Trip Dinkleman hates to read. Hates, hates, hates it. All he wants to do is play lacrosse. So when the president of the PTA asks Trip to help her out on his way to tryouts, he is not happy. He is even more not happy when a stack of books tumbles onto his head and knocks him out cold. And he is even more not happy when he wakes up and has absolutely no idea where he is. Now all he wants to do is get home. But after encountering a haunted house, aliens, talking animals, and much, much more, he realizes getting home might be just a little bit harder to do than he thought.

Annoyed at having to help the librarian move some books for the book fair, young Trip is catapulted into a world in which he lives out different book genres--a place where everything seems wrong but also just a little bit familiar.

After a devastating tornado destroys much of Cape Bluff, Kansas, residents come together as a community to put on a talent show as a fund-raiser.

Finally, a book to help educators promote sure-fire reading pleasers to boy readers in grades 3–12! Scary, Gross, and Enlightening: Books for Boys Grades 3-12 is the helpful new reference handbook for educators looking for just the right books to captivate the imaginations of boys in a way that makes reading fun as well as effective. In chapters than span the full range of categories and genres, Scary, Gross, and Enlightening surveys the latest and greatest titles aimed at boys in the primary and secondary grades, including nonfiction, graphic novels, mystery and adventure, sports, sci-fi and fantasy, humor, history, books that were made into movies, read-aloud titles, and classic works that have stood the test of time. Each chapter suggests a number of appropriate and delightful titles on a specific theme and includes listings of corresponding websites, reproducible lessons, and activities. The book also provides lists of professional titles to support each chapter's theme, as well as research-based strategies for teaching with the suggested books.

It’s the last day of school before Christmas vacation and Alex, Chase, and the rest of Mrs. Walter’s fifth-grade class couldn’t wish more for the final bell to ring. But the day takes a crazy turn when a mysterious meteorite crashes through the classroom window—and a genie pops out! Bob, as he’s called, is willing to grant only one wish for the class to share, and if they can’t agree on something before the bell rings in an hour, they’ll get nothing at all. What follows is a debate that is at turns thought-provoking and hilarious—and at all times irresistible.

Snik, Brenton, Judy, and Kelsey haven’t stayed in the best touch since last year’s big homework-machine scandal. But they are all pulled back together again when Brenton realizes that the most powerful part of the machine that lets you cheat on homework was never really destroyed. And there is someone out there who wants to use it for a lot more than just cheating. So the group bands together again not only to stop the culprit, but also to be the first to find a hidden treasure. If you enjoyed the first adventure, The Homework Machine, hold on to your hats for this one!

The life of the party was just found dead.... It was billed as the biggest literary event of the season. McKinley Montague, the handsome, enigmatic author of sensational serial-killer novels, was to make a rare book-signing appearance at the grand opening of London's newest superbookstore. But the author never arrives -- and word quickly spreads that Montague is dead, the victim of a mysterious boating accident. Publisher Alex Plumtree is shocked by McKinley's sudden passing. Yet even more disturbing is the encounter Alex has in a local coffee shop with a reporter that very night. First the scribe reveals he received a tip that McKinley's own publishers had him murdered to boost his sales. Seconds later, a bullet shatters the cafe's window, missing the pair by inches. The shooting is only the first of many bizarre incidents, unexplained deaths, and troubling phone calls. And with his own life hanging in the balance, Alex wonders if McKinley's demise was just the opening chapter in London's deadliest literary season ever....

In an era of change in education, the time is right to refocus attention on guided reading practices. Guided reading remains an anchor in classroom literacy programs, but how has it changed with the new shifts in education? In this book, Dr. Michael P. Ford provides a practical resource for guided reading. He explains how it evolved, why it's still important, how to fit it into a comprehensive literacy program, how to select texts, how to assess and support students, and how to position it for intervention. Also included is an Appendix with a listing of recommended guided reading books.

A cultural and political history of Tamilnadu through its most colourful personalities. The fascinating history of Tamilnadu comes alive in this archive of cultural and political knowledge, thoughtfully assembled by the prize-winning historian A. R. Venkatachalapathy. From glamorous film stars turned politicians such as Jayalalithaa and M. G. Ramachandran to a revolutionary anti-caste movement that began over a century ago and the ongoing struggle against Hindi hegemony, Tamilnadu has at once reshaped the mainstream and profoundly influenced the trajectory of the nation. As informative as it is entertaining, Tamil Characters is an essential deep dive into the modern history of India’s most idiosyncratic state.