New Releases by Jean Van Leeuwen

When nothing she does seems to please her mother, Weezie decides to find her missing father.

Amanda Pig is ecstatic! She has her first wiggly tooth, and she can?t wait for the tooth fairy to come! But her loose tooth won?t fall out. Her father offers to pull it out, but Amanda is scared that it will hurt too much. Disaster strikes when Amanda realizes that her tooth has fallen out on its own. Where can it be? Will the tooth fairy still come if Amanda?s tooth is really lost?

After clearing enough forest to build a log cabin for their new home, Pa returns east to fetch the rest of the family, while young brothers Daniel and Will stay behind to watch the land. Pa had planned to return within six weeks . . . but something must have gone wrong. Now the boys must survive the winter with only a few supplies and their ability to invent and improvise. But are they alone in the woods? Jean Van Leeuwen?s engrossing novel of pioneer survival is based on a true incident.

It is the hottest day of the summer, and poor Amanda pig is as droopy as the plants in her father’s garden. Her knees are hot, her nose is hot, even her hair ribbons are hot! How will this little pig stay cool? it is not easy, but plucky Amanda is determined to beat the heat. with four funny chapters filled with adorable illustrations, this story will have readers giggling over Amanda’s muggyday woes and her quest to keep cool.

This warmly engaging story--inspired by the Rwandering footS quilt pattern that was popular during pioneer days--is the moving account of an early American girl who chronicles her family''s journey on the Oregon Trail through the quilt she''s making. Full color.

Oliver Pig decides to build a fort in the backyard and his friends become involved with the project as well.

Three adventurous mice escape from their home at Macy''s department store and spend an exciting week in the Guggenheim Museum, creating a sensation in the art world.

In this story based on true events, a thirteen-year-old apprentice takes the first manned hot air balloon flight in America and gains new insight into life''s possibilities.

Tired of gangster movies and a steady diet of candy wrappers, three theater mice decide to rob a cheese shop.

Tired of gangster movies and a steady diet of candy wrappers, three theater mice decide to rob a cheese shop.

In 1780 in Fairfield, Connecticut, Hannah worries about her brother Ben, a colonial soldier being held prisoner by the British, and joins her family in rebuilding their home and preparing for Ben''s homecoming.

Two brothers who cannot apologize to each other extend their feud down through their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

The Pioneer Daughters series is "a heartwarming portrait of a colonial girl and her family struggling to meet the challenges of pioneer life during the Revolutionary War." --Kirkus Reviews In Hannah of Fairfield, Hannah would rather be nursing a fragile spring lamb back to health than counting stitches. How can she concentrate when the war is so close? Everyone in Fairfield is doing all they can to help the colonial army. What can Hannah do to help?

Amanda and Lollipop love playing make-believe at Amanda''s house, but Amanda would rather go over to Lollipop''s. Except when Amanda finally gets to sleep over at her best friend''s house, she realizes that maybe she really does like her own home best.

Five charming tales--humorous and insightful, about sibling love and rivalry.

Finally it is the day Amanda Pig has been waiting for. It is the first day of school. Whether making a new friend, coloring a picture to put up in the classroom, or twirling around in the sandbox, Amanda is everyone''s favorite schoolgirl.

Billy''s love for his toy Blue Dog, who lives on a toy farm, transforms both their lives, making Blue Dog''s world seem real and inspiring Billy to get a real dog.

Whether building a snow fort, braving the big hill on their sleds, or building a snow pig, the lovable Oliver and Amanda Pig find plenty of fun after the "big snow." "The warm interactions among family members continue to make these gentle stories a delight for early readers."-- The Horn Book

Children''s author Jean Van Leeuwen describes her life and writing process and how they are interwoven.

When her father leaves, Twig feels isolated from her older brother and her mother as they all try to cope with the change in their lives.

Award-winning author Jean Van Leeuwen tells the moving story of a pioneer family during the Westward Expansion One day in early spring they packed everything they had into our wagon, and set out to find a new home. Sleeping under the stars, weathering terrible storms, and fording swollen rivers, Hannah and her family made the journey of a lifetime. An American Bookseller Pick of the Lists. "Like pages torn from a frontier journal, stirring sketches and lyrical text form a moving tribute to the brave families to whom the book is dedicated."—Publishers Weekly

Luke and his family take their annual trip to their grandparents'' lakeside cabin where they spend time fishing, camping, and hiking.

"Basing her story on the published accounts of her true-life heroine, Mary Ellen Todd, Van Leeuwen describes a family''s tumultuous journey along the Oregon Trail in 1852." --Publishers Weekly With only a guide book to show them the way, the Todd family sets out from their Arkansas home on a two thousand mile trek to claim unchartered Oregon Territory. Crossing rough terrain and encountering hostile people, the Todds show their true pioneering spirit. But as winter draws near, will the Todds have the strength to complete their journey? And if they make it, will Oregon fulfill their dreams? “This is a convincing picture of a pioneer journey that does a good job of showing the tremendous sacrifices people made to follow their dream of a better life.” –School Library Journal

In comfortable residence at Macy''s during the Christmas season, Merciless Marvin the Magnificent and his gang are convinced that the store''s Santa Claus has been kidnapped and determine to save him.

Amanda Pig may be the youngest in her family, but she''s growing up. She''s big enough to care for her stuffed-animal babies, and she''s big enough to help Oliver make a bubble bath. But is she too big to snuggle with Sallie Rabbit?

A boy and his family endure a difficult nine-week journey across the ocean and survive the first winter at Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts.

When her brother goes off to school, Amanda finds new things to do, including ballet dancing, cleaning her room, and making a very sad, mad day go away, with the help of hugs from Mother Pig.

Amanda wants to do everything her big brother, Oliver, does. She wants to run as fast and jump as high, but it seems she never can. Is there anything Amanda can do as well as Oliver?

Amanda Pig, the youngest member of the Pig family, isn''t little anymore. But is she big enough to do all the things her brother Oliver does? Can she eat her breakfast? Can she make up games? Can she go to sleep by herself? Amanda knows she can!