreamy illustrations by Zoe Persico.

Harrison Dwight, Ballerina and Knight

Equal parts humor and heart, Harrison Dwight, Ballerina and Knight follows a young boy as he cycles through various feelings he experiences in every day life. Harrison feels happiness, sadness, pride, fear, joy, anger, and courage—all while playing and imagining without limitation! With Harrison Dwight, boys everywhere will feel empowered to play in whatever way they choose and learn that it’s always okay to express what you’re feeling inside!

New Shoes

Francis the donkey is the best shoemaker in the village. He uses only the finest materials: coconut wood for the soles, goat’s wool for the insoles, and wild tiger grass for the uppers.

One day he receives a special order from his favorite singer: Miss Manatee, the queen of calypso. But he’s all out of tiger grass! To make the perfect pair of shoes, Francis must journey deep into the jungle . . . and that means leaving his village for the first time.

In New Shoes, Sara Varon takes us on a vivid journey into the jungles of South America. From the capybara to the jaguar to the three-toed sloth, Francis meets a variety of animals outside his neighborhood. They’re not so scary when you get to know them!

Croc and Ally: Friends Forever

Croc is grumpy. Ally is happy. Croc sees a problem. Ally finds a solution. In Friends Forever, whether it's choosing new chairs, going for a walk, or looking for the moon, these best friends will always work together despite their differences.

Croc and Ally: Fun, Fun, Fun!

Croc is grumpy. Ally is happy. Croc sees a problem. Ally finds a solution. In Fun, Fun, Fun, the best friends overcome their differences as they go for a swim, shop for hats, and deal with a big bug.

New TRANSITIONAL FICTION Books

Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet: A Squirrelly Situation

Featuring the charming characters from the Newbery Honor Book The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, this exciting chapter book series introduces young readers to Callie Vee and the rough-and-tumble world of turn-of-the-century Texas. When Travis finds an abandoned baby squirrel, he brings him home and names him Fluffy. But Mother isn’t so sure that Fluffy is such a great family pet—and neither is Thud, the cat. Will Fluffy be able to steer clear of these two and find a home in the Tate household?

Prince Not-So Charming: Her Royal Slyness

Prince Charming is supposed to rescue a princess.but she has other ideas. The youngest in a long line of Prince Charmings, Carlos is juggling a lot. That is, he is spending his time juggling balls in the air.instead of doing his princely duties. But now he has a terrifying mission: There's a princess trapped in a tower. the Tallest Tower, on Witch Island, surrounded by Witch Lake. You don't need me to tell you how scary that sounds. But Carlos soon discovers that rescuing a damsel in distress requires a damsel who's in distress. This princess doesn't need to be rescued.and definitely doesn't need a prince charming.

Owl Diaries: Baxter Is Missing

In book 6, a famous author is coming to Treetopolis! Eva and her classmates each have to write a story to share with the author. Eva's excited! But then something terrible happens: Her pet bat, Baxter, goes missing! Eva can't think of anything to write about -- except how much she misses Baxter! With help from her friends, Eva looks everywhere for Baxter. She even hangs up MISSING posters! Where could Baxter be? And will Eva finish her story in time for the author's visit?

Judy Moody and the Right Royal Tea Party

Judy Moody is in a royal purple-mountain-majesties mood. Make that Majesty with a capital M! With Grandma Lou’s help, Judy has dug up proof that some old-timey Moodys (aka the brave Mudeyes) lived in merry olde England. In fact, if her grandpa’s notes are right, Judy might even be related to — royal fanfare, please — the Queen herself! Should Judy start packing her purple robe for a sleepover at Buckingham Palace? But then Judy’s family tree gets a few more shakes — thanks to her nemesis, Jessica “Fink” Finch — and some more surprises come tumbling out. Crikey! These new gems are not nearly as shiny or sparkly as the crown jewels. Now Judy has some right royal family secrets she’d like to keep hidden away in a dungeon somewhere — and especially away from Jessica, the princess in pink herself!

