node_id int64 0 76.9k | label int64 0 39 | text stringlengths 13 124k | neighbors listlengths 0 3.32k | mask stringclasses 4
values |
|---|---|---|---|---|
18,900 | 0 | Nancy Krulik lives in New York, New York. Aaron Blecha lives in London, England.; Title: The Twelve Burps of Christmas (George Brown, Class Clown) | [
1396,
1977,
2256,
2274,
3342,
3899,
4154,
4275,
5494,
5638,
6195,
9006,
9068,
10064,
13001,
13605,
13914,
14080,
14436,
16685,
16764,
17490,
18072,
18622,
18758,
18828,
18841,
18863,
18878,
18883,
18894,
18902,
18903,
18944,
18949,
18977,
18987... | Test |
18,901 | 2 | Lana Jacobs is a teacher and children’s book author living in New York City.; Title: Lost and Found (Strawberry Shortcake) | [
14554,
18402,
18454,
18829,
18842,
18851,
18870,
18876,
18907,
18909,
18924,
18932,
18936,
18958,
18965,
18967,
18968,
18992,
19022,
19068,
19087,
19095,
19206,
19294,
19346,
19366,
19387,
33088
] | Train |
18,902 | 13 | Nancy Krulik (www.penguin.com/GeorgeBrown) has written more than 100 books for children and young adults, including three New York Times bestsellers. Her very first story (in first grade) was about how she wanted to be Mary Poppins because she wanted to dance in the park with Bert and the penguins. Since then she has continued to write wonderful stories and is best known for the two series Katie Kazzoo and George Brown, Class Clown. She now lives in Manhattan with her husband, their two children, and a crazed cocker spaniel called Pepper.; Title: Dance Your Pants Off! #9 (George Brown, Class Clown) | [
2245,
2256,
2274,
2633,
2709,
3000,
3342,
3585,
3684,
4722,
18017,
18487,
18828,
18841,
18863,
18878,
18883,
18894,
18900,
18903,
18944,
18949,
18977,
18987,
18998,
19013,
19020,
19031,
19058,
19099,
19230,
19232,
19235,
19245,
19270,
19283,
19... | Validation |
18,903 | 0 | Nancy Krulik is the author of many media-related books for young adults, including The New York Times best-seller Leonardo DiCaprio for Archway.; Title: Wet and Wild! #5 (George Brown, Class Clown) | [
2245,
2256,
2274,
2709,
3512,
4722,
6520,
6654,
6858,
12877,
13635,
17980,
18344,
18487,
18564,
18572,
18828,
18841,
18863,
18878,
18883,
18894,
18900,
18902,
18944,
18949,
18977,
18987,
18998,
19013,
19020,
19030,
19031,
19058,
19230,
19232,
1... | Validation |
18,904 | 13 | Tomie dePaola(www.tomie.com) is the acclaimed author and/or illustrator of more than 250 books for children. His books range from autobiographical stories to retellings of folktales and legends to original tales, such as the Strega Nona books. He lives in New London, New Hampshire.; Title: My First Christmas Carols | [
5371,
5494,
5591,
6796,
9655,
14018,
14412,
15511,
15843,
15985,
16219,
16274,
16567,
18732,
18738,
18797,
18805,
18834,
18857,
18871,
19017,
26031
] | Test |
18,905 | 2 | Taylor Morris lives in New York, New York. Anne Keenan Higgins lives in Franklin, Michigan.; Title: Swept Up #4 (Hello, Gorgeous!) | [
18927,
18957
] | Test |
18,906 | 2 | Karen Katz lives in New York, New York.; Title: No Hitting! | [
8279,
10300,
14557,
15112,
17602,
18445,
18452,
18566,
18624,
18930,
18986,
24163,
24766,
25603,
27124,
27779,
27954,
27988,
27998,
28390,
32828,
35754,
35757,
37991,
43897,
46893,
46907,
46959,
46965,
47464,
47648,
47846,
48057,
48204,
48708,
51... | Train |
18,907 | 2 | Amy Acklesberg is the author of many books for children.; Title: Easter Surprise (Strawberry Shortcake) | [
2630,
2927,
3084,
3306,
3340,
3977,
8257,
9206,
12742,
18390,
18747,
18829,
18840,
18842,
18851,
18870,
18876,
18901,
18909,
18924,
18932,
18936,
18958,
18967,
18968,
19022,
19068,
19087,
19095,
19165,
19206,
19294,
19315,
19346,
19366,
19387,
... | Test |
18,908 | 2 | Grosset & Dunlap creates high-quality books for young readers of any level. Focused on books for ages 012, Grosset offers a wide range of original fiction series, nonfiction titles, leveled readers, and licensed tie-ins to captivate every reader.; Title: Ruby's Cupcakes (Max and Ruby) | [
5557,
5575,
5595,
5906,
6003,
6286,
6767,
6786,
6950,
8258,
8598,
15229,
16987,
18699,
18730,
18737,
18745,
18783,
18790,
18807,
18845,
18854,
18869,
18890,
18931,
18947,
18959,
18973,
19001,
19097,
19152,
19216,
19218,
19298,
19302,
19557,
203... | Test |
18,909 | 2 | Amy Acklesberg is the author of many books for children.; Title: Berry Bitty Bakers (Strawberry Shortcake) | [
18829,
18839,
18842,
18851,
18870,
18876,
18901,
18907,
18924,
18929,
18932,
18936,
18958,
18967,
18968,
18980,
18992,
19022,
19068,
19087,
19095,
19206,
19294,
19315,
19346,
19366,
19387,
68863
] | Train |
18,910 | 11 | David Soman and Jacky Davis live in Rosendale, New York.; Title: Ladybug Girl Visits the Farm | [
3539,
4105,
8629,
16582,
18872,
18889,
18933,
19065,
19105,
19109,
19111,
19155,
19192,
19377,
22654,
23665,
24132,
25529,
29244,
36411,
36424,
36436,
36442,
36443,
36456,
36460,
36513,
36517,
36551,
36559,
36579,
36582,
36586,
36589,
36590,
3660... | Train |
18,911 | 13 | Michelle Schusterman is a former band director and forever band geek, dating back to when she first picked up a pair of drumsticks in the sixth grade. Now Michelle writes books, screenplays, and music. She lives in New York City with her husband (and band mate) and their chocolate lab (who is more of a vocalist).; Title: Sleepovers, Solos, and Sheet Music #3 (I Heart Band) | [
18928,
18940,
18943
] | Train |
18,912 | 15 | Grosset & Dunlap creates high-quality books for young readers of any level. Focused on books for ages 012, Grosset offers a wide range of original fiction series, nonfiction titles, leveled readers, and licensed tie-ins to captivate every reader.; Title: Our First Snow (Dinosaur Train) | [
8663,
13771,
14078,
18860,
18885
] | Train |
18,913 | 0 | Nancy Krulik (www.katiekazoo.com) has written more than 100 books for children and young adults, including two New York Times bestsellers.; Title: All's Fair (Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo) | [
18466,
18472,
18485,
18486,
18508,
18509,
18521,
18534,
18544,
18561,
18567,
18571,
18573,
18576,
18579,
18585,
18590,
18599,
18602,
18622,
18627,
18637,
18652,
18657,
18690,
18691,
18693,
18710,
18716,
18728,
18772,
18799,
18806,
18867,
18874,
1... | Test |
18,914 | 2 | Kate McMullan is the award-winning author of more than seventy-five books for children. She lives in Sag Harbor, New York.R. W. Alley has illustrated more than sixty children's books. He lives in Barrington, Rhode Island.; Title: Pearl and Wagner: Two Good Friends | [
2500,
4721,
5251,
5263,
5287,
5294,
5310,
5386,
5862,
5968,
6007,
6016,
6061,
6176,
6228,
6474,
6484,
6500,
6544,
6608,
6810,
6832,
12675,
14023,
18341,
18398,
18502,
18664,
18896,
18981,
19064,
19175,
19180,
19189,
19307,
21630,
26031,
26155... | Test |
18,915 | 13 | TheNew York Timesbestselling author/illustrator Lauren Child lives in London, England.; Title: I Can't Stop Hiccuping! (Charlie and Lola) | [
18474,
18659,
18668,
18677,
18679,
18680,
18698,
18711,
18722,
18744,
18755,
18778,
18792,
18820,
18848,
18864,
18887,
18921,
32376,
36352,
36381,
36386,
36479
] | Train |
18,916 | 0 | David Grimstone lives in Kent, England. James de la Rue lives in Nottinghamshire, England.; Title: Stowaway Slaves #3 (Gladiator Boy) | [
18850,
18852
] | Train |
18,917 | 13 | Jane O'Connor lives in New York City.; Title: Hidden Army: Clay Soldiers of Ancient China (All Aboard Reading) | [
3736,
3950,
4383,
4724,
8443,
12131,
12460,
13704,
14070,
14664,
14710,
15249,
15260,
15291,
16608,
18416,
19248,
19272,
19274,
20320,
25678,
26265,
26480,
26907,
27426,
27886,
30862,
30917,
30959,
30961,
34186,
36546,
36660,
36681,
36687,
38695,... | Validation |
18,918 | 2 | Adrianne Ambrose comes from a family of antiques dealers and professional knife sharpeners. She's a native of Cleveland, Ohio, (love) and currently resides in the Bay Area (like) with her family (love). When not writing novels about cheerleaders, barbarians, or vampires, she’s being nominated for video game awards starring dangerous high school girls. Cats have an unnatural fondness for Ambrose (sometimes unrequited) and her pet peeve is people who say "wallah" instead of "voilà." When she isn't writing, she likes to visit Eastern European countries littered with large, crumbling monuments of Lenin or remote island nations dotted with giant heads carved out of stone.; Title: xoxo, Betty and Veronica: In Each Other's Shoes (Archie Comics) | [
18926,
67599,
67608,
67611,
67615,
68362,
68366,
68369,
68372,
72238,
72259,
72267,
72268,
74513,
74548
] | Train |
18,919 | 18 | Roberta Edwards lives in New York, New York. Ken Call lives in Northbrook, Illinois.; Title: Who Was Paul Revere? | [
184,
5472,
12860,
16596,
16618,
16623,
16715,
18453,
18455,
18474,
18498,
18499,
18523,
18546,
18557,
18578,
18588,
18607,
18609,
18614,
18631,
18675,
18696,
18703,
18721,
18734,
18764,
18768,
18833,
18847,
18880,
18888,
18939,
18978,
18983,
1900... | Test |
18,920 | 1 | Grosset & Dunlap creates high-quality books for young readers of any level. Focused on books for ages 012, Grosset offers a wide range of original fiction series, nonfiction titles, leveled readers, and licensed tie-ins to captivate every reader.; Title: Christmas Is Here! (Max and Ruby) | [
6786,
6950,
19039
] | Train |
18,921 | 2 | Grosset & Dunlap creates high-quality books for young readers of any level. Focused on books for ages 0–12, Grosset offers a wide range of original fiction series, nonfiction titles, leveled readers, and licensed tie-ins to captivate every reader.; Title: I Would Like to Actually Keep It (Charlie and Lola) | [
2961,
4605,
6981,
18659,
18668,
18677,
18679,
18680,
18698,
18711,
18722,
18744,
18755,
18778,
18792,
18820,
18848,
18887,
18915,
32376,
36352,
36381,
36382,
36386,
36479,
49088
] | Train |
18,922 | 13 | Katharine Holabirds first Angelina Ballerina book was published in 1983. After graduating from the Francis Parker School in Chicago, Katharine attended Bennington College in Vermont. She received a B.A. in Literature from Bennington in 1969, and then worked as a literary editor at the college for a year. The following year she went to Italy, where she became a freelance journalist. In 1974, Katharine married and moved with her husband, Michael Haggiag, to London, England where she lives today with her family.; Title: Angelina's Perfect Party (Angelina Ballerina) | [
18352,
18616,
18621,
18774,
18862,
18895
] | Validation |
18,923 | 2 | Fran Drescher received two Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal as "Miss Fine" on the TV show "The Nanny", which she also created, wrote, directed, and produced. Her first book, Enter Whining, was a New York Times bestseller, and she won the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) Writers Award for her second book, Cancer Schmancer, which was also a New York Times bestseller. Fran is now a 10-year survivor of uterine cancer, and was appointed by the U.S. State Department to serve as a Public Diplomacy Envoy for women's health. She lives in New York, New York.Amy Blay lives in the United Kingdom.; Title: Being Wendy | [
4250,
10106,
24822,
28790,
41545,
49080,
52718,
68204,
70962,
74022,
74023,
74034,
74038,
74665,
74677,
75374
] | Validation |
18,924 | 2 | Amy Acklesberg is the author of many books for children.; Title: Valentine's Day Mix-Up (Strawberry Shortcake) | [
12569,
13140,
16833,
16859,
18829,
18840,
18842,
18851,
18870,
18876,
18901,
18907,
18909,
18929,
18932,
18936,
18958,
18967,
18968,
18980,
18992,
19022,
19068,
19087,
19095,
19165,
19206,
19294,
19315,
19346,
19366,
19387,
19604,
40337
] | Train |
18,925 | 2 | Roberta Edwards lives in New York, New York. Ken Call lives in Northbrook, Illinois.; Title: Flight of the Butterflies (Penguin Young Readers, Level 3) | [
1392,
1396,
4722,
5251,
5258,
5266,
5287,
5322,
5570,
5614,
5707,
5869,
6007,
6016,
8608,
8687,
12457,
12561,
12641,
12675,
12877,
13055,
13108,
13263,
13704,
13759,
13787,
13866,
13890,
13920,
13962,
13999,
14023,
14429,
14996,
15292,
18318,
... | Validation |
18,926 | 2 | Christa Roberts is a childrens book editor and has written a number of books for young people.; Title: Living the Dream (Archie Comics) | [
18918
] | Validation |
18,927 | 2 | Taylor Morris lives in New York, New York. Anne Keenan Higgins lives in Franklin, Michigan.; Title: Blowout #1 (Hello, Gorgeous!) | [
18905,
18957
] | Validation |
18,928 | 13 | Michelle Schusterman is a former band director and forever band geek, dating back to when she first picked up a pair of drumsticks in the sixth grade. Now Michelle writes books, screenplays, and music. She lives in New York City with her husband (and band mate) and their chocolate lab (who is more of a vocalist).; Title: Friends, Fugues, and Fortune Cookies #2 (I Heart Band) | [
11395,
18911,
18940,
18943
] | Train |
18,929 | 2 | Lana Jacobs is a teacher and childrens book author living in New York City.; Title: Strawberry Shortcake's Spooky Night | [
18829,
18842,
18907,
18909,
18924,
18932,
18936,
18958,
18967,
18968,
19022,
19068,
19087,
19294
] | Validation |
18,930 | 2 | Karen Katz lives in New York, New York.; Title: My Big Girl Undies | [
1359,
8526,
12686,
12903,
13601,
14145,
14557,
18452,
18566,
18624,
18906,
18986,
24018,
27998,
28390,
30866,
32828,
44526,
46271,
47609,
47648,
47857,
48028,
48154,
48204,
48263,
51421,
51423,
51607,
51616,
51623,
53073,
54225,
54577,
54909,
584... | Train |
18,931 | 2 | Grosset & Dunlap creates high-quality books for young readers of any level. Focused on books for ages 0–12, Grosset offers a wide range of original fiction series, nonfiction titles, leveled readers, and licensed tie-ins to captivate every reader.; Title: Hungry Bunny Tales (Max and Ruby) | [
5557,
5595,
6286,
18699,
18730,
18737,
18783,
18837,
18845,
18854,
18869,
18908,
18947,
18959,
18973,
19001,
19097,
19152,
19216,
19218,
19298,
19302
] | Validation |
18,932 | 2 | Samantha Brooke lives in New York, New York.; Title: Best Friends Forever (Strawberry Shortcake) | [
1798,
10906,
18829,
18839,
18842,
18851,
18870,
18876,
18901,
18907,
18909,
18924,
18936,
18958,
18967,
18968,
19022,
19068,
19087,
19095,
19206,
19294,
19315,
19346,
19366,
19387,
58205,
68863
] | Train |
18,933 | 2 | David Soman and Jacky Davis live in Rosendale, New York.; Title: Ladybug Girl Makes Friends | [
3188,
3526,
6071,
6098,
6407,
8258,
8526,
12850,
14339,
14550,
14695,
16582,
18352,
18872,
18889,
18910,
19065,
19105,
19109,
19111,
19155,
19192,
19377,
29599,
32828,
36411,
36424,
36436,
36442,
36443,
36456,
36460,
36513,
36517,
36551,
36559,
... | Train |
18,934 | 2 | Gr 3-6-Twelve-year-old Scarlet McCray, a girl with a forgotten past, is the captain of the Margaret's Hop, a pirate ship manned by orphans. Alone in the world save for one another, this band of unlikely pirates commands respect on the high seas. Their mission: to help children in need, which leads them to the daring rescue of 11-year-old Jem Fitzgerald, who was taken captive by the most notorious pirate around and his crew of scalawags. Unknown to Scarlet, Jem's famous botanist uncle entrusted him with a map to the most sought-after treasure known, which sends the crew on the mission of a lifetime. On this journey, the children learn that the most valuable treasures in life are those that come from within. Readers will enjoy the quick pace and exciting escapades of this first novel. The vivid descriptions of the setting will place them in the dark, dank alleys and dirty, dangerous wharfs of old. The characters are well developed, and readers will root for Scarlet and her crew and be thrilled with the resolution. A glossary and an illustration of Jem's treasure map will aid reluctant readers.-Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Rachelle Delaney lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Gerald Guerlais lives in Issy-Les-Moulineaux, France.; Title: The Ship of Lost Souls #1 | [
18972,
19037
] | Train |
18,935 | 0 | Ann Hood is the author of the middle grade novel How I Save My Father's Life (and Ruined Everything Else), and has written several adult novels, including An Orinthologist's Guide to Life, The Knitting Circle, Comfort, and The Red Thread. Her work has appeared in the The Paris Review, O, and elsewhere.; Title: Amelia Earhart #8: Lady Lindy (The Treasure Chest) | [
16608,
16715,
18866,
18898,
18938,
19009,
19078,
19133,
19274,
19331,
19678,
22023,
22030
] | Train |
18,936 | 2 | Amy Acklesberg is the author of many books for children.; Title: The Snow Dance (Strawberry Shortcake) | [
2314,
3526,
12922,
16842,
18829,
18839,
18842,
18851,
18870,
18876,
18901,
18907,
18909,
18924,
18929,
18932,
18958,
18967,
18968,
19022,
19068,
19087,
19095,
19206,
19228,
19294,
19315,
19346,
19366,
19387,
23902
] | Test |
18,937 | 13 | AJ Stern lives in Brooklyn, New York. Doreen Mulryan Marts lives in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey.; Title: Miss Fortune (Frankly, Frannie) | [
18824,
18882,
18942,
18950,
19028,
19054
] | Train |
18,938 | 0 | Ann Hood is the author of many books, including How I Saved My Father's Life (and Ruined Everything Else). She also knits, wanders around museums, has cool glasses, loves the color pink (although she never wears it), likes to play on her iPhone, and spends a lot of her time wishing she could time travel and meet famous people. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with her family and their little dog, Zuzu, who likes to bark and nap a lot.; Title: Crazy Horse #5: Brave Warrior (The Treasure Chest) | [
16608,
16715,
18588,
18768,
18847,
18866,
18898,
18935,
19009,
19078,
19133,
19160,
19331,
20312,
22101,
22118
] | Test |
18,939 | 18 | Janet Pascal lives in New York, New York. Nancy Harrison lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania.; Title: Who Was Dr. Seuss? | [
16599,
16623,
16715,
18453,
18455,
18474,
18498,
18499,
18503,
18523,
18546,
18578,
18588,
18609,
18631,
18696,
18703,
18721,
18734,
18751,
18756,
18764,
18768,
18819,
18847,
18868,
18880,
18888,
18960,
18964,
18978,
18982,
18983,
19008,
19029,
1... | Test |
