Scholastic Book Fairs Podcast

Though much of his early life remains a mystery, Blackbeard most likely began his life as Edward Teach in the sailing port of Bristol, England. He began his career as a hired British sailor during Queen Anne’s War. He eventually settled in the Bahamas under Captain Benjamin Hornigold who taught the young sailor to go "a-pirating." Soon enough, Blackbeard was commanding his own fleet and stealing ships around the Caribbean and up and down the Eastern seaboard. Known for his thick, black beard and fearsome reputation, the legend of Blackbeard has influenced pirate legend and lore for over 300 years.

Fun, rhyming text by Corinne Demas and Artemis Roehrig pairs pirates' questionable activities with their lead-by-example lessons in manners. David Catrow's humorous, zany illustrations depict the swashbuckling nature of the pirates. Follow along as pirates have fun on a pirate ship, divide up their treasure, and teach manners. Aargh!

When ten-year-old Tiger Brooks and his family move into a new home, he sees some strange things at the house next door—like a talking pig in a top hat! When he and his neighbor, Luna Lopez, investigate, they discover a reclusive old woman and her magical golden frame, through which they can enter the world's greatest paintings. In this book, Tiger and Luna get pulled into jungle-themed paintings by Henri Rousseau. But they must escape the jungle adventure before time runs out, otherwise they'll be trapped in the painting forever!

Why would anyone break into 19 Gentilly Lane? That's where the Gaux family lives, and everyone knows they have nothing worth stealing. More important, the house is usually guarded by Birdie Gaux's dog, Bowser, a large and handsome fellow with a big set of sharp teeth. Now Birdie is looking worried and Bowser is on the trail of something rotten. Who was behind the break in? Why is a girl with green hair asking odd questions about what happened to Birdie's dad, a policeman who was killed in the line of duty years ago? Worst of all, does the whole town stink of limeade, aftershave, and cat? The death of Birdie's father may be a cold case, but Bowser can tell it's heating up fast. Someone is coming after Birdie and her family, and Bowser must be ready to protect them from anything. Even that awful cat!

Jimmy is sure that his dog Abby is special. After all, it was Abby who helped blow the cover on Barnaby Bratford, who used babysitting as a way to rob people. Jimmy's parents, on the other hand, insist on enrolling Abby in obedience training. The only problem is that the longer Abby's in class, the more normal (read: boring) she becomes. Jimmy's superhero crime-fighting vampire dog is slowly becoming just like every other dog. But when Jimmy joins the lacrosse team and mysterious things start happening on and off the field, the Crimebiters realize that Abby better get back to her crime-fighting ways and fast!

Mo Jackson is a little boy with a big passion for sports. He may not be the biggest, the strongest, or the fastest player, but he won't let that stop him from playing. Mo is the youngest kid on the Robins, his football team. His classmates don’t mind, but the kids on their rival team tease him for being a "butterfingers" who's too tiny to catch the ball - until they see his coach's plan to turn Mo's little size into a big win for the Robins! This Penguin Level 2 Young Reader is the winner of the 2016 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award.

Anton has nowhere to run. Ambitious Colonel Karl Van Duesen of the Gestapo has made it his mission to round up every Jew in the Ukrainian countryside, and he's getting close. A web of underground caves seems like the perfect hiding place for Anton and the rest of his community. If they are discovered, they will be sent off to work camps...or worse. But when a surprise invasion catches them off-guard, and his grandmother is captured, Anton makes a radical decision. He won't run. He won't hide. He will follow the Gestapo and rescue his grandmother. He will stop being the hunted...and start doing some hunting of his own.

Dunvegan School for Girls has been closed for many years. Converted into a family home, the teachers and students are long gone. But they left something behind. Sophie arrives at the old schoolhouse in Skye to spend the summer with her cousins. Brooding Cameron with his scarred hand, strange Lillias with a fear of bones, and Piper, who seems just a bit too perfect to be real. And then there's her other cousin. The girl with a room full of antique dolls. The girl who shouldn't be there. The girl who died.

It was one the most beautiful mountains in America, Mt. St. Helens, in Washington State. But what many didn't know was that this peaceful mountain had an explosive past. For more than a century, it had been quiet. But below ground, pressure had been building, and soon, Kaboom! Mt. St. Helens would erupt with terrifying fury. Eleven-year-old Jess Tanner knew the mountain well, and like many, she never imagined that this serene wilderness could turn deadly. But on May 10th, 1980, Jess finds herself in the middle of the deadliest volcanic eruption in U.S. history. Trapped on the mountain, she must escape clouds of poisonous gas, boiling rivers, and landslides of rock, glacial ice, and white-hot debris. The newest book in the I Survived series will take readers into one of the most dramatic events in recent U.S. history where they will meet one of nature's most devastating forces.

