For 8-year-old Daniel

A warm, moving portrait of Abraham Lincoln told through the eyes of his children and captured in exquisite full-color illustrations.

Historians claim him as one of America's most revered presidents. But to his rambunctious sons, Abraham Lincoln was above all a playful and loving father. Here is Lincoln as seen by two of his boys: Willie, thrilled to be on his first train trip when Lincoln was deciding to run for president; Willie and Tad barging into Cabinet meetings to lift Lincoln's spirits in the early days of the Civil War, Tad accompanying him to Richmond just after the South's defeat. With the war raging and the Union under siege, we see history unfolding through Willie's eyes and then through Tad's -- and we see Lincoln rising above his own inborn sadness and personal tragedy through his devotion to his sons. With evocative and engaging illustrations by P.J. Lynch, Rosemary Wells offers a carefully researched biography that gives us a Lincoln not frozen in time but accessible and utterly real.

Celebrate the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth, February 2009

Lair of the Bat Monster

by: Ursula Vernon

release date: Mar 17, 2011

Danny Dragonbreath is hoping to see lots of cool bats when he and his best friend, Wendell, visit Danny's cousin, a bat specialist in Mexico. But he isn't expecting to get up close and personal with a giant bat monster, who kidnaps Danny and carries him off to her lair! Now nerdy Wendell will finally get a chance to be a hero . . . but only if he can hunt down the bat monster before she permanently adopts Danny as her bat monster baby.

Ursula Vernon has packed the fourth book in this laugh-until-smoke-comes-out-of-your-nose series with fantastic bat facts and hilarity of the highest order. Wimpy Kid fans everywhere will love this decidedly un-wimpy (but often unlucky!) dragon. Perfect for fans of Wimpy Kid and Bad Kitty.

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Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie

by: Julie Sternberg

release date: Mar 01, 2011

I had a bad August.

A very bad August.

As bad as pickle juice on a cookie.

As bad as a spider web on your leg.

As bad as the black parts on a banana.
I hope your August was better.

I really do.

When Eleanor's beloved babysitter, Bibi, has to move away to take care of her ailing father, Eleanor must try to bear the summer without Bibi and prepare for the upcoming school year. Her new, less-than-perfect babysitter just isn't up to snuff, and she doesn't take care of things like Bibi used to. But as the school year looms, it's time for new beginnings. Eleanor soon realizes that she will always have Bibi, no matter how far away she is.

Written in a lyrical style with thoughtful and charming illustrations throughout, this remarkable debut novel tells a poignant story of friendship and the bittersweet feelings of growing up.

Praise for Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie
“Eleanor's ingenuous free-verse monologue should strike a chord with readers, especially those who may have had to cope with the loss of a loved one. Cordell's halftone cartoons convey the story's pathos and humor, as well as Eleanor's changeable moods.” –Publishers Weekly

“Cordell's winsome cartoon drawings complement the text without overcrowding the verse. It tells a simple, poignant story that will resonate with any child who has ever had to say good-bye.” –Booklist

“This first novel is a promising debut. Eleanor's concerns, not only about her babysitter, but also about playmates, friends and a new school year will be familiar to readers, who will look forward to hearing more about her life.” –Kirkus Reviews

“Sternberg hits all the right notes here, capturing a sensitive kid's first experience of loss with tender respectfulness and full acknowledgment that separation is a bereavement too. Sprightly line drawings, with the same perky homeyness as the story, add visual energy.” –Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“Heartfelt, accessible, and energetic…” –Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This heartwarming novel and its winsome cartoon-like illustrations draw readers right into the story. Children would enjoy this short chapter book as an independent read, but it would also be a particularly good choice for parents to read to or with their children." –BookPage

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester

by: Barbara O'Connor

release date: Oct 11, 2011

Owen Jester wishes his family hadn't moved to his grandfather's house after his dad lost his job. For one thing, his grandfather's live-in nurse sure knows how to ruin anyone's idea of a good time. And then there's Viola, the girl next door, who can't ever mind her own business. She even thinks Owen should put his freshly captured bullfrog back into the pond. Then late one night, Owen hears a curious noise when the train passes by his grandfather's house. Something mysterious and wonderful has fallen off the train. When Owen finally discovers what it is, he realizes he just might need a know-it-all after all. But can he trust Viola keep the most fantastic secret to ever tumble into Carter, Georgia?