18,940 | 13 | Gr 47Self-proclaimed perfectionist Holly Mead is sure she's going to rock seventh grade, or at least the first day. Her outfit coordinates with her cool backpack, and she has color-coded the map of the school and coordinated her schedule with her BFF, Julia. Julia has been mostly MIA for the last part of the summer, and Holly is eager to reconnect. She's also anxious about the new band director and whether she'll be first chair in the French horn section. Then her brother spills juice all over her and she's forced to carry his old Batman backpack. The band director seems nice but has some strict rules and plans chair tests. Nothing is as Holly intended. Her voice is hysterically and charmingly self-centered, the middle school setting and dialogue are authentic, and the friend/frenemy dynamic and resolution play out realistically. Fellow band geeks will be thrilled to see themselves in Holly and nonmusicians will appreciate the world of music. A sweet debut.Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJOver-the-top middle-school drama abounds in this series opener starring self-proclaimed perfectionist and band geek, Holly Mead. As seventh grade begins, Holly finds herself the unwilling third side of a triangle with her best friend, Julia, and new girl Natasha, who Julia became friends with over the summer at the band camp Holly wasnt allowed to attend. Holly makes besting Natasha, particularly for first-chair French horn in advanced band, her mission in life. Though no middle-school drama is complete without fashion and boys, the storys focus on somewhat nerdy pursuits such as role-playing games, academic achievement, and extracurricular activities like band is refreshing. Lighthearted and funny, Schusters debut novel well captures the voice of a somewhat sheltered, type A girl who finds herself both struggling in school and unsure of her status among her friends for the first time. Thankfully, Holly is not at all mean-spirited, which saves her from being so obnoxious as to be unsympathetic. Her slow journey to self-awareness will entertain series readers of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Popularity Papers series. Grades 4-7. --Magan Szwarek; Title: I Heart Band #1 | [
11395,
18911,
18928,
18943,
21695
] | Train |
18,941 | 2 | Adam-Troy Castro has said in interviews that he likes to jump genres and styles and has therefore refused to ever stay in place long enough to permit the unwanted existence of a creature that could be called a "typical" Adam-Troy Castro story. As a result, his short works range from the wild farce of his Vossoff and Nimmitz tales to the grim Nebula nominee "Of a Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs." His twenty prior books include a nonfiction analysis of the Harry Potter phenomenon, four Spider-Man adventures, and three novels about his interstellar murder investigator, Andrea Cort (including a winner of the Philip K. Dick Award, Emissaries from the Dead). Adam's other award nominations include eight Nebulas, two Hugos, and three Stokers. Adam lives in Miami with his wife, Judi, and three insane cats named Uma Furman, Meow Farrow, and Harley Quinn.; Title: Gustav Gloom and the Four Terrors #3 | [
18946,
18984,
18991,
19027,
19045
] | Validation |
18,942 | 13 | AJ Stern lives in Brooklyn, New York. Doreen Mulryan Marts lives in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey.; Title: Rocking Out! (Frankly, Frannie) | [
9639,
18824,
18844,
18882,
18893,
18950,
19020,
19028,
19054,
45771
] | Train |
18,943 | 13 | Michelle Schusterman is a former band director and forever band geek, dating back to when she first picked up a pair of drumsticks in the sixth grade. Now Michelle writes books, screenplays, and music. She lives in New York City with her husband (and band mate) and their chocolate lab (who is more of a vocalist).Spring break is really a teaser for summer. Just when you’re getting used to all the sun and sleep, it’s time to face that last little stretch of school before the real vacation starts.Which was why I’d made a Summer Countdown Calendar the day before we came home from the lake. My brother, Chad, called it “the nerdiest thing Holly’s ever done—and that’s saying something.” But I could only take so much relaxing. Especially when “relaxing” with my family meant lying in the sun until Chad inevitably picked me up and threw me into the freezing lake, forcing me into yet another Pool Noodle Battle Royale. (None of which I’d won, thanks to his unfair advantage of being, like, twice my size.)He was right about my Summer Countdown Calendar being nerdy, though. Looking at it actually got me more excited about school than about summer break.In my defense, I had a lot to look forward to. The sequel to House of the Wicked, my favorite movie, was coming out next weekend. The spring dance was in May, and the district science fair was the same weekend. And of course, I had plenty of band stuff coming up, too. There was the spring concert, which would be our last performance of the year. And our band director, Mr. Dante, had been talking about what a big deal the UIL competition was since school started back in the fall. It was less than a month away.Which was why I spent the Sunday morning before school practicing. After pounding on the wall between our bedrooms for fifteen solid minutes, Chad fled the house. It was the first time he’d been awake before noon all week.I took a break from “Labyrinthine Dances,” our hardest UIL music, and glanced at the clock. My best friend, Julia Gordon, was supposed to be here any minute. Between my trip to the lake and her family spending their vacation with her grandparents in Galveston, we hadn’t talked in over a week. Actually, I hadn’t seen any of my friends since spring break started—another reason I couldn’t wait to get back to school. I missed Julia like crazy, and Natasha and Gabby, too.And Owen.Stretching my arms, I studied my Summer Countdown Calendar, which was pinned on my bulletin board next to a picture I’d decided to call “Holly’s Haunted Zoo.” It was a sketch of me standing in front of an exhibit filled with flying ghost-white alligators. My friend Owen Reynolds had drawn it at the zoo during our band trip to New Orleans. I’d made my mom take it to work and laminate it for me before I framed it, which for some reason she thought was really funny. But Owen was going to be a famous artist someday. He’d even won this huge art contest a few weeks ago and got to miss the last few days of school before spring break to go to an animation workshop in San Antonio. He was kind of awesome.And if I was really honest with myself, Owen was a big part of why I couldn’t wait for school tomorrow.“You’re tan!”I spun around right before Julia tackled me. Laughing, I hugged her back.“Farmer’s tan, unfortunately.” Pulling my sleeve up an inch, I pointed to the very distinct line where my skin went from blinding white to a shade darker than pale. “The weather was all over the place—not really hot enough for a bathing suit yet.”Julia grinned. “But at least your face is all pink and freckly. No, it’s cute!” she added when I groaned.“Yeah, no tanning for me this summer,” I said. “It just makes me blotchy. So how was Galveston?”Shrugging, Julia tossed her purse on my dresser. “Fine, I guess. Fun for the first few days, but by Wednesday I was hiding in the closet with a book just to get away from my cousins. A ghost book, Holly.”My mouth dropped. “Are you serious?” Julia was a total chicken when it came to any kind of horror stuff.“Yeah, my grandma bought it for me. And I actually kind of liked it,” she said, giggling at my shocked expression. “It was more funny than scary. Although still scary enough that I think you’d like it. I’ll let you borrow it, if you want.”“Sure!” I glanced at my calendar. “So now that you’ve finally realized horror rocks, does that mean you’ll come see the House of the Wicked sequel with me?”Julia snorted. “Uh, no. Not for a million dollars.” She paused, tilting her head. “Well, maybe for that. I could just wear a popcorn bucket on my head for two hours.”“Come on,” I pleaded, flopping down on my bed. “I’ll go see two sappy romantic movies with you. Two for one, Julia. And you could bring Seth—I bet he’d like House.” Seth Anderson was Julia’s boyfriend. Judging from the book of scary short stories he’d lent me a few weeks ago, I was pretty sure he’d appreciate the creepy brilliance that was House of the Wicked.“No deal.” Glancing at the bulletin board, Julia smiled a little. “Why do you want me to go so bad, anyway? Don’t you already have a date for that? Oh, sorry—not a date,” she added, her eyes comically wide. “A totally platonic hang. Like, your not-date to the spring dance. With the guy who drew that amazing picture of you. Which isn’t sappy or romantic at all, nope, not one bit.”I laughed, although my sunburned face grew even warmer. I’d asked Owen to the spring dance months ago, because we were friends and I knew we’d have fun. And he’d wanted to come see House with me because he liked the first one. We watched lots of movies together.So it wasn’t a date, and neither was the dance. Still, every time I looked at those two spots on the calendar, my stomach did a sort of nervous flip.I gave Julia a pointed look. “Owen and I are—”“Just friends!” Julia yelled, then collapsed on the bed next to me, giggling. “I know, I know.”“You don’t believe me, though.”“I do!” She propped her feet up on the headboard. “I really do, Holly, I swear. I’m just giving you a hard time. Hey, have you heard from Natasha yet?”“Nope.” Natasha Prynne, our other best friend, had gone to Florida with her parents and a bunch of extended family. Reaching over, I grabbed my cell phone off my nightstand. “No calls. I’m pretty sure they had a late flight, though.”“Oh right.” Tilting her head back, Julia grinned. “You were practicing before I got here, weren’t you?” I shrugged when she pointed to my French horn sitting on my desk chair.“Maybe.”Julia looked amused. “You’re stressed about the chair test results, right? You sounded great, Holly. There’s no way you’ll be last chair again.”Right before the band trip, I’d completely flaked out on practicing for one of our chair tests. Mr. Dante had given us another one before spring break, and we were supposed to get the results tomorrow. Yet another reason I couldn’t wait for school. With UIL coming up, it would be pretty cool to be first chair in my section.“Thanks,” I said. “I’m not worried, though—I mean, being last chair wasn’t all that bad.” I rolled my eyes when she clutched her chest in shock.“I can’t believe Chad put up with you playing all morning.”“He didn’t,” I told her. “He drove off in the Trash Mobile a few hours ago. He probably went to Leon’s house or something.” Nudging Julia’s arm, I smiled. “Want to go raid his horror DVDs? I think you’d like Dark Omnibus. It’s got romance and everything.”Before she could respond, I jumped to my feet and headed to the door. “There’s even a kissing scene,” I added. “Right before the guy gets sucked into a book possessed by demons.”I ducked into the hall just as the pillow Julia had launched at me hit the door.“Doesn’t count.”“Does so.”Julia glared at me, twirling the combination on her locker. “Does not. I cannot believe I let you talk me into watching that movie.”I grinned. “Hey, I gave you fair warning. And there was plenty of romantic junk.”“Holly, for the last time . . .” Shaking her head, Julia started cramming books into her backpack. “It doesn’t count as a kissing scene when the guy’s eyes turn black and bees come out of his mouth.”“Wow, which movie’s that?”Julia and I turned, startled. Aaron Cook smiled at us as he opened his locker, which was right next to Julia’s.“Dark Omnibus. It’s pretty good,” I told him, right as Julia said, “It’s horrible.”Aaron laughed. “Mixed reviews.”“Horrible,” Julia hissed again, and I giggled.“How was your spring break?” Aaron asked.“Pretty good,” I replied. “Went to the lake with my parents and brother. Nothing too exciting. How about you?”“It was all right.” Aaron caught several folders and books as they tumbled out of his locker. “Spent a few days in Austin with my older sister and her family. And—” He stopped, a weird look on his face, and I turned around.“Hi!” Natasha was smiling, but she looked uncomfortable, too. Slamming her locker shut, Julia spun around with a squeal and threw her arms around Natasha.“How was your trip? What time did you get back? Did you get my message last night? We kept texting you, but I guess you were still on the plane, and then Holly made me watch this horrible movie, and I’m totally traumatized and—”Laughing, I pushed her away. “Julia, get a grip!” I hugged Natasha, then glanced at Aaron, who looked pretty focused on shoving his jumble of folders back into his locker. Aaron and Natasha had been dating ever since winter break, but she’d broken up with him on the band trip to New Orleans. A nice break-up, not like a fight or anything. But still a break-up.Aaron finally got his locker closed, then gave us all a quick smile. “See you guys in band!” he said before taking off down the hall.“See you.” I turned to see Natasha fidgeting nervously with the strap on her backpack. “Well. That was awkward.”She made a face. “Yeah. Sorry.”“I’m sure it’ll get better,” Julia said. “Don’t you think?”Natasha sighed. “I hope so—I mean, we’re going to see each other every day in band. I hope he doesn’t hate me.”“He doesn’t hate you,” I assured her. “I’m sure things will go back to normal soon. So how was Florida?”“It was amazing!” Beaming, Natasha pulled out her phone and started flipping through photos. “Check it out! I took one of every roller coaster I rode.”My eyes widened as she scrolled past what looked like a creepy old hotel. “Hang on—you actually went on that ride?”Natasha nodded proudly. “Yup! You’d love it.”Grabbing Natasha’s phone, Julia groaned. “Oh my God, is that, like, a haunted house? What happened to the girl who was properly scared to death of all this stuff, like me?”“It’s not a haunted house—it’s a drop ride,” Natasha explained. “You know, where you free-fall. Although it was pretty creepy, too,” she added as an afterthought. “The lights flicker on and off, and the elevator goes black right before it drops. You should’ve seen my parents’ faces when I got in line. Actually, my whole family was kind of shocked.”“This is your fault.” Julia poked me in the shoulder. “You dragged her onto that roller coaster in New Orleans. You created this monster.”Still scrolling through the photos, Natasha bounced on her toes. “I started making a list of amusement parks we should go to this summer,” she told me, just as the bell rang.Grinning, I picked up my backpack. “Awesome. Maybe we can find a good haunted drop ride for Julia.”“Nooo . . . ,” Julia moaned. I waved as Natasha dragged her down the hall to their history class.When the bell rang to end third period, I bolted from the gym to the band hall so fast I probably broke my own sprinting record in PE. The chair test results were posted outside on Mr. Dante’s office door.French Horn1. Natasha Prynne2. Holly Mead3. Owen Reynolds4. Brooke DennisRelieved, I headed to the cubby room. Natasha and I were constantly competing for first chair. It was a friendly rivalry, though. I still had another chair test before the end of the year—I could try for first chair one more time. And besides, I wasn’t exactly bummed about sitting next to Owen.A few kids were already getting their instruments. I waved to Victoria Rios, who already had her trumpet out. She was talking to Max Foster near the trombone section’s cubbies. Just as I was closing my case, I heard a couple of familiar voices.“I’m telling you, it’s not cheating. It’s just adjusting the rules a little.”“Swapping half your deck in the middle of a game is cheating, Trevor.”Shoving my case back into my cubby, I hurried to the entrance. “Owen!”Owen’s eyes lit up. “Hi, Holly!” We had a brief, weird moment of almost hugging but just standing there smiling at each other like dorks instead. Then I thought what the heck and hugged him anyway, which was kind of awkward since I still had my horn.“Hi, Holly,” Trevor Wells said pointedly.“Hey, Trevor,” I said before turning back to Owen. “Okay, tell me about San Antonio! How was the workshop?”Rolling his eyes, Trevor headed for his cubby. Owen’s cheeks flushed as he pulled his sketchbook out of his backpack.“It was great! Most of the work I did was computer animation, but I’ve got some stuff here. And I had a lot of ideas for our science project. Maybe—”The bell rang, cutting him off.“Show me at lunch?” I asked, and he nodded.“Sure!”While Owen went to his cubby, I headed to my seat and found Natasha sitting next to it with a rather nervous expression. Aaron sat directly behind her, talking to Liam Park. I gave Natasha a sympathetic smile as I slipped past her to my chair. Hopefully Julia was right and things would get less awkward between Natasha and Aaron soon.“What’s this?” I picked up a brochure on my chair. “Oh . . . Lake Lindon.”“I think Mr. Dante put them on everyone’s chairs before the bell,” Natasha said, pointing to the brochure she’d set on her music stand. Lake Lindon Band Camp was a whole week of band-geek heaven—cabins, rehearsals, a concert, all kinds of stuff. It was where Julia and Natasha had met last summer.“Any chance your parents will let you go this year?” Natasha asked hopefully.Sighing, I stuck the brochure in my backpack. “Last year, they said I could go the summer before high school. But I’m definitely going to ask again.”“Hiya, ladies.” Gabby Flores flopped into the chair on Natasha’s other side, still tightening the mouthpiece on her saxophone. “Holly, I’m really freaking out about my paper.”I nodded in agreement. Gabby and I had first-period English together, and this morning Mr. Franks had given back our first drafts for this huge research project he’d assigned in January. Everyone’s papers had been covered in red marks and scribbled notes.