Haiku Baby

by Betsy Snyder

Here's a fantastic book for teaching little ones more about poetry! The simple delights in a child's natural world—a bird, a fish, a leaf, a snowflake, a raindrop—are celebrated in the traditional Japanese poetic form, the haiku. In just 17 syllables, a moment, a season, and the elements are joyfully captured in poetic words and beautiful illustrations.

Good Night, Leo

by Charise Mericle Harper

It's bedtime, and Leo must get out of his pirate costume and into his pjs, and as he removes each item of clothing, Leo fondly says good night- “Good night, green bandana." Young readers will love seeing Leo transform from pirate to sleepy-head with a cute surprise ending. This charming good-night book also teaches colors and object identification.

The Skirt
by Gary Soto

Oh no! Miata Ramirez brought her forklorico skirt to show off at school and left it on the bus. It's her mother's most special skirt, and Miata is supposed to wear it in two days because her dance group is going to dance forklorico. Will she be able to rescue the skirt in time?

Arthur in New York
by Marc Brown

This Step 3 reader follows Arthur and his family as they head off to the Big Apple to see the sights! They get to check out the Statue of Liberty, a museum, and a Broadway show before disaster strikes- D. W. wonders off by herself and they can't find her! As they frantically search the city, Arthur thinks hard. Can he figure out where his sister went and save the day?

Visit the Step into Reading site!

Thumbelina, Tiny Runaway Bride
by Barbara Ensor

This is the classic tale of Thumbelina, but with a twist! Humor, flair, and stylish illustrations bring to light this independent, pint-sized heroine as she resists engagements to a frog, a mole, and even a miniature king. This updated version of the unforgettable story will bring Thumbelina to a whole new generation of young readers.

Yesterday's Magic

by Pamela F. Service

When Heather McKenna is kidnapped by the sorceress Morgan LeFay, it’s Welly and Merlin to the rescue! Set 500 years in the future, the technological world has ground to a halt, but magic is beginning to thrive again. This riveting sequel to Tomorrow’s Magic continues Merlin and Arthur’s quest to reunite the world.

Silvermist and the Ladybug Curse

by Gail Herman

Silvermist is the calmest water-talent fairy around, as cool as a deep mountain lake. But then an “unlucky” white ladybug lands on Silvermist’s head, and her orderly world goes topsy-turvy. She’s never been the type of fairy to lose things or have accidents or make mistakes . . . until now. Could the other fairies be right? Is Silvermist really under a ladybug curse?

Visit the Stepping Stones site!

Cool Zone with the Pain and the Great One
by Judy Blume

Illustrated by James Stevenson

Siblings are annoying. But when your first tooth falls out at school and a bully says you’re burnt toast, it’s not too painful to have some family around. It’s actually pretty great!

"[T]he stories are sweet and accurately depict the growing pains of childhood."

–School Library Journal, Starred

The Sunken Kingdom #1: Ghost Ship

by Kim Wilkins
Illustrated by D.M. Cornish

Welcome to an underwater world where evil Emperor Flood rules and the young siblings Asa and Rollo live a precarious existence. Nothing about this sunken kingdom is safe, but Asa and Rollo will do whatever it takes to save their kidnapped sister and defend their family's honor.

The Edge Chronicles 2: Stormchaser

by Paul Stewart and

Chris Riddell

Since his childhood in the DeepWoods, Twig has always longed to soar above the forest canopy and explore the sky. Now that he's a crew member on his father’s sky pirate ship, the Stormchaser, his dream seems nearly fulfilled. But a much higher destiny awaits for Twig. . . .

Now in paperback!

Check out the Educators Guide!

No Cream Puffs

by Karen Day

Madison is not an average 12-year-old girl from Michigan in 1980. She doesn’t use lipgloss, but she loves sports, and joins baseball for the summer—the first girl in Southern Michigan to play on a boys’ team.

So the pressure's on to do well. Plus, she has a crush on a fellow player, her best friend ditched her, and a certain boy plans to bean her during the championship. Can she handle the heat?

Archer's Quest

by Linda Sue Park

From Newbery-Award winning author Linda Sue Park comes a story about Kevin, a Korean American math whiz, who is shocked when an ancient Korean ruler crashes into his room. There’s not a moment to lose as Kevin uses Korean history, folktales, math, and the Chinese Zodiac to help his friend travel back through time before the Year of the Tiger ends.

The Crossroads
by Chris Grabenstein

Zach and his family have just moved to a new town where, fifty years ago, a crazed killer caused an accident at the nearby crossroads that took 40 innocent lives. He died when his car hit a tree evil spirit has inhabited the tree ever since. During a huge storm, lightning hits the tree, releasing the spirit, who his sights on Zach.

Roots and Wings
by Many Ly

When Grace's grandmother dies, she and her mother travel to Cambodia to bury her. Embraced by her mother’s old friends, Grace feels both at home and lost, awed by the traditions she’s never known, but strangely judged by some members of the community. Can she make sense of the life of the grandmother she barely knew? And will it bring her closer to her mother, or push her farther away?

Once Upon a Time

in the North

by Philip Pullman

This new prequel episode from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials universe explains the friendship of Lee Scoresby--Texan aeronaut and future friend to Lyra Belacqua-- and the armored bear Iorek Byrnison. It also includes a removable board game—Peril of the Pole—on the inside back cover. 

“Pullman is as fine a writer as there is for young people, and this book is a small gem.” -Booklist              

Suck It Up
by Brian Meehl

Did you think all vampires were night-stalking, fangpopping, bloodsucking fiends? So did I until I met Morning McCobb. He’s a vegan vampire who drinks a soy-blood substitute and believes staking should be a hate crime. He even outed himself to try and show people of mortality, like you and me, that vampires are just another minority with special needs. Trust me—this is like no other vampire book you’ll ever feed on.

The Eyes of a King
by Catherine Banner

When Leo North picks up a blank book in the snow, he senses a strange power. Passages soon appear and tell of family secrets, the history of Malonia, and the story of Ryan and Anna, two teens from a parallel universe. Their summer romance— seemingly worlds away from Leo—has everything to do with Malonia. And when Leo’s path takes an unexpected tragic turn, he finds himself on a journey from which he can never really return.

How to Build a House

by Dana Reinhardt

Harper volunteers for a homebuilding project in Tennessee after her father's infidelity results in a divorce and the subsequently devastating loss of her much-loved stepmother and stepsister. As she tries to heal, she surprises herself by falling in love.

"[T]his meticulously crafted book illustrates how both homes and relationships can be resurrected through hard work, hope and teamwork."

- Publisher's Weekly, Starred

Check out the Author Spotlight!

The Day I Killed James

by Catherine Ryan Hyde

When Theresa brings James to a party as her date, it’s just for the night, and he knows that. But then he drives himself off a cliff, and Theresa knows she’s responsible for his death. She tries to run away from the pain, but learns you can never run away from yourself. This is a compelling tale about love, loss, and how to repair broken hearts.

Fact of Life #31
by Denise Vega

Here are the facts:

#21: Kat's liked Manny Cruz for years, and he might finally, FINALLY be interested.

#48: Kat's mom is the best home-birth midwife in Colorado.

#14: Libby Giles is gorgeous. And totally intimidating. Only, lately, she seems different. . . .

Hilarious and poignant, this is the story of one girl’s sometimes funny, sometimes painful path to self-acceptance and to finding her place in the world.