Books
COMING IN OCTOBER 2023!
How Mr. Silver Stole the Show
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Everyone loves an underdog--especially when he's a cat!
On a rainy morning in 1947, a small gray kitten wandered into the Hamilton Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, two days before the Greater St. Louis Cat Club Show.
A stray cat. A fancy hotel. A serious contest for pedigreed cats. What could possibly go right?
Curl up with this heartwarming story based on a real-life stray cat who made headlines just by showing up, being himself, and finding a little human kindness.
How Mr. Silver Stole the Show
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Everyone loves an underdog--especially when he's a cat!
On a rainy morning in 1947, a small gray kitten wandered into the Hamilton Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, two days before the Greater St. Louis Cat Club Show.
A stray cat. A fancy hotel. A serious contest for pedigreed cats. What could possibly go right?
Curl up with this heartwarming story based on a real-life stray cat who made headlines just by showing up, being himself, and finding a little human kindness.
Mystery on Magnolia Circle
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
What happens when two best friends take on the world's worst summer?
When 10-year-old Ivy Crowden falls down the stairs and breaks her leg on the first day of summer vacation, she's certain her summer is doomed. What fun could she possibly have while stuck in a cast?
But then she witnesses a possible crime from her living room window and her summer suddenly goes from meh to mysterious. Who are the criminals? Might a classmate be involved? And . . . uh-oh. A second mystery is nipping at Ivy's heels.
Cue the best friends, the best dog, and the best chance that summer can be saved!
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
What happens when two best friends take on the world's worst summer?
When 10-year-old Ivy Crowden falls down the stairs and breaks her leg on the first day of summer vacation, she's certain her summer is doomed. What fun could she possibly have while stuck in a cast?
But then she witnesses a possible crime from her living room window and her summer suddenly goes from meh to mysterious. Who are the criminals? Might a classmate be involved? And . . . uh-oh. A second mystery is nipping at Ivy's heels.
Cue the best friends, the best dog, and the best chance that summer can be saved!
Don't Check Out This Book!
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Is the sweet town of Appleton ripe for scandal?
Consider the facts:
*Appleton Elementary School has a new librarian named Rita B. Danjerous. (Say it fast.)
*Principal Noah Memree barely remembers hiring her.
*Ten-year-old Reid Durr is staying up way too late reading a book from Ms. Danjerous's controversial "green dot" collection.
*The new school board president has mandated a student dress code that includes white gloves and bow ties available only at her shop.
Sound strange? Fret not. Appleton's fifth-grade sleuths are following the money, embracing the punny, and determined to the get to the funniest, most rotten core of their town's juiciest scandal.
Click on cover for reviews
The 43 Old Cemetery Road Series
DYING TO MEET YOU
Book one in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
What happens when an eleven-year-old boy, a cranky old writer, and a ghost named Olive try to spend a summer together in a haunted house? Find out in this giggly ghost story.
Read at your own risk. You might just die laughing!
*Nominated for top awards in 17 states*
Click here to download a discussion guide to this series.
DYING TO MEET YOU
Book one in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
What happens when an eleven-year-old boy, a cranky old writer, and a ghost named Olive try to spend a summer together in a haunted house? Find out in this giggly ghost story.
Read at your own risk. You might just die laughing!
*Nominated for top awards in 17 states*
Click here to download a discussion guide to this series.
Click on cover for discussion guide
OVER MY DEAD BODY
Book two in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Meet Dick Tater. He's a little man with a big
plan: He wants to abolish Halloween.
What? Huh? Is he kidding? Unfortunately, no.
Fortunately, our friends at Spence Mansion are cooking up a Halloween surprise for Mr. Tater that will leave him in hysterics!
This series is a Junior Library Guild selection.
Book two in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Meet Dick Tater. He's a little man with a big
plan: He wants to abolish Halloween.
What? Huh? Is he kidding? Unfortunately, no.
Fortunately, our friends at Spence Mansion are cooking up a Halloween surprise for Mr. Tater that will leave him in hysterics!
This series is a Junior Library Guild selection.
If you like silly limericks, this book's for you.
TILL DEATH DO US BARK
Book three in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
There once was a very rich man
Who decided he needed a plan
To make sense of his wealth
While still in good health
Now go find it all if you can!
