New Releases by Dan Gemeinhart

In this heartfelt middle-grade romp from the New York Times-bestselling author of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, 12-year-old Oscar Aberdeen would do nearly anything to save his home, including: -Break an elderly ex-mobster out of his retirement home in exchange for a boatload of cash -"Borrow" a car -Gamble in an underground poker game -Help a cranky but lovable old man finish off his Bucket List Oscar Aberdeen is a bit of an oddball. He''s an ace at playing bridge, loves Frank Sinatra, and attends a whole lot of funerals. He''s also the youngest resident of Sunny Days retirement home by a half-century or so—and he wouldn''t have it any other way. So when his grandpa''s suddenly served an eviction notice that threatens their place at Sunny Days, he needs to find some cash. Fast. Enter Jimmy Deluca, a shady elderly man with a reputation for being bad news, who makes Oscar an offer he can''t refuse. He''s got the drop on riches hidden away on the "outside" and he''ll share the loot with Oscar on one condition: he busts him out of Sunny Days. In this humdinger of an adventure, the ultimate odd couple, along with an uninvited stowaway, go from high-stakes escape to rollicking escapade as they search for the secret stash. Will Oscar succeed in saving the only home he''s ever known? Or will he have to fuggedaboutit and return a failure?

From #1 New York Times–bestselling author Dan Gemeinhart comes a spooky picture book tale about a young baker whose Gingerbread Man creation comes to life with a fright—yet even monsters long for a friend. Perfect for fans of Creepy Carrots!, The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School, and Tim Burton. In his laboratory high on the hill, Frank N. Stine has a ferocious sweet tooth that snarls to be fed. But when an eerie experiment spills into his Gingerbread batter, a frightening cookie creation comes to life! The Gingerbread Monster is hulking, horrific . . . and hungry. But as Frank is chased by his creepy creation, the young baker begins to wonder what the Monster truly craves. After all, there’s no sweeter treat than friendship.

From #1 New York Times–bestselling author Dan Gemeinhart comes a wondrous, heartwarming tribute to the fictional friends we make in stories, the comfort and joy we find in them, and the delight of passing them down through the generations—for fans of Beekle, Toy Story, and Inside Out. Once upon a time, I met my reader. . . As soon as our young reader opens the cover of Meego''s book, the pair are the best of friends. Side by side, they leap from the adventures in Meego’s stories to the adventures in the child’s real life. From courageously creeping into shadowy caves to weathering Very Big Days like the first day of school, the friends journey and grow together through thick and thin. Though seasons turn, just like pages, the friends and memories we make within stories always stay with us. Once Upon a Friend is an imaginative ode to the beloved fictional characters who we never leave behind.

From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Dan Gemeinhart comes a standalone companion to the critically-acclaimed The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise about a father and daughter who venture on a moving, uplifting, and rollicking cross-country road trip. It''s been almost a year since Coyote and her dad left the road behind and settled down in a small Oregon town. . . time spent grieving the loss of her mom and sisters and trying to fit in at school. But just as life is becoming a new version of normal, Coyote discovers a box containing her mom’s ashes. And she thinks she might finally be ready to say goodbye. So Coyote and her dad gear up for an epic cross-country road trip to scatter the ashes at her mom’s chosen resting place. The only problem? Coyote has no idea where that resting place is—and the secret’s hidden in a book that Coyote mistakenly sold last year, somewhere in the country. Now, it’s up to Coyote to track down the treasured book . . . without her dad ever finding out that it’s lost. It’s time to fire up their trusty bus, Yager, pick up some old friends, discover some new ones, and hit the road on another unforgettable adventure. "Your heart needs this joyful miracle of a book." —Katherine Applegate, acclaimed author of The One and Only Ivan and Wishtree, on The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

