New Releases by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

Alan Lawrence Sitomer writes a compelling story of piecing together a life after a devastating loss--when the threat of violence lurks at every step. When Teddy Anderson''s little sister Tina is gunned down randomly in a drive-by shooting, the gangstas who rule the streets in the Anderson family''s rapidly deteriorating neighborhood dismiss the incident as just another case of wrong place, wrong time. According to gangsta logic, Tina doesn''t even count as a statistic. After his elaborately laid plans for revenge against his sister''s killer are foiled by the cops. Teddy soon finds himself in and then out of prison on house arrest, into the hands of Officer Mariana Diaz, the smart, tough probation officer assigned to oversee his endless hours of community service. As part of the innovative rehabilitation program Diaz runs, Teddy is assigned to tutor Micah, a twelve-year-old orphan and would-be gansta. As Teddy goes through the motions of complying with the terms of his probation, Diaz has no idea that he is using his genius-level computer hacker skills to plot his final vengeance and to defraud the state education system of hundreds of thousands of dollars. But even though Teddy thinks he knows it all, he fails to see how Micah''s desperate need for love and trust just might have the power not only to pierce all Teddy''s defenses, but to save his family.

Sonia Rodriguez was born in the United States, but her parents are Mexican immigrants who came to California before she was born. Her father has three Social Security numbers, her mother is pregnant (again), and neither of them speaks English. Sonia''s mother spends most of her time in bed, watching soap operas, and letting Sonia clean up after her brothers. Sonia''s father works dutifully to support his family, but he knows that his daughter''s dreams are bigger than making tamales for family get-togethers. When Sonia attempts to put school work before her familia, her mother decides that it''s time for Sonia to visit her grandmother in Mexico to learn "the ways of the old world." While in Mexico, Sonia gets to know her wise grandmother and her cousin Maria, who teach her that while familia is important, the most important thing is to follow your heart. Sonia returns to the States determined to succeed in school, but the birth of her new twin siblings, inappropriate advances from her drunk uncle (Drunkle), and a forbidden relationship with an El Salvadorian boy push school to the back burner. If only Sonia can find the time to cook dinner, secretly meet with her boyfriend, avoid her Drunkle, AND finish her homework, she just might be able to graduate from high school. . . .

What do a truck-driving princess, space aliens who burp fire, and Kung-Fu pigs have in common? They''re all a part of the most epic bedtime story ever! When Jake and Jenny turn down every book Daddy tries to read before bed, he decides to make up his own story. In his follow up to Daddies Do It Different, Alan Lawrence Sitomer spins an unexpected adventure that zigzags from hilarious, to heartwarming, to cupcake-making unicorns, and back.

What do glow-in-the-dark glue sticks, an electronic garbage truck pencil sharpener, and neon paper clips have in common? Not one of them is on the list and yet they all end up in the back-to-school cart when Daddy, Jake, and Jenny pick out school supplies while Mommy''s off shopping in another part of the store. In this heartwarming and hilarious tale, Jake and Jenny surprise Daddy with one more special item that most definitely isn''t on the list.

Provides the strategies, tips and tools students need to competently and confidently conquer word problems.

After placing teenage mixed martial arts phenom McCutcheon Daniels and his mother and sister in the Witness Relocation Program,the FBI comes to realize they have a unique asset on their hands. Recruited to help the FBI, McCutcheon finds himself hunting bad guys. But when he discovers that the notorious Priests have targeted Kaitlyn???the girl he loves and was forced to leave behind???as a way to seek revenge on the Daniels family, MD convinces the FBI to send him right into the belly of the beast: Jenkells State Penitentiary where the mob boss of Detroit is serving time. Yet in his universe where up is down, McCutcheon ends up disavowed by the government and left to rot in one of America''s most notorious prisons. It''s there here connects with his father and discovers the truth about his circumstances. McCutcheon, a trained urban warrior, escapes ??? and sets out for revenge on those who betrayed him and his family.

Daddy sure doesn''t do things the way Mommy does! Just in time for Father''s Day, this hilarious picture book takes a high-spirited look at the way dads put their own spin on different parts of a child''s life -- from going to a birthday party to bathtime. Alan Sitomer''s debut picture book is inspired by his own experiences as a father and winningly complemented with delightful art by Abby Carter.

Provides information and activities to help teachers connect the classroom language arts curriculum to hip-hop.

