Most Popular Books by Betsy Byars

Sara''s life has always flowed smoothly, like the gliding swans on the lake, until her little brother Charlie disappears. Then Sara is forced to see her life in a whole new way.

The Moon that inspires Betsy Byars''s memoir isn''t the one in the sky, but a huge, harmless blacksnake she finds in the rafters of her porch. This meeting begins an exploration of the writing process. With energy, wit, and delight, the Newbery medalist shows how "the good scraps" of her life, from a bully named Bubba to a gift-wrapped dime, weave into her work.

The first book in the beloved series by the Newbery Medal–winning author “races without pause between hilarious, suspenseful and touching crises” (Publishers Weekly). Newbery Award–winning author Betsy Byars’s heartwarming and timeless books about the irrepressible Blossom family are back. In this introduction to the one-of-a-kind clan, Pap, the Blossoms’ grandfather, has landed himself in jail for disturbing the peace. Even though Junior is laid up in the hospital with two broken legs after jumping off the barn roof to test his new homemade wings, he and his sister and brother, Maggie and Vern, have come up with a plan to rescue Pap. A new generation of readers will fall head over heels for this engaging, hilarious family.

Poetry. "A long overdue collection, WEST OF MIDNIGHT places new works alongside pieces drawn from a decades-spanning career to illustrate the breadth of an influential and singular voice in poetry. Franz Douskey''s insights are uniquely his, his voice direct and his imagination meteoric. Douskey has lived long and large.... The poems are rich in wit, irreverence and a furious honesty. Everything is autobiographical. From intimate relationships, political quagmires, baseball and eroticism, Douskey wields an acerbic wit and a delicate command of tone to dive into the contradictions that make us human. From the haunted urban alleys of a turbulent childhood to his rhapsodic journeys through the nocturnal deserts of the Southwest, Douskey revels both in the absurdity of modern civilization and the heart-stopping beauty of the natural world"—Robert Reinhardt.

Lennie is addicted to television. Even reruns are more exciting than real life, and Lennie likes to pretend he''s the one experiencing the drama. But Lennie''s daydreams lead him into a real situation that could cost him his life—and suddenly he''s in trouble more terrifying and dangerous than anything he''s ever seen on TV. "Byars infuses the story with her special magic. Lennie is a likable, funny, moving, and always entertaining character." –Publishers Weekly

From Newbery-winning author Betsy Byars comes a story full of "poignancy, perception, and humor" (The Chicago Tribune), about three foster kids who learn what it takes to make a family. You can''t always decide where life will take you—especially when you''re a kid. Carlie knows she''s got no say in what happens to her. Stuck in a foster home with two other kids, Harvey and Thomas J, she''s just a pinball being bounced from bumper to bumper. As soon as you get settled, somebody puts another coin in the machine and off you go again. But against her will and her better judgment, Carlie and the boys become friends. And all three of them start to see that they can take control of their own lives.

Herculeah Jones finds herself in the middle of another mystery when her best friend Meat barely escapes a hitman’s bullet. Someone must have mistaken Meat for someone else. But who? Herculeah is determined to solve the mystery, before the assassin comes after her!

In this delightful follow-up to My Brother, Ant, Anthony comes face to face with a growling bear, pretends to be a dog, and hears a giant tapping on the window. These enchanting stories capture the relationship between Ant and his brother with warmth and humor.

DIVClara and Deanie are on vacation to see their dad—so why do they have to spend time with his new girlfriend and her annoying son? /divDIV After their parents’ divorce, sisters Clara and Deanie are more than happy to have some time alone with their father during a beach vacation. After all, nobody dotes on them as much as their father. But it turns out dad has different plans for their trip. He’s brought along his girlfriend and her son: the snotty, completely un-fun John D. Jones. But when disaster strikes, this group of distrustful semi-relations must come together quickly to avoid a major tragedy. This absorbing story of mixed-up families shows how emotional bonds stay strong even when parents move apart./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

DIVFrom the depths of the sewers comes a monster so gargantuan that no fishbowl can hold it/divDIV Warren Otis wants to make horror films when he grows up. But as an eight-year-old boy, he has to settle for imagining movies instead of making them. He’s thought up some real nightmares, including Bubbles, an innocent goldfish flushed down the toilet and exposed to a chemical that turned her into a one-ton monster./divDIV /divDIVWarren’s life sometimes feels like it’s a bad movie. He hasn’t seen his mom for three years, since she’s a fugitive from the FBI. His grandmother’s cranky and his sister’s acting mysterious. When things get too strange, Warren escapes into his imagination and writes one more scene featuring Bubbles. But will he ever get a chance to share his story with the people he loves?/divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