Think how fun it would be if a millionaire wrote his will in a series of limericks and hid the poems all over town!
Book three in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
There once was a very rich man
Who decided he needed a plan
To make sense of his wealth
While still in good health
Now go find it all if you can!
Think how fun it would be if a millionaire wrote his will in a series of limericks and hid the poems all over town!
THE PHANTOM of the POST OFFICE
Book four in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
What happens when your fan is a phantom?
Find out in the latest installment from the spooky town of Ghastly, Illinois, where phantom flu has settled in . . . and it won't let go!
Warning: If you suffer from a fear of phantoms, you might want to read this one under the covers.
Book four in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
What happens when your fan is a phantom?
Find out in the latest installment from the spooky town of Ghastly, Illinois, where phantom flu has settled in . . . and it won't let go!
Warning: If you suffer from a fear of phantoms, you might want to read this one under the covers.
Click here for an autographed bookmark.
HOLLYWOOD, DEAD AHEAD
Book five in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Lights, camera, action! The creators of everyone’s favorite ghost story just got an exciting offer in the mail—from Hollywood! So Iggy, Olive, and Seymour pack their suitcases. But when they arrive in
Hollywood, Olive discovers how quickly fame changes Ignatius and Seymour. She also finds that the movie studio has written her out of the story. “Little old lady ghosts are so yesterday,” says producer Moe Block Busters. “What America wants now is a terrifying ghost named Evilo.” (That’s Olive spelled backward.) Well, if it’s Evilo they want, it’s Evilo they’ll get!
"Another winner for this inventive series." -Kirkus
Book five in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Lights, camera, action! The creators of everyone’s favorite ghost story just got an exciting offer in the mail—from Hollywood! So Iggy, Olive, and Seymour pack their suitcases. But when they arrive in
Hollywood, Olive discovers how quickly fame changes Ignatius and Seymour. She also finds that the movie studio has written her out of the story. “Little old lady ghosts are so yesterday,” says producer Moe Block Busters. “What America wants now is a terrifying ghost named Evilo.” (That’s Olive spelled backward.) Well, if it’s Evilo they want, it’s Evilo they’ll get!
"Another winner for this inventive series." -Kirkus
Click on cover to read SLJ review.
GREETINGS FROM THE GRAVEYARD
Book six in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
The bestselling trio from Spence Mansion is launching a greeting card company called Greetings from the Graveyard. But what kind of card do you send to an ex-girlfriend who threatens to publish the love letters of Ignatius B. Grumply? And what do you send when the town of Ghastly is rocked by its first crime wave and two escaped convicts are on the loose? If you’re Olive C. Spence, you send for your old butler, T. Leeves, who arrives just in time for tea—and trouble!
School Library Journal gave this book an A+
Book six in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
The bestselling trio from Spence Mansion is launching a greeting card company called Greetings from the Graveyard. But what kind of card do you send to an ex-girlfriend who threatens to publish the love letters of Ignatius B. Grumply? And what do you send when the town of Ghastly is rocked by its first crime wave and two escaped convicts are on the loose? If you’re Olive C. Spence, you send for your old butler, T. Leeves, who arrives just in time for tea—and trouble!
School Library Journal gave this book an A+
THE LOCH NESS PUNSTER
Book seven in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Great Scot! A telegram has just arrived at Spence Mansion with news that twelve-year-old Seymour Hope has inherited a castle in Loch Ness, Scotland. It could be the perfect summer vacation house for Seymour and his parents, Olive C. Spence and Ignatius B. Grumply. But Iggy wants nothing to do with the castle. Why? Because it belonged to his uncle Ian Grumply, world-famous psychiatrist and world's worst punster. So while Iggy stays home to write, Seymour and Olive set off for Scotland, each with a secret.
This is a story that will make you feel lochy to be alive in a world full of laughter, love, and legendary surprises.
* * *
Book seven in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Great Scot! A telegram has just arrived at Spence Mansion with news that twelve-year-old Seymour Hope has inherited a castle in Loch Ness, Scotland. It could be the perfect summer vacation house for Seymour and his parents, Olive C. Spence and Ignatius B. Grumply. But Iggy wants nothing to do with the castle. Why? Because it belonged to his uncle Ian Grumply, world-famous psychiatrist and world's worst punster. So while Iggy stays home to write, Seymour and Olive set off for Scotland, each with a secret.
