Scholastic Book Fairs Podcast

What if you woke up one morning and your ears weren't yours? The next imaginative book in the WHAT IF YOU HAD series explores incredible ears from the animal kingdom. From the elephant's tremendous ears to the jack rabbit's mood ears, discover what it would be like if you had these special ears - and find out why your ears are just the right ones for you!

What is the proper way to ask Mr. Panda for doughnuts? Patiently and politely, Mr. Panda asks the animals he comes across if they would like a doughnut. A penguin, a skunk, and a whale all say yes, but they do not remember to say "please" and "thank you." Is anyone worthy of Mr. Panda's doughnuts? Steve Antony has captured a cute panda, delightful animals hungry for doughnuts, and a manners lesson.

Bad Kitty's in a bad mood, a very bad mood, and Puppy is not helping. Enter Uncle Murray, who's tasked with taking care of Puppy for the day, but that's when the trouble begins. When they go on a walk through the park, Uncle Murray almost gets himself arrested while Puppy ends up in the pound, where he meets some very peculiar new pals.

When Ruth Ann (Roo) McCabe responds to a text message while she's driving, her life as she knows it ends. The car flips, and Roo winds up in a hospital bed, paralyzed. Silent. Everyone thinks she's in a coma, but Roo has locked-in syndrome - she can see and hear and understand everything around her, but no one knows it. She's trapped inside her own body, screaming to be heard. Mathilda (Tilly) is Roo's sister and best friend. She was the one who texted Roo and inadvertently caused the accident. Now, Tilly must grapple with her overwhelming guilt and her growing feelings for Roo's boyfriend, Newton - the only other person who seems to get what Tilly is going through. But Tilly might be the only person who can solve the mystery of her sister's condition - who can see through Roo's silence to the truth underneath. Somehow, through medicine or miracles, will both sisters find a way to heal?

The women in Emma's family all have a special destiny that comes to them in the form of a dream, and when they finally achieve this destiny, they're rewarded with a vision of all their extraordinary ancestors. Emma has spent her whole life waiting to discover her destiny, and maybe see her mom again, even if just for a moment. But the dream never comes. Just when she's about to give up, she learns that someone is sending her messages, hints about a secret in Emma's family that could change everything. But can she solve the mystery in time to prove her destiny and say a final farewell to the mother who was taken from her too soon?

Serafina has never ventured beyond the grounds of Biltmore Estate. The family upstairs doesn’t know that Serafina exists. But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is: a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore's corridors at night. Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of the Biltmore's owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak's true identity before all of the children vanish one by one. The hunt leads Serafina into the very forest that she has been taught to fear. There she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic, one that is bound to her own identity. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek the answers that will unlock the puzzle of her past!

Nate Harlow would love to be lucky, just once! He'd like to win a prize, get picked first, call a coin toss right, even! But his best friend, Genesis Beam (aka Gen), believes in science and logic, and she doesn't think for one second that there's such a thing as luck, good or bad. She doesn't care what names the other kids call them. She cares about being right, about saving the turtles of Paradise Beach, and she cares about Nate. Then, on his birthday, at the Goofy Golf mini-golf course, Nate is struck by lightning, and survives! Suddenly baseballs are drawn to his bat and popular kids want HIM on their side. It seems the whole town of Paradise Beach thinks Nate has the magic touch. But is there room for Gen in Nate's lucky new world?

Sam, Antonio, and Lucy are passing around a soccer ball at recess when something strange happens... They soon find themselves in a fog-filled jungle! The grass and trees have come alive, growing high into the sky. And the friends discover that it's not just the school itself that's alive - it's everything on the school grounds! Will they find their way out of a monstrous hedge maze in time to rescue the rest of the students?

Duncan the Dragon loves to read. When he reads a story, his imagination catches fire! Unfortunately . . . so does his book. Fire breath is great for roasting marshmallows, but it’s not so great for reading. Duncan just wants to get to those two wonderful words, like the last sip of a chocolate milk shake: The End. Will he ever find out how the story ends? This bright, warm tale champions determination, friendship, and a love for books. And milk shakes!

"I'm obsessed with abandoned things." Siena's obsession began a year and a half ago, around the time her two-year-old brother Lucca stopped talking. Now Mom and Dad are moving the family from Brooklyn to Maine hoping that it will mean a whole new start for Lucca and Siena. She soon realizes that their wonderful old house on the beach holds secrets. When Siena writes in her diary with an old pen she found in her closet, the pen writes its own story, of Sarah and Joshua, a brother and sister who lived in the same house during World War II. As the two stories unfold, amazing parallels begin to appear, and Siena senses that Sarah and Joshua's story might contain the key to unlocking Lucca's voice.

On the night of February 18, 1952, during one of the worst winter storms that New England has ever seen, two oil tankers just off the shore of Cape Cod were torn in half by the force of the storm. This middle-grade adaptation of an adult nonfiction book tells the story of the shipwreck and a harrowing Coast Guard rescue when four men in a tiny lifeboat overcame insurmountable odds and saved more than 30 stranded sailors. This is a fast-paced, uplifting story that puts young readers in the middle of the action. It’s a gripping story of heroism and survival with the same intensity as the bestselling book and movie THE PERFECT STORM. A film adaptation of this gripping adventure will be released in January 2016.

