He's the new kid in town. He knows what that means: when the new school year starts, he'll play alone at recess, eat alone at lunch, and walk home alone at the end of the day. So Ira launches a whole-hearted campaign to befriend neighborhood kids before the first day. But his best-laid plans -- A sandwich stand! A dance-off! -- fall flat, and playing it cool doesn't seem to work either. Just as Ira decides school will be HORRIBLE, a comical misunderstanding connects him with Malcolm, who was the new kid last year and totally gets it -- and who, it turns out, will make a pretty good friend.

    

    There are wonders everywhere. In the sky and on the ground—blooming in a flower bed, dangling from a silken thread, buzzing through the summer air—waiting ...waiting to be found. In this thoughtful and ingenious collection of poems, Elaine Magliaro, an elementary school teacher for more than three decades and a school librarian for three years, and illustrator Catia Chien provide a luminous glimpse of the ordinary wonders all around us.

    This unusual family soon has the whole neighborhood gossiping. Defying the grown-ups, Matilda becomes friends with young pirate Jim Lad. When the JolleyRogers return to sea, the town realizes that they were wrong to assume the worst when it is discovered that the pirates have buried treasure in everyone's yard. The neighbors are thrilled, but Matilda is sad to have lost her new friend, until she discovers her own treasure - a pen pal!

    “The illustrations bring the frivolity to a fever pitch.”—School Library Journal.Open this book to any page to begin your exploration. Here are poems about things that you may never have thought about before. You'll be introduced to jellyfish stew, a bouncing mouse, a ridiculous dog, and a boneless chicken.You'll learn why you shouldn't argue with a shark, eat a dinosaur, or have an alligator for a pet. You'll meet the world's worst singer and the greatest video game player in history. You'll even find an invitation to a dragon's birthday party....This playful collection is a wonderful introduction to the pleasures of poetry and word play from a master of the genre, Jack Prelutsky.“It’s the author’s joyous sense of the absurd that propels the reader from page to page.”—Horn Book (starred review)

         From the moon to the stars, from the Earth to Mars, here is an exuberant celebration of our celestial surroundings that's certain to become a universal favorite among aspiring astronomers everywhere.      Includes die-cut pages and a glossary of space terms.

    . . now and forever!   From brave and bold to creative and clever, Emily Winfield Martin's rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. With beautiful, and sometimes humorous, illustrations, and a clever gatefold with kids in costumes, this is a book grown-ups will love reading over and over to kids—both young and old. A great gift for any occasion, but a special stand-out for baby showers, birthdays, and graduation. The Wonderful Things You Will Be has a loving and truthful message that will endure for lifetimes.

    But what if I go the wrong way?The Road curved a little, almost as if it was giving me a hug, and said, Do not worry. Sometimes we go the wrong way on our way to the right way.It's okay to be afraid or to sometimes wander down the wrong path. Poet and activist Cleo Wade's encourages us to lead with kindness and curiosity, remembering that the most important thing we can do in life is to keep going.

    The soft glow of a candle, the blink of a firefly, a burst of fireworks--light is everywhere in our world! Rhyming text and illustrations follow four children as they experience many different forms of light.

    But . . . will Nanette get the baguette from baker Juliette? Or will Nanette soon be beset with regret?

    A wacky new Easter version of the classic "There Was an Old Lady" song!This time, the hungry old lady swallows a chick, some straw, an egg, some candy, a basket, and a bow! And just as she's hopping and skipping along, who should she meet but the Easter Bunny! Watch what happens when she trips, with amazing results!With rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version of a classic song will appeal to young readers with every turn of the page -- a fun story for Easter!

    He's sure he belongs in the category of bugs with superpower-like abilities. No, he can't carry 50 times his weight, like ants. No, he's not able to spray paralyzing venom, like some termites. No, he can't release a bad smell to repel predators, like stink bugs. What june beetles are known for is chasing porch lights and flailing their legs in the air --- does that count? Hmm ... Maybe Burt will just have to accept the truth. June beetles don't have any special abilities. But when some other bugs find themselves in perilous trouble that even their superpowers can't get them out of, Burt suddenly realizes there is one thing that he can do to save his friends --- and it's something that only a june beetle can do!Bestselling author-illustrator Ashley Spires's signature mix of slapstick and dry humor is front and center in this winning story that highlights how being special is as much about character as it is about abilities. Full of simply drawn panels prominently featuring the ever-plucky Burt, it's a perfect pick for emerging readers and young fans of comics. Burt's positive attitude toward himself and others offers many opportunities for character education lessons on caring, positive thinking and initiative. Snuck into the pages are facts about bugs and their traits, making this a fun choice for a science unit on the characteristics of living things.

    But do you have any idea how the age-old tale of the Spider and the Fly ends? Join celebrated artist Tony DiTerlizzi as he -- drawing inspiration from one of his loves, the classic Hollywood horror movies of the 1920s and 1930s -- shines a cinematic spotlight on Mary Howitt's warning, written to her own children about those who use sweet words to hide their not-so-sweet intentions.

    Time is a seed waiting to grow, a flower blooming, a sunbeam moving across a room. Time is slow like a spider spinning her web or fast like a wave at the beach. Time is a wiggly tooth, or waiting for the school bell to ring, or reading a story . . . or three! But time is also morning for some and night for others, a fading sunset and a memory captured in a photo taken long ago.In this magical meditation on the nature of time, Julie Morstad shines a joyful light on a difficult-to-grasp concept for young readers and reminds older readers to see the wonders of our world, including children themselves, through the lens of time.

    Lucky for us, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature has collected them all into one really big, noisy volume. From “Peter Peter Payload Eater” to “Pop Blows the Diesel” to “Swing Around with Rosie,” all the classic truckery rhymes are here. Find out which one is your favorite!