New Releases by Peg Kehret

Award-winning author Peg Kehret returns with a suspenseful thriller for middle graders! Peg Kehret includes humor, animal rescue, and heart-pounding suspense in this story about good intentions gone wrong. Sixth-grader Emmy Rushford decides to provide food for a needy family, but the project turns perilous when Emmy must deal with a car crash, a cat thrown into a Dumpster, and a belligerent neighbor. Then she discovers an apartment full of stolen goods. Her courageous efforts to help hungry children, rescue the cat, and break up a ring of thieves soon put her life at risk.

When an earthquake hits on their family vacation, can Kyle and his sister survive the following tsunami? The Worst Vacation Ever! Thirteen-year-old Kyle thought spending a vacation on the Oregon coast with his family would be great. He’d never flown before, and he’s never seen the Pacific Ocean. One evening Kyle is left in charge of his younger sister, BeeBee, while his parents attend an adults-only Salesman of the Year dinner on an elegant yacht. Then the earthquake comes—starting a fire in their hotel! As Kyle and BeeBee fight their way out through smoke and flame, Kyle remembers the sign at the beach that said after an earthquake everyone should go uphill and inland, as far from the ocean as possible. Giant tsunami waves—three or four stories high—can ride in from the sea and engulf anyone who doesn’t escape fast enough. Kyle and BeeBee flee uphill as a tsunami crashes over the beach, the hotel, and the town. The giant wave charges straight up the hillside and through the woods where the children are running for their lives. The perfect vacation has become a nightmare! Somehow Kyle and BeeBee have to outwit nature’s fury and save themselves from tsunami terror.

54 easily staged duet scenes with believable characters in a wide variety of topics.

A moving memoir from an award-winning author A mother cat and her kittens, shot with a pellet gun. A poacher illegally stalking a bear. Peg Kehret tells these true stories and more as she invites readers into her life on a small wildlife sanctuary. Vividly showing the joys of animal rescue while providing facts about the animals and birds she encounters, Kehret also shares the tragedy of her husband''s sudden death, and the pain of losing Pete, the shelter cat who co-authored three of her books. Written with honesty, heart, and humor, Animals Welcome is a personal glimpse into the life of an author who loves animals, and the philosophy by which she lives.

Each day, Rusty feeds a dog that''s left chained in the frigid weather with no shelter and no food or water. When he realizes that the dog''s been injured, Rusty and his friend Andrew unchain the dog and take it. Are they stealing, or are they rescuing a dog in need? With the dog living in their secret hideout, the boys face multiple challenges, including a mysterious ghost dog that tries to lead them to a startling secret, Andrew''s snoopy sister, and the escalating threats of the dog''s abusive owner. The fast-paced suspense builds to a surprising conclusion, which will leave young readers cheering for Rusty''s compassion and determination.

Thirteen-year-old Sunny runs away from her current foster parent in search of her twin sister, from whom she was separated ten years earlier. On the way, she''ll face a tornado, bullies, and a stray dog- and the fact that her sister may not be who Sunny hoped she would be.

When Amy agreed to baby-sit Kendra Edgerton, she had no idea she was stepping into a kidnapping plot. Two men force the girls out of the house and into a cabin in the woods, where they create DVDs to send to the families, in hopes of a large ransom from Kendra''s wealthy parents. Using her wits and imagination, Amy stealthily sends clues to the police through the DVDs, but time is working against her: She has one week until her captors decide to return Kendra and get rid of Amy.

Bone Breath to the rescue! Bone Breath is now called Dr. Dog! Rosie Saunders'' pet has become Oakwood Nursing Center''s favorite visitor. But one day when Rosie and her friend Kayo Benton are making a "pet therapy" visit to Oakwood, old Mr. Winters rambles on about "the mustache man" with a gun. They pay no attention...until the night''s news. A man in the house across from Oakwood has been shot -- and senile Mr. Winter is the only witness! The next day he''s missing. Rosie and Kayo race to find him. But suddenly, they''re prisoners themselves!