“Seriously, I’m going to have to rewrite the whole thing,” Gabby said. “And it’s due next week? He’s crazy. How’d yours look? Hi, Owen,” she added.Shrugging, I scooted my chair back a little to let Owen pass me. “He said I need more sources. There’s a lot more notes, but I haven’t read them all yet.”I tried to keep my voice light, but I was already kind of stressing about the rest of the semester, and my first day back wasn’t even halfway over. Between the research project, the science fair, and final exams, my countdown to summer was starting to feel more like a deadline time bomb.Something Mr. Dante didn’t help one bit when, after warm-ups, he handed out a letter for our parents. University Interscholastic League Concert and Sight-Reading Contest was printed in bold along the top. I scanned it quickly, even though he’d talked to us about most of this earlier this semester. A bus would take us to Ridgewood High School for the contest after first period, so our parents didn’t have to worry about driving. We’d perform onstage for three judges, and they’d each give us a rating. Then we’d go to another room to sight-read a piece of music, and three more judges would rate us on that. After we got our ratings, we’d go to Spins for a pizza lunch . . . and, hopefully, to celebrate.In the back of the band hall was a long shelf lined with trophies. Those were for Sweepstakes, which meant earning a Superior rating from all six judges on stage and in sight-reading. Millican had a lot of them, but not for every single year—I’d already looked. I really wanted us to add another trophy this year.Mr. Dante began moving through the rows, placing a sheet of music facedown on everyone’s stands. Leaning to my left, I nudged Brooke Dennis.“You guys got Sweepstakes last year, right?” I whispered. Brooke was in eighth grade and had been in advanced band last year, too.She nodded. “Mrs. Wendell was really excited, since it was her last year. I think that was the fifth time in a row we got Sweepstakes.”My stomach twinged with nerves. Mrs. Wendell had been the band director at Millican practically forever, but she’d retired last year. I wondered if Mr. Dante was anxious about UIL, too, since it was his first year teaching here. If he was, he sure didn’t show it.“Let’s talk a bit about sight-reading,” Mr. Dante said cheerfully, placing a sheet of music on Liam’s stand. “Yes, Gabby?”Gabby lowered her hand. “What’s the point of them judging us on music we’ve never even seen before? Especially since we’ve already been practicing the other songs so much.”“That is the point.” Mr. Dante handed music to the percussionists. “The music we sight-read will be quite a bit easier than our other music. But it’s a way for the judges to hear how good our fundamentals are—tone, rhythms, technique. I want to try it today, so there are a few rules we need to go over.”He stepped back up to the podium and started to explain the process. After a minute, my eyes were pretty much bulging out of my head.The judges would set a timer. Mr. Dante would have a few minutes to talk to us about the music, but he couldn’t sing melodies or clap rhythms. Then the timer would go off, and he’d get a few more minutes where he could sing or clap rhythms, but we still couldn’t.We couldn’t play at all, just move our fingers along while he conducted. If we accidentally played a note or something, we could actually get disqualified. And when the timer went off again, we’d just . . . perform it. The entire song, without stopping, for the first time.The whole thing was confusing, not to mention terrifying.I glanced around the room. Most of the seventh-graders looked as anxious as I felt, but the eighth-graders didn’t. And they’d done this last year. Maybe it wasn’t as scary as it sounded.“Let’s give it a shot.” Mr. Dante set a timer, then opened his score. “Go ahead and turn over your music.”I flipped the page over. Well, it did look a little easier than our other music. I tapped my fingers on the valves while Mr. Dante talked us through it, stopping occasionally to point out difficult parts and remind us about the coda—a separate, final few measures at the bottom of the page.When the timer went off, I glanced at Natasha. She shrugged.; Title: Crushes, Codas, and Corsages #4 (I Heart Band) | [
18911,
18928,
18940
] | Train |
18,944 | 2 | Nancy Krulik has written over one hundred books for children and young adults, including two New York Times Best Sellers. Her very first story (in first grade) was about how she wanted to be Mary Poppins because she wanted to dance in the park with Bert and the penguins.; Title: Attack of the Tighty Whities! #7 (George Brown, Class Clown) | [
1396,
2245,
2256,
2274,
2709,
4390,
6388,
13055,
18828,
18841,
18863,
18878,
18883,
18894,
18900,
18902,
18903,
18949,
18977,
18987,
18998,
19031,
19058,
19099,
19110,
19230,
19232,
19235,
19245,
19270,
19290,
19326,
22832,
22877,
22883,
22886,
... | Validation |
18,945 | 2 | Paul Kupperberg is the writer of the best-selling and critically-acclaimed Life With Archie: The Married Life for Archie Comics, which was nominated for a 2011 Eisner Award in the Best Publication for Young Adults category. He is also the writer of hundreds of books, stories, comic books, and newspaper comic strips.; Title: Kevin (Archie Comics) | [
74524,
74534
] | Train |
18,946 | 2 | Gr 4-6-In this sequel to Gustav Gloom and the People Taker (Grosset & Dunlap, 2012), the protagonist and his friend, Fernie, are facing a new and terrible foe named October. He is especially dangerous to Gustav and his family of living shadows because he is a shadow eater. Readers learn more about Gustav and his family, the history of his home, and the dangers facing everyone should October, disguised as a creepy ice-cream salesman, obtain the Nightmare Vault. As Fernie and Gustav move through the Gloom Mansion, more and more truths of Gustav's past are revealed to them, including the fate of his missing parents. Margiotta's illustrations, complete with large emotive eyes, are a delightful addition to the opening of each chapter. The climax is predictable, and there are places where the author spends a great deal of time giving exposition rather than showing action, but the plot is likely to engage reluctant readers with a taste for the strange and unusual.-Wayne R. Cherry, Jr., First Baptist Academy Library, Houston, TX(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Adam-Troy Castro has said in interviews that he likes to jump genres and styles, and has therefore refused to ever stay in place long enough to permit the unwanted existence of a creature that could be called a "typical" Adam-Troy Castro story. As a result, his short works range from the wild farce of his "Vossoff and Nimmitz" tales to the grim Nebula nominee, "Of A Sweet Slow Dance In The Wake Of Temporary Dogs." His twenty prior books include a nonfiction analysis of the Harry Potter phenomenon, four Spider-Man adventures, and three novels about his interstellar murder investigator Andrea Cort (among them the winner of the Philip K. Dick award, EMISSARIES FROM THE DEAD). Adam's other award nominations include six Nebulas, two Hugos, and two Stokers. Adam lives in Miami with his wife, Judi, and three insane cats named Uma Furman, Meow Farrow, and Harley Quinn.; Title: Gustav Gloom and the Nightmare Vault #2 | [
10846,
18941,
18984,
18991,
19027,
19045,
55338
] | Train |
18,947 | 2 | Grosset & Dunlap creates high-quality books for young readers of any level. Focused on books for ages 012, Grosset offers a wide range of original fiction series, nonfiction titles, leveled readers, and licensed tie-ins to captivate every reader.; Title: Spooky Bunny Tales (Max and Ruby) | [
6735,
6767,
6950,
18730,
18737,
18745,
18783,
18845,
18869,
18890,
18908,
18931,
18959,
18973,
19001,
19039,
19097,
19152,
19216,
20306,
25732,
25786,
40475
] | Train |
18,948 | 1 | Grosset & Dunlap creates high-quality books for young readers of any level. Focused on books for ages 012, Grosset offers a wide range of original fiction series, nonfiction titles, leveled readers, and licensed tie-ins to captivate every reader.; Title: Where's Ruby? (Max and Ruby) | [
18959,
25694
] | Test |
18,949 | 2 | Nancy Krulik is the author of many media-related books for young adults, including The New York Times best-seller Leonardo DiCaprio for Archway.; Title: The Burp Box (George Brown, Class Clown) | [
3000,
16610,
18828,
18841,
18863,
18878,
18883,
18894,
18900,
18902,
18903,
18944,
18987,
18998,
19031,
19058,
19099,
19232,
19235,
19245,
19290,
22883,
33088,
37503,
45865,
45975
] | Validation |
18,950 | 2 | AJ Stern lives in New York, New York. Doreen Mulryan Marts lives in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey.; Title: Funny Business (Frankly, Frannie) | [
18824,
18844,
18882,
18893,
18942,
19028,
19054
] | Test |
18,951 | 4 | PraiseTheLittle Engine That Couldillustrated by Loren Long* Long... adds a lushness to the spreads and injects even more personality into the characters. Both faithful fans and newcomers will enjoy this triumphant ride and eagerly climb aboard for repeat excursions.Publishers Weekly, starred review* Long has enriched this new edition with bountiful illustrations that take their palette and inspiration from the original, but are greatly enhanced by imagination and inventiveness.Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewWatty Piper is the pseudonym of Arnold Munk, author behind the classic retelling of The Little Engine That Could and cofounder of Platt & Munk Publishers (now part of Grosset & Dunlap.) Munks retelling of the beloved childrens tale has sold millions of copies since its 1930 publication and inspired generations to believe they can.; Title: The Little Engine That Could: An Abridged Edition | [
5373,
5385,
8196,
8200,
8222,
8264,
13152,
13339,
14695,
16046,
16504,
16677,
18329,
18501,
21928,
23660,
23822,
23840,
25648,
25962,
25966,
26031,
26368,
27954,
32628,
38600,
52381,
56409,
60742,
69407
] | Validation |
18,952 | 2 | A dad's ultimate dream for Father's Day.; Title: The Night Before Father's Day | [
637,
642,
1919,
2558,
2584,
2612,
2722,
3085,
3100,
3109,
3112,
3470,
4287,
5818,
6116,
6257,
6433,
8271,
8281,
8524,
8591,
8735,
9428,
9439,
9473,
9498,
11502,
12305,
12694,
13140,
15472,
16587,
18390,
18401,
18438,
18468,
18483,
18517,
18... | Train |
18,953 | 0 | Eric Seltzer lives in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Natascha Rosenberg lives in Madrid, Spain.; Title: Bake, Mice, Bake! (Penguin Young Readers, Level 1) | [
2282,
3443,
3764,
3922,
4829,
5251,
5326,
5564,
5577,
5614,
5636,
5647,
5658,
5663,
5667,
5869,
5968,
6016,
7410,
8345,
8361,
12757,
12846,
12896,
13094,
13537,
13986,
15191,
16586,
16703,
16819,
17669,
18323,
18357,
18370,
18393,
18397,
1842... | Train |
18,954 | 11 | Bonnie Bader lives in Brooklyn, New York. Elizabeth Wolf lives in Boise, Idaho. Nancy Harrison lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania.; Title: Quin fue Martin Luther King, Jr.? (Spanish Edition) | [
471,
7446,
8494,
16599,
17050,
17175,
18499,
18696,
18734,
18819,
18847,
18888,
19011,
19056,
19107,
19110,
19148,
19225,
19240,
19331,
19332,
19385,
19428,
21115,
21448,
26950,
27413,
37961,
45490,
45941,
45944,
49119,
50489,
50704,
51247,
51406... | Test |
18,955 | 0 | Jean M. Malone lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Bryan Langdo lives in Trumansburg, New York.; Title: The Miracle of Easter (Penguin Young Readers, Level 3) | [
8433,
9151,
9206,
9378,
9427,
9432,
18332,
18341,
18376,
18802,
18891,
19386,
19414,
26155,
26162
] | Train |
18,956 | 2 | Anna Dewdney (www.annadewdney.com) lives in a very old house just over a covered bridge in southern Vermont. She taught at a boys’ boarding school for many years before becoming a full-time author and illustrator. She is also a full-time mom to two away-at-school daughters and two stay-at-home dogs.; Title: Llama Llama Birthday Party! | [
1066,
1595,
5789,
16913,
16917,
16920,
19205,
19415,
19420,
19597,
19604,
19605,
19616,
21977,
22031,
22190,
25603,
25624,
25625,
25636,
25643,
25644,
25650,
28952,
32949,
40295,
45491,
49058,
52737,
56405,
57779,
58243,
58266,
58275,
58301,
5830... | Validation |
18,957 | 2 | Taylor Morris lives in New York, New York. Anne Keenan Higgins lives in Franklin, Michigan.; Title: Foiled #2 (Hello, Gorgeous!) | [
18905,
18927
] | Train |
18,958 | 13 | Amy Acklesberg is the author of many books for children.; Title: Meet Cherry Jam! (Strawberry Shortcake) | [
18829,
18839,
18842,
18851,
18870,
18876,
18901,
18907,
18909,
18924,
18929,
18932,
18936,
18967,
18968,
18992,
19022,
19068,
19087,
19095,
19206,
19294,
19315,
19346,
19366,
19387
] | Train |
18,959 | 2 | Grosset & Dunlap creates high-quality books for young readers of any level. Focused on books for ages 012, Grosset offers a wide range of original fiction series, nonfiction titles, leveled readers, and licensed tie-ins to captivate every reader.; Title: Ruby's Rainbow (Max and Ruby) | [
5365,
5557,
5575,
5595,
5906,
6003,
6286,
6767,
6786,
6950,
7361,
14066,
16987,
18553,
18603,
18699,
18730,
18737,
18747,
18783,
18790,
18807,
18837,
18845,
18854,
18869,
18908,
18931,
18947,
18948,
18973,
19001,
19097,
19152,
19216,
19218,
192... | Train |
18,960 | 12 | True Kelley lives in Werner, New Hampshire. Stephen Marchesi lives in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.; Title: Who Was Roald Dahl? | [
5912,
6470,
6938,
16599,
16715,
18455,
18474,
18498,
18503,
18523,
18536,
18546,
18578,
18588,
18607,
18609,
18615,
18631,
18696,
18703,
18721,
18734,
18751,
18756,
18764,
18819,
18833,
18868,
18880,
18888,
18939,
18964,
18978,
18982,
18983,
1900... | Validation |
18,961 | 2 | D. J. Steinberg lives in Toronto, Canada. Mark Chambers lives in Lincoln, United Kingdom.; Title: Kindergarten, Here I Come! | [
563,
1412,
2500,
2901,
3863,
5510,
5607,
6130,
6671,
6720,
12263,
15150,
16793,
16819,
17669,
17672,
18438,
18583,
18886,
20343,
21980,
24005,
25237,
39690,
46231,
56492,
74675
] | Validation |
18,962 | 6 | Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. He spent his childhood in England and, at age eighteen, went to work for the Shell Oil Company in Africa. When World War II broke out, he joined the Royal Air Force and became a fighter pilot. At the age of twenty-six he moved to Washington, D.C., and it was there he began to write. His first short story, which recounted his adventures in the war, was bought by The Saturday Evening Post, and so began a long and illustrious career.After establishing himself as a writer for adults, Roald Dahl began writing children’s stories in 1960 while living in England with his family. His first stories were written as entertainment for his own children, to whom many of his books are dedicated.Roald Dahl is now considered one of the most beloved storytellers of our time. Although he passed away in 1990, his popularity continues to increase as his fantastic novels, including James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delight an ever-growing legion of fans.Learn more about Roald Dahl on the official Roald Dahl Web site: www.roalddahl.com; Title: Roald Dahl's Scrumdiddlyumptious Sticker Book | [
45459
] | Train |
18,963 | 13 | J. Press is an art educator who spends her time writing, teaching, and doodling.; Title: Double Trouble #2 (The Doodles of Sam Dibble) | [
19006
] | Train |
18,964 | 17 | Pamela Pollock and Meg Belviso are authors of several books for children and reside in New York, New York. Stephen Marchesi has illustrated several titles in the Who Was? series and lives in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. Nancy Harrison lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania.; Title: Who is J.K. Rowling? | [
16599,
16617,
16715,
18453,
18455,
18474,
18498,
18503,
18523,
18546,
18578,
18588,
18607,
18609,
18615,
18631,
18696,
18703,
18721,
18734,
18756,
18764,
18819,
18847,
18868,
18880,
18888,
18939,
18960,
18978,
18982,
18983,
19008,
19062,
19070,
1... | Train |
18,965 | 2 | Laura Driscoll lives in Middletown, Connecticut. Pascal Campion lives in San Francisco, California.; Title: We Are Twins (Penguin Young Readers, Level 1) | [
3466,
3642,
4716,
4735,
4829,
5326,
5564,
5577,
5636,
5647,
5658,
5663,
5667,
5724,
5869,
5968,
7387,
7410,
7412,
7415,
7526,
7668,
8340,
12846,
12896,
13094,
13537,
13895,
13986,
14656,
15191,
16703,
16819,
18357,
18397,
18428,
18454,
18459,... | Test |
18,966 | 2 | Ludwig Bemelmans was a painter, illustrator, and writer of more than three dozen books for both adults and children. Born in 1898 in a part of Tirol now known as Merano, Italy, he came to the United States in 1914 and, after spending Christmas Eve on Ellis Island, set up residence in New York City. Before finding his voice as a writer, he worked in a hotel and ran his own restaurant. Later Bemelmans became a novelist and a nonfiction writer, as well as a frequent contributor to The New Yorker (for which he drew many covers), Town and Country, Holiday, and Vogue; and he also wrote a screenplay in Hollywood. He penned the first draft of Madeline on the backs of menus in Pete's Tavern. He is best known for his Madeline books, which rank among the most honored children's books ever. Madeline was named a Caldecott Honor Book; and the first of its five sequels, Madeline's Rescue, won the Caldecott Medal and was a New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year. A world traveler, Bemelmans was renowned as a true cosmopolite, an irreverent and droll chronicler of the incongruous, an elegant man-about-town, a merry observer of the improbable and the absurd. He died in 1962 after completing the sixth story about Madeline, Madeline's Christmas.; Title: Madeline: Activity Book with Stickers | [
2899,
4453,
4461,
5538,
11768,
15259,
18846,
24148,
25605,
25648,
25674,
25677,
25736,
25778,
25813,
25848,
25878,
25956,
27608,
27647,
28866,
35085,
35691,
36443,
48586,
48682,
51597,
54939,
55044,
69561,
70350,
71986
] | Train |
18,967 | 2 | Samantha Brooke lives in New York, New York.; Title: Makeover Madness (Strawberry Shortcake) | [
18829,
18839,
18842,
18851,
18870,
18876,
18901,
18907,
18909,
18924,
18929,
18932,
18936,
18958,
18968,
18992,
19022,
19068,
19087,
19095,
19206,
19228,
19294,
19315,
19346,
19366,
19387,
58180,
58214
] | Validation |
18,968 | 2 | Amy Acklesberg is the author of many books for children.; Title: The Butterfly Ride (Strawberry Shortcake) | [
13986,
18829,
18839,
18842,
18851,
18870,
18876,
18901,
18907,
18909,
18924,
18929,
18932,
18936,
18958,
18967,
18980,
18992,
19022,
19068,
19087,
19095,
19206,
19294,
19315,
19346,
19366,
19387,
29567,
58214
] | Train |