An ALA Notable Book for Children: “The Blossoms are totally real and believable, yet quirky enough to be fun” (School Library Journal). Junior Blossom has created the most spectacular invention of all time: a homemade UFO. The Green Phantom took all of the garbage bags and Day-Glo paint Junior could find, but now it requires one more very special ingredient. Although Junior needs help, his family seems too busy to notice. Then when Pap and his dog, Mud, don''t come home from town, the Blossoms are pulled apart even farther. Are Pap and Mud in serious trouble? Can a Blossom promise bring everyone back together again? The strength of family love triumphs in this adventurous third title of the best-selling Blossom Family series by Newbery Medal–winning author Betsy Byars.

From Newbery Medal-winning author Betsy Byars comes a sweet, entertaining story that will touch the heart of dog lovers at any age. A tornado appears in the distance, and the family quickly gathers into the storm cellar. The storm rages outside, but Pete, the farmhand, knows this is the perfect time to tell his stories about a dog named Tornado. Blown into their lives by a twister when Pete was a boy, Tornado was no ordinary dog—he played card tricks, saved a turtle’s life, and had a rivalry with the family cat. Forgetting their fear, the family hangs on every word of Pete’s stories—both happy and sad—of this remarkable dog.

DIVThere’s no such thing as a colt with wings—is there?/divDIV When Charles arrives at his Uncle Coot’s Texas ranch from back East, he’s sure that books have taught him everything he needs to know about horses. He wants to prove he’s a cowboy just like his uncle, a retired movie stunt rider, who knows Charles is out of his element. But when a neighbor’s mare gives birth to a miraculous colt with wings, Charles and Coot realize that they both have much more to learn. They grow to love the colt, named Alado, or “Winged One.” Still, it’s no easy feat caring for a mythical creature, especially when it can fly. Can Charles and Coot protect Alado—and each other?/divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

An entertaining adventure in the Newbery Medal–winning author’s series starring “a lively, likable family” (School Library Journal). Junior Blossom has set out to test his brand-new invention, a coyote trap. How on earth does he end up lost in a cave with Mad Mary, a.k.a. “the Vulture Lady,” while his family attempts to find him in this suspenseful and sidesplitting Blossom Family sequel.

DIVAlfie only feels comfortable when he’s drawing comics in the attic—but soon his safe haven will be off limits/divDIV Alfie is perfectly content to spend his time drawing alone in the attic. Nobody bothers him, and he has his door sealed tight against interruption. Up under the roof, he illustrates amazing cartoon strips about heroes and space adventures, from “Super Caterpillar” to “Super Bird”—even though his own life is anything but exciting. One day, Alfie’s mom calls him from the attic to tell him his older brother Bubba will be moving home and will take over the attic as his own apartment. Suddenly Alfie’s private world is turned inside out, and he’ll need to find a new “home,” even if that means spending time around his weird, argumentative family./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

Mystery is in Herculeah Jones’s blood. How could it not be, with a father on the police force and a mother who’s a private eye? So when Herculeah notices a man hanging around the "Dead Oaks" mansion, she can’t resist doing some investigating of her own. Legend has it the old estate was the site of a murder, and now it looks like there’s something even more nefarious going on. Can Herculeah crack the case before the mystery man closes in on her?

Amen McBee, the youngest of five sisters, gobbles up words the way other children gobble up sweets. She couldn''t be more different from her elder twin sisters Arabella and Annabella-called the Bellas. The mischievous Bellas constantly frighten Amen with stories of Mr. Tominski-the old recluse who lives in the woods nearby and mysteriously tends to a flock of doves. The Bellas insist that Mr. Tominski is a dangerous bogeyman who eats children whole, but Papa vows that the "keeper of the doves" wouldn''t hurt a soul. When tragedy strikes the family Amen must decide once and for all who is right.

