Best Selling Books by Joan Holub

Ten-year-old Zeus is kidnapped by the terrible Titans, merciless giants who enjoy snacking on humans, and when in self-defense he pulls a magical thunderbolt from a stone he begins an adventure to rescue his fellow Olympians from the evil Cronus.

When Groundhog realizes he needs helpers all over the country to accurately forecast the weather, he establishes a school to teach young groundhogs how to properly determine when spring will arrive.

Best Children''s Books of the Year 2013, Bank Street College American Association of University Women Award for Juvenile Literature, 2013 Nominee A fun trip to the pumpkin patch that includes counting, grouping, and more. Fall has come, and what better way to celebrate than a field trip to the pumpkin patch! From 20 name tags on coats all the way down to 1 last pumpkin song, the class counts everything in sight! Follow along in this sweet, rhyming picture book, with interactive counting on each spread. Count the 8 orange pumpkins, tall, 7 yellow pumpkins, bumpy, and much more! Including autumnal illustrations and pumpkin facts, this book is perfect for the fall season and an extra fun way to teach children to count backward from twenty.

In Athena the Brain, Athena always knew she was smart and special, but she didn’t realize that she was a goddess! When she’s whisked away to Mount Olympus Academy, she worries about fitting in and dealing with her dad (Zeus). Luckily, she meets the Goddess Girls and finds the best friends she’s ever had.

April showers bring May flowers! That is what the Ant Hill kids learn when they plant a garden of their very own and watch it grow!

From the authors of the Goddess Girls series comes the third book in a series steeped in Norse mythology, magic, adventure, and friendship. Twelve-year-old Idun is the goddess of youth, and her magical and deliciously sweet golden apples are what keep all of the academy’s gods and goddesses healthy and youthful. They grow year-round—even in winter snow—in one very special grove in Asgard. But when the mischievous Loki ends up making a bet that jeopardizes Idun—and her powerful apples—she must figure out a way to protect herself and her magical orchards from a giant who wants those apples all to himself! Can Idun save the apples—and the gods and goddesses who rely on them—from the two bad seeds at Asgard Academy?

When the road signs take a vacation, chaos and hilarity ensue--and they quickly learn how important they are. School is ending for the summer, and the stick figures on the school crossing sign are jealous of all the vacation plans they hear the students making. The stick figures work hard--maybe they deserve a vacation, too! So they abandon their signpost and set off on an adventure, inviting along all the other underappreciated road signs they meet on the way. It''s all fun and games for a while, especially when they stumble upon a fantastic amusement park. But the people they''ve left behind are feeling their absence, and soon there are traffic tangles and lost pedestrians everywhere. The signs are more important than they realized, and now it''s time for them to save the day!

Zeus, Hera and Poseidon set sail to search for magical trident, but Poseidon can''t swim and gets seasick.

Zeus and the rest of the Olympians try to rescue Artemis from the clutches of a Titan named Crius who has her under a sleeping spell.

Join little Persephone on a sweet adventure in this tenth Little Goddess Girls story—part of the Aladdin QUIX line! Persephone and Aphrodite are continuing the quest to try and find some missing jewels. They end up meeting a lost bunny in their travels, who is looking for the Castle of What-Ifs. The girls end up in a magical, delicious land, where they meet a unicorn made of chocolate, with a very special crown—one that might be the key to finding one of the missing jewels!

The mysterious Nyx, Goddess of Night, enrolls at Mount Olympus Academy in this twenty-second Goddess Girls adventure! Being the goddess of night is not as easy as it seems-after all, Nyx is in the constant shadow of Eos, Goddess of Light. When Nyx has the chance to go to MOA as an Unsung Hero, she thinks she can finally shine in her own way. But Principal Zeus is so scared of the darkness Nyx brings, he still sleeps with a nightlight! And her arrival seems to bring on more nightmares than sweet dreams. Can Nyx convince everyone that a little darkness is a good thing?

