but what he loves most is scaring others. Last year, he invited Jim to his house for a Halloween party, but before Jim even arrived, Simon had scared him away. This year, Jim has invited Simon to his house for a party. Everything appears very un-scary, but he has some tricks up his sleeve. "The Scare" is a delightfully chilling tale about two best friends who, despite their differences, learn to enjoy the holiday together. Don't be scared!

    They eat huge numbers of insects! That helps limit the spread of diseases and the damage that insects do to farm crops. But in recent years, large populations of little brown bats have been dying off each winter. Is a virus killing them? Could climate change or pesticides be the cause? Or is it something else? Follow a team of dedicated scientists working to save the little brown bats in this real-life science mystery.-- "Journal"

    An Ivory seagull loses his Arctic home when his iceberg melts. He meets a friendly snail, Poco, who helps him on his journey to find a new home. But, the seagull is afraid of the world and cannot find a home. He moves slow and cannot keep up with the other Ivory seagulls, earning him the nickname, "Slow Moe". As a result, the other seagulls shun him and force him off the docks. When Slow Moe crash-lands in a dark forest, he encounters a lost group of children and their puppy. However, a hungry pack of coyotes are lurking in the darkness. Can the group escape danger and find their way home? Can they rescue their puppy who was taken by the coyotes ? And who will lead them through the darkness ? Slow Moe learns the most important lesson. He discovers that his real home is among his friends.The story is an action-packed adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to read the next page. Stunning, colorful, and detailed graphics will make you feel as if you are in the forest with the group.

    Paddle's journey, in text and pictures, through the Great lakes to the Atlantic Ocean provides an excellent geographic and historical picture of the region.

    Wild animals burst from every page with a chance to learn something new about each one!

    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.

    Medallion Honoree * From the Midwest Book Review: "The Pajama Elves" is a delightful, creatively presented holiday tale that shares a family tradition of giving children magic pajamas secretly tailored by Santa's sewing elves, so they can sleep snug in their beds on Christmas Eve. Hayden Edwards is a special pseudonym for author/illustrator Julie Szabo, combining the names of her two sons and husband. Told in verse narrative and creatively illustrated with combination photos/prints in color, "The Pajama Elves" is all about keeping the magic of Christmas alive for young children. The author describes it as follows: "'The Pajama Elves' allows people to adopt and personalize the tradition in many ways, and it can be shared with family members who live far apart from one another." Sensitively done, "The Pajama Elves" is an ideal contemporary response to unique challenges faced by parents of young children today.

    Over 7,000 years ago Native Americans settled on the Nashua River, a beautiful and leafy valley. But the industrialization of nearby areas would lead to the deterioration of natural habitats. Each double spread examines brief periods of time when the river and surrounding areas teemed with wildlife. Lynne Cherry’s contrasting illustrations of the lush valley and the eventual polluted river deliver an astonishing look at our dramatic need for conservation efforts. This pictorial history of the river, edging towards a hopeful scene of modern-day descendants of both Native Americans and European settlers who come together to combat pollution and restore the beauty of the river, is an intelligent tale that shows young readers how they can do their part in taking care of the world around them, one river at a time.

    When spring arrives, Nanuk teaches her beloved cubs how to hunt and swim and survive in the arctic. This new picture book by acclaimed author-illustrator Jeanette Winter is a stunning portrait of a loving polar bear family with a subtle environmental message.

