Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation


Mark Teague - 2004
    LaRue--goes from obedience school dropout to shrewd sleuth in this exceedingly funny sequel.As if obedience school wasn't bad enough, Ike now finds himself in jail--wrongly accused (of course!) of terrorizing the Hibbins' cats & stealing their cat treats. Once again, he pleads his case to Mrs LaRue, who's vacationing in France, but to no avail. When a string of canary burglaries stalls the Snort City Police force's investigation--and reveals their crime-solving ineptitude--Ike flees custody and takes matters into his own paws. Expect more mad-cap comedy in Ike's daring escapades (real and imagined), as well as ingenious split-screen visuals from the incomparable Mark Teague.

The Sweetest Fig


Chris Van Allsburg - 1993
    "They can make your dreams come true." -- Thus Monsieur Bibot, the cold-hearted dentist, was given two ordinary-looking figs as payment for extracting a tooth from an old woman's mouth. Monsieur Bibot refused to believe such nonsense and proceeded to eat one of the figs for a bedtime snack. Although it was possibly the finest, sweetest fig he had ever tasted, it wasn't until the next morning that Monsieur Bibot realized it indeed had the power to make his dreams come true. While dragging his poor dog, Marcel, out for his walk, he discovered that his strange dream from the night before was becoming all too real. Determined to make good use of the second fig, Monsieur Bibot learns to control is dreams. But can he control Marcel? Once again Chris Van Allsburg explores the mysterious territory between fantasy and reality in an uncanny tale that will intrigue readers of all ages.

The Tail of Emily Windsnap


Liz Kessler - 2003
    And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has seemed anxious to keep her away from the water. But when Mom finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery - about her own identity, the mysterious father she's never met, and the thrilling possibilities and perils shimmering deep below the water's surface. With a sure sense of suspense and richly imaginative details, first-time author Liz Kessler lures us into a glorious undersea world where mermaids study shipwrecks at school and Neptune rules with an iron trident - an enchanting fantasy about family secrets, loyal friendship, and the convention-defying power of love.

The Worst Witch


Jill Murphy - 1974
    She's always getting her spells wrong and she can't even ride a broomstick without crashing it. Will she ever make a real witch?

Gingerbread Baby


Jan Brett - 1999
    He leads Matti's mother and father, the dog and the cat. And a whole colorful cast of characters on a rollicking chase through the village and into the forest, staying just out of reach, daring them to catch him along the way.But Matti's not with them. He's at home in the borders making what turns out to be a gingerbread house into which the Gingerbread Baby runs. Only Matti knows he is safely inside. And readers will too when they look under the lift-the-flap gingerbread house at the end of the story, and there he is!

January Joker


Ron Roy - 2009
    When he sees three-toed tracks in the snow, he's sure of it. His twin, Brian, and friends Lucy and Nate aren't so certain. But then Lucy's cousin Dink, the twins' brother Josh, and Nate's sister Ruth Rose all disappear. Are there really aliens in Green Lawn? And where could they be taking Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose?Parents, teachers, and librarians agree that these highly collectible chapter books are perfect for emerging readers and any kid who love mysteries!

The Secret Promise


Paula Harrison - 2012
    Her three friends feel the same, so they slip out after dinner. A zip wire in the dark is excellent fun! But things take a serious turn when the girls find a trapped deer in the forest. Who would do such an awful thing, and why?

Auntie Claus


Elise Primavera - 1999
    She lives in penthouse 25C at the Bing Cherry Hotel and is "so "curioso! After all, Auntie Claus serves Christmas cookies all year long and her tree is always the best-decorated in the city. And then there's her annual "business trip," right around the holidays. This year Sophie is determined to get to the bottom of Auntie Claus's mysterious ways. Put on your mittens and bundle up for an adventure beyond your wildest dreams. "Ho, ho, ho!"

