Heidi Heckelbeck displays her witching skills in this second book of a new young chapter book series! Now readers between the ages of five and seven can read chapter books tailor-made for a younger level of reading comprehension. Heavily illustrated with large type, Little Simon's young chapter books let young readers feel like they are reading a “grown-up” format with subject, text, and illustrations geared specifically for their own age groups! Heidi Heckelbeck seems like any other eight-year-old, but she has a secret: She’s a witch in disguise. Careful to keep her powers hidden (but excited to use them all the same), Heidi’s learning to live like any other kid—who just happens to be witch. And with easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, Heidi Heckelbeck chapter books are perfect for beginning readers. Thanks to meanie Melanie Maplethorpe, Heidi is cast as a scary tree in the school play, The Wizard of Oz. Heidi decides to get even with Melanie by casting a spell on her. The result of the spell? Melanie—who has the lead role as Dorothy—will forget her lines. As the day of the play nears, Heidi carefully collects all the ingredients she needs. But when she casts her spell, will Heidi’s revenge be as sweet as she thinks?

Eight-year-old witch Heidi Heckelbeck goes to a regular school for the first time where she makes friends with Lucy Lancaster, begins a rivalry with mean Melanie Maplethorpe, and tries to control her magic powers.

After being homeschooled her whole life, Heidi Heckelbeck enters a real school in second grade, where she encounters a mean girl named Melanie who makes her feel like an alien.

Heidi Heckelbeck sees things differently in this whimsically witchy chapter book. When her friend Lucy Lancaster gets glasses, Heidi notices all the attention Lucy gets and decides that she, too, needs a new look. In order to get glasses, Heidi pretends that she has trouble seeing. All goes as planned and Heidi gets a cool pair of glasses—but when she puts them on there’s just one problem: She can’t see a thing! Heidi walks around with fuzzy vision and makes many messes until she realizes that she doesn’t need a pair of glasses to make her special. With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Heidi Heckelbeck chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.

This is the first volume to consider the popular literary category of Early Readers – books written and designed for children who are just beginning to read independently. It argues that Early Readers deserve more scholarly attention and careful thought because they are, for many younger readers, their first opportunity to engage with a work of literature on their own, to feel a sense of mastery over a text, and to experience pleasure from the act of reading independently. Using interdisciplinary approaches that draw upon and synthesize research being done in education, child psychology, sociology, cultural studies, and children’s literature, the volume visits Early Readers from a variety of angles: as teaching tools; as cultural artifacts that shape cultural and individual subjectivity; as mass produced products sold to a niche market of parents, educators, and young children; and as aesthetic objects, works of literature and art with specific conventions. Examining the reasons such books are so popular with young readers, as well as the reasons that some adults challenge and censor them, the volume considers the ways Early Readers contribute to the construction of younger children as readers, thinkers, consumers, and as gendered, raced, classed subjects. It also addresses children’s texts that have been translated and sold around the globe, examining them as part of an increasingly transnational children’s media culture that may add to or supplant regional, ethnic, and national children’s literatures and cultures. While this collection focuses mostly on books written in English and often aimed at children living in the US, it is important to acknowledge that these Early Readers are a major US cultural export, influencing the reading habits and development of children across the globe.

Heidi’s magical secret may be out of the bag in this thirty-sixth Heidi Heckelbeck adventure! Is the town of Brewster ready to learn the truth about Heidi Heckelbeck? Or would Heidi be better off if her magic disappeared forever? With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Heidi Heckelbeck chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.

When Heidi has trouble making friends at camp, she discovers that courage can be even more powerful than magic! Heidi can’t wait to go to camp with her friend Lucy, but when they get there, Lucy’s camp friends from last year make Heidi feel unwelcome. At first Heidi uses her Book of Spells to help her win their friendship, but in the end she decides to be brave and ask the girls why they don’t like her. Heidi is surprised by their answer…and by the time camp ends she has made two new friends! With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Heidi Heckelbeck chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.

Heidi Heckelbeck mixes up a magical cookie concoction in a new whimsically witchy adventure that’s perfect for beginning readers. Heidi can’t wait to enter the famous Heckelbeck Chocolate Chunk Cookies in the annual cookie contest at Brewster Elementary. But when Melanie Maplethorpe laughs and says that Heidi’s cookies are “blah,” Heidi decides they could use a little magic. The result of Heidi’s revised recipe is sure to steal the show…but wait—what’s that strange smell? The Heidi Heckelbeck series is perfect for readers who want a “grown-up” format but are not quite ready for lengthy chapter books. With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Heidi Heckelbeck chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.

Bella, Emily, Maddie, and Sam decide to create their very own start-up—a lemonade stand!—in this fifth book of the Craftily Ever After chapter book series. Bella, Emily, Maddie, and Sam have been hard at work in their craft studio—so busy in fact, that their supplies are starting to dwindle. It’s time to stock up! In order to add a little money to their piggy bank, the friends decide to combine their skills and use the last of their allowance to create their very own business: a lemonade stand! But something’s not quite right. While the stand looks fabulous, the lemonade is…not. And where are all their customers? Can these crafty entrepreneurs save their business before it’s too late? With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Craftily Ever After chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.

In the twenty-first book of the Critter Club series, Amy discovers she has a real knack for training puppies. But when she takes on too many puppy clients, things get out of hand—or paw! When Amy meets the owner of a brand-new puppy at her mom’s vet clinic, she agrees to help the woman train her new pet. Amy does such a great job, she starts getting calls from more puppy owners! Things go great for a while, but soon, Amy is in way over her head. She can’t say no to a puppy in need and has taken on way too many clients! Amy barely has time for school or her friends in between all the puppies. Can she dig herself out of this hole before she goes barking mad? With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Critter Club chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.