Middle Grade Reader

The highly anticipated third book in the critically acclaimed and bestselling series takes the art of being wimpy to a whole new level. Let's face it: Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways. Somebody just needs to explain that to Greg's father. You see, Frank Heffley actually thinks he can get his son to toughen up, and he enlists Greg in organized sports and other "manly" endeavors. Of course, Greg is able to easily sidestep his father's efforts to change him. But when Greg's dad threatens to send him to military academy, Greg realizes he has to shape up . . . or get shipped out. Greg and his family and friends, who make the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books a must-read for middle school readers, are back and at their best in this hilarious new installment of the series, which is sure to please current fans while attracting new ones. Publishers Weekly-1/19/2009: The third book in this genre-busting series is certain to enlarge Kinney's presence on the bestseller lists, where the previous titles have taken up residence for the past two years. Kinney's spot-on humor and winning formula of deadpan text set against cartoons are back in full force. This time, Greg starts off on New Year's Day (he resolves to "help other people improve," telling his mother, "I think you should work on chewing your potato chips more quietly") and ends with summer vacation. As he fends off his father's attempts to make him more of a man (the threat of military school looms), Greg's hapless adventures include handing out anonymous valentines expressing his true feelings ("Dear James, You smell"), attempting to impress his classmate Holly and single-handedly wrecking his soccer team's perfect season. Kinney allows himself some insider humor as well, with Greg noting the "racket" children's book authors have going. "All you have to do is make up a character with a snappy name, and then make sure the character learns a lesson at the end of the book." Greg, self-centered as ever, may be the exception proving that rule. Ages 8-12. (Jan.) F&P level: T

Illusions shatter--and Sophie and her friends face impossible choices--in this astonishing eighth book in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series.

Sophie Foster wants answers. But after a lifetime of lies, sometimes the truth is the most dangerous discovery. Even the smallest secret comes with terrifying new responsibilities.

And Sophie's not the only one with blank spots in her past, or mysteries surrounding her family. She and her friends are part of something much bigger than they imagined--and their roles have already been chosen for them.

Every clue drags them deeper into the conspiracy. Every memory forces them to question everything--especially one another. And the harder they fight, the more the lines blur between friend and enemy.

Myths, legends, and magic are woven together in a collection of enthralling Irish folktales from the New York Times bestselling author of the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series.

A competition to become King of the Leprechauns... A trick designed to fool the Queen of the Fairies... A terrifying lake monster confronted by the unlikeliest of heroes...

Nine Irish legends come to life in these timeless, action-packed folktales about mythological creatures and epic heroes. A master of Irish mythology, bestselling author Michael Scott has crafted stories guaranteed to enthrall young readers who love magic, legends, and lore.

And don't miss the companion collection of Irish fairy tales, Magic & Myth!

In 1967, a twenty-five-year-old refugee named Bashir Khairi traveled from the Palestinian hill town of Ramallah to Ramla, Israel, with a goal: to see the beloved stone house with the lemon tree in its backyard that he and his family had been forced to leave nineteen years earlier. When he arrived, he was greeted by one of its new residents: Dalia Eshkenazi Landau, a nineteen-year-old Israeli college student whose family had fled Europe following the Holocaust. She had lived in that house since she was eleven months old.
On the stoop of this shared house, Dalia and Bashir began a surprising friendship, forged in the aftermath of war and later tested as political tensions ran high and Israelis and Palestinians each asserted their own right to live on this land. Adapted from the award-winning adult book and based on Sandy Tolan's extensive research and reporting, The Lemon Tree is a deeply personal story of two people seeking hope, transformation, and home.

Perfect for fans of the Storm Runner and Aru Shah series, this thrilling middle grade fantasy follows a young girl who must venture to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King in Korea to save her parents from an evil diviner spirit.

Twelve-year old Lia Park just wants to fit in. Her parents work with a mysterious organization that makes them ridiculously overprotective. Lia's every move has been scrutinized since she was born, and she'd love to have the option of doing something exciting for once. So when she gets invited to the biggest birthday party of the year--and her parents say she can't go--Lia sneaks out.

But her first act of rebellion not only breaks her parents' rules, but also an ancient protection spell, allowing an evil diviner spirit to kidnap and ransom her parents for a powerful jewel that her family has guarded for years. With just the clothes on her back and some very rusty magical skills, Lia finds herself chasing mysterious clues that take her to her grandmother's home in Korea.

From there, she has to make their way to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King, the only person who knows where the powerful jewel might be. Along with her friend, Joon, Lia must dig deep and find courage to stand up for those who are weak--and become the hero her parents need.

