Somebody's still splashing in the water and the mud. Is there a monster on the loose? Kristyn Crow has taken every child's worst nightmare and transformed it into a frolic through swampland. With funny illustrations and a catchy refrain, this story won't scare little monster too much before bedtime.

    Until she tells the little bear cub stories about his mommy when she was little. Then Grandma remembers how she put the little bear's own mommy to sleep...

                They stuck to their own kind.             They stayed still in their packaging.             And they never spoke to humans. That is, until they discover what it really means to be pasta: they will eventually be eaten by humans! Fettuccine is scared, Ramen is outraged, and Mac is just trying to keep the peace among all the pasta. Will they be able to work together to use their noodles and concoct a great escape?

    An ancient witch lived in the castle, and she had powerful magic. She cast a spell on any young man who came within one hundred steps of the castle—freezing him to the spot so he could not move or speak until the witch set him free. If a young girl wandered too near the castle walls, the witch turned her into a bird, and locked her in a cage inside the castle. But true love triumphs over evil enchantment in this story of one young couple, the beautiful Jorinda and Jorindel, the shepherd boy who loves her.

    Now the worlds most rotten cat and his friend, Sarah, set out again on a variety of capricious capers. In three brand-new boisterously entertaining stories, Rotten Ralph is sure to weasel his way into the hearts of another generation of readers. In Back to School for Rotten Ralph, summer is over, and Sarah cant wait to start school and make some new friendsother than her rotten cat, Ralph. But Ralph wants to be Sarahs only friend, and he won't be left behind. When Sarah boards the school bus, he disguises himself as a student, follows her to class, and starts his scheme of sabotage. Ralphs plan works brilliantly until his true identity is revealed and the entire class wants to be friends with Sarah and Ralph!

    Zina is a tiny penguin. Alex lives in the Arctic. Zina lives in the Antarctic. Alex and Zina are polar opposites! They live on opposite sides of the world. Their personalities are very different, too. But they find a way to meet in the middle. Erik Brooks’s simple text and vibrant watercolor illustrations bring opposites to life in this lively look at two unusual best friends.

    Will Alberto find a way to win them back?Charming, classic art, with graphic novel-like panels, make this a fresh and funny story that will amuse even the youngest readers. Included on the Texas 2 x 2 Reading List!

    Woodman? You'd know if you had--he's made of wood. And he's on a spectacular cross-country journey. Folks of all sorts guide Oliver along the way and report back in letters and postcards to his friend Uncle Ray. After all, there's a lot of road--and adventure!--between South Carolina and California. Oliver's been spotted truckin' in Texas, riding in a Utah parade, and scaring off bears in the California redwoods. Where will he show up next? Read the letters. Follow the map. And buckle up for a road trip you'll never forget!

    Teachers, students, and even parents are preparing for THE TEST--The Instructional Performance Through Understanding (IPTU) test--and the school is in an uproar. Even though the grown-ups tell the children not to worry, they're acting kind of strange. The gym teacher is teaching stress-reducing yoga instead of sports in gym class. Parents are giving pop quizzes on bedtime stories at night. The cafeteria is serving "brain food" for lunch. The kids are beginning to think that maybe the test is more important than they're being led to believe. Kids and adults alike will laugh aloud as Finchler and O'Malley poke fun at the commotion surrounding standardized testing, a staple of every school's year.

    Jackie worked at baseball. She worked hard. And before long Jackie could outplay anyone in her neighborhood—even the boys. She had one pitch—a wicked, dropping curve ball. But no seventeen-year-old girl could pitch against Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. It was unthinkable. Then on April 2, 1931, the New York Yankees stopped in Tennessee for an exhibition game against the Chattanooga Lookouts. And on that day Jackie Mitchell made baseball history. Marissa Moss tells a true story of determination and heroism, a gem of baseball history sure to inspire ballplayers of all ages. And C. F. Payne’s vibrant, glorious illustrations make the golden age of baseball come alive. Other awards include: Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Nominee (KS) Black Eyed Susan Book Award Master List (MD) Capitol Choices List (DC) Chickadee Award Nominee (ME) Child Magazine's Guide to Top Books, Videos and Software of the Year Delaware Diamonds Award Program Master List Garden State Children's Book Award Nominee (NJ) Kansas State Reading Circle List Starred Primary Title Monarch Award Master List (IL) South Carolina Book Award Nominee Virginia Young Readers List WA Children’s Choice Picture Book Award Master List

    Her parents think she can. Rather than begging or pleading, Amelia adopts an imaginary dog named Bones. But when Amelia's make-believe pup runs away, her parents are in for a real surprise!

    The tale of the chicken and Desperate Dan, a bandit, told in beautiful full-color pictures and leavened by the trademark wit of David Macaulay.

    Brightsun’s School for Little Learners. Everything on Earth is different. His clothes don’t fit right, his classmates don’t look like him, and even Earth noises sound weird. In this first day of school story with a twist, nervous Dewey Dew learns that new experiences—like going to school on another planet—might be okay after all.

    That's what Howard's mother tells him. There is no such thing as a boy, and certainly no such thing as a boy on top of a bed. That's what Monster's mother tells him. But no matter what their mothers say, Howard and Monster remain afraid of the dark. Then one spooky night Howard and Monster come face-to-face with each other. Jackie French Koller and Betsy Lewin have created a "monster-under-the-bed" story that offers the perfect cure for fear of the dark.

    Summary: The wisdom of peace and the absurdity of fighting are demonstrated in seventeen stories and poems by outstanding authors of today such as Jean Fritz, Milton Meltzer, and Nancy Willard, illustrated by famous illustrators such as Paul Zelinsky, the Dillons, and Maurice Sendak.