When Ryan's estranged father unexpectedly dies, Ryan learns that he has inherited the Dallas Cowboys. With his new role as owner of this NFL team, Ryan has high hopes that he can be more than just a middle-school misfit. Maybe he can even get off the bench and into the starting lineup of his own football team. With the help of his friends Jackson and Izzy, Ryan takes advantage of his newfound stardom. He convinces his coach to use a tricky passing offense that plays to Ryan's strengths. But just when things are looking up, Ryan's nasty stepmother makes a legal play to make her own son the Cowboys' kid owner. With drama heating up both on and off the field, Ryan quickly realizes he may lose much more than just the Dallas Cowboys.

World War II, October 1942: a plane carrying eight Americans crashes into the middle of the Pacific Ocean. With only four oranges and no fresh water between them, the crew had to band together and rely on each other for survival. What they thought would be only a few hours or days before they were rescued turned into weeks lost at sea fighting off sharks, dehydration, hunger, and extreme heat.

Ever since Julie's family moved, she has been very homesick. But when Storm, an Old English Sheepdog, magically appears, Julie can't stop smiling. Julie and her new friend have a blast together at puppy training school!

In this fun spinoff of the classic "Gingerbread Man" story, Sensei makes an age-old recipe for ninjabread. But the cookie escapes from the oven and runs loose! Can the Ninjabread Man trick Ninja Bear, Ninja Snake, Ninja Mouse, and Ninja Fox? In the end, the clever Ninja Fox outsmarts the Ninjabread Man. This action-packed ninja adventure features a wise sensei, adorable ninja animals, and one hard-to-catch cookie -- all brought to life by award-winning Dinotrux illustrator Chris Gall!

While spacing out in Chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk and added a message to her. Intrigue! Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters, sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she's kind of falling for this letter writer. Only who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery, and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can't always be spelled out.

Pete the Cat is back in New York Times bestselling artist James Dean's beginning reader Pete the Cat's Train Trip. Pete can't wait to visit Grandma, especially because he gets to take a train ride to see her! The conductor gives Pete a tour of the train, and Pete gets to see the engine and honk the horn. Pete even makes new friends and plays games on board. What a cool ride! Pete the Cat's Train Trip is a My First I Can Read Book, which means it's perfect for shared reading with a child. Fans of Pete the Cat will delight as Pete takes the grooviest train trip in this hilarious I Can Read adventure.

Princess Pinecone knows exactly what she wants for her birthday this year. A BIG horse. A STRONG horse. A horse fit for a WARRIOR PRINCESS! But when the day arrives, she doesn't quite get the horse of her dreams.From the artist behind the comic phenomenon Hark! A Vagrant, The Princess and the Pony a laugh-out-loud story of brave warriors, big surprises, and falling in love with one unforgettable little pony.

Ranger, the time-traveling golden retriever with search-and-rescue training, joins an early twentieth-century expedition journeying from New Zealand to Antarctica. He befriends Jack Nin, the stowaway turned cabin boy of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's ship. They're racing against a rival explorer to reach the South Pole, but with unstable ice, killer whales, and raging blizzards, the journey turns into a race against time... and a struggle to stay alive.

When Phoebe finds a beautiful antique at a flea market, she's not sure whether it's as valuable as it looks. But inside she discovers something truly amazing a letter written during World War II, from a young girl to her sister who's been evacuated from London. The letter includes a "spell" for bringing people closer together: a list of clues leading all through the city. Each stop along the way adds up to magic. Phoebe is stunned. Not only has she found a priceless piece of history, the letter is exactly what she needs -- she's also separated from her sister, though not by distance. Alice leaves for university soon, but in the meantime, she wants nothing to do with Phoebe. They used to be so close. Now that Phoebe has this magical list, maybe she can fix everything! That is, unless she accidentally makes everything worse instead. From the author of My Secret Guide to Paris comes an unforgettable trip through London, with secret treasures around every corner!

Twelve-year-old March McQuin forgot rule number one for cat burglars, which is how he and his twin sister, Jules, found themselves dangling upside down twenty feet above a stone floor at three in the morning. Their target was a set of stunning diamonds and it should have been an easy job, in and out. Except another thief got there first. March and Jules were lucky to escape with their lives, and one measly stone. Now the botched heist has created a world of trouble. The stone they grabbed was the Morning Star, one of a trio of famous sapphires, and it's cursed. The theft put the twins and their friends in the crosshairs of Interpol, the FBI, and a vicious adult gang of international criminals. And worst of all, the only way to break the curse and set everything to rights is by somehow managing to steal the other two sapphires in the set.

In this gritty, realistic wilderness adventure, thirteen-year-old Cort is caught in a battle against a Gulf Coast hurricane. Cort's father is a local expert on hunting and swamp lore in lower Alabama who has been teaching his son everything he knows. But when a deadly Category 3 storm makes landfall, Cort must unexpectedly put all his skills - and bravery - to the test. One catastrophe seems to lead to another, leaving Cort and two neighbor girls to face the storm as best they can. Amid miles of storm-thrashed wetlands filled with dangerous, desperate wild animals, it's up to Cort to win - or lose - the fight for their lives.