18,969 | 0 | Sir Steve Stevenson is the pseudonym used by Mario Pasqualotto, an Italian writer who spent many years writing for Italian gaming magazines. Currently, he is focused on writing novels for young readers. Stefano Turconi lives in Italy.DESTINATIONOBJECTIVEIt was a blustery Saturday morning in late January, and Dashiell Mistery, an aspiring detective at the prestigious Eye International Detective Academy, was jumping out of his skin with excitement. He had just received an Evite from his friend Mallory, inviting him to her birthday party.Dash was thrilled. He’d dragged himself out of bed to sit through an online seminar on Espionage and Counterespionage, and had been struggling to cover his yawns for two hours when Mallory’s message popped up on his screen. He managed to prop his eyes open till noon, said a polite good-bye to Professor DM31, and immediately opened Mallory’s invitation.Her party would start at eight o’clock at Fashionista, an exclusive club in the center of London. The theme was the seventies, and guests were invited to “dress disco” in honor of that era’s most popular music. The Evite was covered with vintage graphics of people wearing bell-bottom pants, multicolored shirts with pointed collars, suffocatingly tight vests, and platform shoes with chunky, wedged heels.Dash loved costumes and disguises, and he decided to pull out all the stops. He was starving, so he wolfed down a take-out container of fries that had been in the fridge for at least three days. Then he started rummaging through his closet, but all he could find were jeans, T-shirts, and a couple of sweaters and suits his mother had bought him for special occasions.Nothing that said “seventies disco.” Not even close.He opened several websites at once, trying to find the right look. After browsing for an hour or so, he streamed a video clip of John Travolta in the film Saturday Night Fever. The actor’s movements were graceful and hypnotic, and his formfitting white suit would be just the thing for the party.There was a vintage clothing boutique a few blocks from Dash’s penthouse apartment. He dug out the last of his weekly allowance and got into the elevator. After combing through every sale rack and trying on several outrageous outfits, he hurried back home with a large shopping bag. He took a quick shower and began getting dressed. By seven o’clock he was standing in front of the full-length mirror in his mother’s room, checking the final details of his costume.“No girl will be able to resist me tonight!” He smirked as he buttoned the vest of his three-piece suit. He emphasized his coolness by striking a pose, with one finger pointed at the ceiling and a hand on his hip, like John Travolta doing the Hustle. To his great surprise, he pulled off the dance moves quite well.All Dash needed was a quick spritz of cologne, and he would be ready to dance up a storm. He grabbed hold of the bottle and pumped the squirter.“Oww!” he shouted as the cologne shot straight into his eye. “That burns like crazy!”He ran into the bathroom to wash his face. The hot water made him cry out again. He rubbed his face harder and let out a fresh scream of pain. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of torment, he dabbed a cool washcloth over his eye and managed to find some relief. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eye and looked at himself in the mirror. The eye looked like a fireball!“I’m going to need a gallon of eyedrops! Where did Mom put them?” the young detective cried out in despair. Half-blinded, he wandered through the apartment, bumping into furniture and slipping on piles of magazines and comic books. “Maybe it’s in the first-aid kit . . .”He opened a cupboard, digging through the emergency medical kit in a frenzy. It was stuffed full of bandages, gauze, and disinfectant, but there were no eyedrops.Meanwhile, his eyelid had gotten puffy and swollen. “I can’t go to the party looking like this!” he moaned. “I have to do something!”He paced back and forth for a few minutes. It was already well past eight o’clock, and the party would be in full swing by now. Suddenly he snapped his fingers. “I’m such an idiot!” he cried. “Why didn’t I think of that sooner?”He had come up with a solution, and even if it looked a little ridiculous, it was the best he could do in an emergency.Twenty minutes later Dash strolled into the party, whistling as if nothing had happened. He had used styling mousse to sculpt a tuft of hair over one side of his face so that none of his friends would notice the inflamed eye hiding beneath it.After greeting everyone, Dash scooped up an armload of snacks and found a free chair in a dark corner. All the other guests were dancing under an enormous disco ball that sent sparkling bursts of colored light around the room, but he wasn’t sure if his improvised hairdo would stay in place if he started dancing.“Aren’t you going to get on the dance floor?” Clark asked him, shaking his hips in time to the music. “That’s where all the girls are!”Dash crossed his legs, tossing some popcorn into his mouth. “I’m saving my energy,” he said, adopting a sophisticated tone. “The best dance tunes always come at the end!”Clark chuckled, swinging his hips as he disappeared into the crowd. The disco beat set the dance floor on fire. After a fast-paced song, Mallory danced over and pulled Dash’s hand. “This is my special night, Dash,” she giggled. “And if you don’t get up off that couch, you’re going to break all the girls’ hearts!”Dash was about to reply with a sarcastic joke, but a couple of birthday well-wishers pulled Mallory to the middle of the room to cut a huge cake that had appeared out of nowhere.In the middle of all the commotion, Dash tried to figure out his next move. This looks like the perfect time to cut and run, he said to himself. I can use my incredible diversionary tactics to slip out while no one is watching!But as soon as he got to his feet, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. “Are you leaving already?” asked a girl’s voice. “Don’t you like to party?”; Title: The Treasure of the Bermuda Triangle #6 (Agatha: Girl of Mystery) | [
18975,
19007,
19012,
19053,
19063
] | Train |
18,970 | 2 | Many of Eric Carle's books begin with a small creature being born just as a great yellow sun rises. This time the hero is a firefly, and the inimitably Carle-ish cut-paper orange-and-yellow sun is setting. The firefly buzzes off in search of companionship, but keeps following other lights by mistake--a candle, a flashlight, a lantern--and these in turn are all leading in the direction of a fireworks display.With characteristic simplicity-and the now expected visual "surprise" at book's end-Carle delivers another heartwarming tale about a diminutive creature on a quest. In the author/artist's words, his latest story "is about belonging." As the sun sets, a firefly is born: "It stretched its wings and flew off into the darkening sky."; Title: The Very Lonely Firefly (Penguin Young Readers, Level 2) | [
16127,
16129,
18642
] | Train |
18,971 | 2 | Wiley Blevins is a writer living in New York City. He enjoys traveling the world and meeting new people. He is pretty sure he is not a dog or a cat.; Title: A New Friend (Penguin Young Readers, Level 1) | [
2282,
3510,
4829,
5326,
5564,
5577,
5636,
5647,
5658,
5663,
5667,
5869,
6016,
7387,
7410,
7412,
7432,
7449,
7474,
7668,
8345,
8361,
12896,
13094,
13537,
13986,
15191,
16703,
16819,
17669,
18323,
18337,
18370,
18393,
18428,
18459,
18477,
18513... | Train |
18,972 | 2 | Rachelle Delaney lives in Vancouver Canada, where she works as a writer, editor, and creative writing teacher. The Hunt for the Panther is her third novel.; Title: The Hunt for the Panther #3 (The Ship of Lost Souls) | [
18934,
19037
] | Train |
18,973 | 2 | Grosset & Dunlap creates high-quality books for young readers of any level. Focused on books for ages 012, Grosset offers a wide range of original fiction series, nonfiction titles, leveled readers, and licensed tie-ins to captivate every reader.; Title: Max & Ruby's Storybook Treasury (Max and Ruby) | [
5557,
5575,
5595,
5906,
6003,
6286,
6767,
6786,
6950,
16987,
18699,
18730,
18737,
18783,
18845,
18854,
18869,
18908,
18931,
18947,
18959,
19001,
19097,
19152,
19216,
19298,
19302,
20301,
20306,
25688,
25694,
25786,
25819,
25882,
25884,
25885,
2... | Validation |
18,974 | 13 | Dori Hillestad Butler's books have appeared on children's choice award lists in 18 different states. Trading Places with Tank Talbott won the Maryland Children's Choice Award in 2007. And The Buddy Files: Case of the Lost Boy won the 2011 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery. Dori has also been a ghostwriter for the Sweet Valley Twins, Unicorn Club, and Boxcar Children series, and a children's book reviewer for several publications. She's published numerous short stories, plays, and educational materials, and has served as the Iowa Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators' Regional Advisor. She grew up in southern Minnesota and now lives in Coralville, Iowa, with her husband, son, dog, and cat. She visits schools and leads writing workshops all over the country.; Title: The Ghost Backstage #3 (The Haunted Library) | [
2360,
2868,
5675,
15001,
16906,
18993,
18995,
19081,
19373,
19389,
19663,
20302,
22883,
22885,
22905,
29620,
37503,
38512,
45865,
45922,
58990
] | Validation |
18,975 | 0 | Sir Steve Stevenson is an Italian writer who spent many years writing for Italian gaming magazines. Currently, he is focused on writing novels for young readers.; Title: The King of Scotland's Sword #3 (Agatha: Girl of Mystery) | [
18969,
19007,
19012,
19053,
19063
] | Validation |
18,976 | 17 | Roberta Edwards lives in New York, New York. Ken Call lives in Northbrook, Illinois.; Title: ¿Quién fue Leonardo da Vinci? (Who Was...?) (Spanish Edition) | [
18954,
19011,
19056,
19107
] | Train |
18,977 | 2 | Nancy Krulik has written over one hundred books for children and young adults, including two New York Times best sellers. Her very first story (in first grade) was about how she wanted to be Mary Poppins because she wanted to dance in the park with Bert and the penguins.Remember, class, were not the only school visiting the planetarium today, so I expect you to be on your best field-trip behavior, Mrs. Kelly said as she led the Edith B. Sugarman fourth-graders into the Beaver Brook Planetarium. Your very best field-trip behavior, she added, looking straight at George Brown.George frowned. Teachers always looked at him when they said stuff like that. He sat down at the end of the row and stared up at the round ceiling. Mrs. Kelly had nothing to worry about with him. He wasnt going to cause any trouble during the field trip.At least he was going to try not to cause any trouble.Just then, the lights went down. Bright stars twinkled overhead. A recording of a mans deep, booming voice came over a loudspeaker.The stars in our night sky have been burning for centuries, he said. The same stars we see now were viewed by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt and the philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome. Those people long ago noticed that the stars were grouped together in shapes, which we call constellations.George frowned and squirmed around in his seat. Bo-ring.These stars form the Big Dipper, the voice continued, as lines connecting some stars appeared on the ceiling of the planetarium. And these form the Little Dipper.George wiggled around in his seat some more. Was this ever going to get more interesting?And these stars...The man on the loudspeaker was saying something else, but George wasnt paying attention. He couldnt. Not while there was something much more exciting going onright inside his belly.Bing-bong. Ping-pong.There were bubbles in there! Not just your usual, run-of-the-mill kind of bubbles. Strong, powerful bubbles. Bubbles that slam-danced against Georges spleen and kickboxed with his kidneys. Bubbles that hip-hopped on his heart and leaped to his larynx. Bubbles that could burst out of him and...Just then, George let out a powerful burp. A super burp. A burp so loud, and so strong, it could knock the Big Dipper right out of the sky.Alex looked over at George. Dude, no! he shouted.Dude, yes! The magical super burp had escaped. And now, whatever the burp wanted to do, George had to do.This constellation is Draco, the recorded voice said. The dragon.ROAR! Suddenly the burp made George roar like a fire-breathing dragon. ROAR!A few of the kids in the planetarium laughed. None of the teachers did.And this is Lepus, the hare, the recorded voice continued.That was all the burp had to hear. The next thing George knew, he had leaped out of his seat and was hippity-hoppitying around the planetarium.George, sit down! Mrs. Kelly scolded.George wanted to sit down. But George wasnt in charge now. The burp was.And this is Pisces, the fish, the recorded voice continued.Uh-oh! Suddenly the magical super burp made Georges whole body start flipping and flopping, like a fish out of water. George sucked in his cheeks and made a fish face. Then he leaped over the seats and planted a big, wet fish kiss right on Louies cheek!Yuck! Louie shouted. He wiped Georges spit from his face. Get off of me!Yuck was right. The last thing George ever wanted to do was kiss Louie Farley. Stupid super burp. It was going crazy. George was helpless to stop it.; Title: How Do You Pee in Space? #13 (George Brown, Class Clown) | [
2245,
2709,
3000,
4072,
18828,
18841,
18863,
18878,
18883,
18894,
18900,
18902,
18903,
18944,
18949,
18964,
18987,
18998,
19031,
19058,
19099,
19230,
19232,
19235,
19245,
19270,
19290,
22654,
22883,
22905,
22927
] | Test |
18,978 | 2 | Yona Zeldis McDonough is a longtime doll lover and collector. She is also an award-winning author who has published numerous books for children and adults. She presently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.; Title: Who Was Rosa Parks? | [
5637,
16599,
16715,
18432,
18453,
18455,
18474,
18498,
18499,
18503,
18536,
18546,
18557,
18578,
18588,
18607,
18631,
18696,
18703,
18721,
18734,
18756,
18764,
18768,
18819,
18833,
18847,
18880,
18888,
18939,
18960,
18964,
18982,
18983,
19008,
19... | Test |
18,979 | 2 | Sue Bentley lives in England. Angela Swan lives in northeast England. Andrew Farley lives in the South of England.; Title: Show-Jumping Dreams #4 (Magic Ponies) | [
10121,
10137,
10212,
11566,
13474,
13547,
18754,
18758,
18760,
18763,
18765,
18766,
18767,
18777,
18781,
18782,
18787,
18789,
18808,
18853,
19015,
19057,
19067,
19069,
19073,
19077,
19079,
19083,
19084,
19085,
19086,
19090,
19094,
19102,
19112,
1... | Test |
18,980 | 2 | Samantha Brooke lives in New York, New York.; Title: Super Sweet Treasury (Strawberry Shortcake) | [
18907,
18909,
18924,
18932,
18968,
19087,
19315,
19346
] | Train |
18,981 | 0 | Eric Seltzer lives in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Sebastien Braun lives in London, England.; Title: Dog on His Bus (Penguin Young Readers, Level 2) | [
1396,
2760,
3466,
4673,
5245,
5248,
5251,
5260,
5263,
5293,
5295,
5305,
5322,
5326,
5564,
5577,
5636,
5647,
5658,
5663,
5667,
5700,
5869,
5903,
5968,
6016,
7410,
8361,
8608,
12757,
12846,
13537,
13591,
13890,
13986,
14462,
15229,
18323,
183... | Train |
18,982 | 11 | Pamela Pollack and Meg Belviso have co-authored several children's books, including Who Was Nelson Mandela?, Who Is J.K. Rowling?, and What Was the Alamo?; Title: Who Was Steve Jobs? | [
16599,
16715,
18453,
18455,
18474,
18498,
18503,
18523,
18546,
18578,
18588,
18609,
18631,
18696,
18703,
18734,
18756,
18764,
18768,
18819,
18833,
18847,
18868,
18880,
18888,
18939,
18960,
18964,
18978,
18983,
19008,
19026,
19059,
19062,
19071,
1... | Test |
18,983 | 15 | Roberta Edwards lives in New York, New York. John O'Brien lives in Delran, New Jersey.; Title: Who Is Jane Goodall? (Who Was?) | [
16599,
16715,
18453,
18455,
18474,
18498,
18499,
18503,
18546,
18578,
18588,
18607,
18609,
18631,
18696,
18703,
18721,
18734,
18756,
18764,
18768,
18819,
18847,
18880,
18888,
18939,
18960,
18964,
18978,
18982,
19008,
19062,
19070,
19096,
19110,
1... | Train |
18,984 | 2 | Gr 4-6-Here's a great read for fans of dark tales with happy endings, not to mention wonderful graphite illustrations. Ten-year-old Fernie and her 12-year-old sister, Pearlie, have just moved into their brightly painted house on Sunnyside Terrace amid all the other cheery homes, save for the black mansion directly across the street. This is Gustav Gloom's house. Gustav is a soulful looking 10-year-old with an unusual secret: he is neither human nor shadow and cannot leave the confines of his dark, mysterious house. The People Taker and his Beast and a library in Gustav's house figure significantly in the story. In a clever twist on the perplexing question of self (and possibly inspired by the saying "Afraid of his own shadow"), Castro explores how we are defined by our physical bodies, imbuing shadows with personalities and wills of their own. Fernie is a stereotype-bending heroine who gives readers something to consider when defining gender roles. And finally, the eternal theme of friendship is beautifully explored in the relationship that develops between Fernie and Gustav. Castro's well-paced story keeps readers engaged in these relationships and in the mystery that unfolds. This is a satisfying introduction for middle grade readers into the scary and dark themes that resonate so well with teens. Fans of Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark & Grimm (Dutton, 2010) can add this to their list of creepy tales.-Mary Beth Rassulo, Ridgefield Library, CT(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Adam-Troy Castro lives in Miami, Florida. Kristen Margiotta lives in Newark, Delaware.; Title: Gustav Gloom and the People Taker #1 | [
2938,
18578,
18941,
18946,
18991,
19027,
19045,
19355,
25659,
55338
] | Train |
18,985 | 2 | M.D. Payne is a mad scientist who creates monsters by stitching together words instead of dead body parts. After nearly a decade in multi-media production for public radio, he entered childrens publishing as a copywriter and marketer. Monster Juice is his debut series. He lives in the tiny village of New York City with his wife and baby girl, and hopes to add a hairy, four-legged monster to his family soon.; Title: Fear the Barfitron #1 (Monster Juice) | [
6620,
11158,
13471,
18989,
19260,
22229,
22543,
22877,
22885,
45485,
52005,
52181
] | Validation |
18,986 | 2 | Karen Katz lives in New York, New York.; Title: I Can Share! | [
1678,
10300,
10339,
11622,
12686,
12903,
14557,
18445,
18452,
18566,
18617,
18624,
18906,
25603,
26386,