Puppy Place: Bitsy

This itsy Morkie (maltese-yorkie mix) may be the tiniest dog Charles has ever seen. But she thinks she's a big girl and she's full of sassy attitude. Can the Peterson's find her a perfect forever home?

Absolutely Alfie and the Worst Best Sleepover

Second grader Alfie Jakes knows that when it comes to some friendships, one day you're in, and the next you're out. When Alfie's former best friend, Lulu, announces that she's hosting the best sleepover ever—and that she's only allowed to invite six girls—Alfie desperately wants to go but is not sure she'll be one of the lucky few. Lulu's classmates are doing all they can to win her favor, a task that often ends in tears. Can Alfie convince her used-to-be best friend that a party is better when everyone is invited—or will she get herself uninvited instead?

Jasmine Toguchi, Drummer Girl

It’s talent show time at school, and eight-year-old Jasmine Toguchi is excited to show her stuff. But as she thinks about her strengths—tree-climbing, mochi making, collage—none of them feel quite right to perform on-stage. Jasmine’s friends already have a talent: Tommy yo-yo’s, Daisy dances, and Linnie plays piano. Plus, Maggie Milsap (aka Miss Perfect) is saying she'll have the best talent.

When Jasmine’s mom introduces her to the taiko, a traditional Japanese drum, Jasmine finally finds an activity that feels just right. But will she be good enough at taiko in time to beat Maggie Milsap?

Join Jasmine as she discovers her talent—and the difference between being the best and trying your best.

Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters

Rosie Revere is no stranger to flops and fails, kerfuffles and catastrophes. After all, engineering is all about perseverance! But this time, Rosie has a really important project to tackle—one that feels much bigger than herself.

Rosie’s beloved Aunt Rose and her friends, the Raucous Riveters—a group of fun-loving gals who built airplanes during World War II—need help inventing something new. And Rosie is just the engineer for the job!

After one flop . . . then another . . . and another . . . Rosie starts to lose hope. But thanks to some help from her fellow Questioneers Iggy Peck and Ada Twist, Rosie gets the job done. And, along with the Riveters, she rediscovers the meaning of home.

Nancy Clancy, Soccer Mania

Normally, Nancy doesn’t like dressing like everyone else. But wearing a soccer team uniform—well, that’s different!

Nancy adores being on the Green Goblins. She loves cheering for her teammates, sharing refreshments, and painting her fingernails bright green before every game. If only she wasn’t cursed with slow legs! All Nancy wants is to be mediocre—or maybe even a little better than average. Will she reach her goal?

Eerie Elementary: The School Is Alive

In this first book in the series, Sam Graves discovers that his elementary school is ALIVE! Sam finds this out on his first day as the school hall monitor. Sam must defend himself and his fellow students against the evil school! Is Sam up to the challenge? He'll find out soon enough: the class play is just around the corner. Sam teams up with friends Lucy and Antonio to stop this scary school before it's too late!

Eerie Elementary: The Locker Ate Lucy

In the second book in the series, Sam Graves's friend Lucy disappears into her locker! Sam and his friend Antonio follow a trail of clues that leads them through the locker and deep inside the school. Will they find Lucy? Will they learn why the school is ALIVE? Sam and Antonio must rescue Lucy from this scary school before it's too late!

Dragon Masters: Rise of the Earth Dragon

DRAGON MASTERS has it all! Dragons, a Dragon Stone, a king, a wizard, and magic! In the first book in this fully-illustrated series, 8-year old Drake is snatched up by King Roland's soldier and taken to the castle. He is to be trained as a Dragon Master. At the castle, he is joined by three other young Dragon Masters-in-training: Ana, Rori, and Bo. The Dragon Masters must learn how to connect with and train their dragons--and they must also uncover their dragons' special powers. Does Drake have what it takes to be a Dragon Master? What is his dragon's special power?

