Franklin loves his stuffed dog, but now he wants a real pet.

“Henry Smith’s father told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you.” But Trouble comes careening down the road one night in the form of a pickup truck that strikes Henry’s older brother, Franklin. In the truck is Chay Chouan, a young Cambodian from Franklin’s preparatory school, and the accident sparks racial tensions in the school—and in the well-established town where Henry’s family has lived for generations. Caught between anger and grief, Henry sets out to do the only thing he can think of: climb Mt. Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine, which he and Franklin were going to climb together. Along with Black Dog, whom Henry has rescued from drowning, and a friend, Henry leaves without his parents’ knowledge. The journey, both exhilarating and dangerous, turns into an odyssey of discovery about himself, his older sister, Louisa, his ancestry, and why one can never escape from Trouble.

In this Franklin Classic Storybook, our hero deals with stage fright!

In this Franklin Classic Storybook, Franklin learns about the responsibility of having a pet.

Cody Harmon doesn't love reading, math, spelling, or really any of the subjects that Miss Molina teaches in her third-grade class. But he lives on a farm and he loves animals--he even has nine pets--so when the school holds a pet-show fund-raiser, it should be his time to shine. There's a ten-dollar entrance fee per pet, though, and Cody can't pay it for all nine pets. He'd love to take his pig, but what about the others? In the end, Cody figures out a way to lend out his pets so that every person in the class (and every pet) gets to participate in the show.

This popular collection starring the lovable turtle Franklin includes six first readers: Franklin and the Scooter, Franklin and the Contest, Franklin and the Bubble Gum, Franklin and the Stopwatch, Franklin and the Magic Show and Franklin and the Cookies. In each story, Franklin faces a unique problem common to the everyday lives and experiences of young children. Whether it's an overwhelming desire to get a scooter of his own, a dilemma over what to do when he inadvertently ?steals? all the bubble gum from a machine or the conflicting desire to eat all of his cookies while also wanting to share them with others, Franklin faces up to each situation with honesty, a generous spirit and a lot of ingenuity. With his good friends Bear, Fox, Beaver and Rabbit nearby to lend a hand, Franklin always manages to find a terrific and age-appropriate happy ending to his dilemma, teaching children that no problem is ever too big to resolve. Crafted for early readers, the stories all contain short sentences, and every page has clear, easy-to-follow illustrations, which provide contextual clues to any words children may stumble over. Each story begins with the same two sentences --- ?Franklin can tie his shoes. Franklin can count by twos.? --- helping to build reading confidence through repetition. A favorite from books and the beloved television show Franklin and Friends, the familiar characters in these stories are widely appealing, making this a comfortable choice for new readers.

Franklin plans a Day with Dad so they can have fun doing their favorite activities together. But things get off to a slow start when friends and neighbors ask Mr. Turtle for help, and he is soon too busy to play. Franklin is disappointed, until he realizes spending time together, regardless of what they might be doing, is what counts.

Semi, Miranda, and Arnie are part of a group of 50 British Young Conservationists on their way to a wildlife conservation station deep in the rain forests of Ecuador. After a terrifying mid-air disaster and subsequent crash, these three are the sole survivors, stranded together on a deserted tropical island. Or so they think. Semi, Miranda, and Arnie stumble into the hands of Dr. Franklin, a mad scientist who’s been waiting for them, eager to use them as specimens for his experiments in genetic engineering.

Last spring, Pansy chickened out on going to spring break camp, even though she’d promised her best friend, Anna, she’d go. It was just like when they went to get their hair cut for Locks of Love; only one of them walked out with a new hairstyle, and it wasn’t Pansy. But Pansy never got the chance to make it up to Anna. While at camp, Anna contracted meningitis and a dangerously high fever, and she hasn’t been the same since. Now all Pansy wants is her best friend back—not the silent girl in the wheelchair who has to go to a special school and who can’t do all the things Pansy used to chicken out of doing. So when Pansy discovers that Anna is getting a surgery that might cure her, Pansy realizes this is her chance—she’ll become the friend she always should have been. She’ll become the best friend Anna’s ever had—even if it means taking risks, trying new things (like those scary roller skates), and running herself ragged in the process. Pansy’s chasing extraordinary, hoping she reaches it in time for her friend’s triumphant return. But what lies at the end of Pansy’s journey might not be exactly what she had expected—or wanted. Extraordinary is a heartfelt, occasionally funny, coming-of-age middle grade novel by debut author Miriam Spitzer Franklin. It’s sure to appeal to fans of Cynthia Lord’s Rules and will inspire young friends to cherish the times they spend together. Every day should be lived like it’s extraordinary. Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

In this Franklin Classic Storybook, Franklin faces the excitement and fear of starting school.