27124,
27240,
27473,
27754,
27954,
27988,
27998,
28305,
28390,
29638,
31414,
32430,
32548,
32828,
34073,
37991,
43897,
45972,
46893,
46907,
46... | Test |
18,987 | 2 | Nancy Krulik has written more than 100 books for children and young adults, including two New York Times best sellers. Follow Nancy on Twitter @NancyKrulik.; Title: Eww! What's on My Shoe? #11 (George Brown, Class Clown) | [
2245,
2256,
2274,
2709,
3000,
3900,
17544,
18768,
18828,
18841,
18863,
18878,
18883,
18894,
18900,
18902,
18903,
18944,
18949,
18977,
18998,
19031,
19058,
19099,
19230,
19232,
19235,
19245,
19270,
19290,
22104,
22883,
22927,
45865
] | Test |
18,988 | 6 | Grosset & Dunlap creates high-quality books for young readers of any level. Focused on books for ages 012, Grosset offers a wide range of original fiction series, nonfiction titles, leveled readers, and licensed tie-ins to captivate every reader.; Title: Battle for Skylands (Skylanders Universe) | [
19048,
19411,
45451,
45468,
45484,
68815,
68819,
68854
] | Train |
18,989 | 7 | M. D. Payne (haunted-house-of-payne.tumblr.com) lives in New York City with his wife and baby girl, and hopes to add a hairy, four-legged monster to his family soon.The pale, gaunt man could no longer stand. A guard held him up by his armpits. The front of the pale mans suit was splattered with blood. A hooded figure, shrouded in darkness, leaned in close to the man.Where. ISSSSS. IT?! The hooded figures voice boomed. I will not ask again.The pale mans words came out as a mumble. Its somewhere safe. His teeth were stained with blood. I can assure you of that.Safe? Soon nowhere will be safe, the hooded figure hissed. Black spittle shot out from the hood. Its just a matter of time. Still, I would rather not wait. He leaned in closer. Tell me where it is . . . and it would be best if you answered my question this time. You should be very afraid indeed if you force me to ask again.Show me your face, said the man calmly. Then perhaps I shall answer your question.The hooded figure pulled away and clutched his hood closer around his head.Who I am is of no consequence to you, he said, his voice growing loud with anger.It seems Im not the only one suffering from fear, said the man. He laughed through his pain, showering blood deep into the hood of the figure.THE PENDANT! yelled the hooded figure, his voice echoing around the massive throne room. It shall be mineno matter how hard you protest. I shall find a way into that feeble mind of yours and extract the answer. Where is the real pendant?The hooded figure held up a pendant, waving it in front of the pale, gaunt mans face. How dare you try to trick me with thisfraud!He then crushed the bloodstone like a corn puff from a sugary breakfast cereal. It turned to powder with a CRUNCH.How dare I?! asked the man, still laughing. I would have been insane to hold on to the power once I realized you sought it. Oh no, I put it somewhere you would never, EVER think to look, you insane, broken creature. How dare you? What are you of all people going to do with all eight pendants? You havent the strength in you, CordThe hooded figure cut off the pale, gaunt man with a gloved fist to his stomach.OOOOOOF!The man fell to the floor in pain, too out of breath to scream. The guard leaned down to pick him up, but the hooded figure waved him away.Never speak that name here, hissed the hooded figure.When the man got his strength back, he stared into the terrible red eyes of the hooded figure, spat a wad of blood on the floor, and laughed so hard that dust began to fall from the ceiling of the throne room.So it is you! said the man. Ha-ha-ha!ENOUGH! Another kiss from my latest creation will dry up your laughter and loosen your tongue, said the hooded figure. Oh yes, it shall break your spirit . . .He clapped his hands together. The guards at the door backed away slightly as a small man in a white laboratory coat pushed a large tank into the room. Dark water sloshed around, spilling out of the tank.The man calmly watched as the tank approached.The hooded figure pulled a slimy black serpent out of the tank and slowly brought it toward the mouth of the man. The serpent crackled slightly with a pulse of electricity as it came closer.Not quite yet, my sweet zapeel, the hooded figure cooed. Be patient.Two guards moved to the man, one on either side. One lifted him up, and the other grabbed his mouth, forcing it open.Argggglllll, gurgled the pale man, more blood oozing down his chin. He was trying desperately to pull his tongue deeper into his mouth.The mouth of the serpent opened to reveal sharklike rows of teeth.The hooded figure leaned in and latched the disgusting creature onto the pale mans tongue.AAAAABLLLLLRRRRSHHHH, the pale man screamed.The hooded figure let go of the zapeel and backed away. A jolt of electricity zapped through the writhing black creature into the pale mans mouth.The door to the throne room flew in with a BOOM, startling the slimy black serpent, which fell to the floor with a FLAP.Master, said another guard as he rushed in. Weve heard reportsHOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT ME? yelled the hooded figure. I have almost broken him!Im so sorry, Master, the guard said, bowing, his voice shaking with fear. Once I tell you the news, Im sure youll understand.Well, speak, you idiot, speak! the hooded figure said. He picked up the zapeel and held it over the tank. It angrily flopped into the water with a SPLASH.Dont worry, my pretty, said the hooded figure, leaning in and tapping the glass lovingly. You can feast on this fool if his story is not worthy of this interruption.A ship has crash-landed a mile from here, in the Gorgon Rift, the guard finally spit out.Has it now . . . , said the hooded figure, turning to the man. Looks like this new development has spared your pitiful life . . . for now. He moved his fiery glare back to the guard. And you will live to disappoint me another day. Send the Andromedans to greet our newest guests.The guard ran out as quickly as he could.Meanwhile, the hooded figure said, motioning to another guard, the Director here is doing a better job of holding his tongue than I thought. Hes going to need a few more sessions with the splurtsar and its delicious truth serum. Fetch Murray.Murray? asked the guard, confused.The mummy! Now, be quick!As the guard ran out, he said, Murrays just not a mummys name . . .The pale, gaunt man snickered.The huge iron ship lurchedFrederick, the old green patchwork monster, was straining as he used the electricity that gave him life to power the engines. Slowly the ship lifted toward the hole in the ceiling of the massive cave.The giant wooden steering wheel spun out of control, knocking me back. It looked like something youd see on an old pirate ship.Come on, guys, help me steer, I yelled as I scrambled back to my feet. If we cant get above ground, were totally toast!Grigore the vampire and Gordon ran over, and we grabbed the wheel as hard as we could together.To. The. Right, I said through gritted teeth.Grigore and Gordon grunted along with me as we slowly turned the wheel to the right. It shook so hard in our hands that my body was vibrating.My teeth hurt, yelled Gordon, his bulging muscles straining the sleeves of his Rio Vista Middle School Athletics T-shirt. Its like I ate too much sugar on a freezing cold day.CHATTER CHATTER CHATTER!Shane and Roy, the Bigfoot, ran over to help us.Were not gonna make it, wheezed Ben, staring bug-eyed out the cracked window. He took a giant hit off his asthma inhaler. The ships gaining speed, and were about to hit the ceiling.The other monsters huddled together for safety, grabbing on to anything that looked like it wouldnt fall off the ancient rocket ship.I pressed all my weight against the wheel. As hard as you can, guys, I yelled. PUUUUUUUUSHHHHH!The zombies stared blankly as we struggled with the wheel.SCRAAAAAAPE!The nose of the rocket dragged along the craggy, rocky ceiling, making even more cracks in the window.Everything vibrated and shook. It seemed unlikely that the rusty old rocket would hold together much longer. Then suddenly, the shaking stopped and the ship lunged forward, knocking us all to the floor. We were out of the cave!Once we lifted above the earth, the sounds of the engine quieted to a level just below mind-numbing. Then we started to accelerate.Aw yeah! yelled Shane. We did it.There were cheers throughout the bridge.He lifted his hand off the wheel to give me a high five.Um, not a good time, I said.Oh right, we should probably keep our hands on the wheel, said Shane.The ship really picked up speed when we hit the clouds. It felt like we were being pulled into the floor of the bridge, thenBOOM!we hit turbulence and bounced off the wheel, sliding in all different directions.Weve got to keep the rocket going straight, I yelled. Otherwise, were never going to make it.I struggled to my feet for a moment, but was forced down onto all fours by the insane g-forces. I crawled over to the wheel on my belly. Roy struggled to stop himself, but the hairy monster couldnt keep from sliding farther away.My fur! he yelled. Too slippery!I had to roll to the side to make sure the Bigfoot didnt crash into me as he slid across the floor.The ships at the wrong angle! I think were heading back down, I yelled as I tried to grab ahold of Roy. There was no way we could keep the ship on the right course without the burly Bigfoot to help us steer. Even Grigore wasnt that strong.I cant . . . , the Bigfoot gasped again, his teeth rattling just like ours, . . . get a grip.The ship began to descend back to earth, and Roy slid even farther from the wheel.Oh man, moaned a green-looking Ben. Im going to hurl.We need to help Roy get up here! I yelled, struggling along with a group of monsters to hang on to the wheel. I cant believe we rushed onto the ship without the Nurses! We could really use their muscle.Wait, yelled Nabila, who was pressed flat against one of the rusty metal walls of the bridge. Ive got an idea!What is it? I asked. Hurry!Grigore! Nabila yelled as we picked up speed, plummeting toward the earth. Call the other vampires from the cargo hold with your mind. Bring them to us. Bring them to us as bats.Grigore began to concentrate, his eyes wandering away in a daze. But his strength at the wheel held.Soon, three vampire bats awkwardly flapped into the room, their confused squeaks saying, Wait, why are we here?Nibble all the fur off Roy! said Nabila.WHAT?! yelled Roy. No way!The bats squeaked in confusion, flapping hard to avoid the flying glass as different meters and gauges exploded.Just do it! I yelled to the vampire bats.Nooooooo! yelled Roy.But the vampire bats swarmed Roy and did as I commanded.BZZZZRRRRRPPPPP!Their little fangs worked fast, as fast as the fastest electric razor. In a flash of fur, a very pink and very naked Roy appeared.Get over here! We need your monster strength, I yelled, and an embarrassed Roy crawled up the floor and grabbed the wheel.Arrrrrggghhhhhh, we grunted hard as we turned the wheel, and we could feel the ship rise into the air once again.Once Roy had helped push the wheel down, he gave me an angry glare.You could have just had them take the fur off my paws, you know, he said.It wasnt my idea, I retorted. Nabila?We looked over to the spot on the wall of the bridge where she had been pressed, but she was gone. Looking down, we saw a pile of tangled brown hair, a fanny pack, and glasses.Better safe than sorry, she mumbled.The ship blasted even faster into space, higher and higher, until . . .Why is it so quiet?asked Ben, turning even greener. My stomach feels like were still climbing. Ugh.Look! said Nabila, pointing out the window.Were in space! I yelled. We made it! The autopilot should take us from herethe crazy inventor said in his message that the rocket was already set on a course to the moon. The mooooooooooon!I relaxed my grip. Shane and the monsters shared worried looks as they all slowly let go of the wheel.The ship kept moving along its trajectory.There was a great cheer on the bridge.Chris, look! Nabila said, pointing at my feet. Youre floating!You too! said Gordon, pointing at Nabila.I pushed my feet down onto the floor, and shot up toward the ceiling. Weeeeere innnnnn spaaaaaaaaaaace! Wahoo!Aw, man, this is AWESOME! I yelled, corkscrewing through the air. I cant believe it! Were going to the moon! THE MOON!Landing with an OOOF on one of the control panels, I looked up at all the doodads and whirligigs.I feel like Im in a dream, I said.It looks more like a nightmare, with all of Gallow Manors monsters on board, said Nabila. Shed spent the previous twenty minutes attempting to clean up the shattered bits of the ship and chewed-up Bigfoot fur that floated around the bridge.Shane high-fived a passing zombie.The zombie cartwheeled backward off the bridge.Stop messing around, said Nabila. Weve got to figure out what were going to do when we get to the moon. We dont even know where Murrayhotep is taking Director Z. To him, Murrayhotep kept saying.I know, I said. And it freaks me out to think of whoor whatwere going to find on the moon. But we should have enough time before we get there to figure it all outhow to get Z and the pendant back. I know we should be worried, and I am, but this is by far the greatest moment of my life. So just give me a few minutes to take it all in.Shane pushed off a wall, grabbed Nabila, and twirled her around in the middle of the room.Okay, fine! she said, giggling. But then lets get serious.Bens face was smashed against a glass porthole. He stared out at the blue planet that was slowly receding behind us.Wow, said Ben as the ship rocketed deeper into space. Earth is so small.Dude, you realize youre upside down, right? asked Gordon.Right-side up, upside down, its all the same, Ben said.If we dont remember which way is which, I think something bad will happen, said Gordon, who had strapped himself into a chair next to a burned-out panel. I hope we didnt need any of these controls.Behind me, I heard Pietro and Howie, two of the old werewolves, discussing how fun it was to transform in zero-g.This is great, said Howie with a crooked grin. Its so much easier. Fast. Like . . . POOF! But how do you transform into a wolf without crashing against a wall?Push yourself away from a wall just before you start to transform, replied Pietro. Watch . . .Pietro kicked off the bridge of the spaceship with a YEAHHHHOOOOOOWWWWWL as he transformed.Wait for MEEEEEEHHHHOOOOOOWWWWL, Howie said, transforming with ease as he followed.Watch it, furballs! someone screamed.Get out of your chair, Gordon, Nabila said, pushing off Gordons face to fly toward me. Youre missing out.Whatever, Crazy Hair, Gordon said, pointing at Nabilas head, which, thanks to the zero-g, was a huge, floating, jet-black mess.Sorry, she said, I didnt have a chance to pack a hat while we were rushing dozens of monsters onto this Victorian-era spacecraft.This is unbelievable, gasped Shane, who had joined Ben at the porthole.How far have we traveled? asked Nabila.I really wish that I could make sense of these controls, I replied. Its unlike anything Ive ever seen on Star Wars or Star Trek.Star Blech is more like it, said Gordon.Boy, zero-g makes you really cranky, said Shane.I just dont trust anywhere I cant play football, Gordon said.Just wait until we get to the moon, I said. Even Ill be able to throw a fifty-yard pass therejust one-sixth the gravity of Earth! Oh man, its going to be great!Once we rescue Director Z from some form of evil that waits to crush us, said Ben. Then you can have your football game.A few of the old witches walked onto the bridge, dodging everyone and everything floating past them. Everyones safe down in the cargo hold, said Katherine, the oldest of them. One of the zombies fell to pieces with all the shaking, but we took care of her before all the parts could float away.How are you walking!?! asked Shane.The three gray old ladies cackled, and Griselda walked in holding up a jar of gooey . . . something.What is that? I asked. I bet theres some essence of spiderweb and eye of newt in there . . .Gordon practically leaped out of his chair in excitement, but grabbed it quickly again to keep from floating away. Hey, Griselda, bring some of that newt juice over here.Oh, its not anything but marmalade, said Griselda.Why do you always think the marmalade is something gross? Shane asked me.I had no answer.Griselda slathered a generous amount of marmalade onto Gordons shoes, and he was able to stand on the floor once again.Anyone else? asked Griselda.No, were having too much fun, replied Nabila, who was spinning like a top while looking out the big window at all the stars.Suit yourself, said Gordon. But youll be sorry. Griselda, are my muscles less likely to shrink now that Im walking? Chris, how long until we reach the moon and some gravity?I turned to one of the many gauges that slowly, creakily turned on the massive control panel, when I was struck in the face with a squeaking furry object.Aw, get off! I yelled.The bat bounced off my face, scratching me slightly with its rough wings, and corkscrewed wildly into . . .My hair! Nabila screamed. Ahhhhhh! Get out! Get out!She reached up to try to untangle the bat, but it just squeaked louder and got even more tangled.Judging by the squeaks, I think thats Grigore, said Ben as he kicked off Shanes rump to float over to Nabila.I dont care who it is! she screeched. Just get him out of my hair.By the time Ben reached Nabila, Grigores mad flapping was dragging her through the air in the opposite direction.Wait! said Ben. Stop flapping, Grigore!I think hes panicking because he doesnt know how to fly in zero-g, said Shane. But Ben will be able to untangle him as soon as he stops flapping and Nabila calms down.See, said Gordon. This is why Im sticking to the floor. Literally.A helmet from one of the space suits floated past Gordon, and he snatched it up.Extra protection, Gordon said. So how long is this going to take, Chris?Hmmm, I said, trying to ignore Nabilas screams as Grigore dragged her off the bridge. Im not sure . . .; Title: Burpstronauts #4 (Monster Juice) | [
18985,
19260
] | Train |
