Staff Picks
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The Lima Bean Monster
Is eating your vegetables the only way to save the world?!
Sammy hates lima beans despite the fact that he has never eaten a single one in his entire life. He has become a master of finding ways to avoid his lima beans. His latest and greatest scheme is sneaking them out of the house (in his sock!) and burying them in a hole in the ground. When the neighborhood kids hear about it, they quickly join in, adding their unwanted vegetables.
One night there is a terrible storm, and a monster is born! A monster made of Sammy's lima beans! Who will save the town? Who will rescue all the HUMAN beans from the rampaging lima bean monster?
Dan Yaccarino has illustrated two dozen books for children, eleven of which he has written. This is the first that he has written and not illustrated. He is currently writing a novel for young adults and is the creator and producer of the animated series, Oswald. He lives with his wife and two children in New York City.
Adam McCauley is the author and illustrator of Mr Friend Chicken. He also illustrates the Time Warp Trio series written by Jon Scieszka, including Sam Samurai and See You Later, Gladiator. He lives in Oakland, California, where he works as a freelance illustrator.
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Pig the Stinker
Pig the Pug and his best friend Trevor are back for another hilarious adventure in the bestselling series!
In this hilarious adventure, Pig the Pug STINKS! Pig likes to be smelly, so he rolls around in the garbage, laps up spoiled milk, tracks dirty paw prints all over the house, and even sticks his head in the toilet! But enough is enough! Pig's owner tries to get him to take a bath, but Pig refuses! Pig has a plan to stop up the tub, but when it backfires, will Pig get clean after all? Rich with author-illustrator Aaron Blabey's signature rhyming text and unforgettable illustrations, Pig the Stinker is a laugh-out-loud story that teaches Pig -- and readers -- an important (and hilarious) lesson, just like in the five previous books in the series (Pig the Pug, Pig the Winner, Pig the Elf, Pig the Star, and Pig the Fibber).
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Sloth and Squirrel in a Pickle
Two lovable, but unlikely, friends try to get the job done. Sloth and Squirrel have different ways of doing things — and different speeds of doing them. So, when fast-as-lightning Squirrel gets himself and slow-as-molasses Sloth hired as pickle packers to earn money for a new bike, things don’t go according to plan. They’re so bad, in fact, that the friends are shown the door, along with the 677 1/2 jars of pickles they packed incorrectly! Now their bicycle dream is shot. Or so they think — until the resourceful pair come up with an ingenious plan! Whoever said fast and slow don’t go together didn’t know Sloth and Squirrel!
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Carson Crosses Canada
From the author of If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur comes a funny and sweet cross-country roadtrip adventure with a sassy septuagenarian and her quirky canine.
Feisty Annie Magruder and her dog, Carson, live in British Columbia, Canada, and they're setting out to visit her sister, Elsie, in Newfoundland. In their little rattlebang car, packed with Carson's favorite toy, Squeaky Chicken, and plenty of baloney sandwiches, Annie and Carson hit the road! They travel province by province, taking in each unique landscape and experiencing something special to that particular part of this vast, grand country. For example, they marvel at the beauty of the big, open sky -- and grasshoppers! -- in Saskatchewan and discover the gorgeous red earth and delicious lobster rolls in PEI, before finally being greeted by Elsie -- and a surprise for Carson!
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Midnight for Charlie Bone
A magical fantasy that is fast-paced and easy-to-read. Charlie Bone has a special gift- he can hear people in photographs talking.
The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from. This is what happened to Charlie Bone, and to some of the children he met behind the grim, gray walls of Bloor's Academy.
Charlie Bone has discovered an unusual gift-he can hear people in photographs talking! His scheming aunts decide to send him to Bloor Academy, a school for genius's where he uses his gifts to discover the truth despite all the dangers that lie ahead. -
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch (Book 1)
Capturing witches
Binding boggarts
Driving away ghostsFor years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over for him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried–some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive.
Only Thomas Ward is left. He's the last hope; the last apprentice.
Can Thomas succeed? Will he learn the difference between a benign witch and a malevolent one? Does the Spook's warning against girls with pointy shoes include Alice? And what will happen if Thomas accidentally frees Mother Malkin, the most evil witch in the county ... ?
