FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. In this fifth book, Alexander stumbles into a VERY large footprint. And his friend Rip keeps finding candy in the street. What kind of monster leaves HUGE footprints behind? And where is all the candy coming from? Alexander, Rip, and Nikki must find out fast–before it’s too late! This book is filled with humor, suspense, and zany black-and-white illustrations throughout!

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A very funny post-apocalyptic graphic novel, now a New York Times bestseller!

“Terrifyingly fun! Delivers big thrills and even bigger laughs.”–Jeff Kinney, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Diary of a Wimpy Kid
 
The zombies are disappearing. This might seem like a good thing, since zombies eat your brains, but normal human kid Jack Sullivan is suspicious. He keeps hearing an eerie shrieking noise that seems to be almost summoning the zombies—but to where, and for what (probably) foul purpose?
 
Jack, his three best friends (maybe the only people left on Earth), and their pet monster Rover need to get to the bottom of this. Along the way they encounter a lot more than they bargained for, including a giant Wormungulous, a pizza parlor monster hangout, an ancient evil who destroys worlds, and a stereo system that is totally the bomb. Can Jack figure out why the zombies are vanishing . . . before he and his friends are next?

From the Hardcover edition.

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FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Pippi has no problem living without adults, but when her long-lost father reappears, she decides to sail the seas with him.

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How far would you go to avoid eating your vegetables? A young boy thinks he’s discovered a way out of eating his peas—he makes a bargain with a fiendishly funny monster. First the deal is simple: the monster will eat the boy’s peas in exchange for his soccer ball. But with each new encounter, the monster’s demands escalate. Eventually, our hero faces a daunting decision—can he conquer his loathing for peas or will he lose his most prized possession?

Matt Faulkner’s uproariously detailed illustrations and Danny Schnitzlein’s Seuss-inspired verse combine to create a clever story about how far we are willing to go to avoid doing the things we hate.

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DO YOU HAVE what it takes to be an astronaut? Meghan McCarthy blasts readers off to astronaut school in her new, young, nonfiction picture book. Take a ride on the “Vomit Comet” and learn how it feels to be weightless. Have your measurements taken—100 to be exact—for your very own space suit. Meghan McCarthy has created the perfect book to share with children who want to be astronauts when they grow up.

From the Hardcover edition.

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Mad Scientist Mad Libs features 21 original stories all about mad scientists! Topics include science experiments gone wrong, real life mad scientists, Frankenstein, and much much more! This makes a great Halloween–or anytime!–buy.

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This is a story about Donnie, a young Dung Beetle who grows tired of his same old breakfast and goes off in search of other options. With beautiful illustrations, and a cast of vibrant characters Donnie meets along the way, this is a colorful and funny tale designed to entertain parents and kids alike.

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In this royal adventure, Princess Juniper learns what it means to rule a kingdom–at least for the summer.

For her thirteenth nameday all Princess Juniper wants is a country of her own. So when rumblings of unrest start in his kingdom, Juniper’s father decides to grant his daughter’s wish and sends her to a small, idyllic corner of the Hourglass Mountains until trouble blows over. Once there, Juniper discovers that ruling a small country–even just for the summer–is a bit harder than she’d expected, especially when cousin Cyril challenges her rule. Still, the most difficult part is to come. Juniper and her friends discover that her father’s kingdom is at war. The only way to stay safe is to remain in the Hourglass Mountains much longer than planned. Juniper may have her own country after all . . . but what will that mean for the kingdom of Torr?

This book is perfect for fans of Frozen and Brave, who like their princess strong and smart as well as sparkly. 