This is a story that will make you feel lochy to be alive in a world full of laughter, love, and legendary surprises.
* * *
Click cover for more fun!
The Three-Ring Rascals Series
THE SHOW MUST GO ON!
Book one in the Three-Ring Rascals series
Publisher: Algonquin Books for Young Readers
Meet Sir Sidney. He owns Sir Sidney's Circus, which happens to be the BEST circus in the whole wide world. But Sir Sidney thinks he's getting too old to manage his circus, so he hires a man named Barnabas Brambles to help. Problem is, Barnabas Brambles has only one thing on his mind: m-o-n-e-y. And he'll stop at nothing to get it, even if it means selling the circus animals to a zoo!
If you like talking mice, an elephant who writes letters, a lion who loves pizza, and (drum roll, please) the Famous Flying Banana Brothers, you won't want to miss this one!
Amazon Best Books of 2013
THE SHOW MUST GO ON!
Book one in the Three-Ring Rascals series
Publisher: Algonquin Books for Young Readers
Meet Sir Sidney. He owns Sir Sidney's Circus, which happens to be the BEST circus in the whole wide world. But Sir Sidney thinks he's getting too old to manage his circus, so he hires a man named Barnabas Brambles to help. Problem is, Barnabas Brambles has only one thing on his mind: m-o-n-e-y. And he'll stop at nothing to get it, even if it means selling the circus animals to a zoo!
If you like talking mice, an elephant who writes letters, a lion who loves pizza, and (drum roll, please) the Famous Flying Banana Brothers, you won't want to miss this one!
Amazon Best Books of 2013
Click on the cover to read more.
THE GREATEST STAR ON EARTH
Book two in the Three-Ring Rascals series
Publisher: Algonquin Books for Young Readers
Everyone knows Sir Sidney’s Circus is the best in the world. But who’s the star of the show? The Circus Times is having a contest to find out. Just thinking about it gives Sir Sidney a worrywart, and it’s quickly clear why. Soon after he leaves for a rest, the performers start thinking too much about winning the trophy and not enough about putting on a good show.
Meanwhile, ringmaster-in-training Barnabas Brambles needs some help being a good boss. Bert and Gert, those sly brother-and-sister circus mice, set out to write a book to teach him. Does their plan work? Can Barnabas Brambles be nice? Can Sir Sidney's worrywart be cured? And who is the star of the circus? All will be revealed in The Greatest Star on Earth.
"A surefire hit" -Kirkus
Want to join Sir Sidney's Circus? You can right here!
Book two in the Three-Ring Rascals series
Publisher: Algonquin Books for Young Readers
Everyone knows Sir Sidney’s Circus is the best in the world. But who’s the star of the show? The Circus Times is having a contest to find out. Just thinking about it gives Sir Sidney a worrywart, and it’s quickly clear why. Soon after he leaves for a rest, the performers start thinking too much about winning the trophy and not enough about putting on a good show.
Meanwhile, ringmaster-in-training Barnabas Brambles needs some help being a good boss. Bert and Gert, those sly brother-and-sister circus mice, set out to write a book to teach him. Does their plan work? Can Barnabas Brambles be nice? Can Sir Sidney's worrywart be cured? And who is the star of the circus? All will be revealed in The Greatest Star on Earth.
"A surefire hit" -Kirkus
Want to join Sir Sidney's Circus? You can right here!
THE CIRCUS GOES TO SEA
Book three in the Three-Ring Rascals series
Publisher: Algonquin Books for Young Readers
For many years, Sir Sidney’s Circus has traveled by train. But one day a letter arrives from Miss Flora Endora Eliza LaBuena LaPasta, inviting the circus to travel aboard the SS Spaghetti. Who can resist? The Spaghetti is a floating palace of elegance and entertainment. There’s only one problem: Miss LaPasta doesn’t want Barnabas Brambles to come aboard because she’s heard he’s the meanest man alive. Lucky for Barnabas Brambles, his boss is Sir Sidney, the nicest man alive. Sir Sidney insists the entire circus, including Barnabas Brambles, accept the invitation. But Leo doesn’t like water. Elsa’s never been swimming. The Famous Flying Banana Brothers have no idea where they’ll put their trapeze. And, oh dear, what’s that large object up ahead in the water?
