The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain


Eugene Yelchin - 2021
    In the tiny apartment he shares with his Baryshnikov-obsessed mother, poetry-loving father, continually outraged grandmother, and safely talented brother, all Yevgeny has is his little pencil, the underside of a massive table, and the doodles that could change everything. With equal amounts charm and solemnity, award-winning author and artist Eugene Yelchin recounts in hilarious detail his childhood in Cold War Russia as a young boy desperate to understand his place in his family.

The Call


Michael Grant - 2010
    Medium looks. Medium grades. Medium parents who barely notice him. With a list of phobias that could make anyone crazy, Mack never would have guessed that he is destined for a more-than-medium life.And then, one day, something incredibly strange happens to Mack. A three-thousand-year-old man named Grimluk appears in the boys' bathroom to deliver some startling news: Mack is one of the Magnificent Twelve, called the Magnifica in ancient times, whatever that means. An evil force is on its way, and it's up to Mack to track down eleven other twelve-year-olds in order to stop it. He must travel across the world to battle the wicked Pale Queen's dangerous daughter, Ereskigal--also known as Risky. But Risky sounds a little scary, and Mack doesn't want to be a hero. Will he answer the call?A laugh-out-loud story filled with excitement and magic, "The Magnificent Twelve: The Call" is the first book in bestselling author Michael Grant's hilarious new fantasy adventure series.

Help! I'm Trapped in My Lunch Lady's Body


Todd Strasser - 1999
    School lunch will never be the same!

Spike: The Penguin With Rainbow Hair (Ocean Tales Children's Books)


Sarah Cullen - 2021
    When one young penguin realizes his hair is all the wrong colors, how far will he go to stop the stares?Spike the Penguin wishes he wasn’t different. Even though his parents tell him his bright red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple mohawk is beautiful, he still wants to hide his head under his flippers. Determined to find a way to be like everyone else, the sad little guy sets out on an Antarctic adventure!Diving deep into the ocean to seek a solution, Spike tries out seashell hats, squid-ink dye jobs, and a seal hair salon. But when no one can make him look just right, he fears he’ll never be happy… until his friends share something unexpected.Can this little penguin learn to appreciate his perfectly awesome plumage?Spike, The Penguin With Rainbow Hair is a heartwarming children’s picture book written in playful rhyme that shares a great message about self acceptance.

Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years


Stacy McAnulty - 2017
    Beloved children's book author Stacy McAnulty helps Earth tell her story, and award-winning illustrator David Litchfield brings the words to life. The book includes back matter with even more interesting tidbits.

The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue: 101 All-New Recipes and “Sneaky” Tricks for Creating Healthy Meals Kids Will Love


Missy Chase Lapine - 2009
    Legions of fans have written to her, asking for more recipes that focus on their specific family challenges. She’s heard them loud and clear, and has crafted meals that are targeted to these special needs, including:• Sneaky Chef Light: Delicious recipes for kids struggling with their weight: with lower calories, lower fat—and all the taste!• Sneaky Chef for Food Allergies. For the millions of children who suffer from food allergies, here are recipes that are dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free.• Sneaky Chef for More Variety—More make-ahead purees and crafty, kid-friendly recipes the whole family will love.• Sneaky Chef Celebrates! Even special days can be healthy, as the Sneaky Chef unveils recipes for birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, Valentine’s Day, Passover, Easter, and more!Sneaky Chef to the Rescue shows that any family can “sneak” good food into their diets, making everybody (both kids and adults) both happier and healthier.

Minecraft: The Island


Max Brooks - 2017
    In the tradition of iconic stories like Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island, Minecraft: The Island will tell the story of a new hero stranded in the world of Minecraft, who must survive the harsh, unfamiliar environment and unravel the secrets of the island.From the Hardcover edition.