The #1 New York Times and Indie bestseller! From Dan Gemeinhart, the acclaimed author of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, comes an extraordinary story about a family of runaways who take up residence in a small town, and the outcast boy who finds his voice and his people—perfect for fans of Katherine Applegate and Kate DiCamillo. "Dan Gemeinhart’s best yet and that’s saying something." —Padma Venkatraman, Walter Award-winning author of The Bridge Home In the dead of night, a truck arrives in Slaughterville, a small town curiously named after its windowless slaughterhouse. Seven mysterious kids with suitcases step out of the vehicle and into an abandoned home on a dead-end street, looking over their shoulders to make sure they aren''t noticed. But Ravani Foster covertly witnesses their arrival from his bedroom window. Timid and lonely, Ravani is eager to learn everything he can about his new neighbors: What secrets are they hiding? And most mysterious of all...where are the adults? Yet amid this shadowy group of children, Ravani finds an unexpected friend in the warm and gutsy Virginia. But with this friendship comes secrets revealed—and danger. When Ravani learns of a threat to his new friends, he must fight to keep them safe, or lose the only person who has ever understood him. Full of wonder, friendship, and mystery, The Midnight Children explores the meaning of "home," what makes a family, and what it takes to find the courage to believe in yourself. * "A story of fierce friendship, bravery, loyalty, and finding—or making—a place to belong." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Equal parts Kate DiCamillo and Shirley Jackson, this book is unlike anything else I''ve ever read—you will love it." —Jonathan Auxier, New York Times-bestselling author of Night Gardener and Sweep: the Story of a Girl and her Monster

"Sometimes a story comes along that just plain makes you want to hug the world. The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is Dan Gemeinhart’s finest book yet — and that’s saying something. Your heart needs this joyful miracle of a book." —Katherine Applegate, acclaimed author of The One and Only Ivan and Wishtree A 2020 ILA Teachers’ Choice A 2019 Parents'' Choice Award Gold Medal Winner Winner of the 2019 CYBILS Award for Middle Grade Fiction An Amazon Top 20 Children''s Book of 2019 A Junior Library Guild Selection Five years. That''s how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation. It''s also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash. Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished—the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box—she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days...without him realizing it. Along the way, they''ll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there''s Gladys... Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all...but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time” into a “happily ever after.” This title has common core connections.

The acclaimed author of The Honest Truth delivers his most emotionally powerful novel yet. Brodie was a good dog. And good dogs go to heaven.Except Brodie can''t move on. Not just yet. As wonderful as his glimpse of the afterlife is, he can''t forget the boy he left behind. The boy he loved, and who loved him in return.The boy who''s still in danger.So Brodie breaks the rules of heaven. He returns to Earth as a spirit. With the help of two other lost souls -- lovable pitbull Tuck and surly housecat Patsy -- he is determined to find his boy and to save him. Even if it costs him paradise. Even if he loses his eternal soul.Because it''s what a good dog would do.

Holes meets Hatchet in this unforgettable adventure. The acclaimed author of The Honest Truth and Some Kind of Courage brings his signature blend of action, heart, and beautiful writing to a tale of misfits struggling to survive.Jonathan Grisby is the newest addition to the Slabhenge Reformatory School for Troubled Boys. Shipped out to the remote island facility, Jonathan quickly learns that the school is less concerned with true reform and is more a place where parents send away kids who have become too troublesome. It''s an isle of misfit boys.But on his first full day at Slabhenge, a freak lightning storm leaves the kids without any adult supervision. Suddenly the inmates are running the asylum -- and unless Jonathan can move beyond his troubled past and assert himself as a leader, every boy on the island is doomed.

Saddle up for a life-defining, death-defying adventure. Joseph Johnson has lost just about everyone he''s ever loved. He lost his pa in an accident. He lost his ma and his little sister to sickness. And now, he''s lost his pony-fast, fierce, beautiful Sarah, taken away by a man who had no right to take her.Joseph can sure enough get her back, though. The odds are stacked against him, but he isn''t about to give up. He will face down deadly animals, dangerous men, and the fury of nature itself on his quest to be reunited with the only family he has left.Because Joseph Johnson may have lost just about everything. But he hasn''t lost hope. And he hasn''t lost the fire in his belly that says he''s getting his Sarah back-no matter what.The critically acclaimed author of The Honest Truth returns with a poignant, hopeful, and action-packed story about hearts that won''t be tamed... and spirits that refuse to be broken.

The debut of a phenomenal new middle-grade talent. It''s never too late for the adventure of a lifetime.In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He''s got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day.But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals. And treatments. The kind of sick some people never get better from.So Mark runs away. He leaves home with his camera, his notebook, his dog, and a plan. A plan to reach the top of Mount Rainier. Even if it''s the last thing he ever does.The Honest Truth is a rare and extraordinary novel about big questions, small moments, and one incredible journey.