Book three in the Three-Ring Rascals series
Publisher: Algonquin Books for Young Readers
For many years, Sir Sidney’s Circus has traveled by train. But one day a letter arrives from Miss Flora Endora Eliza LaBuena LaPasta, inviting the circus to travel aboard the SS Spaghetti. Who can resist? The Spaghetti is a floating palace of elegance and entertainment. There’s only one problem: Miss LaPasta doesn’t want Barnabas Brambles to come aboard because she’s heard he’s the meanest man alive. Lucky for Barnabas Brambles, his boss is Sir Sidney, the nicest man alive. Sir Sidney insists the entire circus, including Barnabas Brambles, accept the invitation. But Leo doesn’t like water. Elsa’s never been swimming. The Famous Flying Banana Brothers have no idea where they’ll put their trapeze. And, oh dear, what’s that large object up ahead in the water?
POP GOES THE CIRCUS!
Book four in the Three-Ring Rascals series
Publisher: Algonquin Books for Young Readers
Bert the circus mouse is missing! The members of Sir Sidney’s Circus figure he’s nearby, sulking after an argument with his sister, Gert. Little do they know that he’s been carried away by a helium balloon.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the ocean, a young girl named Flora is tired of being ignored as her parents prepare for a new baby, so she mails herself to Sir Sidney’s Circus in protest. A popped balloon and a mixed-up shipment soon bring Bert and Flora together. In the worst of times, a best friendship is born. But how long can a circus mouse and a runaway girl survive on their own? Find out in Pop Goes the Circus!
For more about the Rascals, visit www.threeringrascals.com.
Book four in the Three-Ring Rascals series
Publisher: Algonquin Books for Young Readers
Bert the circus mouse is missing! The members of Sir Sidney’s Circus figure he’s nearby, sulking after an argument with his sister, Gert. Little do they know that he’s been carried away by a helium balloon.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the ocean, a young girl named Flora is tired of being ignored as her parents prepare for a new baby, so she mails herself to Sir Sidney’s Circus in protest. A popped balloon and a mixed-up shipment soon bring Bert and Flora together. In the worst of times, a best friendship is born. But how long can a circus mouse and a runaway girl survive on their own? Find out in Pop Goes the Circus!
For more about the Rascals, visit www.threeringrascals.com.
SECRETS OF THE CIRCUS
Book five in the Three-Ring Rascals series
Publisher: Algonquin Books for Young Readers
Everyone has a secret. So says Sir Sidney, owner of Sir Sidney's Circus. But sometimes a little secret can become a big problem. That's what happens when Gert's secret pen pal, a pig named Pablo, runs away to join Sir Sidney's Circus. Pablo doesn't want to be sold to Prinkle's Pork Chop factory. Farmer Farley doesn't want to sell Pablo, either, but he needs money to save his farm.
When the New Pork Times announces a pig race with a five-thousand dollar prize, the members of Sir Sidney's Circus hope they've found a way to save Pablo and Farmer Farley's farm. Who will win? Who will cry? Who will bring home the bacon? Find out in Secrets of the Circus!
Book five in the Three-Ring Rascals series
Publisher: Algonquin Books for Young Readers
Everyone has a secret. So says Sir Sidney, owner of Sir Sidney's Circus. But sometimes a little secret can become a big problem. That's what happens when Gert's secret pen pal, a pig named Pablo, runs away to join Sir Sidney's Circus. Pablo doesn't want to be sold to Prinkle's Pork Chop factory. Farmer Farley doesn't want to sell Pablo, either, but he needs money to save his farm.
When the New Pork Times announces a pig race with a five-thousand dollar prize, the members of Sir Sidney's Circus hope they've found a way to save Pablo and Farmer Farley's farm. Who will win? Who will cry? Who will bring home the bacon? Find out in Secrets of the Circus!
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Click on cover to read more reviews
The Regarding Series
If you like the 43 Old Cemetery Road books, check out the Regarding series. You'll LOL at these mysteries!
REGARDING THE FOUNTAIN
Book one in the Regarding series
Publisher: HarperCollins
A small-town scandal is brewing and one fifth-grade class
is determined to get to the bottom of it . . . even if it means a few nasty grownups are going to be in very HOT water.