Apple facts and counting combine in this fun trip to the apple orchard. Field trip today—to the apple farm! Count 20 name tags, 19 kids on the bus, and 18 miles to the farm. There are 14 cows and 13 ducks (10 white and 3 black) and 12 rows of apple trees. Count the apples in your sack, count 3 pies to eat (divided into 20 pieces), and all too soon it''s 2 p.m., time to go! But wait—Lee has a number 1 surprise. Joan Holub''s creative countdown, from 20 to 1, includes grouping and simple addition. Her multicultural students enjoy all that the apple farm has to offer, from counting the cows and ducks to picking different varieties of apples. The inside cover of this cheerful book is filled with apple facts.

Little Athena and Persephone travel to meet the great and powerful Zeus in this Wizard of Oz inspired Little Goddess Girls story—part of the Aladdin QUIX line! After dropping onto the Hello Brick Road, little Athena and her new friend, the flowery Persephone, are on their way to meet the great and powerful Zeus at the top of magical Mount Olympus. While Athena is looking for help getting back home, Persephone would love to have Zeus cure her bad luck-itis and give her the gift of good luck so she can help her favorite flowers grow big and strong!

A brief biography of the life and travels of thirteenth-century explorer, Marco Polo.

It''s Halloween, and the Ant Hill kids are all dressed in costume and visiting a spooky fun house! They see and hear all sorts of creepy things, but once they switch on their flashlight, the house turns out to be not so scary at all!

Join little Artemis for a sweet, Wizard of Ozu00ad–inspired adventure in this fourth Little Goddess Girls story—part of the Aladdin QUIX line! All Artemis wants is the gift of courage. There are a lot of scary things out there! With the help of her new friends—Athena, Persephone, and Aphrodite—Artemis hopes she can ask the super-duper-powerful Zeus to help her be a little less afraid. But the mean green girl, Medusa, has other plans. Can Artemis dig deep, be brave, and help her friends find their way to Sparkle City? With the help of some animals who aren’t what they seem, Artemis just might end up being an unexpected hero!

Little Athena finds herself on a Wizard of Oz inspired adventure in this first Little Goddess Girls story—part of the Aladdin QUIX line! After a strange and sparkly storm carries her away from home, Athena finds herself in a land filled with magic, talking animals, and incredible objects with magical powers—the land of Mount Olympus! When Athena arrives, she’s greeted by the talking Owlies and is paired with very special magical sandals—sandals with powers that Medusa, a green, snake-haired girl, wants for herself! A glowing goddess (of hearth and home) named Hestia appears and warns Athena that if Medusa gets her snakes on those sandals, she’ll surely use its powers to make trouble for Mount Olympus! But Athena has more important things on her mind—like going back home! Determined to find her way back, Athena heads off on an adventure through the magical landscape of Mount Olympus to try and elude Medusa—and find her way back to the mortal world once and for all with the help of the great and powerful Zeus!

"After stumbling into a pet cemetery, Hecate meets Melinoe, who calls herself a ghost herder. She is in charge of leading the ghosts of pets and other animals to the River Styx in the Underworld. But Melinoe doesn''t notice when one of her ghost animals follows Hecate home! More and more of the lost ghosts gather with Hecate, and she learns they have unfinished business left on Earth and refuse to enter the Underworld"--

Zeus and his fellow gods-in-training attempt to capture the king of hell’s hound in this latest Heroes in Training chapter book! Zeus and his fellow gods-in-training face a new challenge in the underworld when they attempt to capture Cerberus—the three-headed guardian and cherished pet of Zeus’s brother Hades. But they find themselves up against even more than they anticipated when they have to face off against Melinoe and her skeletal minions.

"When Medea and Jason find the golden fleece in an oak tree guarded by a serpent, Medea concocts a sleeping potion to help them get by the snake and retrieve what is theirs."--]cProvided by publisher

Clumsy Pegasus makes new friends and discovers his powers at the School for Magical Monsters.