The trial of the century has come to Tupelo Landing, NC. Mo and Dale, aka Desperado Detectives, head to court as star witnesses against Dale's daddy, confessed kidnapper Macon Johnson. Dale's nerves are jangled, but Mo, who doesn't mind getting even with Mr. Macon for hurting her loved ones, looks forward to a slam dunk conviction--if everything goes as expected. Of course, nothing goes as expected. Macon Johnson sees to that. In no time flat, Macon's on the run, Tupelo Landing's in lockdown, and Dale's brother's life hangs in the balance. With Harm Crenshaw, newly appointed intern, Desperado Detectives are on the case. But it means they have to take on a tough client, one they'd never want in a million years. For everyone who's already fallen for Mo and Dale, and for anyone who's new to Tupelo Landing, THE ODDS OF GETTING EVEN is a heartwarming story and the perfect follow-up to the Newbery honor winner THREE TIMES LUCKY.

Bee is an orphan who lives with a carnival and sleeps in the back of a truck. Every day she endures taunts for the birthmark on her face, though she prefers to think of it as a precious diamond. Then one day a scruffy dog shows up, as unwanted as she, and Bee realizes she must find a home for them both. She discovers a cozy house with gingerbread trim that reminds her of frosting, where two mysterious women, Mrs. Swift and Mrs. Potter, take her in. Whoever these women are, they matter. They matter to Bee. And they are helping Bee realize that she, too, matters to the world, if only she will let herself be a part of it.

Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodbridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Hilligas challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya, unaware of the reason for the detour, reluctantly follows. They soon get lost. And then they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined. In the days and weeks that follow, the authorities and the U.S. Senate become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world.

Hunting - the predator, and its prey - is at the heart of this riveting and suspenseful novel from Newbery Medalist Avi with illustrations from Caldecott Medalist Brian Floca. In the computer game world of Bow Hunter - Casey’s world - there are no deaths, just kills. In the wolf world - Nashoba’s world - there have been no kills. For this is March, the Starving Time in the Iron Mountain region of Colorado, when wolves and ravens alike are desperate for food. With the help of a raven, the miraculous Merla, Nashoba must lead his pack of eight to a next meal. The wolf hates being dependent on a mere bird, but Merla is a bird wise beyond her years. And when thirteen-year-old Casey crosses their path, two very different approaches to hunting collide.

Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields. The girl doesn't remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she's from the Dragonfly Territories and that she's protected by the king, which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home. The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year, and stowing away is a difficult prospect - everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible. Life for Piper just turned very dangerous, a little bit magical, and extremely exciting - if she can manage to survive the journey.

There is an island, far off the coast of Maine, where the ghosts of the past are restless. Josie Sandoval and Eli Barker are strangers when they board the ferry to Stone's Throw, traveling to the isolated island for a wedding. Then an immense storm blows in, and the wedding party is left stranded with no way to contact the mainland... and no idea that they have been targeted for revenge by the undead. The only clues to the danger they're in are a scrap of an old Nazi uniform and an unfamiliar voice, crying out for help in German. Josie and Eli soon realize there's much more to worry about than guest lists and flowers. It's up to them to uncover the chilling history of Stone's Throw Island and put its ghosts to rest -- or this dream wedding will become an absolute nightmare.

Featuring princesses from cultures around the world, THE REAL PRINCESS DIARIES explores what it means to be royal. Each spread includes portraits of the princesses, in-depth bios, crowning achievements, and family trees. Readers will discover which princesses have official royal duties and which ones simply reign. With bonus sidebars about ladies-in-waiting, the crown jewels, royal outfits--and princes, too-- this enchanting, full-color book is the definitive guide to royal daughters and a must-read for princess fans everywhere!

August “Auggie” Jones lives with her Grandpa Gus, a trash hauler, in a poor part of town. So when her wealthy classmate’s father starts the House Beautification Committee, it’s homes like Auggie’s that are deemed “in violation.” Auggie is determined to prove that she is not as run-down as the outside of her house might suggest. Using the kind of items Gus usually hauls to the scrap heap, a broken toaster becomes a flower; church windows turn into a rainbow walkway; and an old car gets new life as spinning whirligigs. What starts out as a home renovation project becomes much more as Auggie and her grandpa discover a talent they never knew they had—and redefine a whole town’s perception of beauty, one recycled sculpture at a time. Auggie’s talent for creating found art will remind readers that one girl’s trash really is another girl’s treasure.

Mama has trained her baby possums in the ways of their breed, and now it’s time for all of them - even little Appleblossom - to make their way in the world. Appleblossom knows the rules: she must never be seen during the day, and she must avoid cars, humans, and the dreaded hairies (sometimes known as dogs). Even so, Appleblossom decides to spy on a human family - and accidentally falls down their chimney! The curious Appleblossom, her faithful brothers—who launch a hilarious rescue mission - and even the little girl in the house have no idea how fascinating the big world can be. But they're about to find out! With dynamic illustrations, a tight-knit family, and a glimpse at the world from a charming little marsupial's point of view, this cozy animal story is a perfect read-aloud and a classic in the making.