Scholastic Book Fairs Podcast

Poppy's life is turned upside down when her grandma (and guardian) has a stroke and ends up in the hospital. But Poppy is working on a plan to help Grandma Beth so their life together can go back to normal. However, when she witnesses an armed robbery, "back to normal" slips even further out of reach. To keep Poppy safe, the budget-strapped police devise an unusual "witness protection program," wherein Poppy will stay with Detective Brannigan's mother. Soon Poppy is feeling almost at home, even making sort-of friends with a girl named Lizzie and definitely friending Gunner, a beautiful dog with an uncertain fate. But it's still not home. So while she and Lizzie navigate a rocky friendship and plot to save Gunner's life, Poppy also tries to figure out a new plan to save Grandma Beth and their home, all while avoiding a dangerous robber who might be searching for her. But what if Grandma Beth can never come home and the robber is put behind bars? What will happen to Poppy then?

In a colorful tree house, a rainbow of kids decides what we need to do in our complex world, and the following spreads show children happily helping others. Kids bring abundant food to the hungry; medicine and cheer to the sick; safe housing, education, and religious tolerance to all; and our planet is treated with care. Forgiveness and generosity are seen as essential, because kids know how to share and they understand the power of love. The book closes with examples of fun ways to help others. A tribute to peace and a celebration of diverse cultures, this last collaboration by the Dillons captures the wondrous joy of all people, and the unique beauty within each one of us shines forth. If kids ran the world, it would be a better place.

Mighty dads, strong and tall, help their children, young and small. They keep them safe and bolted tight and show them how to build things right. Inventively told through James Dean's colorful construction vehicle characters, this is an adoring ode to hardworking fathers and the subtle ways they teach their boys and girls to follow in their tracks. This surprising and touching view of a father's love for his children is the perfect way to say: I'm proud of you!

A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and through it escapes into a world where wonder, adventure, and danger abound. Red marker in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon, and a flying carpet that carry her on a spectacular journey toward an uncertain destiny. When she is captured by a sinister emperor, only an act of tremendous courage and kindness can set her free. Can it also lead her home and to her heart’s desire? With supple line, luminous color, and nimble flights of fancy, author-illustrator Aaron Becker launches an ordinary child on an extraordinary journey toward her greatest and most exciting adventure of all. A 2014 Caldecott Honor book.

Discover the 101 most amazing disguises in the animal kingdom! The fifth book in the 101 ANIMAL series, 101 ANIMALS IN HIDING, will feature some of the most extraordinary creatures in nature. Featuring large full-color photos of camouflaged animals, see insects, reptiles, mammals, birds, and fish blend into their backgrounds. Learn how and why these amazing animals have developed these adaptations.

On an island on the edge of an immense sea there is a city, a forest, and a boy. The city is called Asteri, a perfect city that was saved by the magic woven into its walls from a devastating plague that swept through the world over a hundred years before. The forest is called the Barrow, a vast wood of ancient trees that encircles the city and feeds the earth with magic. And the boy is called Oscar, a shop boy for the most powerful magician in the Barrow. Oscar spends his days in a small room in the dark cellar of his master's shop, grinding herbs and dreaming of the wizards who once lived on the island generations ago. Oscar's world is small, but he likes it that way. The real world is vast, strange, and unpredictable. And Oscar does not quite fit in it.

Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst - and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come. From the remarkable imaginations of bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes a heart-stopping, mind-blowing, pulse-pounding plunge into the magical unknown.

Explore the most terrifying prisons of all time, from the Roman Coliseum to the Bastille, the Tower of London to Alcatraz. Each prison receives its own photo-intensive overview as well as a sidebar, a break-out fact box, and a quote. Each prison profile is followed by a feature spread that explores high-interest topics such as prison slang, prison clothes, and prison food, as well as little-known details about kids in prison, famous escapees, and ghost stories. Equal parts informative and fun, this is perfect for reluctant readers and tells why prison is to be avoided at all costs!

Jackson Greene has reformed. No, really he has. He became famous for the Shakedown at Shimmering Hills, and everyone still talks about the Blitz at the Fitz.... But after the disaster of the Mid-Day PDA, he swore off scheming and conning for good. Then Keith Sinclair -- loser of the Blitz -- announces he's running for school president against Jackson's former best friend Gaby de la Cruz. Gaby hasn't talked to Jackson since the PDA, and he knows she won't welcome his involvement. But he also knows Keith has "connections" to the principal, which could win him the election whatever the vote count. So Jackson assembles a crack team to ensure the election is done right: Hashemi Larijani, tech genius. Victor Cho, bankroll. Megan Feldman, science goddess and cheerleader. Charlie de la Cruz, point man. Together they devise a plan that will bring Keith down once and for all. Yet as Jackson draws closer to Gaby again, he realizes the election isn't the only thing he wants to win.

