The beloved and bestselling author of Inkheart returns with a chapter book full of mischief, heart, hilarious illustrations, and pet monsters! Goodbye, earthworms. Hello, chocolate cake! Ruffleclaw is a furry red monster who lives under a toolshed, and he’s sick of eating bugs. When he decides to move in with a family of humans, he climbs right into bed with a boy named Tommy. Tommy wants to keep Ruffleclaw as a pet, but it won’t be easy. Ruffleclaw makes huge messes—he spits, he drinks shampoo, and he eats everything in the fridge . . . along with the plates! Can Tommy teach his monster to behave? Cornelia Funke’s signature touch of imagination and humor delights young readers in her chapter books—Emma and the Blue Genie, The Pirate Pig, and Ruffleclaw.

The beloved and bestselling author of Inkheart brings imagination, adventure, and humor to a swashbuckling full-color chapter book! Who needs a treasure map when you have a pirate pig with a nose for gold? Stout Sam and his deckhand, Pip, find a pig washed up in a barrel on the beach. They want to keep her as a pet, but they soon realize Julie is no ordinary pig. She can sniff out treasure! What happens if Barracuda Bill, the greediest and meanest pirate who ever sailed the seas, hears about Julie’s special talent? Cornelia Funke’s charming and fun chapter books are available to an American audience for the very first time.

The beloved and bestselling author of Inkheart returns with a chapter book full of mischief, heart, and kid mermaids! These mermaid friends are fishing for trouble! Lilly and Fin are merpups—mermaid kids—who love to play and explore the caves outside the mermaid city. They aren’t really supposed to leave the city, but that’s what makes it so much fun! Surely all those stories about Two-Legs (you know, humans) and sea monsters are just made up to scare young merpups. Little do they know, a real live human couple is on the hunt for a mermaid to add to their collection of rare sea creatures. If Two-Legs exist, what about sea monsters? With fun full-color illustrations by the author herself, this adventure is sure to capture all two-legged chapter-book readers! “Cornelia Funke . . . has written her way into the hearts and imaginations of audiences worldwide.”—Clive Barker, Time magazine

On Butterfly Island, sailer Stout Sam and his deckhand Pip must rescue their treasure-sniffing pig from nasty pirate Barracuda Bill.

Eight--year-old Emma and her little dog, Tristan, take a magic carpet ride to the distant land of Barakash to help a genie recover his stolen magical nose ring.

The New York Times–bestselling author of Inkheart and Dragon Rider delivers an “inventive re-imagining of the knight-in-shining-armor story” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Igraine dreams of becoming a famous knight just like her great grandfather, but the truth is, life at the family castle is rather boring. Until the nephew of the baroness-next-door shows up. He’s got a dastardly plan to capture the castle and claim as his own the wonderful singing spell books that belong to Igraine’s magician parents. To make matters worse, at the very moment of the siege, her mom and dad botch a spell, turning themselves into pigs! Aided by a Gentle Giant and a Sorrowful Knight, it’s up to Igraine to be brave and save the day—and the books! “Illustrated with pen-and-ink sketches of Igraine in action, plus many tiny tomes sporting stubby limbs and animated faces, this engaging read, or read-aloud, is ‘joust’ the ticket for all young fans of non-gender-specific knightly valor.” —Kirkus Reviews

A crash-landing puts Christmas in peril in this quirky, funny, and heartwarming holiday classic from the New York Times–bestselling author of Inkheart. Scared by a storm, Twinklestar, the least reliable reindeer, bolts—causing Santa and his sleigh to crash-land. And though Santa has dropped into a friendly neighborhood, he’s not safe: Jeremiah Goblynch, the ruthless new leader of the Council of Yuleland, is determined to put an end to children’s wishes and turn the holiday season into his own personal moneymaking scheme. As the last REAL St. Nick around, only Santa stands between Goblynch and his grinchlike plan. With the help and hope of kids Charlotte and Ben, Santa must face Goblynch and his Nutcracker goons to save Christmas! “Wonderfully imaginative details, adventure, danger, and a brave young Santa who fights to preserve all that is magical and special about Christmas make this a perfect read over a mug of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night.” —School Library Journal “The humor, plus some unusual character types, sets this apart from the general run of holiday tales.” —Kirkus Reviews

A picture-book account of one of the most famous pieces of radio history! * “Sandwiched between a look at Depression-era radios and a set of fanciful period advertisements, McCarthy delivers a semi-serious account of the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast, illustrating both passages from the script and briefly told descriptions of widespread panic with smudgy cartoon scenes featuring bug-eyed monsters and equally bug-eyed people. The author closes with a substantial note that analyzes the broadcast’ immediate and long-term effects, points out that the announcers repeatedly admitted that they were presenting a drama during the broadcast, mentions several later revivals here and internationally and notes the response of H.G. Wells himself to the original production. She has also set up an invitingly designed Web site with an array of relevant links.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred An ALA–ALSC Notable Children’s Book A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year An IRA–CBC Children’s Choice A Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice A 2006 New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

When they hear that their teacher, Mr. G., is cutting off his ponytail and picking up a suit, the students jump to the wrong conclusion, until Katie finds out what is really happening when she turns into Mr. G.

The beauty of the Australian bush, animals that visit her garden, watching her kids grow up, and observing strange habits of family members are some of the things which have inspired Susan Allen's collection of poems, aptly describing her life (in general.) Dozens of original poems on topics as diverse and whacky as scrub turkeys, cooking escapades, personal grooming habits (clipping toenails, to be precise, ) accidental fires, and embarrassing situations with family members (including the author!) are presented in this heartwarming and hilarious collection. A wonderfully entertaining way to look at life and all it has to offer...more or less. Susan Allen grew up in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, England enjoying the surrounding countryside and simple pleasures of childhood. She now lives with her husband, Les, and their six remarkable children near Gympie in South East Queensland. Susan is in the process of creating her next book of poetry. Life (in general) is her first published book.