Ghoulia: Making New Friends Can Be Scary

Ghoulia lives in Crumbling Manor with her Auntie Departed and spends most of her time playing with Tragedy, her beloved albino greyhound. But things aren’t as easy as they seem for this little zombie girl—all she wants is a real friend. She tries to venture past the manor’s walls, but she can’t hide her pale green skin or the deep purple circles under her eyes. The other children will be afraid of her, and no one will want to be her friend. But when Halloween rolls around, Ghoulia hatches a brilliant plan. All the other, ordinary children will be dressed up like monsters, so Ghoulia can go out into the town and be entirely herself. In the end, all the kids realize that Ghoulia is (almost) just like them and learn that friendship can come in many forms.

Press Start: The Super Side-Quest Test

King Viking has a new giant robot to help him take over the Animal Town. Super Rabbit Boy must stop him, but he needs a secret item. And to get the item, he has to defeat a dragon, escape a dungeon, and avoid lots and lots of robots. Can Super Rabbit Boy finish all these quests in time to save Animal Town? Or will this latest Press Start! adventure put our hero to the test?

Geronimo Stilton: The Peculiar Pumpkin Thief

Halloween is a few days away when all of the pumpkins in New Mouse City disappear! There's a thief on the loose, and the thief wants to stop Halloween. At the same time, all of the mice in New Mouse City receive an invitation for a free trip to the brand new Mystery Mouse Theme Park. Geronimo knows something strange is going on, but will he and his detective friend Hercule Poirat be able to solve the mystery in time to save Halloween?

The Bad Guys in the Furball Strikes Back

The Bad Guys are about to have a very BAD day!

Mr. Wolf and his bad buddies have messed with the wrong guinea pig -- one who is secretly an evil mad scientist. And the nasty little furball wants revenge! Will they survive? Will they be heroes? And will they ever stop trying to eat each other?!?

It's time for the Bad Guys to spring into action!

The Bad Guys in Intergalactic Gas

The bad news? The world is ending. The good news? The Bad Guys are back to save it! Sure, they might have to "borrow" a rocket. And there might be something nasty in one of the spacesuits. And Mr. Piranha miiiight have eaten too many bean burritos. Surviving this mission may only be one small step for man, but it's one giant leap for the Bad Guys.

New BIOGRAPHY Books

Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon

Because Bobbi Gibb is a girl, she's not allowed to run on her school's track team. But after school, no one can stop her--and she's free to run endless miles to her heart's content. She is told no yet again when she tries to enter the Boston Marathon in 1966, because the officials claim that it's a man's race and that women are just not capable of running such a long distance. So what does Bobbi do? She bravely sets out to prove the naysayers wrong and show the world just what a girl can do.

Marie Curie

Maria Salomea Sklodowaska was born on November 7, 1867. Her family called her Manya, but the world would remember her by another name: Marie Curie, one of the greatest scientists who ever lived.

In a time when few women attended college, Marie earned degrees in physics and mathematics and went on to discover two elements: radium and polonium. She also invented a new word along the way: radioactive. This book celebrates her momentous achievements while also educating its readers about her scientific accomplishments and their implications.

Who Was Beatrix Potter?

Born into wealth in 1860’s London, Beatrix Potter always had a vivid imagination. Her early interests included natural history and archaeology, and Potter delighted in sketching fossils and fungi. After briefly illustrating Christmas cards with her brother, Bertram, Potter wrote and illustrated her well-known book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The book was rejected by several publishes until Frederick Warne eventually took a risk and published the story in 1902 - a risk that paid off. Peter Rabbit was a huge success and readers loved hearing about Peter's mischevious adventures in the lush English countryside. As she got older, Beatrix Potter became a proud conservationist, working hard to defend the landscape she loved so well against industrialization and logging. Now over one hundred years old, Peter Rabbit and his animal friends have become cultural touchstones and continue to delight readers of all ages.

Pocket Bios: Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo remains one of the most celebrated painters of her time for her exploration of themes of feminism, gender, class, and race in her artwork and frequent self-portraits. From her childhood struggle with polio, to the traffic accident that left her with chronic pain, to her artistic exploration of herself and her identity, follow this extraordinary woman's life and accomplishments.