*"An unequivocal delight."
-Kirkus
"Fresh, funny, and a delight to read."
-School Library Journal
If you like the 43 Old Cemetery Road books, check out the Regarding series. You'll LOL at these mysteries!
REGARDING THE FOUNTAIN
Book one in the Regarding series
Publisher: HarperCollins
A small-town scandal is brewing and one fifth-grade class
is determined to get to the bottom of it . . . even if it means a few nasty grownups are going to be in very HOT water.
*"An unequivocal delight."
-Kirkus
"Fresh, funny, and a delight to read."
-School Library Journal
Click on cover to read reviews
REGARDING THE SINK
Book two in the Regarding series
Publisher: Harcourt
Geyser Creek Middle School's plumbing woes are far from over. Now the cafeteria sink is clogged, and the smell is P-U-trid.
Told in letters, newspaper articles, and BEAN-mails,
this is a story guaranteed to make you use your bean
and go with the Flo as you follow Florence Waters to . . . China!
Children's Literature Choice
Book two in the Regarding series
Publisher: Harcourt
Geyser Creek Middle School's plumbing woes are far from over. Now the cafeteria sink is clogged, and the smell is P-U-trid.
Told in letters, newspaper articles, and BEAN-mails,
this is a story guaranteed to make you use your bean
and go with the Flo as you follow Florence Waters to . . . China!
Children's Literature Choice
Click on cover to read reviews
REGARDING THE TREES
Book three in the Regarding series
Publisher: Harcourt
Principal Walter Russ just wants a simple proposal to trim the trees at this school. But when he asks Florence Waters to give him a ring, he finds he has a very (ahem) different sort of proposal on his hands. Meanwhile, a gender war is on, and all the girls in Geyser Creek are BOY-cotting the boys. As Chef Angelo would say: Aye-yi-yi.
Ax not who should read this book. You should!
Book three in the Regarding series
Publisher: Harcourt
Principal Walter Russ just wants a simple proposal to trim the trees at this school. But when he asks Florence Waters to give him a ring, he finds he has a very (ahem) different sort of proposal on his hands. Meanwhile, a gender war is on, and all the girls in Geyser Creek are BOY-cotting the boys. As Chef Angelo would say: Aye-yi-yi.
Ax not who should read this book. You should!
Click on cover to read reviews
REGARDING THE BATHROOMS
Book four in the Regarding series
Publisher: Harcourt
So here's the poop: Everyone's going plumb crazy in Geyser Creek because the town's two most despicable convicts have escaped. As if that weren't stressful enough, Principal Walter Russ is expecting hundreds of fellow principals at his school. What will they think when they see the disgusting basement bathrooms?
(This is a book you can enjoy in the you-know-where.)
Book four in the Regarding series
Publisher: Harcourt
So here's the poop: Everyone's going plumb crazy in Geyser Creek because the town's two most despicable convicts have escaped. As if that weren't stressful enough, Principal Walter Russ is expecting hundreds of fellow principals at his school. What will they think when they see the disgusting basement bathrooms?
(This is a book you can enjoy in the you-know-where.)
Click on cover for reviews
REGARDING THE BEES
Book five in the Regarding series
Publisher: Harcourt
To bee or not to bee! That is the question posed in this story that tackles such sticky subjects as love, standardized tests, cheaters, and American Sign Language.
Too unbeelievable to be true? Oh honey, just wait till you meet Polly Nader!
(Note to educators: Need a discussion guide for the Regarding series? Download one here.)
Book five in the Regarding series
Publisher: Harcourt
To bee or not to bee! That is the question posed in this story that tackles such sticky subjects as love, standardized tests, cheaters, and American Sign Language.
Too unbeelievable to be true? Oh honey, just wait till you meet Polly Nader!
(Note to educators: Need a discussion guide for the Regarding series? Download one here.)
* * *
If you want to really laugh, check out these mysteries.
Click on cover for reviews
LETTERS FROM CAMP
Publisher: HarperCollins
If you've ever been to summer camp, you know the drama that bunks there. But what if the camp counselors were so awful, so terrible, so downright evil that . . . well, we can't even say it. You have to read this one to believe it.