18,990 | 0 | Gr 36Pandemonius, also known as Demon, the 11-year-old son of the Greek god Pan, is unwillingly roped into a messy job as a stable boy caring for the mythical beasts of Olympus. While the story remains mostly true to the original mythology, plenty of humor and some modern slang are inserted, such as when the hapless hero debates how to address his father, "Your Godness? Your Holiness? Your Dadness?" Scatalogical humor abounds as Demon copes with mountains of beast poo and flatulent Cattle of the Sun. Purposeful anachronisms such as robots and a computerlike machine made by Hephaestus, god of the forge, are presented as evidence of the Greek gods' omniscient powers. Hercules is the villain in this tale as Demon works on doctoring up poor animals injured during his Twelve Labors. Demon's ability to speak with animals comes in handy as he soothes cranky creatures, such as a bald Nemean lion, Stymphalian birds in need of new feathers, and a Cretan bull that has lost its fire. His biggest challenge is curing Hera's beheaded pet Hydra. Energetic cartoon illustrations enhance the fast-paced excitement. A glossary and pronunciation guide featuring all the major players in the Greek pantheon are included.Madigan McGillicuddy, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library, Atlanta, GALucy Coats studied English and Ancient History at Edinburgh University, then worked in children's publishing and now writes full time. She is a gifted children's poet and has also written several picture book texts. She is widely respected for her lively retellings of myths. Her 12-book series,Greek Beasts and Heroes, was published by Orion in the U.K.Beasts of Olympuswill be her first U.S. publication.Lucy's website is at www.lucycoats.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @lucycoats.; Title: Beast Keeper #1 (Beasts of Olympus) | [
1337,
3394,
6515,
6536,
6810,
11086,
14700,
15291,
18502,
18841,
18993,
19019,
19024,
19337,
19647,
20302,
21543,
22425,
22504,
22609,
22652,
22758,
22764,
22772,
22883,
29304,
45453,
45461,
45937,
46356,
48171,
49629,
49783,
50967,
51621,
51622,... | Train |
18,991 | 2 | Adam-Troy Castro has said in interviews that he likes to jump genres and styles and has therefore refused to ever stay in place long enough to permit the unwanted existence of a creature that could be called a typical Adam-Troy Castro story. As a result, his short works range from the wild farce of his Vossoff and Nimmitz tales to the grim Nebula nominee Of a Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs. His twenty prior books include a nonfiction analysis of the Harry Potter phenomenon, four Spider-Man adventures, and three novels about his interstellar murder investigator, Andrea Cort (including a winner of the Philip K. Dick Award, Emissaries from the Dead). Adams other award nominations include eight Nebulas, two Hugos, and three Stokers. Adam lives in Boynton Beach, Florida with his wife, Judi, and three insane cats named Uma Furman, Meow Farrow, and Harley Quinn.Chapter One: A Good-Bye Letter over a Bowl of Special Noogums Seen from the air, the pleasant suburban neighborhood that included Sunnyside Terrace must have looked like a box of jelly beans onto which somebody had dropped a glob of black paint. Most of the houses were painted colors like Kiwi Green and Sunflower Yellow and Citrus Orange, all so determinedly bright and cheerful that some people passing through the neighborhood on their way to more serious places had to put their sunglasses on to avoid getting headaches. The one dark spot was the Gloom property, which sat under a perpetual storm cloud that always shielded it from the sunlight and never allowed in so much as a single beam of bright light. Between its massive black house, that houses massive black windows, the one gnarled black tree, the black lawn covered in rolling gray mist, and the ominous iron fence that separated all that determined colorlessness from the carnival of color that surrounded it, the overwhelming impression everybody got was that the house itself didnt like cheerfulness much at all. This was not an impression that would have been broken by the sight of the ten-year-old girl who left through the front door one early morning in late summer, hugging herself with both arms as she made her way to the front gate. Fernie What had bright red hair, freckles, and adventurous eyes that were bloodshot from a recent bout of crying. Her hair and jeans and T-shirt were covered in dust, of exactly the sort you would expect to settle if a number of ornate staircases had just collapsed in a heap in your immediate vicinity. She looked tired and she looked frightened, but she also looked deeply determined, in a way that suggested big trouble for anybody who got in her way. As she left the Gloom property through the front gate and walked out from under the unmoving dark cloud that always hung low over it, blocking out the sun, she stood blinking at the bright day just outside the fence. It was so different from the nature of the light in and around the house shed just left that the light might have come from a different worldwhich, in a very real sense, it did. There were storm clouds rolling in on the horizon, which would likely arrive in just a few short minutes, but for now the sun was out, and the comfort she took in its warmth was limited by how easy it was to see that she cast no shadow at all. Fernie hugged herself even tighter and crossed the street to her own family home, which was painted a color called Fluorescent Salmon that had hurt her brain ever since she had first seen it through the windows of the family car. She walked in through the front door, closed it behind her, and was immediately greeted by the only family member present, a black-and-white cat named Harrington, who meowed at her in about a dozen different tones, as if looking for the one that would get his message across. Fernie What picked him up and gave him the tightest hug of his little life. Yes, baby, I know. You want some noogums. Noogums was the official family nickname for cat food. It took exactly the same amount of time to say as cat food and didnt sound any more like a good name for cat food than cat food does. But Harrington knew exactly what it meant and jumped to the ground, meowing various cat sounds for Dont be stupid! Of course thats what I want! Fernie went to the cabinet, where she was faced with a choice between the ordinary noogums that Harrington ate most of the time and the special noogums that he was given whenever the family wanted to include him in a festive occasion. She opened a can of the special noogums and plopped it into a bowl, which Harrington successfully ignored for about five seconds just to make sure he didnt look grateful. While he was nose-down in his bowl, Fernie left the room to wash off all the dust and change into clean clothes. She returned looking a lot more like she hadnt been around any collapsing staircases recently, wearing fresh jeans and a bright blue T-shirt bearing a skull with a pink ribbon. She also carried a spiral notebook and her favorite writing pen, which ended with a small plastic cartoon boa-constrictor head. Then she walked over to the dinner table, where she took a seat and began to work. It took her a long time, many cross-outs, and several interruptions for crying before she found the best possible approach. The problem may have been the pen. Fernie had learned once, when she was in trouble and needed a ride home, that it was very difficult to make a serious call if the phone you borrowed from a friend was pink and covered with glitter. Now she had to write what could very possibly turn out to be her last good-bye to her mother with a pen that ended with a small plastic cartoon boa-constrictor head. As upset as she was, it left her wondering if writers in olden times felt silly writing all those tales of suffering and woe with quill pens. Fernies mother was a professional adventurer who was always off filming TV specials of herself doing things like out-skiing avalanches or hang gliding into volcanoes. She had been off for months now, on an expedition to some unconquered mountain or something, and had therefore missed everything that had happened to Fernie, her older sister, Pearlie, and their dad since the family moved in across the street from the Gloom estate. It wasnt the kind of thing that could all be easily explained in a single letter, but now Fernie found herself having to, because there was a very real possibility that after she left the house today, shed never be seen alive again. So she thought about it, and thought about it some more, and crumpled up so much paper that Harrington started rolling around on his back in the middle of the pile, and eventually had what worked out to be as good a summary of the basic situation as she could possibly manage. Dear Mommy: I love you and I hope that you never have to read this. I hope that I can throw this letter out before you get anywhere near it. Im only writing this letter because maybe I wont. Maybe youll walk in a week or a month from now, whenever youre finished with your trip, and find the house empty and us gone. Youll need this note, then, to know whats happened to us. The big black house across the street is one of only a few shadow houses in the entire world. Shadows live there. By that I mean actual shadows. It turns out that the shadows that we walk around with, that do whatever we do, and that we dont think of as alive are alive and have a whole separate world that they live in, including that house. We discovered this when we moved in and I met the boy who lives there, whose name is Gustav Gloom. Hes my age and is now my best friend. A couple of hours ago, Dad and Pearlie were in the house and fell into a bottomless black pit leading to the Dark Country, where all shadows come from. Theyll be stuck there forever, probably as the slaves of a really bad guy called Lord Obsidian, if me and Gustav dont go down there to rescue them. I dont know how to explain Lord Obsidian except that he used to be a man called Howard Philip October whos done a lot of bad things in his life, including imprisoning Gustavs dad and killing the woman who would have been Gustavs mom. Theres a reason why I call Gustavs mom the woman who would have been Gustavs mom instead of just saying Gustavs mom, but its long and weird and I dont have the time to go into it right now. Im taking Harrington with me because we might be gone a long time, and I dont want him to get hungry while were gone. Id give him to a neighbor to take care of in the meantime, but I dont have the time to go knocking on doors, or to come up with an excuse somebody will believe. Taking Harrington to the Gloom house will be dangerous for him, but better than leaving him here with all the noogums stuck in cans he cant open. I just read this over and realized that its not a very good letter. Im sorry. I wish I was having your kind of great adventure instead of this kind, which has so many terrible monsters in it. If we make it, its because you showed us its possible to have scary adventures and still come back alive, and because Dad showed us how to always be careful. I love you. Love, Fernie XOXOXO Fernie folded the stack of paper, put it in an envelope, addressed it to MOM, and placed it at the center of the family table. She looked at Harrington, who had scarfed down his meal and now ceased his careful cleaning of his paw, with big wide cat eyes that seemed to say, What? Talking to herself as much as to the cat, Fernie told him, Its okay. Everythings going to be all right. He blinked at her, utterly unimpressed. She went into her room and came back with the cat carrier. Harrington knew the cat carrier well, and feared it, because it was the magic little room that, once entered, could not be left until it was carried someplace unpleasant, like the vets office or a brand-new house with no reassuring smells. The cat carrier was, as far as he had always been concerned, evil, and the most annoying thing about human beings was that they seemed too stupid to realize the terrible things it was plotting. Normally, a chase would have ensued, but then something happened that only could have happened after all the adventures of the previous month: Harringtons shadow detached from the place where it connected to his paws, meowed something in Cat, and entered the carrier by itself. Harrington cocked his head, uttered a single dubious meow in response, and followed his shadow in. Maybe the shadow was smarter than Harrington was, or maybe it just understood the issues better than he did and was able to explain them in a language Harrington himself understood. Fernie closed the carrier door and took what might be the very last look she would ever have of the family home. There werent many memories there. The Whats had only moved in a few weeks earlier and had not yet completely furnished it. Mrs. What, who had needed to leave for her latest expedition before the family pulled up roots, had never been there at all. Any connection Fernie might have felt to the place was also limited by the awareness that, for several days now, her father had been trying to sell it to get his daughters away from all the dangers to be found in the house across the street. But it was still her familys home, and it seemed terribly empty without her family in it. She closed her eyes, made the biggest wish shed ever dared to make, and left the house, cat carrier in hand, for what might turn out to be forever. Outside, the sun had gone behind one of the advancing clouds, shrouding all of Sunnyside Terrace beneath a shadow almost as dark as the one that always hung low over the Gloom estate. This should have been a relief, because it was now harder to see that her shadow was missing, but it felt like the house ahead was reaching out to her. She gulped and walked down the driveway, stopping at the curb to look left, right, andbecause her father would have wanted her to be careful of any low-flying airplanes coming in for an emergency landingup before starting to cross the street. She was still steeling herself for the battles to come when somebody stepped out from behind a parked car and seized her by the wrist. Chapter Two: A Very Important Interruption at the Best Possible Moment The owner of the fleshy wrist that had just seized Fernies looked like a human teardrop: wide and rounded at the bottom, narrower at the shoulders, and tapering to a point on top. Her hair was as red as an apple and came to an off-center point. Today shed added a little hat that might have gone unnoticed if not for a little yellow toy hummingbird on a spring that bobbed about the flip of her hairdo as if hoping for a good moment to land. She was walking her little dog, Snooks 5, whose tongue dangled out the side of his mouth. It was Mrs. Adele Everwiner, and she demanded, Just where do you think youre going with that cat? Fernie groaned inside. She hadnt lived on Sunnyside Terrace long enough to meet all the neighbors, but she had already had enough encounters with Mrs. Everwiner to know that the woman would never be a favorite. It wasnt just that the womans favorite topic of conversation was her great success at terrorizing every cashier, waitress, auto mechanic, hotel maid, and paperboy unfortunate enough to disappoint her in any way, leading to long and involved and boring stories about how she pursued any cause for complaint, however small, to the ends of the earth until anybody guilty of inconveniencing her in any manner was left weeping and defeated. Nor was it just that she considered the Gloom house an eyesore and had fought a long and hard campaign to get it torn down, deliberately ignoring that there was somebody living there. The major thing that put Mrs. Adele Everwiner on Fernies list of least favorite people was her habit of showing up at the worst possible moments for her interruptions. It never failed. It was as if she had hidden cameras all over the neighborhood and waited for everybody to be wrapped up in personal emergencies or urgent business or jobs that needed to be done right away before popping out from behind a car, as she had just now, to bother them about something they had no time for. Mrs. Everwiner tugged on her arm. Im waiting for an answer, young lady. Fernie glanced at the cat carrier, as if to remind herself that it was in her hand. Im just going across the street to visit my friend Gustav. People dont take their cats visiting. Cats hate visiting. This cat visits people all the time, Fernie said. This was an outright lie, since Harrington didnt like many people other than Gustav and the Whats and, given a choice, would have preferred to stay home where all the familiar smells were. Mrs. Everwiner emitted a noisy sniff. I dont know. I think youre up to some mischief with that cat. You should be nice to your pet. Fernie couldnt disagree with that. Im always nice to my cat. Im also still waiting for an answer from your father about whos going to pay for all the damage done to my lawn. Mrs. Everwiners much-prized lawn had looked exactly like every other lawn in the neighborhood until yesterday, when it acquired a pair of tire ruts. Nobody in the What family had ever told the people responsible for the ruts to drive on Mrs. Everwiners lawn, but Mrs. Everwiner had made it clear that she still blamed the Whats on principle. Fernie didnt have the time to talk about it. She tried to pull free. Youll have to talk to my dad about that when he gets home. I know hes not home, Mrs. Everwiner declared. I was watching last night when your family went into that awful Gloom place. I didnt see any of you leave until you walked out half an hour ago, and now youre going back with your cat. Does he really think he can evade his responsibilities in there? Of all the strange things that Fernie had encountered since settling in at Sunnyside Terracea long list of wonders and miracles that included talking shadows, a helpful tyrannosaur, a Too Much Sitting Room, and a Gallery of Awkward Statuesnone were quite as astounding as a neighbor who had nothing better to do with her life than to spend an entire night secretly watching the Gloom house to keep track of who entered or left. I dont think it even crossed his mind, she said honestly. Of course not, Mrs. Everwiner snapped. I thought we were going to get a respectable family in the neighborhood for once, but he showed his true