New Releases by Sue Stauffacher

When Thomas'' mother disappears, he tells himself she must be safe. Somewhere. And sometimes, the stories we tell take on a life of their own . . . One morning, ten-year-old Thomas''s mother tells him about a dream she had about taking a trip by herself. That seems strange, because lately, his mother has been too depressed to even leave the house. Maybe it''s a good sign. But when Thomas gets home from school, she''s gone. The police search everywhere, and although they find her car, they can''t find her. Without any clear answers, Thomas will have to find his own. With the help of his friends-- and a shared story they create to explain what has happened, a fantasy involving a perilous quest only his mother can complete-- Thomas finds a way to work through his anxiety and grief, reach out to his father, and recognize that even if his mother never comes back, he can still hold a place for her in his heart and mind. This heartbreaking, beautiful novel about loss and grief explores the ways in which young people must face unimaginable tragedies-- and how imagination and compassion can bring some light to the days after.

When Andre moves to the city with his mom, he meets all these mysterious people in the first week. They have something in common ... but what? Bullies pick on him for no reason. Pigeons deliver messages. What is going on?? And what does it have to do with Andre, his mom, and his brother James, whose death is still a mystery?

Eleven-year-old Cassidy has just inherited a gift from her late great-grandmother. Unfortunately, that “gift” turns out to be a summer trapped in etiquette school. What good are manners, anyway, for a girl who dreams of living life on the road as a hobo—er, “knight of the road”? As if trying to remember to keep her elbows off the table isn’t bad enough, Cassidy’s best friend, Jack, suddenly seems more interested in doing chores for the new teenage girl who’s moved in next door than in fishing with Cassidy down by the river. Not even her classic epic pranks seem to be saving Cassidy from having her worst summer ever. It’s time to face facts: growing up stinks. Veteran middle-grade author Sue Stauffacher returns with a cranky, pranky, laugh-out-loud tomboy heroine who might just learn the hard way that manners do matter, and that people can change.

When Tillie Anderson came to America, all she had was a needle. So she got herself a job in a tailor shop and waited for a dream to find her. One day, a man sped by on a bicycle. She was told "bicycles aren''t for ladies," but from then on, Tillie dreamed of riding—not graceful figure eights, but speedy, scorching, racy riding! And she knew that couldn''t be done in a fancy lady''s dress. . . . With arduous training and her (shocking!) new clothes, Tillie became the women''s bicycle-riding champion of the world. Sue Stauffacher''s lively text and Sarah McMenemy''s charming illustrations capture the energy of America''s bicycle craze and tell the story of one woman who wouldn''t let society''s expectations stop her from achieving her dream.

The story of Hadley, a cat that was badly burned, and his recovery, which was aided by the Humane Society of West Michigan.

It''s autumn in Grand River, and that means getting ready for Halloween. As Keisha and her pals prepare for the school''s annual Halloween parade, the Carters are getting ready for trick-or-treaters. Unfortunately, though, the phone rings one morning and a young deer has a plastic pumpkin stuck on his head. He was enjoying the birdseed treat inside when his antlers got caught. What''s a deer to do? And how do you get a plastic pumpkin off a deer''s head when you can''t catch it? The Carters'' have another problem to solve in this third installment of Animal Rescue Team! Also available: Animal Rescue Team #1: Gator on the Loose! Animal Rescue Team #2: Special Delivery!

Meet the Carters: Mr. and Mrs. Carter, 10-year-old daughter Keisha, five-year-old Razi, baby Paolo, and Grandma Alice. Together, they run Carters'' Urban Rescue, the place you call when you''ve got an animal where it shouldn''t be. In their first adventure, there''s a baby alligator at the city pool, which will seriously interfere with opening day, especially Keisha''s cannonball practice. So it''s up to the whole family to figure out what to do with the poor guy who has no business hanging around Michigan. Luckily for all of them, and thanks to some serious ingenuity from Keisha, the answer is closer than they ever could have imagined. Sue Stauffacher turns to her first series effort with Animal Rescue Team. With compelling plots based on actual events in her community, Sue has created a lovable cast of characters of boys and girls, young and old, who feel like people you''d meet at your neighborhood block party. Written in an accessible and engaging style meant to appeal to those independent readers looking to be excited and entertained, and with subplots about friendship, siblings, the environment, and animal conservation, along with plenty of humor, these will be a hit with teachers and librarians, and parents, as well as kids themselves.

The squirrels at Mt. Mercy College are getting too friendly—they''re frightening the students, making the nuns jumpy . . . and they''re super messy. It''s time to call the Animal Rescue Team! Meanwhile, Keisha''s got a problem of her own. The Grand River Steppers jump rope team has a chance to win first place in their school district this year, but Keisha''s so nervous, she keeps messing up! When she and Daddy go to the Veteran''s Facility to check out their squirrel situation, Keisha meets Sergeant Pinkham, who''s learning how to use his new prosthetic leg. Could Sarge be just the person to help Keisha stay calm, do well, and have fun at the competition? Perfect for independent readers, the Animal Rescue Team books offer adventurous and heartwarming stories with lots of laughs—and plenty of critters.