Praise for Princess Juniper of the Hourglass:

“I absolutely loved Princess Juniper of the Hourglass!  It’s fantastically delightful, delicious, and satisfying.  You’ll want to follow Juniper to her kingdom — or even better, start your own!”–Sarah Beth Durst, author of Enchanted Ivy and Ice
  
“I adored Princess Juniper! Readers will cheer as she leads and defends her hidden kingdom in this deliciously charming fantasy.”–Julie Berry, author of Secondhand Charm and The Amaranth Enchantment

“Princess Juniper proves that you can love your silk dresses and still be a hero. This is a smart, feisty kid with a thirst for experiences, and I loved watching her learn to lead. A fun and insightful coming-of-age tale.”—Ellen Booraem, author of Small Persons with Wings
 
“A gently adventurous and luxuriously detailed romp.”–Kirkus Reviews

“With elements from William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies and Paul Fleischman’s Weslandia, this story can be enjoyed by those who love princess stories and adventure tales….A rollicking tale that will please a wide range of readers.”–School Library Journal

“This…dramatic and humorous novel…involves some entertaining twists and paves the way for more lighthearted intrigue ahead.”–Publishers Weekly 

“Paquette takes young readers gently by the hand into the adult world of responsibility, danger, and the unknown. The fully developed cast of characters is engaging, and readers will cheer the conclusion and happily await Juniper’s further adventures.”–Booklist

   
Ammi-Joan Paquette Awards and Reviews:

Ghost in the House 
A Huffington Post “Best Halloween Books of 2013,” School Library Journal “Great Books for Halloween” pick; and Canadian Children’s Book Centre “Best Books for Kids & Teens” 2014 pick
 
Petey & Pru and the Hullabaloo 
Starred review, Kirkus
 
The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies 
A “Best Books for Children 2009” choice by the Association of Booksellers for Children
Featured in Scholastic: Parent & Child magazine’s “Fun Finds”
 

From the Hardcover edition.

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is the collaborative work of illustrator J. Ben Moss and author Oona Zbitkovskis. It is a collection of whimsical poetry in which a simple walk can bring about fantastical discoveries or curiosity can lead to unwanted guests who just refuse to leave. This delightful book is filled with a host of poems to tickle the fancy of any child or adult. Beautiful illustrations accompany the poems and set the tone for the work, which we hope becomes a favorite.

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Patchwork Dog has a knack for getting into trouble and his best friend, Calico Cat usually winds up right in the middle of the mess with him. Calico would rather spend her days sleeping in her nice comfortable bed, staying safe and worry free. She knows better than to follow Patchy when he is out looking for a new adventure, but she tags along anyway just in case. On the other hand, Patchy is very curious and is always investigating new sights, sounds and smells. He follows his nose wherever it goes. Sometimes that leads to trouble but other times it gives Calico a chance to play a trick on her not so smart friend. Children will laugh out loud when the two lovable creatures go to the beach where Patchy comes nose to claw with a fiddler crab, or when they take a walk through the woods and meet a not too friendly bear who can not decide whether to help the two lost campers or eat them. In the other stories, children will enjoy reading about how Patchy and Calico accidentally join the circus, take an unplanned boat ride and get caught sneaking into a school classroom. Patchy and Calico’s Summer Vacation has illustrations at the beginning of each chapter that hint at what the new adventure will be about. Other pictures are included at the end of each story along with some questions for the child to answer. Older children can read the stories themselves or it would make a wonderful bedtime story book for younger kids. The five tales will entertain children of all ages with the antics of the title characters and hopefully teach youngsters some valuable lessons about working together and staying out of trouble. Excerpt “Patchy, I think we’re going the wrong way. There are no more footprints and your wonderful nose doesn’t seem to be working. The dog carried on walking and sniffing. Calico Cat started to cry. “We’re lost! I knew it was a mistake to go off by ourselves. Oh no, what was that noise? Was it a bear? I’m scared, Patchy.” “Calico, there are not any bears around here and…” Before Patchwork Dog could say any more, he heard a noise too, followed by a deep growl. A big, black bear stuck his head out from behind the bushes. He looked at the two strangers and growled again. Patchy and Calico were so scared that they could not move. The bear walked closer and closer. The two friends closed their eyes, afraid to see what the bear was going to do next. Sniff… sniff… snort! The bear’s big nose checked out the strange new smells. Patchy felt one of his floppy ears lifted up. The bear’s hot breath tickled the inside of his ear and the little dog giggled. “Hmm, who are you and what are you doing in MY woods,” asked the bear in a very gruff voice. The two friends introduced themselves, and Calico explained what had happened to them, ending with, “Please don’t eat us!” “Um, well, I’m Bobby Bear and this is MY home. I don’t like strangers. You’re lucky, because right now I’m not all that hungry, so I won’t eat you; that is, if you leave RIGHT NOW!”