colors when he opposed my neighborhood beautification campaign, and now further reveals himself by hiding from me in that terrible place. I wont have it, do you hear me? I wont! Snooks 5s dangling tongue slipped back inside the right side of his mouth and, unable to remain inside, dropped out his other cheek. Fernie decided that shed had more than enough of this. Let me go. Now. Its not something the Fernie of three weeks earlier might have said so quietly or so dangerously; but that had been before shed faced down several fiends and monsters who were scarier before breakfast than Mrs. Everwiner could have been in a whole day. Mrs. Everwiner released Fernie, her bright green eyes widening out of confusion over what had just happened. Fernie said, Im taking my cat to the Gloom house. I promise you that when I see my dad, Ill tell him everything you said, but Ill also tell him that you grabbed my arm without permission. I dont think hell be happy about that. Mrs. Everwiner seemed to realize that shed just shown an unacceptable moment of weakness. Im not going to let you distort what happened just to cause trouble. Im going with you to talk to him myself. Fernie shrugged. Okay. She turned her back on Mrs. Everwiner, crossed the street, and walked through the open gate to the Gloom estate. The ankle-deep rolling mist that covered every inch of the black lawn swallowed her feet again, feeling less like the creepy presence it had been on her first visit to the property and more like an old familiar friend. She knew that there was nothing out here that could hurt her. Behind her, Mrs. Everwiner muttered little ooks and acks and icks to express her own deep displeasure at having to venture anywhere that wasnt painted like a color from a highlighter. It was probably the first time shed ever passed the front gate of the estate she wanted removed from the neighborhood, and she didnt seem to like it any more close-up than she had from the window of her own Sparkly Watermelon home. When Fernie looked back over her shoulder to confirm that she was following, she saw Mrs. Everwiner walking as if every inch of ground below the mist were covered with spiders and she had to step carefully to find the few clear spots that wouldnt mess her shoes by squishing them. She didnt seem to be worried so much about Snooks 5, who was closer to the ground than she was and whose tail and head suggested a submarine patrolling the ocean at periscope depth. Nor did she seem to notice how Snooks 5s shadow, whose antics were the bane of the little dogs life, ran around the little dog in excited circles. Fernie stopped at the two giant front doors and waited for Mrs. Everwiner and Snooks 5 to catch up. Still want to go inside? she inquired. More than ever, Mrs. Everwiner declared. As long as Im here, Im going to see the inside of this horrid place for myself, so I can make a full report to the proper authorities. The effort Mr. and Mrs. What had made over the years to teach their daughters the importance of being polite at all times was best proven, at that moment, by Fernies failure to respond with a shrugged Whatever. She just nodded and knocked on the door. Hives! Im ordering you to open up! Less than a second later, the Gloom houses terrible butler opened the door and peered down at Fernie from a height. Oh. Its you again. Hives, who was hulking and aristocratic and had a nose made for pointing at people like a gun sight and (as was only appropriate for his name) a complexion made up of little spots, made the word you sound the same way a child hoping for chocolate cake would say the word spinach. This was only appropriate, given his job description, as he was not actually a butler, but a terrible butler, whose job it was to always be as supremely unhelpful as possible. Fernie said, Hello, Hives. This is our neighbor, Mrs. Everwiner. Hives looked the new arrival up and down, allowing his lip to curl in distaste. Of course she is. And what delightful errand brings you to our front door, madam? He made delightful sound like a new word for recently been sprayed by a skunk. Mrs. Everwiner didnt seem to notice that Hives was, like all the shadows of the Gloom house, ever-so-slightly transparent. She just sputtered with enough indignation to frighten every rude cashier and inefficient waitress in the entire world. Well! I cant say I like that tone of voice much! Good, Hives said. Then I did it correctly. Then Mrs. Everwiner did something that Fernie had done many times in the Gloom house: opened her mouth in protest, then closed it for lack of any sensible thing to say. She wants to talk to my father, Fernie explained. Hives, who had been present when Fernies father and sister had tumbled into the pit leading to the Dark Country, didnt bother to explain that they were lost in another world and might never be returned to their lives again. He just intoned, Im afraid that Mr. What is not available at the moment. Thats not good enough! I want to talk to him now! Hives gave the kind of look he might have reserved for a disgusting stain on a favorite tablecloth. We all want any number of things, madam, but our chances of being given them are not increased by how loudly we ask. Fernie couldnt help being impressed by that. Wow! Of course, Hivess reply flew in the face of Mrs. Everwiners entire approach to life. Wanting satisfaction loudly was key to her strategy to dealing with other people and had always worked. She threw her chin back so she could look down her nose at the terrible butler, the same way he was looking down his nose at her. I am not stepping one foot from this spot until you find that awful man and bring him to me! Very well, said Hives, whichas Fernie knew from her own experiences with the terrible butlerwas not actually the same thing as saying that he had any problem with Mrs. Everwiners continuing to stay in that spot for as long as she could stand to, even if she was rained on. He turned to Fernie and added, And is there anything you require, young miss? Fernie had learned that the only way to get Hives to do anything while he was being a terrible butler was to give him a direct command. I order you to take me to Gustav. Very well, Hives said, stepping aside so Fernie could enter. He offered a last nod for Mrs. Everwiners benefit as he closed the door. Have a nice wait, madam. Hives preceded Fernie down the impossibly long entrance hall with its long line of dangling chandeliers and its endless gallery of stern-faced and important portraits. What an intolerable woman. Fernie didnt contradict him. She wont wait out there forever. Shell knock again in a few minutes. I am fully aware of that inevitability, young miss. After all, its what you did when I made you wait just last night. But I am well accustomed to dealing with overly insistent, unwelcome visitors like Mrs. Everwiner, and have found that those as arrogant as she never quite learn the most useful way to make their wishes known. When she knocks on the door and demands to be let inside, I shall open the door for her, tell her wait here, and leave her again, this time just inside the entrance. When after that she gets upset enough to call for me again, I shall lead her to a comfortable room where she can sit down, tell her to wait here again, and abandon her once more. When she finally demands that I procure Mr. What right away, then I will tell her the strict truth: that you have gone to find him and will be returning with him as soon as you can. Despite herself, Fernie was actually touched by the terrible butlers faith in her. But what if she gets so upset she orders you to bring her to my father right away? I shall find some way to disobey that one order, young miss, as the only way to obey it would be to take her down to the Pit and throw her in... which might be tempting, but would cross the line between being a terrible butler and being a terrible person. No, if it comes to that, I believe that I can delay her, escorting her from room to room and subjecting her to one unendurable wait after another, until she finally orders me to let her leave... which is, after all, what I want from her in the first place. Fernie pursed her lips and thought about all the terrible dangers shed faced on her own various journeys through the Gloom house. The thought of Mrs. Everwiner, who unlike Fernie and Gustav wouldnt be able to escape the worst of them by running very fast, trapped here alone with nothing but her useless dog to help her, wasnt very funny at all. Despite how obnoxious the woman was, Fernie worried about her. Will you keep her from getting in too much trouble? I assure you, young miss, however much she provokes me, I shall make sure that she is subjected to no worse than an endless day of long waits and pointless aggravation. She felt mollified. Thank you, Hives. Maybe youre not such a terrible butler, after all. He stiffened. That was a mean thing to say, miss. Sorry. She thought of something else that Hives had promised to take care of the last time shed seen him. What have you done with the People Taker? The People Taker was, of course, the brutal villain who had chased Gustav and Fernie all over the house a couple of times now, and who had been knocked out cold just before the accident responsible for Fernies father and sister falling into the Pit. Hives said, Well and truly sorted out for the moment. I dumped him in the Room of Being Delayed Indefinitely. Hell be nicely miserable there until I get around to building a more permanent enclosure for him. He will not be escaping any time soon. And Ursula and Carlin and Otis? These were three out of the four members of the Four Terrors, last seen being swallowed whole by a tyrannosaur named Fluffy. I have heard from Fluffy, who has sent along his assurance that all three of them have been safely, ah, deposited in a secure place. I believe that we need not worry about any of them, either. Fernie wished that made her feel safer, but her experiences in the Gloom house had left her unwilling to take such promises for granted. So she simply said, Okay. They walked in silence (except for the regular meows from the cat carrier), almost reaching the grand parlor at the center of the house before Hives stopped at a floor-to-ceiling portrait of a uniformed nineteenth-century British naval officer who might have been the very picture of dignity had he not, for some reason, been clamping a fish between his teeth. Hives clicked a latch on the portrait, revealing it to be a hidden door. A servant passage, one of many narrow secret corridors that maids and butlers had once used to travel from room to room without ever being seen, stretched out into the distance, leading to the far regions of the house. She could see a distant speck, which she recognized as her friend Gustav Gloom, approaching her, backlit by a spot of bright light at the other end of the passage. Hives said, I took the liberty of summoning the young master from his business when you knocked on the door. Id escort the two of you to your destination myself, but I fear that I can already hear that Everwiner woman knocking again and must get back to her right away so I can busy myself not seeing to her needs. Thank you, Fernie said. He hesitated a second longer, then said, I wish you the best of luck, young miss, before walking away in a hurry to prevent her from thanking him again. He left her standing there, Harringtons carrier in one hand, while the distant speck at the end of the hidden corridor grew to fill the space and gradually became her best friend, Gustav Gloom. Gustavs clothes had been ripped to tatters by the previous nights adventures, and hed taken advantage of Fernies brief visit home to change into a brand-new black suit and red tie, in other words identical to the outfit he wore every day. Hed bathed and washed his face clean of the layer of dust and dirt it had collected when the staircases collapsed, but otherwise looked like the same pale, unsmiling, strangely serious little boy he had always been. It hadnt even been an hour since hed seen Fernie last, but he hugged her anyway and said, How are you doing? Ive been better, she said honestly. Every time I think about Dad and Pearlie, stuck down there in the Dark Country, I start to cry. I know how you feel, said Gustav. But you should remember that they might not even be in the Dark Country yet. Remember, it takes people who tumble into the Pit a long time to fall. I dont know exactly how long, but for all we know, they might not land for hours or days or even weeks. That doesnt make me feel a whole lot better. I know, he said thoughtfully. I sometimes wonder how people who fall into the Pit manage to pass the time before they land. I dont think you can just scream and wave your arms begging for help for all that time. It would get old. I think you have to find a way to make a project of it, maybe sing songs or something. If I had advance warning, Id make sure I was carrying something to read. Fernie gave him a special look. What followed was a demonstration that it was possible for a boy who had never stood outside in sunlight to turn a couple of shades paler than he already was. Sorry. Im just saying. Any sign of my shadow? Fernie asked. No. Ive sent out my own shadow to look for her, but havent heard any word back. I dont think theres any real cause to be concerned, since shadows can usually take care of themselves, but finding out where she is would certainly mean one less thing to be worried about. In the meantime, we have things to do. Want me to carry the cat carrier? Fernie appreciated the offer, because Harrington had gained some weight of late, but she found that she didnt want to be separated from yet another member of her family, even for a minute. She shifted the carrier and said, No, thanks, Im fine. Whats next? Whats next, Gustav said, before we do anything else, is we go finish up the errand we started last night, before we were so rudely interrupted by the Four Terrors. Yes, Fernie said. Lets talk to Hieronymus Spector.; Title: Gustav Gloom and the Cryptic Carousel #4 | [
18941,
18946,
18984,
19027,
19045
] | Train |
18,992 | 2 | Orange Blossom learns that she needs to wear glasses, and she becomes worried that her friends will no longer like her, but Strawberry Shortcake has an idea to help Orange Blossom embrace her new look.; Title: A Brand-New Look (Strawberry Shortcake) | [
6016,
18829,
18839,
18842,
18870,
18876,
18901,
18907,
18909,
18924,
18958,
18967,
18968,
19087,
19206,
19346,
19366,
19387
] | Test |
18,993 | 2 | Gr 24Nine-year-old Kaz is an awkward ghost, who is unprepared for life, or rather, death. His family of apparitions has taught him many of the basics. He can float and shrink, yet he hasn't mastered passing through walls or existing among humans, or as Kaz calls them, "solids." Without warning, his family's abandoned old "haunt" is demolished. Separated from his family by violent winds, he ends up in a small town public library. A ghost presumably haunts this library, and Kaz desperately hopes that the being is his missing brother, Finn. He finds a friend in Claire, a "solid" girl whose grandmother owns the library. Kaz and Claire work together to uncover this mystery. This lighthearted tale is the first of a book series. Ideal for early readers, the text is amusing and accessible, and the cartoon-style artwork is winsome. The modern-day setting makes the tale relatable. However, those expecting a more captivating mystery will be unsatisfied with the story's simplistic resolution. While the pacing is fine, there isn't much character development and there are gaps in logic. Ghosts are deceased beings, but Kaz is completely ignorant of human behavior. Yet for young ones seeking a welcoming introduction to the supernatural, this is an acceptable, kid-friendly read.Sada Mozer, Los Angeles Public LibraryDori Hillestad Butler's books have appeared on children's choice award lists in 18 different states. Trading Places with Tank Talbott won the Maryland Children's Choice Award in 2007. And The Buddy Files: Case of the Lost Boy won the 2011 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery. Dori has also been a ghostwriter for the Sweet Valley Twins, Unicorn Club, and Boxcar Children series, and a children's book reviewer for several publications. She's published numerous short stories, plays, and educational materials, and has served as the Iowa Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators' Regional Advisor. She grew up in southern Minnesota and now lives in Coralville, Iowa, with her husband, son, dog, and cat. She visits schools and leads writing workshops all over the country.; Title: The Haunted Library #1 | [
2892,
3900,
4722,
4756,
5340,
5675,
6058,
6620,
6723,
8443,
10116,
10151,
10401,
12982,
13164,
13219,
13872,
17893,
18022,
18502,
18995,
19081,
19345,
19373,
19389,
19663,
20302,
20331,
21336,
22348,
22425,
22449,
22456,
22543,
26487,
26543,
32... | Train |
18,994 | 15 | Ruth Heller (1923-2004) began her career designing wrapping paper, cocktail napkins, greeting cards, and coloring books. Her first book, Chickens Aren't the Only Ones, about egg-laying animals, was published in 1981. It was so successful that the sequel,  Animals Born Alive And Well (1982), quickly followed. In 1983 and 1984, her third and fourth titles,The Reason for a Flower and Plants That Never Ever Bloom were published. Heller's next collection of books became a five-volume series on parts of speech, followed by her highly successful coloring book series, Designs for Coloring.; Title: Designs for Coloring: Wild Flowers: Wildflowers | [
18244,
18245,
18814,
19888
] | Train |