Pocket Bios: Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin, renowned comic silent film icon, enjoyed a successful seventy-five year career as an actor, filmmaker, and composer. Born into a life of poverty and hardship in London, he began working before he was nine years old and rose quickly to fame for his persona "the Tramp." One of the best known figures in the world during his heyday, Chaplin is still famous today for his myriad of iconic silent film roles.

New DEWEY Books

Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly Was Invented

In the late 1800s lived Lizzie Magie, a clever and charismatic woman with a strong sense of justice. Waves of urban migration drew Lizzie’s attention to rising financial inequality. One day she had an idea: create a game that shows the unfairness of the landlord-tenant relationship. But game players seemed to have the most fun pretending to be wealthy landowners. Enter Charles Darrow, a marketer and salesman with a vision for transforming Lizzie’s game into an exciting staple of American family entertainment. Features back matter that includes "Monopoly Math" word problems and equations. Excellent STEM connections and resources.

10 Reasons to Love a Penguin

Penguins are the cutest birds! Did you know that they go on incredible journeys? Or that they toboggan on their stomachs? Discover ten reasons why penguins are amazing and five ways you can show they love them in this gorgeous picture book. A must for any young animal enthusiast and a fantastic introduction to environmental issues.

Grand Grasshoppers: A 4D Book

What makes a grasshopper a grasshopper? What are the grandest grasshoppers from around the world? Carefully leveled, engaging text supports life science curriculum related to classification, behavior, life cycles, and more. Smithsonian Little Entomologist feeds kids' natural curiousity about the little critters in their world to meet Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Fans of augmented reality will love to jump beyond the printed page with up-close grasshopper videos, accessible via the Capstone 4D app or on your web browser.

Amazing Ants: A 4D Book

What makes an ant an ant? What are the coolest ants from around the world? Carefully leveled, engaging text supports life science curriculum related to classification, behavior, life cycles, and more. Smithsonian Little Entomologist feeds kids' natural curiousity about the little critters in their world to meet Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Fans of augmented reality will love to march two by two beyond the printed page with up-close ant videos, accessible via the Capstone 4D app or on your web browser.

Absolute Expert: Soccer

Score! Can't get enough of your favorite super sport? This action-packed book is chock-full of awesome facts and fun for soccer fans! Join real-life Major League Soccer and Olympic referee Mark Geiger to get the latest, most up-to-date soccer intel around, plus fun facts and awesome trivia. Out just in time for the World Cup!

Hello Ruby: Expedition to the Internet

What exactly is the Internet? Is it a cloud? A network of wires? How does the information travel online? Learn all this and more with Ruby! In Ruby’s world anything is possible if you put your mind to it—even building the Internet out of snow! But before you can build something, you need to understand what it is and how it works. Join Ruby and her friends in their quest to build the most amazing Snow Internet ever, while learning real life facts along the way. Then, future kid coders can put their knowledge and imaginations to the test with the fun and creative exercises included in the activity book section.The Bacteria Book: The Big World of Really Tiny Microbes

The Bacteria Book: The Big World of Really Tiny Microbes

Meet a glowing squid, traveling fungus spores, and much more in this dynamic and engaging book all about bacteria, viruses, and other germs and microbes. The Bacteria Book walks the line between "ew, gross!" and "oh, cool!," exploring why we need bacteria and introducing readers to its microbial mates—viruses, fungi, algae, archaea, and protozoa.

50 Wacky Things Animals Do: Weird & Amazing Animal Facts

The planet Earth is a big place, and it's filled with all kinds of animals that do some pretty crazy things! For example, did you know that giraffes clean their ears with their tongues? Or that food passes through a giant squid's brain before going to its stomach? It's true!

50 Wacky Things Animals Do describes 50 unbelievable animals and the things they do that seem too crazy to be true - but are! Whether incredible, funny, or just plain gross, these peculiar and fascinating animal behaviors will surprise and delight fun-fact lovers and future zoologists alike. You'll have so much fun you'll be doing handstands like you were a skunk (something they really do!) and laughing like a hyena (how they really communicate!).