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New from the team behind The Three Ninja Pigs and Ninja Red Riding Hood

These ninja chicks are anything but chicken!
 
When Hensel and Gretel’s dad gets snatched by a fox, the sisters put their ninja skills to work to track him down before he can be stir-fried.
 
But are these two little chicks ready to take on a dark tangled forest, a tricky house made of corn bread, and an even trickier fox?
 
This plucky pair isn’t giving up without a fight! Kiya!

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This is a children’s book about family and the power of unconditional love. It is a picture book that teaches character. Since this book offers the author’s best parenting advice, it makes a great gift for expectant mothers and fathers. Expecting parents will see how children learn from their example. This is one picture book from which both children and parents can learn important lessons.

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Banishment from his life’s calling can’t keep a comically overconfident detective down in the latest episode by New York Times bestseller Stephan Pastis.

This book was never meant to exist. No one needs to know the details. Just know this: there’s a Merry, a Larry, a missing tooth, and a teachers’ strike that is crippling Timmy Failure’s academic future. Worst of all, Timmy is banned from detective work. It’s a conspiracy of buffoons. He recorded everything in his private notebook, but then the manuscript was stolen. If this book gets out, he will be grounded for life. Or maybe longer. And will Timmy’s mom really marry Doorman Dave?

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Ten-year-old Charlie Petkus isn’t surprised to get scratchy wool underwear from Aunt Mutzi for Christmas 1932, but he is surprised that her gift package includes a diary. To his dismay, his Lithuanian-immigrant mother thinks a diary is the perfect present. “You man of family, Casimir,” she says. “You learn to write the English like good American.” Charlie wants more than anything to make Mama proud. But he’s not sure education is the way to manhood, especially since he doesn’t like school. With the Great Depression on, Charlie thinks it would be much manlier to quit the 4th grade and go to work like his friend Ray.
From Christmas 1932 to Christmas 1933, Charlie finds plenty of fun and adventure in his ethnic neighborhood. He discovers that sledding on a car hood results in embarrassment and a very snowy bottom. He finds that a “dead” pheasant that isn’t quite as dead as he thought can make a big mess in a Ford Model B. He learns that if you take a job harvesting onions before school, you get your feet filthy on just the day they make you take your shoes off to be weighed and measured—but you also earn a whole dime for your work. By night, Charlie writes in his diary to make Mama proud. But by day, he watches Ray, who now dresses like a man, smokes like a man, and earns a man’s wage. Charlie wonders why his mama and sisters should live on cabbage soup and the occasional package of broken cookies while “the man of the family” sits in school writing a poem called “Spring is Here.” The decision Charlie makes next will determine the course of his life and his understanding of what it really means to be a man.

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There are sea monsters, millionaires, spies, and more in the latest volume of Carl Barks’s internationally beloved Donald Duck comics.

When Donald and the boys wind up in Old California, the rush is on ? for the gold in them thar hills! Carl Barks delivers another superb collection of outrageous hijinks, preposterous situations, bamboozlement, befuddlement, and all-around cartooning brilliance. Full color illustrations throughout

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FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Hank the Cowdog and his sidekick Drover find themselves confronting a huge storm in the middle of the night.

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An accident on the road. An unexpected marriage.
A slew of long-term, noisy wedding guests from Wisconsin who prefer sports to romance. A new friend who isn’t what she seems, and another one who is more than April Grace could hope for. The summer of 1987 at the Reilly home is off to a rousing, hilarious start to the further and continuing Confessions of April Grace!

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FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. As Christmas approaches, Caroline Malloy continues the feud between her sisters and the Hatford brothers by making Wally Hatford be her partner for a special project at school.

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Now that Kaz can finally pass through walls without feeling all “skizzy,” he can go explore Beckett’s secret room at the back of the library. What he finds there is a mystery he never expected!