Althea is nothing but trouble! Everyone agrees: her mama, her daddy, her teacher, even the policeman. But when Buddy Walker, the play leader on Althea''s street in Harlem, watches her play paddle tennis, he sees something more: pure possibility. Buddy buys Althea her very own stringed tennis racket, and before long, she''s on her way to becoming a great athlete—and to proving that she''s more than just trouble. Althea Gibson was the first African American ever to compete in and win the Wimbledon Cup. Born in 1927, she was a spirited child and became an enormously talented athlete. Sue Stauffacher''s lively text, paired with vibrant paintings by artist Greg Couch, captures the exuberance, ambition, and triumph of this remarkable woman. Readers will cheer from the stands as Althea transforms from playground tomboy to Wimbledon champion.

Keisha and her family are just sitting down to Saturday-morning breakfast when the phone rings. Uh-oh! There seems to be a skunk at the community garden, and it''s dug a hole under the shed. At the same time, Mr. Sanders can''t deliver the mail to a certain house: crows keep dive-bombing him when he gets near the mailbox. Time for the Animal Rescue Team to spring into action! This time they''ve got two mysteries to solve: What could crows have against mail delivery? And what really dug that hole at the community garden--as Mama knows, it''s too big to have been dug by a skunk. Once again, it''ll take the whole team, along with help from some new friends, to sort out what, and who, is creating all this mayhem around town. Sue Stauffacher turns to her first series effort with Animal Rescue Team. With compelling plots based on actual events in her community, Sue has created a lovable cast of characters of boys and girls, kids and adults, who feel like people you''d meet at your neighborhood block party. Written in an accessible and engaging style meant to appeal to independent readers looking to be excited and entertained, and with subplots about friendship, siblings, the environment, and animal conservation, along with plenty of humor, these will be a hit with teachers and librarians, and parents, as well as kids themselves.

Harry Sue Clotkin is tough. Her mom''s in the slammer and she wants to get there too, as fast as possible, so they can be together. But it''s not so easy to become a juvenile delinquent when you''ve got a tender heart. Harry Sue''s got her hands full caring for the crumb-snatchers who take up her afternoons at the day care center, and spending time with her best friend Homer, a quadriplegic who sees life from a skylight in the roof of his tree house. When Harry Sue finds an unlikely confidante in her new art teacher, her ambitions toward a life of crime are sidelined as she comes to a deeper understanding about her past--and future. Sue Stauffacher has once again crafted a fast-paced middle-grade novel filled with quirky but lovable characters, a narrator impossible to ignore, a completely original plot, and a whole lot of redemption.

Franklin Delano Donuthead is a fifth grader with a lot of problems: For starters, his last name is Donuthead. He considers himself handicapped because one arm and leg are shorter than the other (by less than half an inch), his mother is trying to poison him with non-organic foods (like salami), he doesn’t have a father, and Sarah Kervick, the new girl, who’s mean and totally unhygienic, is attached to him, warts and all, like glue. This is a hilarious and touching novel featuring a neurotic, scared boy and a tougher-than-nails girl who each help the other in more ways than they can imagine. Sue Stauffacher has crafted characters full of wit and sensitivity, with a little anti-bacterial soap thrown in for good measure.

Franklin Delano Donuthead, star of Sue Stauffacher''s Donuthead, is back and life continues to throw him lots of curveballs: he''s now in sixth grade which means it''s time for middle school, with all of its related terrors. He has to avoid whipping pony tails in the hallways, he''s forced to use school bathrooms, with eighth graders, his life science teacher makes him blush like a tomato, his beloved Glynnis Powell may be moving ahead of him socially, his mother has a boyfriend, and his unlikely best friend, Sarah Kervick, once again needs more help than he thinks he can manage on his own. But thanks to his tough but kindhearted mother, the tough but kindhearted Gloria Nelots, and a little growing self-awareness, Franklin manages what it takes to pull Sarah out of another rough situation. Sue Stauffacher has crafted another laugh-out-loud middle grade novel about Franklin and Sarah that once again overflows with Franklin''s distinctive voice, a touching plot, wholly original characters, and a little Mercurochrome for good measure.

Celebrate the richness and diversity of the United States of America in this exciting series. Readers can explore the unique character of each state--its land and waterways; its history; its government and economy; its festivals, cultural diversity, landmarks, and exciting stories of success.

The highly regarded Cultures of the World ® series celebrates the diversity of other cultures in this fully updated and expanded edition. As has always been true of these outstanding titles, an abundance of vibrant photographs-including those new to this edition-stimulate the imaginations of young readers as they travel the globe.

When Andre and his mother move to the city he meets mysterious people and strange things happen.

While spending the summer with his grandparents in Wisconsin, twelve-year-old Derek discovers his Haida Indian heritage which draws him to a distressed black whale at a local marine park.