Dragons at Crumbling Castle: And Other Stories


Terry Pratchett - 2014
    It’s a disaster!Luckily, there’s a spare suit of armour and a very small boy called Ralph who’s willing to fill it. Together with Fortnight the Friday knight and Fossfiddle the wizard, Ralph sets out to defeat the fearsome fire-breathers.But there's a teeny weeny surprise in store . . .Fourteen fantastically funny stories from master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, full of time travel and tortoises, monsters and mayhem!‘So funny I dropped my spoon laughing!’ – King Arthur

Boogers for Lunch: A Sight Word Book (Billy Bad)


Billy Bad - 2014
    It may be gross, but kids love this stuff, and that's the point! I originally wrote this book for my son, a first grader, who was struggling with sight words and reading speed. The sight word books, decodable word books, early reader books, and flash cards they offered him at school were boring, which made it a challenge to get him excited about reading. So I decided to write a series of children's books using sight words but with stories about the things I heard him and his friends laughing about. It worked! My son was able to read my Billy Bad sight word stories with speed and confidence. And because he was laughing I knew his reading comprehension was improving. This book is written using mostly Dolch sight words and a few other words that are easily decodable. Unlike most sight word books and decodable word books, Billy Bad's sight word books have stories that will capture the attention of early readers and make them laugh. When kids enjoy the stories they read they fall in love with reading. I hope your child enjoys these silly (and gross) sight word books as much as my son does.

The Doldrums


Nicholas Gannon - 2015
    Helmsley has grown up in a house full of oddities and treasures collected by his grandparents, the famous explorers. He knows every nook and cranny. He knows them all too well. After all, ever since his grandparents went missing on an iceberg, his mother barely lets him leave the house.Archer longs for adventure. Grand adventures, with parachutes and exotic sunsets and interesting characters. But how can he have an adventure when he can’t leave his house?It helps that he has friends like Adélaïde L. Belmont, who must have had many adventures to end up with a wooden leg. (Perhaps from a run-in with a crocodile. Perhaps not.) And Oliver Glub. Oliver will worry about all the details (so that Archer doesn’t have to).And so Archer, Adélaïde, and Oliver make a plan. A plan to get out of the house, out of their town entirely. It’s a good plan.Well, it’s not bad, anyway.But nothing goes quite as they expect.

The Lonely Astronaut On Christmas Eve


Tom DeLonge - 2013
    Now the punk-rock papa is proud to share some of his story time with the world, through the release of his first children’s book THE LONELY ASTRONAUT ON CHRISTMAS EVE. This book, written by DeLonge, is a wistful story for the young and the young-at-heart alike. Wonderfully illustrated by Mike Henry, THE LONELY ASTRONAUT ON CHRISTMAS EVE, is a tale of a rocketeer alone on the moon on a cold Christmas night, and the gift he receives from a few unexpected (and extraterrestrial) friends.

The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee's Story


Jay Hosler - 2000
    LikeWhen does a bee go through metamorphosis?Why does a queen bee sometimes leave her hive?And where does all this honey come from, anyway?!But Nyuki’s biggest question is, “What is this inner voice I hear, and why does it tell me to go forth to adventure?Follow Nyuki on a lifelong journey as she annoys her sisters, avoids predators, and learns to trust her inner voice as she masters the way of the hive.And if you still have questions at the end, the back of the book uncovers even more mysteries about the lives of these incredible insects!

A New Pet in the Family


John H. Carroll - 2011
    Aimed for readers age five to ten, Bookata’s books allow the users (parents and children alike) to change in a few minutes the whole content, from illustrations to text.

How Women Won the Vote: Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, and Their Big Idea


Susan Campbell Bartoletti - 2020
    Paul and Burns met in a London jail and fought their way through hunger strikes, jail time, and much more to win a long, difficult victory for America and its women.Includes extensive back matter and dozens of archival images to evoke the time period between 1909 and 1920.

Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs


Melissa Stewart - 2018
    Stephanie Laberis's bright, bold--and scientifically accurate--illustrations add to the fun.