The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby


Dav Pilkey - 2002
    Now with super-cool foil covers! Shiny! Fun!Oh, no! It's not enough that George and Harold have invented Captain Underpants, the greatest superhero of all time, and that they've also saved the world FIVE times! They defeated Dr. Diaper! They punished Professor Poopypants! And they whacked the wicked Wedgie Woman! What task could be worse?!!? This one: As punishment, the boys have to write a 100-page report on "good citizenship," and they have been specifically ordered NOT to write another comic about Captain Underpants. So what do they do? Aha! Meet Super Diaper Baby--the most powerful peewee to pack a punch. With Pilkey's typical over-the-edge humor, Super Diaper Baby will have kids laughing until soda comes out their noses.

Tacky the Penguin


Helen Lester - 1988
    Will this nonconformist teach old penguins some new tricks and help save the day? This hilarious series following the adventures of one superlative penguin is a modern classic. Tacky likes to do splashy cannonballs and greet his friends with a loud, “What’s happening?” His fellow penguins find his odd behavior somewhat bothersome. But when fearsome poachers come to the iceberg hunting for penguins, Tacky’s odd ways may be just the thing that saves the day. From beloved children’s book author Helen Lester, and cherished illustrator Lynn Munsinger, Tacky the Penguin is a delightful tale about being true to yourself--even when it means being a little different from everybody else.

The Missing Mitten Mystery


Steven Kellogg - 1974
    Somehow Annie's red mitten has disappeared in all the fun. They look high and low. . . . It's not on the sledding hill, and it's not by the snow castles. Maybe an eagle carried it off to keep its baby's head warm. Or maybe a mouse is using it as a sleeping bag. When the sun goes down, Annie and Oscar have to give up their search and go inside. But when Annie looks out the window, something red catches her eye. . . .With entirely new full-color illustrations, this beautiful version of the beloved picture book The Mystery of the Missing Red Mitten retains all the charm of the original.

The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish


Neil Gaiman - 1997
    "Oh-oh," said my little sister.What if you wanted your best friend's two goldfish so much that you'd swap anything for them, even your father?What if your mother came home and found out what you'd done?The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish is a hilarious adventure and was the first book for younger readers from the acclaimed author and illustrator of the New York Times best-sellers The Wolves in the Walls and Coraline. Chosen as one of Newsweek magazine's Best Children's Books of the Year, The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish is beloved by readers of all ages. This new edition features brand-new jacket art and an afterword by the author on the origins of this unique and wonderfully funny story.

Mother Bruce


Ryan T. Higgins - 2015
    That, and eat eggs. But when his hard-boiled goose eggs turn out to be real, live goslings, he starts to lose his appetite. And even worse, the goslings are convinced he's their mother. Bruce tries to get the geese to go south, but he can't seem to rid himself of his new companions. What's a bear to do?

Harriet the Spy


Louise Fitzhugh - 1964
    Every day on her spy route she "observes" and notes down anything of interest to her:I BET THAT LADY WITH THE CROSS-EYE LOOKS IN THE MIRROR AND JUST FEELS TERRIBLE.PINKY WHITEHEAD WILL NEVER CHANGE. DOES HIS MOTHER HATE HIM? IF I HAD HIM I'D HATE HIM.IF MARION HAWTHORNE DOESN'T WATCH OUT SHE'S GOING TO GROW UP INTO A LADY HITLER.But when Harriet's notebook is found by her schoolmates, their anger and retaliation and Harriet's unexpected responses explode in a hilarious way.

Bad Kitty Gets a Bath


Nick Bruel - 2008
    The following are some items you will need for Kitty's bath: one bathtub, plenty of water, dry towels, a suit of armor, a letter to your loved ones, clean underwear (because stressful situations can cause "accidents"), an ambulance in your driveway with the engine running, and, oh, yeah, you'll also need Kitty…but good luck with that! Since its publication in 2005, BAD KITTY has captured the hearts of cat lovers and haters alike. This time Kitty is at her worst in this riotous how-to guide filled with bad smells, cautionary tales of horror, and hopefully by the end…some soap. The funniest of any of Kitty's adventures, though don't tell her that.

Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon


Paula Danziger - 1994
    They've known each other for practically forever, sit next to each other in class, help each other with homework, and always stick up for each other. Justin never says things like, "Amber Brown is not a crayon." Amber never says, "Justin Time." They're a great team—until disaster strikes. Justin has to move away, and now the best friends are fighting. Will they be able to work it out before it's too late?

Bats at the Beach


Brian Lies - 2006
    The first of many nighttime adventures with the award-winning Bat Book series. Quick, call out! Tell all you can reach: the night is just perfect for bats at the beach! So pack your buckets, banjos, and blankets—don’t forget the moon-tan lotion—and wing with this bunch of fuzzy bats to where foamy sea and soft sand meet. Brian Lies’s enchanting art and cheery beachside verse will inspire bedtime imaginations again and again. Come visit a bedazzling world of moonlight, firelight, and . . . bats! Check out brianlies.com for more escapades with these zany bats.

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon


Patty Lovell - 1994
    Molly Lou Melon is different, but this doesn't slow her down.

Tomorrow Most Likely


Dave Eggers - 2019
    Rather than focusing on going to bed—and what kid wants to think about going to bed?—this book explores all of the dreamy, wonderful, strange things the next day might bring.

Enemy Pie


Derek Munson - 2000
    That is, until Jeremy Ross moved into the house down the street and became neighborhood enemy number one. Luckily Dad had a surefire way to get rid of enemies: Enemy Pie. But part of the secret recipe is spending an entire day playing with the enemy! In this funny yet endearing story, one little boy learns an effective recipes for turning your best enemy into your best friend. Accompanied by charming illustrations, Enemy Pie serves up a sweet lesson in the difficulties and ultimate rewards of making new friends.

Mistakes Were Made


Stephan Pastis - 2013
    Created by New York Times best-selling cartoonist Stephan Pastis.Take eleven-year-old Timmy Failure — the clueless, comically self-confident CEO of the best detective agency in town, perhaps even the nation. Add his impressively lazy business partner, a very large polar bear named Total. Throw in the Failuremobile — Timmy’s mom’s Segway — and what you have is Total Failure, Inc., a global enterprise destined to make Timmy so rich his mother won’t have to stress out about the bills anymore. Of course, Timmy’s plan does not include the four-foot-tall female whose name shall not be uttered. And it doesn’t include Rollo Tookus, who is so obsessed with getting into "Stanfurd" that he can’t carry out a no-brainer spy mission. From the offbeat creator of Pearls Before Swine comes an endearingly bumbling hero in a caper whose peerless hilarity is accompanied by a whodunit twist. With perfectly paced visual humor, Stephan Pastis gets you snorting with laughter, then slyly carries the joke a beat further — or sweetens it with an unexpected poignant moment — making this a comics-inspired story (the first in a new series) that truly stands apart from the pack.

The Crayon Box That Talked


Shane DeRolf - 1997
    The crayons in it just couldn't get along. Yellow did not like Red, and neither, for that matter, did Green. And no one at all seemed to like Orange. As Blue pointed out, something was very wrong.But something very right begins to happen when a little girl takes these crayons home and starts coloring with them. They realize that the big picture they make together is ever so much more exciting and varied—yes, even dazzling!—than the small pictures they make alone.This is a simple little story with a big important message.

The Willoughbys


Lois Lowry - 2008
       The Willoughby children—Timothy, twins Barnaby A and Barnaby B, and their sister Jane—are fond all old-fashioned things, but especially old-fashioned adventures. What they aren't fond of, however, are their parents. Truth be told, their parents aren't the fondest of them, either, and they're concocting an evil plan to get rid of their children once and for all!   Both parents and children have plenty of dastardly ideas and tricks up their sleeves. The only thing they don't have is any idea of what lies between them and a happily-ever-after.   Complete with a cheeky glossary and bibliography, this hilarious and wonderfully old-fashioned parody pays playful homage to classic works of children’s literature like Mary Poppins and A Christmas Carol.