New Releases by Eleanor Estes

This story of two girls trying to banish a witch is “full of wonderful fun, excitement, and humor” (Library Journal). Old Witch likes nothing better than to fly around on her broomstick, crying “Heh-heh!” and casting abracadabras. But now she has been sent away . . . by two young girls. Amy and Clarissa have decided that Old Witch is just too mean and wicked. So, drawing a rickety old house upon a barren glass hill, they exile Old Witch there with a warning: She better be good, or else no Halloween! But to give Old Witch some company, they draw her a Little Witch Girl and a Weeny Witch Baby . . . Old Witch tries to be good, but anyone would get up to no good in a place as lonely as the glass hill. And Amy and Clarissa are about to find that out, when Old Witch magics them into her world of make-believe-made-real, in “a very special book that is certain to give boundless pleasure—at any time of the year” (The Horn Book). “A classic for Halloween.” —Library Journal

Ages 8 and up.

A tiny plumber becomes a hero by rescuing a doll and returning it to its grateful owner. Illustrations.

Eleanor Estes''s The Hundred Dresses won a Newbery Honor in 1945 and has never been out of print since. At the heart of the story is Wanda Petronski, a Polish girl in a Connecticut school who is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. Wanda claims she has one hundred dresses at home, but everyone knows she doesn''t and bullies her mercilessly. The class feels terrible when Wanda is pulled out of the school, but by that time it''s too late for apologies. Maddie, one of Wanda''s classmates, ultimately decides that she is "never going to stand by and say nothing again." This powerful, timeless story has been reissued with a new letter from the author''s daughter Helena Estes, and with the Caldecott artist Louis Slobodkin''s original artwork in beautifully restored color.

In the heart of Brooklyn, New York, there is an alley that is the most beautiful place to live in the whole wide world. Or so Connie Ives believes. The alley is the perfect location to sharpen Connie''s swinging skills, hold practices for the Alley Conservatory of Music, and convict a burglar by trial. From the bestselling author of Ginger Pye comes the story of a little girl whose eyes are always open to the beauty of the world that surrounds her.

Nobody believed Hugsy Goode when he prophesied that a tunnel lay beneath the alley until--generations later--Nicholas (alias Copin) and Timothy (alias Tornid) decide to explore. And lo and behold, right under the vine-covered hole outside the house where Hugsy Goode used to live, they find an entrance to adventures beyond their wildest dreams. A sequel to The Alley.

A Newbery Honor Book: A classic children’s novel that “can make a hardened adult reviewer laugh repeatedly” (The New Yorker). Who is Jane Moffat, anyway? She isn’t the youngest in the family, and she isn’t the oldest—she is always just Jane. How boring. So Jane decides to become a figure of mystery . . . the mysterious “Middle Moffat.” But being in the middle is a lot harder than it looks. In between not rescuing stray dogs, and losing and finding best friends, Jane must secretly look after the oldest inhabitant of Cranbury . . . so he can live to be one hundred. Between brushing her hair from her eyes and holding up her stockings, she has to help the girls’ basketball team win the championship. And it falls to Jane—the only person in town with enough courage—to stand up to the frightful mechanical wizard Wallie Bangs. Jane is so busy keeping Cranbury in order that she barely has time to be plain old Jane. Sometimes the middle is the most exciting place of all. . . . “There is much that is touching about Janey, and funny and lovable too.” —The New York Times “This is the second Moffat book and seems even funnier, particularly the part where Jane takes the part of the Middle Bear in a charity show . . . The pictures by Louis Slobodkin add tremendously to the fun. Don''t miss this!” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Newbery Honor Book: “Delightful reading. An hour spent with the Moffats is fun for all ages.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) You’ve never met anyone quite like Rufus Moffat. He gets things done—but he gets them done his way. When he wants to check out library books, Rufus teaches himself to write...even though he doesn''t yet know how to read. When food is scarce, he plants some special “Rufus beans” that actually grow . . . despite his digging them up every day to check on them. And Rufus has friends that other people don’t even know exist! He discovers the only invisible piano player in town, has his own personal flying horse for a day, and tours town with the Cardboard Boy, his dearest friend—and enemy. Rufus isn’t just the youngest Moffat, he''s also the cleverest, the funniest, and the most unforgettable, in this classic series about a single-parent family in WWI-era Connecticut praised for its “abundant humor” (Horn Book Magazine). “Rufus M. is . . . unbeatable.” —The New Yorker “[The Moffats are] as nice a group as ever pulled together through hard times.” —The New York Times Book Review

Publisher Description

The adventures of the Moffat children living in Cranbury, Connecticut in the early twentieth century as they create a museum, participate in their sister''s wedding, and try to buy a trolley car.

ALA Notable Book: A family is adopted by a very talented kitten in this “captivating story, told with . . . whimsical humor” by the beloved Newbery medalist (Chicago Tribune). The Pyes are spending the summer on Fire Island when they discover a skinny, furious black kitten wearing an unusual sign around her neck. This family has some of the smartest pets around—there’s Ginger the intellectual dog, and Gracie the clever old cat—but the spirited stray named Pinky is more than smart enough to earn a place in the Pyes’ hearts. She can box with Ginger, play games with Mr. Pye, and—Rachel and Jerry can hardly believe their eyes—even type out her life story! “Told with loving tenderness, whimsical humor, [and] suspense, it has all the special magic that is Eleanor Estes’ trademark. . . . Don’t miss it.” —Chicago Tribune “All the characters—animal or human—have a high old time . . . That is the appeal of the Pyes—no one of them is quite like anyone else—yet each is believable.” —The New York Times “Realistic and fantastic, tender and comic, but always absorbing, engaging, and chuckle-producing.” —The Saturday Review of Literature

Winner of the Newbery Medal: This quirky, heartwarming tale of a family searching for their missing dog is “absorbing . . . sure to please” (Kirkus Reviews). Meet the marvelous Pyes. There’s Mrs. Pye, the youngest mother in town. Mr. Pye, a famous bird man, who handles all the nation’s important bird problems. Rachel Pye, who is so reasonable she can make unreasonable ideas sound like good ones. Jerry Pye, who knows about rocks of all sorts and plans to grow up to be a rock man. Uncle Bennie, who is Jerry and Rachel’s uncle—even though he’s only three years old. And then there’s Ginger Pye—the “intellectual dog” Jerry bought for a hard-earned dollar. The most famous pup in all of Cranbury, Connecticut, Ginger knows tons of tricks, is as loyal as he is smart, and steals the hearts of everyone he meets . . . until someone steals him! “An outstanding book.” —The Horn Book

Nine-year-old Kim Chu who lives in New York City''s Chinatown searches for her father''s special umbrella that Kim left in an umbrella stand in the library.

Ten-year-old Marianna desperately wants a Christmas tree but her mother refuses to be "like every tom-dick-and-harry."

Three short tall tales : The sleeping giant -- The lost shadow -- A nice room for giraffes - written and illustrated by Eleanor Estes.