New Releases by Patricia Polacco

Miss Parks, a new teacher, is devastated when her cat, Autumn, disappears during a storm, but with the help of her students, she finds not only Autumn but also the man of her dreams.

Everyone loves Miss Wichelman?s fifth-grade class—especially best friends Traci and Marilyn. That''s where they learn that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade! They are having a great year until Traci begins to notice some changes in Marilyn. She''s losing weight, and seems tired all the time. She has leukemia—and a tough road of chemotherapy ahead. It is not only Traci and Miss Wichelman who stand up for her, but in a surprising and unexpected turn, the whole fifth-grade class, who figures out a way to say we''re with you. In true Polacco fashion, this book turns lemons into lemonade and celebrates amazing life itself.

Virginia Vincent Folsum, better known as Ginger, is a very elegant lady. An accomplished pianist, socially active—and what style! “You are what you wear” is her motto. But Ginger’s greatest passion is her pet pig, Petunia, whom she pampers endlessly. When Ginger is called out of town for a performance, Petunia is left on her own. Donning Ginger’s stunning gowns, Petunia poses as Ginger and conducts business as usual, with no one the wiser. Hilarity ensues as Petunia becomes the toast of the town, proving Ginger’s motto that you really are what you wear.

There''s something about Hensley''s! No matter what you need, that general store is sure to have it. It''s almost magical the way the manager, Old John, seems to know what the townsfolk need before they do! But then a new family moves to town. The youngest child, Molly, has asthma—but her mother doesn''t have money to treat her, or for anything else. But leave it to Old John to find a way to use Hensley''s to give the family exactly what it needs, even if it can''t be boxed or bagged. A true—and truly moving—story about an unforgettable general store and about the extraordinary power one person''s acts of kindness can have on another.

Seems like Richie’s entire goal in life is to make Trisha’s impossible. Especially when he takes to teasing her about her beloved ballet class. Trisha knows how much work it takes to be good at ballet—much more than the stupid hockey Richie plays! So she challenges Richie to perform in her ballet recital, and Richie agrees, under one condition: Trisha has to join his hockey team for the big game!

Letter by letter, meet cart-pulling goats; clothes-munching goats; head-butting, hill-climbing, tail-wagging goats! Cats, chicks, dogs, and bunnies play along with these friendly goats, joining in the fun. From A is for Apple to Z is for Zoe, these rascally animals just won’t stop until they’ve romped through the whole alphabet. Patricia Polacco, beloved author and proud owner and friend of many goats, has created another wonderful book to be treasured by all.

Esta hermosa historia está dirigida especialmente a los niños entre cinco y diez años. Tricia, la protagonista, a medida que aprende a leer descubre que tiene una dificultad que los demás niños no manifiestan. Cuando le toca el turno de leer, ella no entiende absolutamente nada. Me habré convertido en una niña tonta?, se pregunta muy angustiada. Pasa el tiempo y la experiencia de Tricia con la lectura no mejora. Hasta que conoce a su nuevo maestro, el Sr. Falker. Con un pequeño ejercicio, él advierte que la niña tiene un problema de aprendizaje muy fácil de resolver a través de un programa especialmente diseñado para tal propósito. Tricia comienza entonces una serie de sesiones con un especialista en lectura y al final llega a leer tan bien como cualquier niño. Y lo que es mejor, ahora no sólo entiende lo que lee, sino que disfruta con el contenido.

When the Graves family goes on their annual camping trip to Lake Bleakmire, they make a frightening discovery in the forest.

Patricia Polacco''s most poignant Christmas tale! The Stowell family is abuzz with holiday excitement, and Frankie, the youngest boy, is the most excited of all. But there''s a cloud over the joyous season: Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and Pa hasn''t returned yet from his trip to Lansing. He promised to bring back the oranges for the mantelpiece. Every year there are nine of them nestled among the evergreens, one for each of the children. But this year, heavy snows might mean no oranges . . . and, worse, no Pa! This is a holiday story close to Patricia Polacco''s heart. Frankie was her grandmother''s youngest brother, and every year she and her family remember this tale of a little boy who learned--and taught--an important lesson about giving, one Christmas long ago

During the Depression, a young Memphis boy trains his pet duck to do tricks in the fountain of a grand hotel and ends up becoming the Duck Master of the Peabody Hotel.

The famous Polacco goats are back! In this playful interactive chant, three mischievous little goats find their way out of the gate (squeak, squeak, squeak!), over a bridge (click, click, click!) through some mud (squish, squish, squish!), onto a carousel (um pah pah pah, um pah pah!)...and right into the path of an angry ogre! Of course, they are happy to turn right around and run straight back over the path they traveled, until at last they are back home gain, safe and sound. Patricia Polacco''s color palette is bright and springlike in her second goat adventure for very young readers.

When the spooky Graves family moves to town and tries to fit in with the "normal" residents of Union City, everyone is in for a few surprises.

It''s not easy being Welcome Comfort--a foster child always moving form home to home and getting picked on by the kids at school. But a new friend--Mr. Hamp, the school custodian--takes him on an adventure that may change his life. Full-color illustrations.