"Delightfully wacky."
-Booklist
A Disney Adventures Award book
Publisher: HarperCollins
If you've ever been to summer camp, you know the drama that bunks there. But what if the camp counselors were so awful, so terrible, so downright evil that . . . well, we can't even say it. You have to read this one to believe it.
"Delightfully wacky."
-Booklist
A Disney Adventures Award book
Click on cover for reviews
TRIAL BY JOURNAL
Publisher: HarperCollins
Do you want to be a lawyer someday? Or a judge? If so, this book is for you. It's about a 12-year-old girl named Lily Watson who's living in a fancy hotel while she serves on jury duty.
Told through court documents, journal entries, and secret notes no one is supposed to see, this is both a funny mystery and an insider's look behind the scenes at a jury trial.
Juvenile Fiction Award, Friends of American Writers
* * *
Publisher: HarperCollins
Do you want to be a lawyer someday? Or a judge? If so, this book is for you. It's about a 12-year-old girl named Lily Watson who's living in a fancy hotel while she serves on jury duty.
Told through court documents, journal entries, and secret notes no one is supposed to see, this is both a funny mystery and an insider's look behind the scenes at a jury trial.
Juvenile Fiction Award, Friends of American Writers
* * *
These next four books are a little more serious.
We call them salty-sweet books for grades 5 and up.
HOMESICK
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan
Is it possible to feel homesick in your own home? That's what Benny wonders after his mom leaves and his dad begins filling the house with junk. Fortunately, a new radio station has just opened where Benny is able to find refuge. But what he really wants to find is a cure for homesickness.
Set back when phones still had cords and clocks had hands, Homesick is a story about the end of a marriage, the beginning of a friendship, and those complicated days when life can seem like one big mess for a boy who’s no longer a child but not yet a man.
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan
Is it possible to feel homesick in your own home? That's what Benny wonders after his mom leaves and his dad begins filling the house with junk. Fortunately, a new radio station has just opened where Benny is able to find refuge. But what he really wants to find is a cure for homesickness.
Set back when phones still had cords and clocks had hands, Homesick is a story about the end of a marriage, the beginning of a friendship, and those complicated days when life can seem like one big mess for a boy who’s no longer a child but not yet a man.
Click cover for Q&A with Kate
GROUNDED
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan
"Dark humor melds with genuine pathos in Klise's delightful and moving novel, set in Digginsville, Missouri, during the early 1970s. Twelve-year-old Daralynn Oakland is devastated when her father and siblings die in a plane crash. Angry and heart-broken, Daralynn's mother gets a job as hairstylist at the local funeral parlor, while Daralynn comes up with the idea of a 'living funeral,' where people can hear their own eulogy and have a chance to thank family and friends. The living funeral is a huge hit until Clem Monroe comes to town and starts a crematorium, undermining the funeral home's business..."
-Booklist
Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan
"Dark humor melds with genuine pathos in Klise's delightful and moving novel, set in Digginsville, Missouri, during the early 1970s. Twelve-year-old Daralynn Oakland is devastated when her father and siblings die in a plane crash. Angry and heart-broken, Daralynn's mother gets a job as hairstylist at the local funeral parlor, while Daralynn comes up with the idea of a 'living funeral,' where people can hear their own eulogy and have a chance to thank family and friends. The living funeral is a huge hit until Clem Monroe comes to town and starts a crematorium, undermining the funeral home's business..."
-Booklist
Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book
Click on over to read reviews
DELIVER US FROM NORMAL
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Yes, there really is a Normal, Illinois. The only problem is, Charles Harrisong feels like the least normal person on earth.
"(A) . . . rewarding tale . . . the Harrisongs are one of those uncommon species, a cohesive nuclear family whose members, for all their occasional fallings out, love and respect each other to pieces. Better yet, Klise doesn't tell, she shows, leading readers gradually into the hearts and spirits of her characters while taking those characters on a seriocomedic odyssey of their own . . . Nothing 'normal' here."
-Kirkus, starred review
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Yes, there really is a Normal, Illinois. The only problem is, Charles Harrisong feels like the least normal person on earth.