Cute As An Axolotl: Discovering the World's Most Adorable Animals

The Internet pretty much runs on cute animal photos, but "cute" is so much more than clickbait kittens and insta-pups. Cute is for feathery-gilled axolotls (pronounced: ax-uh-LOT-ulz), shy pygmy hippos, poisonous blue dragons, and armored pangolins. All of these animals are cute, but they've also adapted remarkable ways to survive in their unique environments.

The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal

Oh hey, guess what? The Sun never stops working to keep things on Earth running smoothly. (That's why it's been Employee of the Month for 4.5 billion years.) So why does the Sun get to be the center of attention? Because it's our solar system's very own star!

Behind the Scenes of Pro Football

There are a lot of aspects to playing football in the NFL beyond Sunday. Read this book to learn more about what professional football players do beyond game time.

Behind the Scenes of Pro Hockey

There is a lot more to hockey than scoring goals and power plays. Read this book to learn more about what happens off the ice.

New FICTION Books

Big Nate Blasts Off

BIG NATE IS BLASTING OFF!

Nate has a crush on Ruby. But after his scrap with Randy Betancourt makes headlines in the Weekly Bugle, he's got a problem WAY worse than detention! Can Nate bounce back? And will the annual Mud Bowl be a blast . . . or a bust?

Meet BIG NATE, P.S. 38's coolest doodler and definitely NOT the teacher's pet.

Shelby's Story

Shelby doesn’t remember much of her early life—only that she was always hungry and cold. Then one day, Shelby is rescued by a kind woman, and things change forever. She soon finds herself on a movie set, and her new life is filled with challenges and rewards. She learns things like to Go Mark, Cut, and Dig. Her rewards include squeaky toys, yummy chicken, and best of all, love and affection from castmates and crew. Everyone loves Shelby! And so will young readers and movie fans.

Blended

Eleven-year-old Isabella’s parents are divorced, so she has to switch lives every week: One week she’s Isabella with her dad, his girlfriend Anastasia, and her son Darren living in a fancy house where they are one of the only black families in the neighborhood. The next week she’s Izzy with her mom and her boyfriend John-Mark in a small, not-so-fancy house that she loves.

Because of this, Isabella has always felt pulled between two worlds. And now that her parents are divorced, it seems their fights are even worse, and they’re always about HER. Isabella feels even more stuck in the middle, split and divided between them than ever. And she’s is beginning to realize that being split between Mom and Dad is more than switching houses, switching nicknames, switching backpacks: it’s also about switching identities. Her dad is black, her mom is white, and strangers are always commenting: “You’re so exotic!” “You look so unusual.” “But what are you really?” She knows what they’re really saying: “You don’t look like your parents.” “You’re different.” “What race are you really?” And when her parents, who both get engaged at the same time, get in their biggest fight ever, Isabella doesn’t just feel divided, she feels ripped in two. What does it mean to be half white or half black? To belong to half mom and half dad? And if you’re only seen as half of this and half of that, how can you ever feel whole?

It seems llke nothing can bring Isabella’s family together again—until the worst happens. Isabella and Darren are stopped by the police. A cell phone is mistaken for a gun. And shots are fired.

Plants vs. Zombies: Dino-Might

When plants, zombies, pets, and dinosaurs all meet—it's sure to be a crazy day!

Dr. Zomboss is back with another set of nefarious plans to defeat the pesky plants and Neighborville's resident adventurers Nate and Patrice! When Zomboss sets his sights on destroying the yards in town and rendering the plants homeless without anywhere to grow, it's up to the daring duo, along with Crazy Dave and his band of plants, to thwart his plans and claim victory once again! However, it turns out that those plans include dogs, cats, rabbits, hammock sloths, and even more pets, plus dinosaurs, making things a lot zanier.

Samantha Spinner and the Spectacular Specs

When Samantha Spinner's uncle Paul disappeared, he left presents for his nieces and nephew. Samantha's sister, Buffy, got $2,400,000,000. Her brother, Nipper, got the New York Yankees. Samantha got . . . a rusty old umbrella.