A young girl describes the family reunion at her grandmother''s house, from the food and baseball and photos to the flickering fireflies on the lawn.

In this variation on the story of "The Fisherman and His Wife," a young Ukrainian girl must repeatedly return to the wren she has rescued to relay her parents'' increasingly greedy demands.

The story of the doll who ties the author to her mother''s love, even after she is gone.

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of Thank You, Mr. Falker and Pink and Say. Baba Yaga is a witch famous throughout Russia for eating children, but this Babushka Baba Yaga is a lonely old woman who just wants a grandchild--to love. "Kids will respond to the joyful story of the outsider who gets to join in, and Polacco''s richly patterned paintings of Russian peasant life on the edge of the woods are full of light and color." -- Booklist "A warm, lively tale, neatly mixing new and old and illustrated with Polacco''s usual energetic action, bright folk patterns, and affectionate characterizations." --Kirkus Reviews

To teach his daughter the value of books, a father leads a growing crowd in search of the tree where the bees keep all their honey.

Say Curtis describes his meeting with Pinkus Aylee, a black soldier, during the Civil War, and their capture by Southern troops. Based on a true story about the author''s great-great-grandfather.

Having failed to win the pumpkin-carving, pie-eating, and seed-spitting contests, William hopes to impress Hester by winning the Dress-Up Competition.

The meteor that crash lands in the middle of Grandma and Grandpa Gaw''s yard sets off a chain of events that brings magic to the residents of Mudsock Meadow. A remarkable true-life event comes alive in this reissue of Patricia Polacco''s very first picture book.''Based on a true event, this enchanting book overwhelmingly expresses the magic that suddenly pervades a small town, from the funny, folksy way the story is told to the imaginative, full-color illustrations.'' ?Publishers Weekly''Polacco''s full-color pictures are completely in tandem with the tellingE'' ?Booklist (starred review)

How much TV is too much TV? Welcome to Triple Creek, where the townspeople watch TV day and night. They watch it when they''re eating, working, playing, and sleeping. They even use TVs to teach the kids at school. But when Eli''s eccentric Aunt Chip (who refuses to own a TV) discovers that her nephew and her neighbors don''t remember how to read, she pulls the plug on the whole town, using books that have been piled high to build a dam to spread the magic of reading all around.

Old Babushka, known throughout all of Moskva for her beautifully painted eggs, is preparing her eggs for the Easter Festival when she takes in an injured goose. She names the goose Rechenka, and they live happily together until one day when Rechenka accidentally overturns a basket, breaking all of Babushka''s lovingly crafted eggs. But the next morning Babushka has a surprise awaiting her in the basket. She cries: "A miracle!" It is one of many in this charmingly told tale of friendship and caring. With vibrant illustrations, Patricia Polacco has joyously re-created the flavor of Old Moscow and its festivals. The eggs, stunningly colored and intricately designed, are authentic reproductions of eggs painted in the Ukrainian style. Rechenka''s Eggs is a timeless story of classic beauty.

Stephanie Michelle, who cares for animals and listens to the sun, believes the homeless child, Fondo, when he tells her that the geese have invited him to fly away with them.

In this facinating biography, Anne Sebba looks fairly at the whole of Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity.

Presents a collection of traditional rhymes, rewritten to feature Russian characters and scenes.

When Sheldon Russell Curtis told this story to his daughter, Rosa, she kept every word in her heart and was to retell it many times. I will tell it in Sheldon''s own words as nearly as I can. He was wounded in a fierce battle and left for dead in a pasture somewhere in Georgia when Pinkus found him. Pinkus'' skin was the color of polished mahogany, and he was flying Union colors like the wounded boy, and he picked him up out of the field and brought him to where the black soldier''s mother, Moe Moe Bay, lived. She had soft, gentle hands and cared for him and her Pink. But the two boys were putting her in danger, two Union soldiers in Confederate territory! They had to get back to their outfits. Scared and uncertain, the boys were faced with a hard decision, and then marauding Confederate troops rode in. In this Civil War story passed from great-grandfather to grandmother, to son, and finally to the author-artist herself, Patricia Polacco once again celebrates the shared humanity of the peoples of this world.

Because he spends his time dreaming, the villagers are convinced that Appelemando will never amount to much, but in time his dreams change the village and all the people in it.

A loud clap of thunder booms, and rattles the windows of Grandma''s old farmhouse. "This is Thunder Cake baking weather," calls Grandma, as she and her granddaughter hurry to gather the ingredients around the farm. A real Thunder Cake must reach the oven before the storm arrives. But the list of ingredients is long and not easy to find . . . and the storm is coming closer all the time! Reaching once again into her rich childhood experience, Patricia Polacco tells the memorable story of how her grandma--her Babushka--helped her overcome her fear of thunder when she was a little girl. Ms. Polacco''s vivid memories of her grandmother''s endearing answer to a child''s fear, accompanied by her bright folk-art illustrations, turn a frightening thunderstorm into an adventure and ultimately . . . a celebration! Whether the first clap of thunder finds you buried under the bedcovers or happily anticipating the coming storm, Thunder Cake is a story that will bring new meaning and possibility to the excitement of a thunderstorm.