A ferocious novel, Caged Warrior is like a great fight movie, a tour-de-force of relentless conflict, but one that is leavened with rich characters and meaningful and loving relationships. McCutcheon Daniels'' life is full of bone-cracking violence. As a star fighter in the gritty underground Mixed Martial Arts circuit in the poorest section of Detroit, McCutcheon fights under the tutelage of his volatile and violent father, not so much for himself but to survive as protector of his beloved five-year old sister, Gemma. As McCutcheon battles opponents who are literally trying to kill him, he struggles to find a way to protect her and himself. Along the way, he decides to trust a teacher who has taken an interest in him and begins to redirect the path his life is taking. Until he discovers the truth about his mother who seemingly disappeared on his thirteenth birthday.

In the sequel to Alan Lawrence Sitomer''s "Mean Girls meets Revenge of the Nerds" (Publishers Weekly) The Rise of the Dorkasaurus, the Nerd Girls are back, and though they hope to leave behind all the drama with the popular girls, there may still be a score to settle. Fed up with the perpetual infighting, the school principal insists that if the two groups want to continue to "compete" with one another, they will do so in a productive manner and thus forces all six girls, Nerd Girls and ThreePees, to participate in the Academic Septhalon. But Maureen has family troubles. And issues of self-esteem. And a desire to bury her head in the sand and pretend that all of the very real issues she''s facing as a kid who is now growing up are not really happening to her. Are cupcakes, a sarcastic sense of humor and a hope that it will all "just go away" on its own enough to get Maureen through eighth grade? Will Beanpole wake up and smell the coffee? Will Alice really be able to cure herself of the allergies that plague her? It''s A Catastrophe of Nerdish Proportions, a fast-paced, funny, foray back into the lives of the three nerds we got to know and love in Nerd Girls: The Rise of the Dorkasaurus.

"Mean Girls meets Revenge of the Nerds, middle-school style, in a novel that peeks into the lives of an offbeat cast of 13-year-olds." --Publishers Weekly Maureen, a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed dork-a-saurus, is totally addicted to cupcakes and hot dogs and thinks that her body looks like a baked potato. Allergy-plagued Alice can''t touch a mango without breaking out in a rash, and if she eats wheat, her vision goes blurry. Klutzy to the extreme, Barbara is a beanpole who often embarrasses herself in front of the whole school. These outcasts don''t have much in common -- other than the fact that they are often targets of the ThreePees: the Pretty, Popular, Perfect girls who rule the school. But one day Maureen decides that it''s time to topple the eight-grade social regime. She joins forces with Alice and Barbara and the Nerd Girls enter the school talent show, determined to take the crown from the ThreePees. Will their routine be enough to de-throne the popular crowd? Or will their plan backfire and shake their hold on the bottom rung of the social ladder?

All Bobby Connor wants is to survive middle school, but puberty is making that difficult for him as his body conspires against him.

From the book: "Once Upon a Time there was a little girl that PEEE-YEWWW! had very stinky feet. Her name was Cinder-Smella and though she was very pretty and very nice, her family was very mean to her. Especially her evil stepmother and two wicked stepsisters, Rosalyn and Faye. They were jealous of her beauty. They teased her non-stop, forced her to do all the house-work, and NEVER let her wear socks. All of this made Cinder-Smella very unhappy. And then one day . . ." See why author Rodman Philbrick (Freak the Mighty) calls Cinder-Smella "Pure magic!" and says that "Sitomer and Bair are the Penn & Teller of a witty, laugh-out-loud, gorgeously illustrated tale that will appeal to adults as well children." Emma Glover, California Teacher of the Year (2006) relates her experience of the book: "My first thought in looking at Cinder-Smella was "Oh No! Not another Cinderella. . ." From the beginning of the book I quickly realized that Cinder-Smella was no ordinary, hum-drum version of an old classic. Alan Sitomer''s version kept me smiling and laughing to the very end. A book destined to keep children giggling and adults, at the very least, smiling. Truly a book to share, read together and enjoy." Learn more about Cinder-Smella and download bonus materials at www.Cinder-Smella.com!

A pull-no-punches, inspirational trip inside the classroom of a Three-Time Teacher of the Year award winner and celebrated young adult novelist.

Follows an African-American teenager through four years at her inner-city high school.

Provides information and activities to help teachers connect the classroom poetry and language arts curriculum to hip-hop.

Andre Anderson is a black teenager who loves to play basketball, When he is viciously attacked, it calls his whole world into question--even his deadly jumpshot.