"(A) . . . rewarding tale . . . the Harrisongs are one of those uncommon species, a cohesive nuclear family whose members, for all their occasional fallings out, love and respect each other to pieces. Better yet, Klise doesn't tell, she shows, leading readers gradually into the hearts and spirits of her characters while taking those characters on a seriocomedic odyssey of their own . . . Nothing 'normal' here."
-Kirkus, starred review
Click on cover for reviews
FAR FROM NORMAL
Publisher: Scholastic Press
A companion book to Deliver Us from Normal
It's been three years since the Harrisong family fled their home in Normal, Illinois. Now because of a bizarre legal twist, the family is working as mega-chain Bargain Bonanza's first ever spokesfamily. They inspire a clothing line and their own reality TV show.
But can they boost the corporation's brand identity without losing their own?
* * *
Publisher: Scholastic Press
A companion book to Deliver Us from Normal
It's been three years since the Harrisong family fled their home in Normal, Illinois. Now because of a bizarre legal twist, the family is working as mega-chain Bargain Bonanza's first ever spokesfamily. They inspire a clothing line and their own reality TV show.
But can they boost the corporation's brand identity without losing their own?
* * *
Click on cover for reviews
Let's not forget picture books. These are books for everyone.
STAY: A Girl, a Dog, a Bucket List
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Astrid and Eli are best friends. They have so much in common, even though Astrid's a girl and Eli's a boy.
Oh, there's one other difference: Eli's a dog.
Eli's older than Astrid, so she decides to make a bucket list for her dearest and furriest old friend. But what makes an old dog happy? Riding a bike? Going to a movie? Eating spaghetti in a fancy Italian restaurant?
In this heartwarming tale, we celebrate people who love dogs and dogs who love people. We also remember the nicest word any friend can ever say: Stay.
An American Library Association for Library Service to Children Notable Books of 2018
STAY: A Girl, a Dog, a Bucket List
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Astrid and Eli are best friends. They have so much in common, even though Astrid's a girl and Eli's a boy.
Oh, there's one other difference: Eli's a dog.
Eli's older than Astrid, so she decides to make a bucket list for her dearest and furriest old friend. But what makes an old dog happy? Riding a bike? Going to a movie? Eating spaghetti in a fancy Italian restaurant?
In this heartwarming tale, we celebrate people who love dogs and dogs who love people. We also remember the nicest word any friend can ever say: Stay.
An American Library Association for Library Service to Children Notable Books of 2018
GRAMMY LAMBY AND THE SECRET HANDSHAKE
Publisher: Henry Holt
Larry is a little lamb with a big secret. He doesn't always like when his grandmother comes to visit. She sings too loud and has big plans to take Larry to Tanzania and the South Seas when he grows up. She even has a secret handshake. It’s all too much for shy little Larry—until a summer storm blows through the Lambs’ valley, and Larry finds an unlikely hero in his own family. Told with their signature sensitivity to the complicated emotions of childhood, author Kate Klise and illustrator M. Sarah Klise offer a gentle tribute to the bond between child and grandparent, and remind us that it often takes time for little ones to fall in love—even with
those who love them most.
"A special treat for grandchildren and grandmas." -Kirkus
Publisher: Henry Holt
Larry is a little lamb with a big secret. He doesn't always like when his grandmother comes to visit. She sings too loud and has big plans to take Larry to Tanzania and the South Seas when he grows up. She even has a secret handshake. It’s all too much for shy little Larry—until a summer storm blows through the Lambs’ valley, and Larry finds an unlikely hero in his own family. Told with their signature sensitivity to the complicated emotions of childhood, author Kate Klise and illustrator M. Sarah Klise offer a gentle tribute to the bond between child and grandparent, and remind us that it often takes time for little ones to fall in love—even with
those who love them most.
"A special treat for grandchildren and grandmas." -Kirkus
Click on cover for reviews
STAND STRAIGHT, ELLA KATE
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Some tall tales are made up. My tall tale is true. I was a giant, a real live giant. So begins the story of Ella Ewing. Born in 1872, Ella started out small. But at the age of seven, she started growing at a startling rate. Soon she was too tall for her desk at school, too tall for her bed, too tall to fit anywhere. Ella Kate was a real-life giant, but she refused to hide herself away. Instead, she used her unusual height to pursue equally large dreams.