When Davey wakes, just as the sun is rising, he can't wait to slip out of the crammed hotel room he's sharing with his family. He can only imagine how irritated his parents and kid brother will be if they miss an opportunity to sleep in during vacation. He grabs his book and his glasses and heads for the beach, not bothering to leave a note. As the sparkling waters of the ocean entice him, he decides he will just test the water. Never mind that "No Swimming" sign. But when the waves pull him farther and farther out to sea, Davey finds himself surrounded not only by water, but something else - something circling below the surface. Michael Northrop's newest novel comes on the heels of his bestselling book TRAPPED!

After surviving his first year at Jedi Academy, Roan Novachez thought his second year would be a breeze. He couldn't have been more wrong. Roan feels like he's drifting apart from his friends, and it's only made worse when Roan discovers he's not the amazing pilot he thought he'd be. When the school bullies take him under their wing, he decides they aren't so bad after all - or are they?

On a foggy night in Amsterdam, a man falls from a rooftop to the wet pavement below. It's Archibald McQuinn, the notorious cat burgler, and he's dying. As sirens wail in the distance, Archie manages to get out two last words to his young son, March: "Find jewels." But March learns that his father is not talking about hidden loot. He's talking about Jules, the twin sister March never knew he had. No sooner do the two find each other, than they're picked up by the police and sent to the world's worst orphanage. It's not hard time, but it feels like it. March and Jules have no intention of staying put. They know their father's business inside and out, and they're tired of being pushed around. Just one good heist, and they'll live the life of riches and freedom that most kids only dream about. Watch out! There are wild kids on the loose and a crime spree coming.

A sinister problem has occurred in London: all nature of ghosts, haunts, spirits, and specters are appearing throughout the city, and they aren't exactly friendly. Only young people have the psychic abilities required to see and eradicate these supernatural foes. Many different Psychic Detection Agencies have cropped up to handle the dangerous work, and they are in fierce competition for business. In THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE, Lucy Carlyle teams up with Anthony Lockwood, the charismatic leader of Lockwood and Co., a small agency that runs independent of any adult supervision. After an assignment leads to both a grisly discovery and a disastrous end, Lucy, Anthony, and their sarcastic colleague, George, are forced to take part in the perilous investigation of Combe Carey Hall, one of the most haunted houses in England. Will Lockwood and Co. survive the Hall's legendary Screaming Staircase and Red Room to see another day?

Young Lara is being groomed in the family tradition to take over as Count Voronstov's next kennel steward, breeding borzoi dogs worthy of the Tsar. But then Lara's baby brother is born and she finds herself supplanted as her father decides to make her brother the next kennel steward. Going against her father's wishes and becoming increasingly sure of her special gift of understanding these incredible dogs, Lara risks everything when she reveals the truth about her visions. Now she must save Zar, her favorite borzoi and the one she raised from birth, from a hungry pack of wolves. Only then can she find her own extraordinary destiny.

LeBron James was the MVP of the 2013 basketball season and he is one of the best basketball players of all time. His accomplishments on and off the court will appeal to a wide audience - especially boys. He's the perfect person to lead with as the I AM series expands to include more current subjects.

What happens when little dinosaurs get mad? And how do they calm down? Brimming with humor, this sparkling new book handles a timeless children's topic with wit and wisdom. Romp and stomp! Roar and slam! Almost everyone gets angry. But how can young dinosaurs also learn to calm down, take a time out, and behave? The award-winning team of Yolen and Teague have created a fun, engaging book sure to help children handle anger and frustration. Readers will laugh at the antics of an Afrovenator's tantrum and a storming Pachyrhinosaurus!

Sam Graves discovers that his elementary school is ALIVE on his first day as hall monitor! Sam must defend himself and his fellow students against the evil school! Is Sam up to the challenge?

Rocket, the beloved dog from the New York Times bestselling picture books, is back in a leveled reader. Rocket is ready to find new words for his word tree with his teacher, the little yellow bird. He finds a leaf, a hat, and a star . . . but when he finds a red boot, he doesn’t want to let go. What will make Rocket drop it? With predictable patterns, simple words, lots of repetition, and bright, colorful illustrations, young readers will love this new Rocket book, which they can read all by themselves! A STEP into READING® Level 1 reader.

Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever. And for almost as long, they’ve been playing one continuous, ever-changing game of pirates and thieves, mermaids and warriors. Ruling over all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll cursing those who displease her. But they are in middle school now. Zach’s father pushes him to give up make-believe, and Zach quits the game. Their friendship might be over, until Poppy declares she’s been having dreams about the Queen - and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the bone-china doll is buried in her empty grave. Zach and Alice and Poppy set off on one last adventure to lay the Queen’s ghost to rest. But nothing goes according to plan, and as their adventure turns into an epic journey, creepy things begin to happen. Is the doll just a doll or something more sinister? And if there really is a ghost, will it let them go now that it has them in its clutches?

Today is the first day of school. The Dinotrux are nervous! What will they eat for lunch? Will their teacher be nice? But the Dinotrux don't need to worry. They can help each other. And school isn't scary. It's fun, especially when you are part dinosaur and part truck! A Passport to Reading Level 1 reader.