Learn how to add and subtract with this entertaining flap book, packed with helpful tips and tricks, plus fun puzzles and board game. The book covers key school subject matter in a friendly,interactive way - from using number bonds and number lines to adding and subtracting in columns.

Lilly, the star of "Chester's Way" and "Julius, the Baby of the World, " is back. And this time she has her name in the tittle--something she's wanted all along. If you thought Lilly was funny before, you are in for a treat. So hurry up and start reading. Lilly can't wait for you to find out more about her.

Inspiring Art Projects that Bring Out the Creativity in You!

Get ready to see the whole world through art! In this exciting activity book, you'll find inspiration in everything from colors, shapes and patterns to numbers, letters and feelings. You'll get to make all sorts of creations like portraits, sculptures, collages and more. And while you're playing, you'll be learning essential art terms, skills and even history!

No matter what your interests are, this book has a project for everyone! For example, get creative in how you observe your surroundings in the Collage Cityscape. Make art featuring your friends and family with your own Very Important Person Statue. Share your emotions by putting together a series of Feelings Portraits. As an added bonus, every chapter features a famous artist to help you learn about figures like Georgia O'Keeffe, known for her paintings of flowers, and Yayoi Kusama, aka the Princess of Polka Dots. You'll get to use each famous artist's work to inspire your own masterpieces. With a whole book bursting with inspiration, there's no limit to what you can create!

"This is a story about the last gnomes in Britain. They are honest-to-goodness gnomes, none of your baby, fairy-book tinsel stuff, and they live by hunting and fishing, like the animals and birds, which is only proper and right." --From the author's introduction

On the banks of the Folly Brook, inside an old oak tree, live the last three gnomes in Britain: Sneezewort, Baldmoney, and Dodder. Before their fourth brother, Cloudberry, disappeared upstream seeking adventure, they lived happily and peacefully among their woodland friends. But now spring has come and the brothers start thinking about spending the summer traveling upstream to find Cloudberry. Before long they've built a boat and set off for unknown lands, where they find themselves involved in all kinds of adventures with new friends (wood mice, water voles, badgers) as well as with enemies (two-legged giants). A classic of British literature, B.B.'s The Little Grey Men has much in common with Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows, though as B.B. acknowledges in his introduction, the talking gnomes are only part of the story. The true plot, which B.B., an unparalleled naturalist, brings thrillingly to life is the magic of the woods and streams, the beauty of unspoiled nature and of the great diversity of living things.

Most famous as the painter who created the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci is also one of history's greatest geniuses - he was a mathematician, architect, astronomer, scientist and musician...and he even invented the helicopter!

From artists to aviators and scientists to revolutionaries, Little Guides to Great Lives is a brand new series of small-format guides introducing children to the most inspirational figures from history in a fun, accessible way. Launching with Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, Nelson Mandela and Amelia Earhart, Little Guides to Great Lives tells the stories of the most amazing people from all over the world and across history, with colourful illustrations and fresh design to bring their incredible stories to life.

Will have readers tumbling through the pages . . . Deeply immersive, full of both heft and humor. --Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil series

* One of those special books that only comes around every so often . . . An absolute revelation. --SLJ (starred review)

For fans of Nevermoor and Howl's Moving Castle comes an epic fantasy about a girl with the ability to unlock anything--including the empire's darkest secrets.

Melanie Gate is a foundling with a peculiar talent for opening the unopenable--any lock releases at the touch of her hand. One night, her orphanage is visited by Traveler, a gearling automaton there on behalf of his magical mistress, who needs an apprentice pronto. When Melanie is selected because of her gift, her life changes in a flash, and in more ways than she knows--because Traveler is not at all what he seems. But then, neither is Melanie Gate.

So begins an epic adventure sparkling with magic, wit, secret identities, stinky cats, fierce orphan girls, impostor boys, and a foundling and gearling hotly pursued by the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the land.

Action-packed yet layered, The Lock-Eater is a mix of lush world-building, high stakes, humor, and emotional heft--a page-turner and so much more.

A new classic . . . Perfect for fans of Ursula LeGuin and Diana Wynne Jones. --Eliot Schrefer, author of The Lost Rainforest series
* Startlingly deep [while] maintaining its swift pace. --BCCB (starred review)
Will delight . . . An entertaining page-turner. --GeekMom
"Incredibly memorable . . Vibrant [and] skillfully wrought." --Betsy Bird for a Fuse #8 Production/SLJ
Inventive and lighthearted [yet still] plumbs areas of darkness and loss." --The Horn Book
"Expansive adventure, intricate worldbuilding, and a memorable cast [will] immerse readers." --PW
A magical world unlike any other. --Cracking the Cover