May Bird and the Ever After


Jodi Lynn Anderson - 2005
    There, she is safe from school and the taunts and teases of kids who don't understand her. Hidden in the trees, May is a warrior princess, and her cat, Somber Kitty, is her brave guardian. Then May falls into the lake. When she crawls out, May finds herself in a world that most certainly does not feel like a fuzzy mitten. In fact it is a place few living people have ever seen. Here, towns glow blue beneath zipping stars and the people -- people? -- walk through walls. Here the Book of the Dead holds the answers to everything in the universe. And here, if May is discovered, the horrifyingly evil Bo Cleevil will turn her into nothing. May Bird must get out. Fast. Within these pages, Jodi Lynn Anderson shares with us the beginning of May Bird's daring journey into the Ever After, a haunting place where true friends -- and one terrible foe -- await her on every corner.

Nightmares!


Jason Segel - 2014
    And now waking up is even worse!Charlie Laird has several problems:1. His dad married a woman he is sure moonlights as a witch.2. He had to move into her purple mansion, which is not a place you want to find yourself after dark.3. He can’t remember the last time sleeping wasn’t a nightmarish prospect. Like even a nap.What Charlie doesn’t know is that his problems are about to get a whole lot more real. Nightmares can ruin a good night’s sleep, but when they start slipping out of your dreams and into the waking world—that’s a line that should never be crossed. And when your worst nightmares start to come true . . . well, that’s something only Charlie can face. And he’s going to need all the help he can get, or it might just be lights-out for Charlie Laird. For good.[This is the first book in a trilogy.]

Measle and the Wrathmonk


Ian Ogilvy - 2004
    His life is miserable, and gets worse when Measle finds himself on the wrong end of one of Basil's evil spells. Now he's half an inch tall and trapped in a toy train set. But when Measle joins up with Basil's other victims, he becomes more than just a smelly little orphan. Suddenly he's a hero ... with a plan!

The Gingerbread Man


Karen Lee Schmidt - 1980
    The gingerbread man outruns everybody, until he meets the quick-witted fox.

Catch That Cookie!


Hallie Durand - 2014
    Cookies are for eating, and he can't wait to eat his after spending all morning baking them with his class. But when it's time to take the gingerbread men out of the oven . . . they're gone! Now, to find those rogue cookies, Marshall and his class have to solve a series of rhyming clues. And Marshall just might have to rethink his stance on magic. Catch That Cookie! is an imaginative mystery, deliciously illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner David Small. It's sure to inspire a new classroom tradition . . . and maybe even a few new believers!

The Magic Misfits


Neil Patrick Harris - 2017
     When street magician Carter runs away, he never expects to find friends and magic in a sleepy New England town. But like any good trick, things change instantly as greedy B.B. Bosso and his crew of crooked carnies arrive to steal anything and everything they can get their sticky fingers on. After a fateful encounter with the local purveyor of illusion, Dante Vernon, Carter teams up with five other like-minded illusionists. Together, using both teamwork and magic, they'll set out to save the town of Mineral Wells from Bosso's villainous clutches. These six Magic Misfits will soon discover adventure, friendship, and their own self-worth in this delightful new series. (Psst. Hey, you! Yes, you! Congratulations on reading this far. As a reward, I'll let you in on a little secret... This book isn't just a book. It's a treasure trove of secrets and ciphers and codes and even tricks. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll discover more than just a story--you'll learn how to make your own magic!)

The Abominable Snowman (Choose Your Own Adventure, #13)


R.A. Montgomery - 1982
    Carlos arrives a few days early and goes missing from Everest base camp. A yeti sighting was reported nearby. Did he go after it? Or was Carlos onto the trail of something else? "I know that cry. It's the battle cry of the Yeti! We must get help and come back for Carlos." "Why are they angry?" you ask Runal. "Too many people have tormented them. We must go." The rescue helicopter lies smashed on the snow. There is no sign of the pilot, just giant Yeti footprints, leading off to the icefall?the death zone. If you follow the prints, turn to page 56. If you stay at the wreckage, hoping for help, turn to page 57." YOU choose what happens next!