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Creepy, crawly, slimy, and awesome! Welcome to the darkly detailed world of spiky-haired Lio.

A curious young scientist and comic book fan, Lio is the defender of the defenseless and the inventor of a legion of zombie bunnies. Lio is joined in his day-to-day exploits by his exasperated and sleep-deprived father, a pet snake named Frank, a squid named Ishmael, and various imaginary robots and creepy, crawly monsters. Within this humorously macabre framework of sarcasm, parody, and high jinks, sidesplitting laughter abounds—all without so much as a word.

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FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Ed and his friends accidentally sign up for a playwriting contest, a dangerous activity for someone who possesses the Silver Center, and what they write is pretty strange, but when it comes to actually performing the play, Ed’s magic coin lends new meaning to the words “”stage fright.

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Perfect for the fan who can’t get enough Gumball!

This hilarious yearbook mimics an actual junior high yearbook featuring information on students, clubs, sports, etc., as well as plenty of handwritten comments by Gumball and friends! It also includes pages for readers to fill in with their own school stories and memories.

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With a lot of searching and a lot of luck, Kaz has found his dog Cosmo, his little brother Little John, his grandmom, and his grandpops. But what about his parents? Or his big brother Finn? Will he ever see them again? Kaz wants to keep looking for his family, but when Claire hears about a ghost at the fire station, Kaz knows it’s a case for C & K Ghost Detectives!

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Here is Edgar Award Winner Dori Hillestad Butler’s seventh title in her not-too-scary chapter book mystery series, The Haunted Library. Perfect for reluctant readers in the mood for a great mystery!

A group of girls in Claire’s town have noticed strange sights and sounds coming from the tree house where their club meets. Is it a rival boys’ club trying to scare them away? Or is it a ghost? The girls ask Claire to tackle the mystery—and Kaz hopes to finally find the rest of his missing family members!

From the Trade Paperback edition.

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If you struggle to turn sticks into figures, then perhaps it is time to seek out a Trained Professional Artist! Illustrator Elwood H. Smith consults his expert funny bone as he leads budding artists through a tutorial on how to draw tricycle- riding pigs, silly-grinning cars, and jousting ketchup bottles. Emphasizing that subjects can be based on everyday materials and that artists have unique styles, this is a workbook that will encourage readers to experiment with their own types of visual expression.

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In the fourth volume of Don Rosa’s collected comic book Duck tales, we meet characters like Magica De Spell and learn about Scrooge’s Scottish boyhood, his teen adventures, and much more!

Uncle Scrooge, the world’s richest duck, knows exactly where he got every coin he ever earned. And in this fourth book of Duck epics by Don Rosa, that story begins to unfold at last! Relive Scrooge’s Scottish boyhood as “Last of the Clan McDuck,” then his teenage years as “Master of the Mississippi” on Uncle Pothole’s steamboat! Witness Scrooge’s first fights with the Beagle Boys and Flintheart Glomgold ? and in a bonus “Chapter 0,” his earliest meeting with Magica De Spell! Presented with brilliant color and a treasure trove of Rosa’s cover art and behind-the-scenes factoids, these Duckburg epics are back in a definitive, comprehensive edition for posterity ? at a bargain price worthy of Scrooge himself! Full-color illustrations throughout

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Garbage Pail Kids—a series of collectible stickers produced in the 1980s—combined spectacular artwork and over-the-top satire. The result was an inspired collaboration between avant-garde cartoonists and humorists including Art Spiegelman, Mark Newgarden, John Pound, Tom Bunk, and Jay Lynch. Based on Abrams’ bestselling book, this first-ever 16-month calendar features many of the most popular images from Series 1 through 5 from 1985 and 1986. Includes 4 bonus collectible stickers.

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There’s plenty of children’s books about kitties and bunnies and monsters. They’re all fine and good. Very entertaining – which they should be. I loved doing the research on them; they actually brought back my childhood in spades.

But how about a book that helps a child understand how very creative he truly is? I mean, get to the core.
If you have a child, a grandchild or a favorite little friend, give this one a try.

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