From the authors of the Goddess Girls series comes the fourth book in a series steeped in Norse mythology, magic, adventure, and friendship. Skade, the goddess of skiing, is known as one of the best athletes—and a top student—at Asgard Academy. But lately, she’s felt like she’s been in a slump. When three giants appear and offer to mend the rift between the worlds by organizing a ski competition, Skade feels like this is her big chance to prove herself again. After all, the powerful Odin will be choosing the Asgard team based on ability, attitude, and academics! But much to Skade’s embarrassment, Odin is less than impressed with her—and names her as an alternate instead of part of the main team. Aside from Skade’s frustrations, something seems fishy about the whole competition. After one of Skade’s classmates has a strange nightmare about it, they start to wonder if the games are one big cover-up for something more sinister. And when the Asgard team finds themselves on thin ice, it’s up to Skade to overcome a big fear, save her friend—and show everyone what she’s made of!

Join little Aphrodite for a sweet adventure in this third Little Goddess Girls story—part of the Aladdin QUIX line! Aphrodite is excited to be on an adventure to Sparkle City with her new friends, Athena, Persephone, and Artemis. After being rescued from her magical sea shell, Aphrodite hopes the super-duper powerful Zeus can give her the gift of likeability. Aphrodite knows that will make her be a better friend, especially to the girls she met on the Hello Brick Road. But when she finds a magical, gold apple along the way, something makes her keep it a big secret from the others. Will those magical powers help Aphrodite with her big ask for Zeus? Or will Aphrodite discover a very different kind of magic—the magic of friendship—is most important of all?

Join little Persephone for a sweet adventure in this sixth Little Goddess Girls story—part of the Aladdin QUIX line! Persephone, Artemis, and Aphrodite are on a quest to save their fellow Little Goddess Girl, Athena, from the evil King Hephaestus. It turns out the king has turned Athena (and her dog, Oliver) into treasures, and have hidden them in a massive treasure room. The girls only have seven guesses as to what and where exactly they are—before their friend is stuck forever!

Zeus and his friends are back for another adventure in this latest Heroes in Training chapter book! Since defeating the Titans, Zeus and his fellow Olympians have taken over Mount Olympus. Things are nearly back to normal…until a stranger named Hercules shows up, asking for help. He’s on the run from Eurythseus, King of Argon, who is after Hercules for egging his temple. Before Zeus can help, Eurythseus himself appears. It turns out that Hercules has also been bragging that he is the ruler of Olympus, and Eurythseus intends to declare war on the Olympians’ new home. Zeus’s friends come up with an idea—maybe Hercules could make up for egging Eurythseus’s temple. The Oracle Pythia reveals that in order to do this, Hercules must get a scale from a huge, nine-headed serpent—the Hydra. Will this be enough to please Eurythseus? Or is another battle on the horizon for the Olympians?

A group of ants gets help from fireflies while trying to find their way home after a day of picnicking.

Eager to prove herself to her brothers and overcome her challenges with fuzzy vision, Cyclops tries to prove herself by making a bow and arrow for Goddess Girl Artemis.

Ava and Itty Bitty Kitty are off to visit the firehouse! Ava’s giant cat is usually less than purr-fectly behaved, and this trip is no exception! Will Itty Bitty’s nose for trouble make them new friends—or make their visit to the firehouse a disaster? I Can Read Books are designed to encourage a love of reading. Itty Bitty Kitty: Firehouse Fun is a My First I Can Read book, and with basic language, word repetition, and great illustrations, it’s perfect for shared reading with a child.

Seeking a special shield called an aegis, the Olympians trek through a forest that holds many unpleasant surprises, including a flock of vicious birds.

From ballet class to rehearsal for the big show to the final curtsies—budding ballet stars show emergent readers each step and pirouette along the way! This Step 1 story has big type and easy words, rhyme and rhythm, and picture clues and two sheets of irresistably adorable stickers. It''s a natural for young readers who are learning ballet or aspire to take ballet classes.

In this fairy tale retelling, Gretel ventures into a forbidden forest and falls into the hands of evil villains and must foil their dastardly plans. Welcome to Grimm Academy, where beloved fairy tale characters are BFFs—and saving the world from the E.V.I.L. Society, one magical adventure at a time! Gretel joins the Grimmtastic quest for justice in a world where the E.V.I.L. Society must be stopped when she goes hiking in Nevermore Forest, against her the warnings of her teacher. When she is captured by the E.V.I.L. society, she must summon all her strength to fight back!