    But what really terrified those bad men was that peculiar gun of his. It didn't shoot bullets. It shot light. And Larry always aimed for the heart. Can Larry save the town of Brimstone from Evil-Eye McNeevil's outlaw gang? Find out in this rip-roaring original tale of a gunfighter with a huge smile and a hankering for lemonade. TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS -- A READER'S THEATER SCRIPT OF THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE IN AARON'S BOOK -STORIES ON STAGE, - OR FREE ON AARON'S WEB SITE. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of -The Baker's Dozen, - -The Sea King's Daughter, - -The Monkey King, - and many more children's books. His stories have appeared often in Cricket magazine, while his Web site is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater. Once a professional storyteller, Aaron specializes in lively retellings of folktales and other traditional literature, which have won him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. Toni Goffe is the British illustrator of numerous well-loved children's books and is a winner of the 1993 Gold Medallion Book Award. He is also illustrator of Aaron's -The Legend of Slappy Hooper.- ///////////////////////////////////////////////// -One of the books every boy should have on his bookshelf; girls will probably like the story too . . . The language is perfect, [with] the right dose of silliness to make both parents and children chuckle . . . The illustrations are ideal.- -- Cindi Rose, San Francisco Examiner, Aug. 20, 2012 -A tall-tale superhero for our time. . . . A readaloud that could lighten up classes well up in the elementary grades.- -- Kirkus Reviews, Mar. 1, 1993 -Pass out the bandanas and dig out the spittoon. Read this story in an old-timer's voice, and everyone will have a good time.- -- Chris Sherman, American Library Association Booklist, Mar. 1, 1993 -Move over Wyatt Earp. Make room for a cowboy of a different caliber. A wide age range of listeners will request this one again and again.- -- School Library Journal, Nov. 1993 -A rib-tickler. . . . Kids will enjoy acting this out as readers theatre.- -- Jan Lieberman, TNT, Spring 1993 -Lovely. . . . Should reach the tickly bone of youngsters.- -- Storyline, June 1993 -Perfect for telling or reading out loud.- -- Katy Rydell, Stories, Spring 1993 -My class loved this story. Great to use when introducing tall tales.- -- D. Peccianti, Reviews of All Resources (Monterey Peninsula United School District) -Introduces one amazing cowpoke. . . . Will have young listeners laughing out loud and asking you to 'read it again.'- -- Smithsonian, Nov. 1993 -Told in the spirited language of a true yarn-spinner, this is a rollicking picture book to warm the heart of just about everyone.- -- Kids' Line, Summer 1993

    "Once you are aware of the wonder and beauty of earth, you will want to learn about it," wrote Rachel Carson, the pioneering environmentalist. She wrote Silent Spring, the book that woke people up to the harmful impact humans were having on our planet.

    It’s baggy, boneless body sprouts eight arms covered with thousands of suckers—suckers that can taste as well as feel. The octopus also has the powers of a superhero: it can shape-shift, change color, squirt ink, pour itself through the tiniest of openings, or jet away through the sea faster than a swimmer can follow.         But most intriguing of all, octopuses—classed as mollusks, like clams—are remarkably intelligent with quirky personalities. This book, an inquiry into the mind of an intelligent invertebrate, is also a foray into our own unexplored planet. These thinking, feeling creatures can help readers experience and understand our world (and perhaps even life itself) in a new way.

    and this book's fun-loving family is out to discover all the wonderful signs of the beautiful Fall season. Join in their antics as they shake and rhyme their way to a surprise ending that is sure to delight readers of all ages. There's even a couple of wisecracking squirrels to keep the laughs coming as the pair frolic through the pages telling jokes that will "leaf" you "fall"ing over into a great big pile of chuckles.

    That's the way the sloth moves. Slowly, it eats and then, slowly, it falls asleep. "What strange kind of creature is this?" the other animals wonder, "Why doesn't it run or fly or play or hunt like the rest of us?" "Why are you so slow??" the howler monkey inquires. But the sloth doesn't answer any questions until the jaguar asks, "Why are you so lazy??" Anyone who has ever felt too busy will appreciate the sloth's peaceful lifestyle and realize that it's okay to take time to enjoy life. Eric Carle's dazzling collage illustrations introduce readers to the exotic beauty of the Amazon rain forest and the many unusual animals living there.

    Produced in conjunction with American Forests and the Global ReLeaf programs, Archaia will plant two trees for each tree used in the manufacturing of this book. This is presented in partnership with JeffCorwinConnect, a global, ecological, educational, and entertainment multimedia company launched by Jeff Corwin, the popular wildlife expert and nature conservationist.