Bank Street Best Books of the Year
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Some tall tales are made up. My tall tale is true. I was a giant, a real live giant. So begins the story of Ella Ewing. Born in 1872, Ella started out small. But at the age of seven, she started growing at a startling rate. Soon she was too tall for her desk at school, too tall for her bed, too tall to fit anywhere. Ella Kate was a real-life giant, but she refused to hide herself away. Instead, she used her unusual height to pursue equally large dreams.
Bank Street Best Books of the Year
Click on cover for reviews
SHALL I KNIT YOU A HAT?
Publisher: Henry Holt
When Mother Rabbit knits a cozy winter hat for Little Rabbit, he likes it very much. In fact, he likes
it so much, he thinks all of their friends need hats for
Christmas. He has some very creative designs in mind!
A delightful tale of holiday giving, this story will remind readers that friendship is always the best gift.
NPR's best children's books for the holidays
Publisher: Henry Holt
When Mother Rabbit knits a cozy winter hat for Little Rabbit, he likes it very much. In fact, he likes
it so much, he thinks all of their friends need hats for
Christmas. He has some very creative designs in mind!
A delightful tale of holiday giving, this story will remind readers that friendship is always the best gift.
NPR's best children's books for the holidays
Click on cover for reviews
WHY DO YOU CRY?
Publisher: Henry Holt
Everybody needs a good cry once in a while. When you do, this is the book to read. It's about happy tears, sad tears, and the complicated emotions we
all feel before a big birthday.
"A gentle tale that explains how no one ever
really outgrows tears."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Publisher: Henry Holt
Everybody needs a good cry once in a while. When you do, this is the book to read. It's about happy tears, sad tears, and the complicated emotions we
all feel before a big birthday.
"A gentle tale that explains how no one ever
really outgrows tears."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Click cover for Q&A with Kate & Sarah
IMAGINE HARRY
Publisher: Harcourt
Not everyone can see Little Rabbit's best friend, Harry. But that's okay with Little Rabbit. He and Harry are too busy rolling down hills, climbing trees, and avoiding baths to mind very much.
Imagine a best friend who knows exactly when you need him. Imagine Harry.
Texas 2 x 2 Reading List
Publisher: Harcourt
Not everyone can see Little Rabbit's best friend, Harry. But that's okay with Little Rabbit. He and Harry are too busy rolling down hills, climbing trees, and avoiding baths to mind very much.
Imagine a best friend who knows exactly when you need him. Imagine Harry.
Texas 2 x 2 Reading List
Click on cover for reviews
LITTLE RABBIT AND THE NIGHT MARE
Publisher: Harcourt
One night while Little Rabbit is sleeping, a scary creature appeals in his dream and carries him away. Now Little Rabbit can't sleep. He can't eat. And he certainly can't concentrate on his school report. Little Rabbit worries the "night mare" will never go away. But then he dreams up a brilliant solution!
Publisher: Harcourt
One night while Little Rabbit is sleeping, a scary creature appeals in his dream and carries him away. Now Little Rabbit can't sleep. He can't eat. And he certainly can't concentrate on his school report. Little Rabbit worries the "night mare" will never go away. But then he dreams up a brilliant solution!
Click on cover for readers theater script
LITTLE RABBIT AND THE
MEANEST MOTHER ON EARTH
Publisher: Harcourt
"You're so MEAN! It's not FAIR. I NEVER get to do anything FUN!"
"This gem of a tale offers respite, in the form of comic relief, from the age-old skirmish between parents and children over cleaning up."
-Kirkus
MEANEST MOTHER ON EARTH
Publisher: Harcourt
"You're so MEAN! It's not FAIR. I NEVER get to do anything FUN!"
"This gem of a tale offers respite, in the form of comic relief, from the age-old skirmish between parents and children over cleaning up."
-Kirkus
* * *
Here's one for the adult and YA readers out there!
Click cover to read more
IN THE BAG
Publisher: HarperCollins/Morrow
A European vacation. A luggage mix-up. A note from a secret admirer. . . In the Bag is a smart and stylish story that explores the old-fashioned art of romance in a modern world, where falling in love can be as risky as checking a bag on an international flight. Buckle your seat belt—it's going to be a bumpy vacation!
"A lively love story . . . (that) will keep readers
happily engaged."
Publishers Weekly
Read more about Kate Klise here.