His meteoric rise to the top of the music charts is a Cinderella storywith a digital-age twist. Before he was famous, Justin had to overcome many struggles. His parents divorced when he was young. At school, he was frequently bullied because he was smaller than the other kids his age. But his decision to participate in a local talent contestand then to post his performance online for familywould change his life forever. Discover the behind-the-scenes story of Justins journey from growing up in a small Canadian town to becoming a global teenage heartthrob. Meet the people who helped get him his break, and find out what Justin says you should never do on a first date.

    With enthusiastic endorsements from bestselling luminaries as Lemony Snicket, Judith Viorst, Andrea Beaty, and many others, this entirely unique collection offers a surprise around every corner: from the ongoing rivalry between the author and illustrator, to the mysteriously misnumbered pages that can only be deciphered by a certain code-cracking poem, to the rhyming fact-checker in the footnotes who points out when "poetic license" gets out of hand. Adding to the fun: Lane Smith, bestselling creator of beloved hits like It's a Book and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, has spectacularly illustrated this extraordinary collection with nearly one hundred pieces of appropriately absurd art. It's a mischievous match made in heaven!

    Fantastic photographs, thousands or even millions of times larger than life, reveal the secrets of the micro universe, while step-by-step project ideas and Internet links to recommended websites will help you set off on a micro world tour of your own.

    But in this picture book, it’s finicky mom and dad—not the child—who eat only pizza with pepperoni (delivered), burgers from a bag, or noodles from a box. Eager to experience new flavors, Matilda secretly sets out to learn how to cook, satisfy her hunger for something more . . . and expand her parents’ palates, too.

    The boy tries to walk away and ignore the cuddly creature, but the puppy continues to follow him, undeterred. Though the boy is still dealing with the pain of his loss and feels afraid to care about a new pet again, as the two walk the sand together, the boy slowly opens himself up to the joy of having a new dog in his life and making peace with the past. New York Times bestselling Amy Hest and Amy Bates, the beloved team who created The Dog Who Belonged to No One, have created a touching story about new beginnings and how friendship and love have the power to heal.

    How do you know what type of clouds can forecast a change of weather? Read and find out.

    I act with bravery. I am courage.   When we picture someone brave, we might think they’re fearless; but real courage comes from feeling scared and facing what challenges us anyway. When our minds tell us “I can’t,” we can look inside ourselves and find the strength to say, “Yes, I CAN!” From the New York Times bestselling team behind the I Am series comes a triumphant celebration of everyday courage: believing in ourselves, speaking out, trying new things, asking for help, and getting back up no matter how many times we may fall. Grounded in mindfulness and awareness, I Am Courage is an empowering reminder that we can conquer anything. Inside, you'll also find exercises to inspire confidence.

    Can he make it into the punctuation-mark talent show? There's plenty of competition, but it looks as if the director, Bud Asterisk, has mistaken Alfie for a comma. Will all of Alfie's practice pay off? Full color.

    Sometimes a germ catches up with you.Germs are all around you, but they are too small for you to see. Many germs are harmless, but two kinds, viruses and bacteria, can make you sick. Read and find out about germs, how they can make you sick, and how your body works to fight them off and keep you healthy.

    There would be beautiful castles, kings and queens, good knights, bad knights, fair ladies in danger, evil dragons from the mountains, and a giant troll that roars and eats anything. What kid hasn’t dreamed of living in fairy-tale times—hasn’t imagined himself as the bravest knight in all the land (or at least the knight’s faithful squire). As he has done in his celebrated There’s a Nightmare in My Closet and its follow-ups, Mercer Mayer brings childhood fantasy hilariously to life here. Bad knights are forced to pick flowers for the king, a day’s adventure involves rescuing a cat from a tree, and our hero boldly fights a fire-breathing dragon using his trusty slingshot.This silly charmer, originally published in 1968 as Terrible Troll, has been entirely redone in vivid color. It’s a rediscovered gem with timeless appeal.

    And a huge fold-out chart compares the dinos to each other, from the tiniest Microraptor to Argentinosaurus, the largest animal to ever walk the land.*An NPR Best Book of 2013*

    Haktak digs up a curious brass pot in his garden and decides to carry his coin purse in it. When Mrs. Haktak's hairpin slips into the pot, she reaches in and pulls out two coin purses and two hairpins--this is a magic pot!

    

    No mata mata how hard they may try on World Turtle Day (May 23). If you’ve never heard of Dragon Appreciation Day, International Cephalopod Awareness Day, or Yell "Fudge!" at the Cobras in North America Day, it’s not because they don’t exist, it’s simply that they needed someone to spread the word. Luckily, the fantastically zany poems of J. Patrick Lewis and Anna Raff’s equally hilarious illustrations have memorialized these holidays forever. So get out your calendars — from Happy Mew Year for Cats Day to Chocolate-Covered Anything Day, World Rat Day (April 4) calls for a year-round celebration.

    Of course, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag didn’t know it at the time, but they were making history, celebrating what would become a national holiday.