The most popular dude in school? It has to be Bernie Bridges. Just ask him! Bernie wants to win the Most Popular Rotten Student of the Year title. But first he has to prove he's the most popular dude on campus. How? Easy. He'll get Jennifer Ecch, the yearbook photographer, to follow him around. All she has to do is snap pictures of him being popular. When that doesn't work, Bernie decides to throw himself the biggest birthday party ever. But, look out, Bernie . . . . Some birthday parties turn out to be surprise parties!

Bernie Bridges has it all figured out. April-May June—the hottest girl in the fourth grade—will ask him to the annual girl-invite-boy school dance. They'll dance the night away, and April-May June will totally fall for him. There's only one problem: Reality. April-May June doesn't WANT to go with Bernie. She wouldn't go with Bernie even if he was the last guy on earth. Then Jennifer Ecch—the Nightmare Girl—swoops in and asks Bernie to the dance. Yuck! How can he shake the unshakable Ecch? Bernie has a plan. He'll convince Jennifer that he is lower than toe fungus and not worthy enough to go to the dance with her. But love is blind. Jennifer loves Bernie—no matter what. So Bernie has no choice. The time has come to hold a long-distance snot-blowing contest right in front of Jennifer. That should be gross enough to get Jennifer out of his life—shouldn't it?

There's nothing worse than a rotten redheaded older brother who can do everything you can do better! Patricia's brother Richard could run the fastest, climb the highest, and spit the farthest and still smile his extra-rotten, greeny-toothed, weasel-eyed grin. But when little Patricia wishes on a shooting star that she could do something—anything—to show him up, she finds out just what wishes—and rotten redheaded older brothers—can really do. Patricia Polacco's boldly and exuberantly painted pictures tell a lively and warmhearted tale of comic one-upsmanship and brotherly love.

A loud clap of thunder booms, and rattles the windows of Grandma's old farmhouse. "This is Thunder Cake baking weather," calls Grandma, as she and her granddaughter hurry to gather the ingredients around the farm. A real Thunder Cake must reach the oven before the storm arrives. But the list of ingredients is long and not easy to find . . . and the storm is coming closer all the time! Reaching once again into her rich childhood experience, Patricia Polacco tells the memorable story of how her grandma--her Babushka--helped her overcome her fear of thunder when she was a little girl. Ms. Polacco's vivid memories of her grandmother's endearing answer to a child's fear, accompanied by her bright folk-art illustrations, turn a frightening thunderstorm into an adventure and ultimately . . . a celebration! Whether the first clap of thunder finds you buried under the bedcovers or happily anticipating the coming storm, Thunder Cake is a story that will bring new meaning and possibility to the excitement of a thunderstorm.

Rotten School's bad boy, Bernie B., is trying to turn over a new leaf in order to date the prettiest girl in school, but he may trip over his own slime trail.

More than frosting filled those cakes... Wilma Sue seems destined to go from one foster home to the next—until she is sent to live with sisters and missionaries, Ruth and Naomi. Do they really care about Wilma Sue, or are they just looking for a Cinderella-style farmhand to help raise chickens and bake cakes? As Wilma Sue adjusts to her new surroundings and helps deliver “special” cakes, Wilma Sue realizes there’s something strange going on. She starts looking for secret ingredients, and along the way she makes a new friend, Penny. When Penny and her mother hit a rough patch, Naomi decides to make her own version of cake—with disastrous results. Then tragedy strikes the chickens, and all fingers point to Wilma Sue—just when she was starting to believe she could at last find a permanent home with Ruth and Naomi. Will the sisters turn her out, or will she discover what it feels like to be truly loved?

Includes a recipe for carrot cake by Mollie Katzen.

The most popular dude in school? It has to be Bernie Bridges. Just ask him! Bernie wants to win the Most Popular Rotten Student of the Year title. But first he has to prove he's the most popular dude on campus. How? Easy. He'll get Jennifer Ecch, the yearbook photographer, to follow him around. All she has to do is snap pictures of him being popular. When that doesn't work, Bernie decides to throw himself the biggest birthday party ever. But, look out, Bernie . . . . Some birthday parties turn out to be surprise parties!

Adrian Mole's first love, Pandora, has left him; a neighbor, Mr. Lucas, appears to be seducing his mother (and what does that mean for his father?); the BBC refuses to publish his poetry; and his dog swallowed the tree off the Christmas cake. "Why" indeed.

This brand-new Ready-to-Read series stars a princess who’s a royal pain! Princess Regina isn’t lovely, or sweet, or charming like a princess is supposed to be....Instead, she’s downright rotten! When Regina’s concerned parents send her off to a special princess boarding school, Regina is horrified to learn that she’s not the only princess in the world. Not only that, she has to share a dorm room with another princess! After a long day of lessons, an exhausted Regina realizes she hasn’t done anything really rotten all day...but she’ll fix that problem, pronto.