The Day-Glo Brothers

by: Chris Barton

release date: Jan 01, 2009

Joe and Bob Switzer were very different brothers. Bob was a studious planner who wanted to grow up to be a doctor. Joe dreamed of making his fortune in show business and loved magic tricks and problem-solving. When an accident left Bob recovering in a darkened basement, the brothers began experimenting with ultraviolet light and fluorescent paints. Together they invented a whole new kind of color, one that glows with an extra-special intensityDay-Glo. This cover reproduction is not printed withDay-Glo colors. The actual book, however, is printed using three Day-Glo colors: Saturn Yellow, Fire Orange, and Signal Green.

Brain Quest Workbook

by: Janet A. Meyer

release date: Jul 09, 2008

Jam-packed with hundreds of curriculum-based activities, exercises and games in every subject,Brain Quest Grade 3 Workbookreinforces what kids are learning in the classroom. The workbook's lively layout and easy-to-follow explanations make learning fun, interactive, and concrete. Plus it's written to help parents follow and explain key concepts. Includes spelling and vocabulary, parts of speech, reading comprehension, odds and evens, magic squares, multiplication tables, Brain Boxes, and much more.

The Coalwood Way

by: Homer Hickam

release date: Jan 01, 2000

The true story, originally published as Rocket Boys, that inspired the Universal Pictures film.

It was 1957, the year Sputnik raced across the Appalachian sky, and the small town of Coalwood, West Virginia, was slowly dying.

Faced with an uncertain future, Homer Hickam nurtured a dream: to send rockets into outer space. The introspective son of the mine's superintendent and a mother determined to get him out of Coalwood forever, Homer fell in with a group of misfits who learned not only how to turn scraps of metal into sophisticated rockets but how to sustain their hope in a town that swallowed its men alive.

As the boys began to light up the tarry skies with their flaming projectiles and dreams of glory, Coalwood, and the Hickams, would never be the same.

Smartest Animals on the Planet

by: Sally Boysen

release date: Feb 20, 2009

How animals communicate and learn -- sometimes better than humans do, actually.

This fascinating book, written by a world authority on animal intelligence, brings together the cumulative research on the comparative intelligence levels of nonhuman "smart" species. Sally Boysen reveals how these intelligent animals communicate, learn behavior, show feelings and emotions and, for some species, how they use tools, count and sometimes pick up a foreign language.

Fully illustrated with photographs and step-by-step graphics, the book draws on data from historical and current experiments and observations to examine intelligence in the great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans) and in a surprising list of other species, including sea otters, eagles, elephants, dolphins, birds, bees, beetles, rats, raccoons and parrots.

The book's chapters are:

Comparing Animal Skills and Intelligence
Animal Tool Use
Communication in Animals
Imitation and Social Learning
Social Cognition and Emotion
Self-recognition and Awareness
Numerical Abilities in Animals
Animals and Human Nonverbal Language.

The Smartest Animals on the Planet is a beautiful, authoritative and up-to-date presentation on the remarkable intelligence of the animal kingdom.

Nobody's Perfect

by: Ellen Flanagan Burns

release date: Aug 15, 2008

Sally Sanders is good at everything she does, or so it seems. Secretly she is afraid that if she can't do something well, or be the best, she will feel like a failure. She is scared that she is not "good enough." As a perfectionist, hitting the wrong note at a piano recital, or not making the soccer team feels like the end of the world!Gradually, through the help of her teachers and mother, Sally learns to have fun and not worry so much about being the best. She realizes that making mistakes is a part of learning, and that doing her best is good enough.