18,995 | 0 | Dori Hillestad Butler's books have appeared on children's choice award lists in 18 different states.Trading Places with Tank Talbottwon the Maryland Children's Choice Award in 2007. AndThe Buddy Files: Case of the Lost Boywon the 2011 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery. Dori has also been a ghostwriter for the Sweet Valley Twins, Unicorn Club, and Boxcar Children series, and a children's book reviewer for several publications. She's published numerous short stories, plays, and educational materials, and has served as the Iowa Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators' Regional Advisor. She grew up in southern Minnesota and now lives in Coralville, Iowa, with her husband, son, dog, and cat. She visits schools and leads writing workshops all over the country.Chapter 1: A New Case Woof! Woof! Cosmo! No! Kaz grabbed Cosmo about a second and a half before he passed through the craft-room window and into the Outside. Kaz peered out the window. He didnt see what his dog was all excited about. You cant go into the Outside, Kaz scolded. What are you thinking? Cosmo lowered his eyes. His tail drooped. Hes a dog, Kaz, Claire said, glancing up from her homework. He doesnt know its dangerous for ghosts to be outside. Claire reached out to pet Cosmo. But Claire was a solid, so her hand passed through him. He should know, Kaz said, holding his dog tight against his chest. Hes seen what happens when ghosts go into the Outside. Kaz and Cosmo used to live in an old schoolhouse with Kazs mom and dad; his grandmom and grandpop; his little brother, Little John; and his big brother, Finn. Finn liked to stick his arm or leg through the wall to the Outside just to scare Kaz and Little John. But one day when the ghost boys were playing Keep Away, Finn stuck his head a little too far through the wall, and his whole body was pullllled into the Outside. Grandmom and Grandpop tried to rescue Finn, but they ended up in the Outside, too. And they all blew away. Plus, Cosmo has been in the Outside himself, too, Kaz reminded Claire. Last summer some solids came to the old schoolhouse with their big trucks and their wrecking ball. They destroyed the old schoolhouse, and the rest of Kazs family was forced into the Outside. Like Finn, Grandmom, and Grandpop, they were all scattered in the wind. Kaz ended up here at the library. He felt lucky to have found Cosmo a few weeks ago when he and Claire were out solving a ghostly mystery. He hadnt seen anyone else in his family for so long. Now Cosmo wiggled and squirmed in Kazs arms. Kaz hugged him even harder. I dont think your dog likes to be held so tight, Kaz, Beckett said. Beckett was the other ghost who lived at the library. Hed been here way longer than Kaz had. Kaz loosened his grip on Cosmo, and the ghost dog pawed his way out of Kazs arms. He paddled right back toward the window. Kaz sighed. What is out there? he wondered. Cosmo had never been so interested in the Outside before. Claire, could you please close that shade? Kaz asked, grabbing his dog again. If Cosmo cant see whats out there, then maybe hell settle down. Why dont you close the shade, Kaz? Beckett said. I cant, Kaz said. And Beckett knew he couldnt. Kaz simply didnt have the skills that other ghosts did. He was working on them. Really, he was. But ghost skills were hard. And he didnt like to practice. What ghost did? How do you know you cant close that shade? Beckett asked. Have you tried? Thats right, Kaz, Claire said. Now that you can pick up solid objects, maybe you can pull the shade. Kaz had only just learned to pick up solid objects. He still wasnt very good at it. And picking up a solid object wasnt the same as pulling on a shade and making it move. But he was willing to give it a try. With one arm wrapped firmly around Cosmo, Kaz grabbed the shade with his other hand and pullllled it down. The shade didnt move. Squeeze it harder, Claire suggested. Kaz squeezed harder, but his thumb passed through the shade. Claire went over and yanked on the shade. Cosmo let out a low groan as it came down over the window. Now you can be free, Kaz said as he opened his arms and released his dog. Beckett clucked his tongue. How will Kaz learn to do things for himself if you do everything for him? he asked Claire. Before Claire could answer, her phone rang. She grabbed it from the table. Hello?... Yes... Yes, its true; Im a ghost detective... She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and grinned at Kaz. It means I solve ghostly mysteries... Yes... Yes... of course! What is your address?... Okay, Ill be right there. Wait, how did you hear about me?... Cool! Yeah, okay. Ill be right there. Claire stuffed her phone inside her front pants pocket. Guess what, Kaz? We have a new case! She closed her schoolbooks and stacked them in the middle of the table. Do you remember Jonathan from the school play? Of course, Kaz said. He and Claire had just solved the case of the ghost backstage a couple of weeks ago. Jonathan wasnt just involved in the case; he saw Kazs mom at Claires school! But by the time Kaz got there, his mom was long gone. She left behind a bead from her necklace, though. Kaz still carried it in his front pocket. Well, Jonathan has a friend named David, Claire explained. David Jeffrey, I think he said his name was. Anyway, David has a ghost in his house. What kind of ghost? Kaz asked as he squeezed the ghost bead in his pocket. Is it someone from my family? Is it my mom? I dont know, Claire said. David hasnt actually seen the ghost, so he cant describe it. But it turns on lamps, it makes the garage door go up, and it messes up their TV. I told him Id come take a look. Youre not going to go now, are you? Beckett asked. Yes, we are, Claire said as she reached for her water bottle. Kaz always traveled with Claire inside her water bottle. But your homework isnt done, Beckett objected. Kaz hasnt practiced his ghost skills. And its almost time for dinner! Ghosts like Kaz and Beckett never ate dinner or any other meals. But Claire ate dinner every single day. Usually with her family. So? Claire twisted the top off her water bottle. Youre not in charge of me, Beckett. And youre not in charge of Kaz, either. Youre not our dad. Claire was right. Beckett wasnt Kazs pops. But he was the closest thing Kaz had to a parent here at the library. I dont know, Kaz said as Cosmo swam toward the window again. Cosmo nudged the solid shade aside with his nose, but Kaz quickly scooped him up. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow to go, Kaz said to Claire. He wasnt sure about leaving Cosmo right now. Claire shook her head. We have to go now, she said. This ghost is different from other ghosts. It only comes out at five oclock.; Title: The Five O'Clock Ghost #4 (The Haunted Library) | [
2397,
10116,
10151,
16773,
18479,
18502,
18516,
18993,
19081,
19373,
19389,
19663,
20302,
22454,
22456,
22506,
22609,
22832,
22883,
26533,
37446,
37461,
37473,
37985,
54884,
54936,
54996,
55109,
55545,
58486,
68178,
75198,
75200,
75201
] | Train |
18,996 | 2 | "Young listeners, particularly those who understand the value of leaves and stones and bottle caps, will love this book. They will hope that Bear will remain steadfast and trust in Mouse, who rewards Bears thoughtfulness with the gratitude of a true friend. Absolutely charming."-School Library Journal, starred review"In this gentle fable, a wide-eyed bear cub finds that one fellow's throwaway item can be another fellow's treasure."-Parenting Magazine"Little ones will undoubtedly be able to identify with Bears emotions as they watch him move from benevolent joy to uncertainty and doubt and then to gleeful satisfaction. Watercolor animal figures, outlined in strong black lines and set mostly against a white background, distinctly convey the dnouement. Halfway through the story, Foleys use of a single darker brown background effectively portrays Bears declining mood and doubt. A smooth union of words and art to illustrate an important message."-Kirkus Reviews"Foley, making his childrens book debut, is an award-winning graphic designer and the creative director for the hipster-fashionista bibles Visionaire, V and VMan. His simple story concerns a little bear (who) found a little box. The cub thinks it is the greatest thing ever! But on his way to presenting the box to his friend Mouse, the furry hero meets up with naysayers whose discouragement ranges from Ive seen those before (an owl) to Youre holding it the wrong way (a fox). But Mouse looks at the box this way and that, and agrees with his pals original rave, to the letter. Mouse gratefully makes the box his new home (hence, the title). Foley combines an energetic ink line with pleasingly off-register washes of muted color, giving his pages a handsome, retro look. He strips down the story and the illustrations to their essence, allowing toddlers to place themselves in the cubs position, and rejoice when his best friends appreciates his gift- a box just right for Mouse to make his own."-Publishers WeeklyGood Luck Bear is the 2008 winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award.Greg Foley lives in New York City.; Title: Thank You Bear (Little Letters) | [] | Validation |
18,997 | 2 | Giada De Laurentiis was born in Rome and grew up in a big Italian family. They spent lots of time together in the kitchen, which is where Giada discovered her love of cooking! Later, she would hone her skills at Le Cordon Bleu, a very cool cooking school in Paris. Many puff pastries and a graduation later, Giada began working in a fab restaurant called Spago in Los Angeles. Shortly after, she founded her very own catering company. She is now the Emmy Award-winning star of Food Network's Everyday Italian, Giada's Weekend Getaways, Giada in Paradise, and Giada at Home, as well as the author of six cookbooks. She lives with her husband Todd and daughter Jade in a cozy house by the beach in Los Angeles. Giada loves the colors pesto-green and eggplant-purple,and Nutella pancakes are her favorite treat to share with Jade.Alfredo! Mom called from the kitchen as she flipped open two Presto Pesto pizza boxes in the middle of the table. Lets go! Dinner! Emilia! You too!Alfie gladly tossed aside his geography homeworkhis favorite subjectand ran down the hall to the kitchen. He loved maps, but he loved food more. In the kitchen, he reached across the table and scooped up a slice of Supreme Meat Machine pizza, which sagged under the weight of three kinds of meat, four kinds of cheese, and two kinds of olives. Alfie tilted his head back, aimed the tip of the slice into his open mouth, and started backing out of the kitchen.Hang on, Mom said. Where do you think youre going?Mmph rooph. Learning about rifers in Egypt.You eat at the table with the famiglia. Sit down and get a napkin, Mom said. Wheres your sister?His sister, Emilia, older by just one year, entered the kitchen with her eyes glued to the history textbook in her hand. She looked up and inspected the pizza boxes.Why are we having pizza now? she asked. Were in charge of bringing pizza to school on Friday for United Nations Day. Their school was going to taste the foods of the world, as Emilias teacher, Ms. Esch, said. Alfie and Emilia, whose classes would be combined for one afternoon, offered to bring pizza to represent the food of Italy, since thats where their family was from.Mauricio! Andiamo! Mangiamo! Mom called to the kids dad, as she slid a slice of pizza onto a paper plate.Then thatll be three times this week, Emilia said with a sigh as she stared at the pizza.Thats why this week rules, Alfie said. Why did his sister love to act like awesome things werent awesome?Emilia inspected Alfies spread. You cant eat all the meat slices. Mom, hes taking all the Supreme Meat.Im a growing man, Alfie said. I need protein.Please, youre barely eleven, Emilia said. Give me one, boy. She tried to snatch one off his plate, but he quickly pulled it away. Mom! Tell Alfredo to give me the Supreme Meat. She used his proper name just to bug himhe despised his given name, which is why he went by the nickname Alfie.Kids, share, Mom said. Emilia, pull your hair back. Its getting in your slice. She brushed Emilias long, wavy hair, which was golden at the ends, back over her shoulder.I got it, Emilia said. She tucked her hair into the back of her fuchsia shirt.You should cut that mop, Alfie said. You look like a mermaid.Ill take that as a compliment.Ciao, ciao! a voice called from the front door. Hello, hello! Dad was finally home.Were in here! Mom hollered back.And I, Dad said, his voice getting closer, found a surprise on our doorstep.In the doorway stood a slim, tiny woman in ridiculously high heels. Her salt-and-pepper hair was tied back in a loose braid, showing off the chunky gold and multicolored-stone necklace around her neck. She wore a graphic T-shirt under a dark blazer, slim jeans, and roughed-up tan leather boots. She was older than their mom, but somehow the clothes looked right on her.Ciao, famiglia! she said, spreading her arms wide. Bambina! Arianna! she said to Mom.Zia! Mom said, using the Italian word for aunt and dropping her slice on the table with a thunk. She sprang from her seat, and she and Zia wrapped each other up in a tight, twirling hug, laughing and screaming the whole time. Zia! Zia! Youre here! Come sta?Molto bene! Zia laughed. Molto bene!I thought you were coming next week, Mom said to Zia Donatella, holding her tight around her small waist.You knew Donatella was coming? Dad asked from the doorway.Im sorry. Didnt I tell you? Mom said.Dad eyed Mom while he set down the two large suitcases.Great-aunt Donatella was from Italyjust like their mom and dadbut she lived all over the world, traveling from country to country searching for adventures. Itd been a while since theyd seen her, but Alfie loved her visits. She told stories of places hed never even thought of visiting. Zia Donatella gave him his first world map when he was five, pointing to a spot in Egypt where she had just seen ancient pyramids. Since then, Alfie covered his walls with maps, memorizing capitals, rivers, mountains, and everything else he thought might be useful for his future job as a professional explorer.Kids, give your great-aunt Donatella a hug! Mom said.While Emilia hugged Zia tightly around her waist, Alfie stood at a cool distance. As excited as he was to see her, he was getting older and didnt think he should hug her like she was Santa Claus at the mall.My goodness, how youve both grown! Zia Donatella said. When Emilia finally released Zia from her hug, Zia stepped closer to Alfie, taking his face in her hands. Alfie couldnt help but smile. Bello!Want some dinner? Alfie offered. We got pizza!Zia Donatella looked at the cardboard boxes and slices of pizza on the table, now cooled with sweating cheese on top. Ma che mangiate? What are you eating? This is your dinner?Dont start, Zia Donatella, Mom said, combining the remaining pizza into one box and tossing the other. Were just busy. Besides, were not amazing chefs like you are.It doesnt take a chef to cook a homemade meal, ragazza, Zia said.Zia, have you run into any bulls lately? Alfie asked, remembering the story she had told of watching bulls race through a Spanish town; she was almost pummeled by them.Zia Donatella smiled and said, Thankfully, no. But I did see a wildebeest in Namibia.Thats awesome!He tasted pretty good, too, she said, winking.Alfie was so stunned that for a moment he couldnt react. Then he said, Mom! Can we have wildebeest for dinner tomorrow night?I dont think the Save n Shop here carries that, Mom said.Eyeing the pizza, Zia said, Does this food youre eating have a name?Fast, Emilia said, making Alfie snort out a laugh as she tried to hide her own giggle.Zia, dont you know pizza when you see it? Alfie asked becauseseriously!it was food from their motherland!You poor children. You really think this is pizza. Zia looked more upset than offended. Let me cook something, Zia said, pushing back her chair. Mi piace molto cuocere! I love to cook!Zia, Mom said, but Zia had already started digging through the pantry. She found canned fruit cocktail, individually wrapped cinnamon rolls, and boxed mac and cheese. She held a can of peas up to Mom and asked, Will I find anything fresh in the refrigerator?Why dont we get you settled in? Dad suggested. Tomorrow we can shop. Honey? he said to Mom, asking with a nod where to put Zias bags.Well, why dont you take...? She looked between Emilia and Alfie. They knew what was comingsomeone was about to lose his or her room.Emilia sat up straight in a desperate attempt to show how responsible she was and therefore how deserving of keeping her room. Alfie tried the opposite approach. He murdered the last slice of Supreme Meat Machine, hoping to show Mom how messy he was and that no one in her right mind would ever put any human in his room. It was strictly an at your own risk sort of place.You can take... Alfies room, Mom declared.Mom! Alfie said. Thats not fair!Emilia is the oldest, Mom said.But Im the man! he said.Ha! You wish, Emilia said.Alfie felt bad about being rude in front of Zia Donatella, but he couldnt believe he was getting kicked out of his room. Where am I going to sleep?Well, Mom said, thinking. Maybe you could bunk in Emilias room?No! he and Emilia both yelled at the same time. At least they agreed on that.He can take the pullout sofa in the office, Dad said. If we put an air mattress on top, its not that bad.Not that bad, Alfie thought. Translation: future spine surgery may be required.Great, then its settled, Mom said. But first, Alfredo, get that room straightened up.Alfie sulked to his room to clean it upand to say arrivederci to his privacy.Sleep was impossible in the so-called bed. It was more like sleeping on a bag full of baseballs. Alfies parents hadnt been able to find the pump for the air mattress, so Dad said hed have to tough it out for the night. Noises from the kitchen also kept him awake.; Title: Naples! #1 (Recipe for Adventure) | [
6414,
19002,
19003,
19275,
19284,
19285,
19289,
19398,
25671,
32782,
45731,
48858,
51726,
54732,
54848,
55097,
55179,
55238,
69207
] | Train |
18,998 | 2 | Nancy Krulik has written more than 100 books for children and young adults, including two New York Times bestsellers. You can follow Nancy on Twitter at @NancyKrulik.; Title: Lice Check #12 (George Brown, Class Clown) | [
2245,
2256,
2709,
3000,
18828,
18841,
18863,
18878,
18883,
18894,
18900,
18902,
18903,
18944,
18949,
18977,
18987,
19031,
19058,
19099,
19230,
19232,
19235,
19245,
19270,
19290,
22104,
22883,
22927,
37557,
37909,
45314,
45771
] | Train |
18,999 | 2 | Loren Long lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.; Title: Otis Loves to Play | [
11921,
11922,
11930,
11962,
15764,
15766,
15771,
15774,
15831,
16504,
16526,
19131,
19243,
19352,
19390,
21500,
21706,
21767,
58167,
64047
] | Train |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.