In this addition to the Iowa Children’s Choice Award nominated series, Warren and Betsy travel back to the Johnstown Flood of 1889 to save a survivor’s young sister and help fulfill her dreams. Warren Spalding and Betsy Tyler have been assigned to do a paper on the Johnstown Flood of May 31, 1889. This time they’ve decided not to use the Instant Commuter time-travel device… It''s just too dangerous. After all, they nearly died on two previous assignments. Instead, they interview ninety-five-year-old Doc Keaton, whose parents survived the flood. But when they learn that Doc still mourns his little sister who died, Warren and Betsy secretly agree to travel back to 1889 to find eight-year-old Anna and save any lives they can.

Pete the Cat''s second adventure is full of wild antics and mystery-solving fun! A series of burglaries in their quiet community upsets Alex''s family, particularly his younger brother Benjie. What would they do if their house were robbed? Pete is confident that he can protect his family, but that doesn''t stop the burglars from trying! Luckily, the bad guys are no match for the very protective family cat and Benjie''s "spy" skills.

If there’s a mystery to be solved, Pete’s your man. Er, your cat. Pete’s a cat, specifically, Alex’s cat. And since Alex and his family moved into a new housing development, Pete is Alex’s only friend. Things start looking up for Alex when Rocky moves in next door. But Rocky isn’t very friendly, and Alex starts to suspect he’s hiding something. And when the neighborhood is terrorized by a rash of fires and vandalism, Pete knows that he’s got to investigate.

What Josh thought would be the dullest summer of his life, spent with his eccentric great-aunt, turns chilling when he meets the ghost of a coal miner killed in a mine explosion. Willie has been waiting years for some kind soul to dig up his leg and rebury it with the rest of him—only then will he be at peace. Josh agrees to do the grisly deed, but when he digs in the old cemetery, he finds more than Willie’s leg bones! Who buried the box of cash in the grave, and why? How far will that person go to get the money back? The Ghost’s Grave is a deliciously spooky adventure from a master of suspense.

Matt is missing. Bonnie''s brother left his classroom to use thebathroom —and disappeared. A police dog traces his scent to the curb, where he apparently got into a vehicle. But why would Matt go anywhere with a stranger? Overwhelmed with fear, Bonnie discovers that her dog is gone, too. Was Pookie used as a lure for Matt? Bonnie makes one big mistake in her attempt to find her brother. In a chilling climax on a Washington State ferry, Bonnie and Matt must outsmart their abductor or pay with their lives.

In the third Pete the Cat story, the feisty feline sets out to save Alex from "Hogman," a kidnapper who is involved in illegal trapping.

Peg Kehret, who told of her childhood battle with polio in Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, now shares the story of her writing career. It began at the age of ten when she wrote and sold the Dog Newspaper. The paper was supposed to feature the tales of local dogs, but mostly it was about her own dog, B.J. After four issues, it folded. But Peg learned a valuable lesson: If she wanted people to read what she wrote, she had to write something interesting. Peg went on to write radio commercials, prize-winning contest entries, magazine articles, plays, and adult nonfiction books before she discovered her true voice as a writer in books for young people.

Ellen Streater received the perfect birthday present—an overnight camp-out at the zoo. Too bad she had to invite her little brother Corey along. But as night falls in the zoo, her brother becomes the least of her worries, as they discover they''re locked in the zoo with an escaped convict who''s stalking their every move. Unable to run, and with no help in sight, their last chance for survival is Ellen''s crazy science project on animal communication. But can they get the animals to help them in time, or will it be too late? "A compelling and fast-paced mystery with characters that are believable and well drawn." —The Horn Book "Plausible incidents and believable characters combine in a fast-moving and well-constructed tale." —Booklist

A sixth grade class tries to save a circus elephant from being cruelly abused.