DIVRetta, Johnny, and Roy have no parental rules to follow, so they’ve made up their own/divDIV After their mother passes away, Retta, Johnny, and Roy don’t have much parenting in their lives. Their dad is a country singer who keeps them well fed but isn’t around much. Older sister Retta takes control, leading her brothers on all sorts of unwise adventures and promising that one day they’ll have money, safety, and a nice home. When their dad is away performing at night, they slip into a neighbor’s pool to swim and pretend to have a glamorous life beneath the light of the moon. But freedom doesn’t mean happiness, especially when a new crisis emerges./divDIV /divDIVNational Book Award winner The Night Swimmers is a moving story of siblings who can count on nobody but one another./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

Meet Ant, the little brother who''s big on laughs. In four upbeat stories, Ant and his big brother confront the monster under the bed, recreate the story of the three little pigs, and write a letter to Santa—in July! Sometimes funny, always endearing, Ant is invariably entertaining.? "A great storyteller and a great illustrator are at their very best in this tender, funny easy-to-read."—Booklist, starred review

DIVSomehow Jimmie Little must overcome his belief that terrible things are always about to happen/divDIV Jimmie Little was always the sensible one in the family. The rest of his aunts, uncles, and cousins were always getting into ridiculous scrapes because of their bold, show-off attitudes. But when he loses his father to a mining accident and his Uncle Pete to a frozen river, everything changed. Jimmie is certain that everything he or anyone else in his family does will lead to certain disaster. It was his family that made him fearful, so it might take his family to help him find his confidence again./divDIV /divDIVGoodbye, Chicken Little is a moving story of a boy finding courage in himself and in his relatives./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

What happened to the class hamster? Find out in this Edgar Award–winning mystery story with some “delightfully comic twists” (Kirkus Reviews). When Junior brings home the classroom hamster, Scooty, he decides to build the best hamster tunnel ever. But when Scooty goes missing, all evidence points to Mud. Meanwhile, Mad Mary is missing, too—although her bag and walking stick were found near the highway. When Mary later wakes up in the hospital, she realizes that the Blossoms might just have provided her with the strength she needs to pull her life back together. It’s anything but an ordinary weekend with the Blossoms! Perfect for young dog lovers, this Edgar Award–winning Blossom Family title is a mysterious and touching finale to the bestselling series by Newbery Medal-winning author Betsy Byars.

When Herculeah Jones''s best friend, Meat, decides to take a comedy class, he just expects to get a few laughs. But then he discovers a dead body in the bathroom, and realizes that there''s nothing funny about murder. Things can''t get any worse—until the body disappears! Meat needs Herculeah''s help to uncover the clues, but she''s busy investigating a case of her own . . . one that might just change Meat''s life forever!

DIVAnna Bean goes to the roof in search of inspiration, and soon her family will follow her into a new world just a few floors above their home/divDIV The Bean children are not allowed to play on the roof of their apartment building. One evening Anna Bean goes up to the roof—not to play, but to be alone so she can write a poem for school. Her poetry writing fever is contagious; one by one, the rest of the Bean family visits the roof to write amongst pigeons and tall buildings—all except George, who can’t think of anything to write about. Beans on the Roof is a wonderful, inspiring story for young readers with a passion for creative writing./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection. DIVImages from previously published versions of this content have been removed to avoid copyright infringement./div/div

Young love, told by the Newbery Medal-winning author of Summer of the Swans Simon is in fifth grade, and every time he sees Cybil Ackerman, his heart pounds. Falling in love with her was easy, but winning her is not. Simon''s best friend, Tony, is also swooning over Cybil, and he''ll stop at nothing to ruin Simon''s chances of impressing her. When Simon realizes what Tony is up to, the war is on... but only Cybil can decide the outcome. Who will be the lucky winner of Cybil''s heart? "Young love, fifth-grade variety, portrayed with warmth and humor and that extra, penetrating touch one expects of Byars."—Kirkus Reviews An ALA Notable Book

From a Newbery Medal winner, another high-spirited adventure starring this “gutsy, captivating family” (School Library Journal). It is a time of ups and downs for the Blossoms. Maggie is thrilled to be on the rodeo circuit . . . until she witnesses Mom kissing a handsome stranger. Back at home, the family has weathered the worst flood in the state’s history, and Vern and Michael can’t wait to test their homemade raft down at the flooded Snake Creek. Suddenly, Pap hears screams and runs to the rescue, but a heart attack strikes. As Pap clings to life, the Blossoms must rely on the strength of their family and pull together as never before. The Blossom spirit endures as the family confronts the frailty of human life in Newbery Award–winning author Betsy Byars’s fourth Blossom Family book.

Madame Rosa, the eccentric local fortune teller, has been murdered, and the only witness is her parrot,Tarot. But he’s not talking. Herculeah Jones thinks she knows who the killer is, but she’s not the only one. . . . Someone else knows—someone who wants to make sure Herculeah won’t be around to see the future.