The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food

release date: Jan 01, 1986

Mama Bear lays down the law when she notices that Papa and the cubs are getting too chubby. With the help of Dr. Grizzly's slide show on how the body works, the Bear family makes a healthful adjustment in their diet and fitness habits. "A most enjoyable introduction to good nutrition and exercise."--(starred) Science Books & Films.

The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin

release date: Sep 12, 1990

The Bear family might not win the blue ribbon for their entry in the pumpkin contest during the annual Bear Country Thanksgiving Festival, but they do gain a new appreciation of the true spirit of the holiday and all they have to be thankful for.

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Stories about this funny family and the everyday adventures they encounter.

The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers

release date: Jan 01, 1986

When Papa Bear tells the cubs why they should never talk to strangers, Sister begins to view all strangers as evil until Mama brings some common sense to the problem. "The Bears' rules for safe conduct among strangers are listed on the last pages, including a rule about the privacy of a bear's body. A good book to start awareness in young children."--School Library Journal.

Matilda

by: Roald Dahl

release date: Jan 01, 2004

Poor, misunderstood Matilda fights back against an unappreciative world through a hidden talent: Matilda is the world's greatest practical joker! Little effort is needed to put one over on her obnoxious parents, but can shy little Matilda handle the formidable headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and win the respect of every kid in school? Yes!

The Boys' Book of Survival

by: Scholastic

release date: Jan 01, 2009

Now you, too, can survive anything, anywhere!

Lost in the desert? Stuck in quicksand? Confronted by a man-eating tiger? Trapped at a school dance? Fear not, brave reader! With this essential survival guide, you'll find a way to get yourself out of every imaginable predicament, whether it's an avalanche or a zombie invasion!

How to survive anything all in one handy book! Inside you'll find out how to treat a snakebite, send an SOS message, track an animal, make a map, and build a ladder. Find out how to survive a school dance, a shopping trip with your mom, a pop quiz, and a shark attack!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

by: Jeff Kinney

Great Books for Boys (9-12)

Whatever you do, don't ask Greg Heffley how he spent his summer vacation, because he definitely doesn't want to talk about it.

As Greg enters the new school year, he's eager to put the past three months behind him . . . and one event in particular. Unfortunately for Greg, his older brother, Rodrick, knows all about the incident Greg wants to keep under wraps. But secrets have a way of getting out . . . especially when a diary is involved.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules chronicles Greg's attempts to navigate the hazards of middle school, impress the girls, steer clear of the school talent show, and most important, keep his secret safe.

The highly anticipated sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling book!

Other Lists with This Book:

2010 Young Adult Choices

Science in Seconds for Kids

by: Jean Potter

release date: Jan 01, 1995

Make lightning in your room! Keep paper dry under water! Lose weight by going upstairs! See colors that aren't there! Experience the magic of science with these quick, easy experiments and activities from Jean Potter. You can complete each activity in ten fun-filled minutes or less. Clear, step-by-step instructions and illustrations help you get it right every time. The projects help you learn about everything from why eggs aren't round to how submarines surface and submerge. You will find most of the required materials already in your home, backyard, or neighborhood, and you can perform the experiments practically anywhere. The 108 activities in this book cover twelve different subject areas, including air, animals, energy, gravity, magnetism, light, the human body, and much more. You'll make a rainbow right on your floor, pop a balloon with a magnifying glass, make a coffee can roll back to you after you've pushed it away, and bend water as it streams from your faucet--all with the help of a leading educator. Children Ages 8-12

The Talking Eggs

by: Robert D. San Souci

release date: Aug 01, 1990

The author of such delights as The Christmas Ark and The Enchanted Tapestry joins forces with illustrator Pinkney to resurrect a colorful folktale that captures the unique flavor of the American South. A 1989 Caldecott Honor Book.

Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul

by: Jack Canfield

release date: Jul 01, 1998