The early reader series from the dynamic duo of Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord and New York Times bestselling illustrator Derek Anderson now features Hot Rod Hamster in his spookiest adventure yet! It's Halloween and Hot Rod Hamster is going to a party! But first, he must come up with a costume that's fun and spooky enough to win the contest. Can you help him?With the same bouncing rhythms, fun choice rhymes, and daredevil antics that made the picture books so popular, this original Level 2 reader will be a sturdy stepping-stone for Hot Rod Hamster fans as well as series newcomers as they move on to independent reading. The years Ms. Lord spent as a first-grade teacher have given her the perfect sense for what language and storylines work best for emerging readers. This new adventure skillfully emphasizes word families and rhyming structures with pedal-to-the-metal flare! Little boys and girls will race to collect this latest story from their favorite furry friend.Hop into the early-reading driver's seat and join Hot Rod Hamster and his buddies for loads of spooky fun!

A hamster, with the help of a canine junkyard dealer and his mouse assistants, builds a hot rod and drives it in a race against some very large dogs.

Follows Hamster and his friend Dog as they prepare for a birthday party.

A new early reader series from dynamic duo, Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling illustrator Derek Anderson, featuring Hot Rod Hamster! Hot Rod Hamster LOVES to drive superfast. And today he's building a box car from scratch to race downhill in the Wacky Whatever Race. He needs to pick out a box, wheels, and a paint color for his car. Can you help him?With the same bouncing rhythms, fun choice rhymes, and daredevil antics that made the picture books so popular, this original Level 2 reader will be a sturdy stepping-stone for Hot Rod Hamster fans as well as series newcomers as they move on to independent reading. The years Ms. Lord spent as a first-grade teacher have given her the perfect sense for what language and storylines work best for emerging readers. This new adventure skillfully emphasizes word families and rhyming structures with pedal-to-the-metal flare! Little boys and girls will race to collect this latest story from their favorite furry friend.Hop into the early-reading driver's seat and join Hot Rod Hamster and his buddies for a fun-filled race day with a thrilling surprise at the finish line!

A new fun-filled Hot Rod Hamster reader from the dynamic duo of Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling illustrator Derek Anderson! Hot Rod Hamster is looking for adventure!Hamster and his friends go looking for an awesome adventure at Al's ATV Park. But Hamster needs YOUR help to make it the perfect ride, full of bumps, jumps, and down-and-dirty fun! After roaring up hills, rolling over rocks, and splashing through mud puddles, the group halts at the sound of one word: "Help!" A family out for a picnic has gotten their ATV stuck in the mud! So Hamster and his friends stage a down-and-dirty rescue, proving that great adventure--and great new friends--come in all sizes!Newbery Honor-winning author Cynthia Lord and New York Times bestselling illustrator Derek Anderson's beloved characters return. With the same bouncing rhythms, fun choices, and daredevil antics that make the acclaimed picture books sparkle, these Level 2 readers will be a sturdy stepping-stone for Hot Rod Hamster fans and series newcomers alike as they move on to independent reading.

Ghosts aren’t meant to stick around forever... Shelly and her grandmother catch ghosts. In their hair. Just like all the women in their family, they can see souls who haven’t transitioned yet; it’s their job to help the ghosts along their journey. When Shelly’s mom dies suddenly, Shelly’s relationship to ghosts—and death—changes. Instead of helping spirits move on, Shelly starts hoarding them. But no matter how many ghost cats, dogs, or people she hides in her room, Shelly can’t ignore the one ghost that’s missing. Why hasn’t her mom’s ghost come home yet? Rooted in a Cree worldview and inspired by stories about the author’s great-grandmother’s life, The Ghost Collector delves into questions of grief and loss, and introduces an exciting new voice in tween fiction that will appeal to fans of Kate DiCamillo’s Louisiana’s Way Home and Patrick Ness’s A Monster Calls.

In this stand-alone follow-up to So B. It (now a major motion picture), a girl who the world might see as weird finds her footing and stands her ground. All her life, Aurora has heard stories about Heidi and all the good luck she brought Aurora’s family. Aurora, though, doesn’t feel very lucky. The kids at school think she’s weird. And she’s starting to think her mom thinks she’s weird, too. Especially compared to Heidi. On the eve of a visit from Heidi, more bad luck hits Aurora’s family. There’s a fire in their attic, destroying a good part of their house. And, even worse, Aurora’s beloved dog goes missing. Aurora and her family have always believed in soof—Heidi’s mom’s word for love. But sometimes even when soof is right there in front of you, you still need to find it—and that’s exactly what Aurora is going to do. “A moving exploration of family, love, and forgiveness.” —The Horn Book “A sweet story that shows all you need is soof.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the bestselling and award-winning author of Girl in the Blue Coat, comes an extraordinary novel of conviction, friendship, and betrayal, when two teenage girls meet in an American internment camp during WWII. It's 1944, and World War II is raging across Europe and the Pacific. The war seemed far away from Margot in Iowa and Haruko in Colorado—until they were uprooted to dusty Texas, all because of the places their parents once called home: Germany and Japan. Margot and Haruko meet at the high school in Crystal City, a "family internment camp" for those accused of colluding with the enemy. The teens discover that they are polar opposites in so many ways, except for one that seems to override all the others: the camp is changing them, day by day and piece by piece. Haruko finds herself consumed by fear for her soldier brother and distrust of her father, who she knows is keeping something from her. And Margot is doing everything she can to keep her family whole as her mother's health deteriorates and her rational, patriotic father becomes a man who distrusts America and fraternizes with Nazis. With everything around them falling apart, Haruko and Margot find solace in their growing, secret friendship. But in a prison the government has deemed full of spies, can they trust anyone—even each other?

Following Braced, which had three starred reviews, comes a story of a girl caught between her love of chess and her ADHD. Clea can't control her thoughts. She knows she has to do her homework . . . but she gets distracted. She knows she can't just say whatever thought comes into her head . . . but sometimes she can't help herself. She know she needs to focus . . . but how can she do that when the people around her are always chewing gum loudly or making other annoying noises?It's starting to be a problem-not just in school, but when Clea's playing chess or just hanging out with her best friend. Other kids are starting to notice. When Clea fails one too many tests, her parents take her to be tested, and she finds out that she has ADHD, which means her attention is all over the place instead of where it needs to be.Clea knows life can't continue the way it's been going. She's just not sure how you can fix a problem that's all in your head. But that's what she's going to have to do, to find a way to focus. In a starred review, called Alyson Gerber's first novel, , "a masterfully constructed and highly empathetic debut about a different kind ofacceptance." With , she explores even further how, when life gives you a challenge, the best way to face it is with an open mind, an open heart, and the open support of the people around you.

For fans of Elephant & Piggie and Frog & Toad comes an easy-to-read series about another unlikely pair: Croc and Ally. These two best friends don't always see things the same way, but there's one thing they do agree on--their friendship comes first! Croc is grumpy. Ally is happy. Croc sees a problem. Ally finds a solution. In Fun, Fun, Fun, the best friends overcome their differences as they go for a swim, shop for hats, and deal with a big bug. With three short stories, easy-to-read vocabulary, and adorable illustrations, this book is perfect for progressing readers.