Wow! So unfair, Uncle Paul.

Well, it seemed unfair—until Samantha discovered that the old umbrella holds the plans for a super-secret network of transit systems that covers the globe. It's the ticket to danger and adventure beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

But Uncle Paul is still missing. And Samantha just received a new gift from him: a pair of strange purple sunglasses. Are they another powerful present? A clue to his whereabouts? Or just a bad fashion choice? Samantha and Nipper need to figure it out fast, because . . . here comes the SUN!

Aru Shah and the Song of Death

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents best-selling author Roshani Chokshi and her sequel to Aru Shah and the End of Time. Aru is only just getting the hang of this whole Pandava thing when the Otherworld goes into full panic mode. The god of love's bow and arrow have gone missing, and the thief isn't playing Cupid. Instead, they're turning people into heartless fighting-machine zombies. If that weren't bad enough, somehow Aru gets framed as the thief. If she doesn't find the arrow by the next full moon, she'll be kicked out of the Otherworld. For good. But, for better or worse, she won't be going it alone. Along with her soul-sister, Mini, Aru will team up with Brynne, an ultra-strong girl who knows more than she lets on, and Aiden, the boy who lives across the street and is also hiding plenty of secrets. Together they'll battle demons, travel through a glittering and dangerous serpent realm, and discover that their enemy isn't at all who they expected.

Maker Comics: Fix a Car!

Maker Comics is the ultimate DIY guide. Inside this graphic novel you'll find illustrated instructions for ten car repair activities!

Lena, Mason, Abner, Rocky, and Esther only have one thing in common: They’re crazy about cars. A few of them already have their driver’s licenses. And even though Rocky and Esther are too young to drive, they still have a lot questions. In Car Club, Ms. Gritt has all the answers. When is the best time to check the oil? How do you change a tire? And why is Mason’s car making that squeaky noise?

Before you get behind the wheel, learn what’s going on underneath the hood. Follow along as Ms. Gritt covers all the basics of preventative maintenance and roadside repairs. Colorful diagrams illustrate the inner workings of complex parts and systems. With Maker Comics: Fix a Car! you can keep your automobile in tip-top shape!

Maker Comics: Bake Like a Pro!

Maker Comics is the ultimate DIY guide. Inside this graphic novel you will find illustrated instructions for eight tasty treats!

Today is the first day of Sage’s magical internship! Her fellow wizards-in-training get to study pyromancy and transfiguration, but Sage has been assigned an internship in...baking? She doesn’t think that sounds fun, or particularly magical! But her instructor, Korian, insists that baking is a tasty form of alchemy. In an enchanted kitchen where the ingredients insist that you eat them, Sage learns the simple science behind baking—and that’s the best kind of magic trick!

In Bake Like a Pro!, you’ll learn how different combination of proteins, fats, and liquids will result in textures that lend themselves to perfect pies, breads, cookies, and more! Follow these simple recipes, and you’ll be able to bake a pizza and frost a cake—no magic necessary!

Stick Cat: Two Cats and a Baby

Now that their owners are married, Stick Cat and his best friend, Edith, live in the same apartment. There’s someone else in the family too—Millie, the new gurgling, babbling baby.

When Edith declares that Millie’s sounds are actually flattering compliments about Edith, her devotion to the new baby is complete. There’s harmony in the home—until Grandma Cobb arrives to babysit. That’s when things quickly spin out of control.

A mishap leaves Grandma trapped inside the bathroom—and locked away from Millie. Stick Cat needs to rescue Grandma. But he also needs to help Edith in her new role as babysitter-in-chief. It just might be Stick Cat’s toughest mission ever.

Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls

The Supa Buddies have been working hard to help Dog Man overcome his bad habits. But when his obsessions turn to fears, Dog Man finds himself the target of an all-new supervillain! Meanwhile, Petey the Cat has been released from jail and starts a new life with Li'l Petey. But when Petey's own father arrives, Petey must face his past to understand the difference between being good and doing good.