Learn all about important leaders who represent, empower, and support the LGBTQIA+ community in this engaging board book perfect for proud leaders-in-training! Now even the youngest readers can learn all about important people who are from or helped support the LGBTQIA+ community! Highlighting ten memorable people who paved the way, parents and little ones alike will love this discovery primer full of fun, age-appropriate facts and bold illustrations.

Artemis and Orion help each other on their quests in this twelfth Little Goddess Girls story—part of the Aladdin QUIX line! Artemis is on the final quest to bring the last missing jewel—a diamond—back to Zeus. She ends up in the Forest of Lost and Found, where she meets a young hunter named Orion. He’s looking for something, too: a dog! With some extra magic and the power of friendship, can Artemis and Orion both find what they are looking for?

Learn all about influential women who changed history in this engaging and colorful board book perfect for trailblazers-in-training! Paving the way to a future that’s bright. Helping the world with their skills, smarts, and might. Little trailblazers cause great big changes. In this follow up to This Little President and This Little Explorer, now even the youngest readers can learn all about great and empowering female trailblazers in history! Highlighting ten memorable women leaders who paved the way, parents and little ones alike will love this girl power primer full of fun, age-appropriate facts and bold illustrations.

From the authors of the Goddess Girls series comes the second book in a brand-new series steeped in Norse mythology, magic, adventure, and friendship. Twelve-year-old Sif is goddess of the harvest, with her abilities woven into her long, blonde hair. She also has special prophetic powers—she is a seer—but is reluctant to share them after a mishap years ago caused a big rift in a friendship that meant a lot to her. And Sif is determined to not let that happen again! But when the mischievous Loki cuts her hair in a horrible prank gone wrong, Sif orders Loki to fix it. Without her hair, the crops in the land of Midgard—which supplies the wheat for food in Asgard Academy as well—are in danger of dying off. With Sif and Freya, Loki goes to ask for help from the dwarfs, specifically, the sons of Ivaldi who are all skilled blacksmiths and strikes a bargain with them. They hammer and spin gold into fine golden strands along with a spear and a ship that will grow to full size once in water. On his way back through the cave, Loki gets an idea for how to get more treasures by playing one set of dwarfs off against another. Envious of the work of the sons of Ivaldi, the dwarfs Brokk and Eitri say they can do better. Loki replies that he doesn’t think they can and that, furthermore, he’ll stake his head on it. Is that a bet that Loki will regret? And will Sif be able to restore her magical powers to prevent the drought in Midgard?

Do you love horses? If you do, you''re not alone. There''s so much to know about these amazing animals. Why do horses neigh? What are baby and adult horses called? How do horses communicate? Beginning readers can find out the answers to these questions-and many more-in this lively, fact-filled introduction to these popular animals. Filled with colorful illustrations and dynamic color photos of real horses, this is a perfect selection for any young horse lover. Illustrated by Anna DiVito.

Join little Athena on a sweet adventure in this ninth Little Goddess Girls story—part of the Aladdin QUIX line! Athena wants to help a mermaid find some stolen jewels! But she is in a bad mood after losing a contest. With the help of some magical walking, talking dishes and some goddess girl magic, will she find the special pearl hidden somewhere on Mount Olympus?

Perseus and the Olympians face off against the evil, nasty Medusa, who can turn them all to stone with just one look.

Join little Aphrodite on a sweet adventure in this seventh Little Goddess Girls story—part of the Aladdin QUIX line! After reuniting with her fellow Little Goddess Girls on the Hello Brick Road, Aphrodite hopes they are going to have another big adventure. When a talking carrot named Prometheus leads them to a mysterious magical box named Pandora, which has the words Do Not Open written across the top, the girls wonder what could be inside. It turns out that Pandora might be the key to solving the mystery of who—or what—is accidently burning a magical vegetable patch.

In 1876, France decided to give the United States a very big and very special present--the Statue of Liberty. The gift was to commemorate the 100th birthday of the United States, and just packing it was no small feat--350 pieces in 214 crates shipped across the ocean. The story of how the 111-foot-tall lady took her place in the New York Harbor will fascinate young readers.