Who is the strange woman in the white car watching Ginger? She appears at Ginger''s birthday party, at her school, and in front of her house, but Ginger has never met her before. When she confronts Ginger, she reveals a secret that will change Ginger''s life. And when the woman''s confrontations become threatening, Ginger is forced into a crisis of loyalty and honor—a crisis from which her family might never recover.

After Jeremy Holland''s parents are killed by a gunman in a Seattle mall, he travels to Chicago to live with his uncle but encounters yet another twist in his life along the way.

Life has been tough for Spencer since his dad left. His mom complains constantly, they never seem to have enough money, and they''re always having to move. He knows his father works for the Giants baseball team and lives somewhere in San Francisco—and Spencer''s sure that if he can somehow get there, his dad will take him in. But California is a long, dangerous way from Seattle if you''ve only got fourteen dollars, you''re twelve, and you''re alone.

In 1834 when a storm at sea destroys the slave ship on which she is a stoaway, twelve-year-old Emma musters all her resourcefulness to survive in the African jungle.

When Jonathan and his family go camping on Magpie Island, they look forward to a fun, relaxing weekend. But their fun quickly vanishes when Jonathan, his sister, Abby, and their dog, Moose, find themselves in the middle of a natural disaster. A devastating earthquake has hit, destroying their camper, knocking out the only bridge to the mainland, and leaving Jonathan, Abby, and their dog with no food, water, or shelter. Alone in the woods, can Jonathan manage to keep calm and save Abby and Moose—and stay alive himself?

Two teenagers teleport themselves via the Instant Computer back to Minnesota to learn about the Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940.

1996 Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction 1997 ALA Notable Books for Children 1997 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers 1997 Pen Center USA West Literary Award 1998 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award (Vermont) 1998-1999 Mark Twain Award (Missouri) 1998 Joan Fassler Memorial Book Award 1998-1999 Texas Bluebonnet Award, Runner-Up 1998-1999 William Allen White Master Reading List (Kansas) 1998-1999 Pennsylvania Young Readers'' Choice Award Master List 1998-1999 Sequoyah Book Award Master List (Oklahoma) 1998-1999 Volunteer State Book Award Master List (Tennessee) 1998-1999 NH Great Stone Face Children''s Book Award Master List 1999 Sasquatch Reading Award Master List (Washington State) 2000-2001 Iowa Children''s Choice Awards Master List 2001 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers'' Book Award Master List (Illinois) 2001 Young Hoosier Book Award 2015 Bluestem Book Award Master List In a riveting story of courage and hope, Peg Kehret writes about months spent in a hospital when she was twelve, first struggling to survive a severe case of polio, then slowly learning to walk again. Peg Kehret was stricken with polio when she was twelve years old. At first paralyzed and terrified, she fought her way to recovery, aided by doctors and therapists, a loving family, supportive roommates fighting their own battles with the disease, and plenty of grit and luck. With the humor and suspense that are her trademarks, acclaimed author Peg Kehret vividly recreates the true story of her year of heartbreak and triumph.

Bone Breath, the dog, chases vandals and Rosie and Kayo get involved when they try to help Bone Breath.

More information to be announced soon on this forthcoming title from Penguin USA

T.J., forced to make a perilous midnight ride with a dangerous criminal, relies on his ingenuity to attempt an escape so that he can rescue Alzheimer''s-stricken Grandma Ruth. By the author of Nightmare Mountain.

Ellen and Corey Streater agree to play roles in the Historical Society''s Haunted House, and Ellen meets the ghost of Lydia Clayton and uncovers a robbery plot.

After losing an acting role and fighting with her alcoholic stepfather, Kit is arrested for shoplifting and ordered to work, as part of her sentence, at an animal shelter.

Twelve-year-old Molly''s visit to her aunt and uncle''s llama ranch in the state of Washington leads her into unexpected danger and suspense.