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Press Here
Press the yellow dot on the cover of this book, follow the instructions within, and embark upon a magical journey! Each page of this surprising book instructs the reader to press the dots, shake the pages, tilt the book, and who knows what will happen next! Children and adults alike will giggle with delight as the dots multiply, change direction, and grow in size! Especially remarkable because the adventure occurs on the flat surface of the simple, printed page, this unique picture book about the power of imagination and interactivity will provide read-aloud fun for all ages!
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The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs
In this hilarious tale of justice gone awry, poor Alexander T. Wolf has been framed and wants to let the truth be known. "Witty illustrations get right to the meat of the matter. . . . A tasty treat".--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. Full color.
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How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?
Mother and child ponder the different ways a dinosaur can say goodnight, from slamming his tail and pouting to giving a big hug and kiss.
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Miss Nelson is Missing!
The kids in Room 207 were misbehaving again. Spitballs stuck to the ceiling. Paper planes whizzing through the air. They were the worst-behaved class in the whole school.
So begins this quirky classic, first published in 1977 and still relevant today as a lighthearted reminder to show our appreciation to those we value. The students don't proffer a shred of respect for their good-natured teacher Miss Nelson, but when the witchy substitute Miss Viola Swamp appears on the scene, they start to regret their own wicked ways. James Marshall's scritchy, cartoonish full-color ink and wash illustrations are hilarious. A back-to-school perennial!
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The Secret Garden 100th Anniversary
"One of th' gardens is locked up. No one has been in it for ten years."
When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of mysterious secrets. There are nearly one hundred rooms, most of which are locked, and the house is filled with creepy old portraits and suits of armor. Mary rarely sees her uncle, and perhaps most unsettling of all is that at night she hears the sound of someone crying down one of the long corridors.
The gardens surrounding the odd property are Mary's escape and she explores every inch of them—all except for the mysterious walled-in, locked garden. Then one day, Mary discovers a key. Could it open the door to the garden?
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My Side of the Mountain
"Should appeal to all rugged individualists who dream of escape to the forest."--The New York Times Book Review
Sam Gribley is terribly unhappy living in New York City with his family, so he runs away to the Catskill Mountains to live in the woods--all by himself. With only a penknife, a ball of cord, forty dollars, and some flint and steel, he intends to survive on his own. Sam learns about courage, danger, and independence during his year in the wilderness, a year that changes his life forever."An extraordinary book . . . It will be read year after year."
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Where the Wild Things Are
In the forty years since Max first cried "Let the wild rumpus start," Maurice Sendak's classic picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time. Now, in celebration of this special anniversary, introduce a new generation to Max's imaginative journey to where the wild things are.
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Strega Nona
Now, for the first time, Strega Nona reveals her life's story to artist/author Tomie dePaola, in this wonderful prequel to the famous "Strega Nona" books. From the dark and stormy night when she is born to the day she takes the place of the retiring Grandma Concetta as a strega, here is Strega Nona's magical story. Full color.
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The War that Saved My Life
* Newbery Honor Book
* #1 New York Times Bestseller
* Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award
* Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of the Year
* New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading and SharingAn exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War II, from the acclaimed author of Fighting Words, and for fans of Fish in a Tree and Number the Stars.
Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada's twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn't waste a minute--she sneaks out to join him.
So begins a new adventure for Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan--and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?
This masterful work of historical fiction is equal parts adventure and a moving tale of family and identity--a classic in the making.
Achingly lovely...Nuanced and emotionally acute.--The Wall Street Journal
Unforgettable...unflinching.--Common Sense Media
★ "Brisk and honest...Cause for celebration." --Kirkus, starred review
★ Poignant.--Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ Powerful.--The Horn Book, starred review
Affecting.--Booklist
Emotionally satisfying...[A] page-turner.--BCCB
"Exquisitely written...Heart-lifting." --SLJ
Astounding...This book is remarkable.--Karen Cushman, author The Midwife's Apprentice
Beautifully told.--Patricia MacLachlan, author of Sarah, Plain and Tall
I read this novel in two big gulps.--Gary D. Schmidt, author of Okay for Now
I love Ada's bold heart...Her story's riveting.--Sheila Turnage, author of Three Times Lucky