DIVAnna’s role in her family of gospel singers is an important one—far away from the stage/divDIV Every member of the Glory family is blessed with abundant musical talent. Everyone, that is, except for Anna. She can’t sing or play an instrument, so the family counts on her to sell their music at performances. Naturally, she feels completely left out. When her black sheep Uncle Newt is released from prison, Anna feels oddly close to him, even though they’ve never met before. After all, Newt must know what it means to feel like an outsider. But when the Glorys’ tour bus crashes and her loved ones are in danger, Anna can’t sit on the outside any longer./divDIV /divDIVThe Glory Girl is a funny, moving tale of one oddball kid finding her place in her family, and in the world./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

DIVBenjie and his friend Ezzie have escape plans for every emergency, including lion attacks and quicksand, but no clue what to do about the class bully /divDIV So what if Benjie “Mouse” Fawley likes practical jokes? He’s a good kid who never meant to harm anyone. The same cannot be said for Marv Hammerman, a boy in Benjie’s middle school who is as big as a high-schooler but has the temper of a two-year-old. When Benjie (in a fit of insanity) writes a joke about Marv for all to see, he soon realizes he’s stumbled into the biggest emergency he’s ever faced. Now Benjie must decide whether to stay at school and face a clobbering, or run off and live the rest of his life hiding in the woods. The 18th Emergency is a hilarious account of the trials of surviving the school bully./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

When Herculeah discovers a mysterious letter inside the lining of a secondhand coat, she suspects it''s a desperate cry for help. If so, what happened to the person who wrote it? Herculeah thinks she knows the answer. What she doesn''t know is that someone is watching her-someone who will do anything to keep her quiet.

When he builds his raft, a twelve-year-old boy never dreams that it will serve as the sole means of escape for him and his grandmother when hostile Indians threaten their prarie cabin.

Throughout the year, 12 of Mr. Magro''s students have written about their biggest emergencies and tucked them into The SOS File. Now it''s time to read the stories out loud and try to guess whose contribution has earned extra credit. Illustrations.

Together with her best friend and reluctant sidekick, Meat, Herculeah Jones meets a famous mystery author, Mathias King, aka the Murder King. King''s novels mirror gruesome, real-life murders, particularly A Slash of Life, which is about an unsolved local stabbing. Some people believe Mathias King isn''t making up the details, could he actually be responsible for the crime? Herculeah''s sure she can find out. But Meat seems too busy with his new girlfriend to give Herculeah much of a hand. Can Herculeah solve this mystery on her own, or will Meat''s dating be this sleuth''s downfall?

DIVWhen Birch agreed to one last flight in her grandfather’s Piper Cub, neither knew it would be a life-changing trip/divDIV Birch’s grandfather, “Pop,” wants to take his plane out for one more trip before moving into a retirement home. He wants to take Birch along with him, which sounds like a fine plan—until the two decide to turn the short flight into a cross-country adventure without telling Birch’s parents. As grandfather and granddaughter soar westward across strange, beautiful landscapes, Birch begins to learn more about her past, a grandmother she lost, and a family member she never knew she had./divDIV /divDIVCoast to Coast is a grand adventure; a heartwarming story of family revelations; and a panoramic view of the United States by air./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

Can Little Horse find his place in the big world? After accidentally falling into a stream, Little Horse fights the swift current that carries him farther and farther from the valley where he was born. When he finally manages to scramble ashore, a giant bird swoops down on him. Little Horse runs for cover in a forest of flowers only to have a giant paw pin him to the ground. But a hand gently lifts him up and tucks him inside a warm cave-just like the cave he used to share with his mother. This tender, fast-moving tale, written by master storyteller Betsy Byars and enhanced by David McPhail''s beguiling illustrations, is a true cliff-hanger.

At the eerie Hunt mansion, Herculeah Jones has been reading aloud to Lionus Hunt, an elderly stroke victim who can only communicate by blinking his eyes (once for yes, twice for no). Mr. Hunt seems to be trying to tell Herculeah something, but his gruff nurse won''t allow her to ask any questions. What is Mr. Hunt trying to say? Is it related to a murder that took place in the mansion?s black tower years ago? And who is the creepy old lady who lives in the mansion? Herculeah''s friend Meat thinks she may be asking for trouble, but Herculeah Jones won''t quit until she gets to the bottom of this mystery.

DIVQuestion one: How is it possible to fall in love with three girls in one day in a single English class?/divDIV Bingo Brown is an average sixth grader with an unusually serious approach to the business of being twelve. He’s got some “burning questions”—why does he get such wild crushes on girls? How can he avoid the school bully? Why is his favorite teacher acting so strangely?—and he’s determined to figure them out./divDIV /divDIVThis first entry in Byars’s acclaimed Bingo Brown series smartly captures all the highs and lows of adolescence./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div