Child Friendship

Summer's finally here, and Derek Fallon is looking forward to pelting the UPS truck with water balloons, climbing onto the garage roof, and conducting silly investigations. But when his parents decide to send him to Learning Camp, Derek's dreams of fun come to an end. Ever since he's been labeled a "reluctant reader", his mom has pushed him to read "real" books - something other than his beloved Calvin & Hobbes.

Claudia's not worried when she hears her newest baby-sitting charge, Betsy, is a great practical joker. After all, how much harm can one girl do? As it turns out - plenty! Claudia breaks her leg because of one of Betsy's mean jokes...and now she's talking about quitting the club. Baby-sitting might be too dangerous. The rest of the BSC decides that Betsy needs to be taught a lesson - and the joke war is on!

Hardly a day passes without Trille and Lena inventing some kind of adventure that often ends in trouble. Whether it's coaxing a cow onto a boat or tobogganing down the steepest and iciest hill with a chicken, there is always a thrill - and sometimes an injury - to be had. Trille loves to share everything with Lena, even Auntie Granny's waffles, which make everything just perfect. But when Lena has to move away, and Auntie Granny leaves the world, it sometimes seems nothing will ever be right again.

Mallory discovers that the terrible twins she baby-sits on a regular basis are not really bad - they just want to be treated as individuals.

This pitch perfect graphic memoir about courage and competition, friendship and belonging is perfect for fans of Smile, New Kid, Rollergirl, and Real Friends.

My name is Woody Davis and ever since I can remember, I’ve known I was a superhero. The problem was, I didn’t know exactly what my power was until a freak accident revealed I was a shapeshifter. Sounds awesome right? Well, sort of. Most of the time it's pretty amazing, but going from a normal 11-year-old to a superhero overnight isn’t easy. Let's just say I had to learn some hard lessons. As if that wasn't enough to deal with, I’d also started in a new school and was having a hard time fitting in. Middle School Shapeshifter is a funny adventure that's entertaining for kids, middle ...

Since we first met Nikki Maxwell, she's been doing everything she can to keep everyone at school from learning the truth - that she's there on scholarship in exchange for her dad working as the school's exterminator. The last thing Nikki needs is having her friends and - worst case scenario - her crush, Brandon, associating her with the humongous roach on top of her dad's van!

Eleven-year-old Imogene (Impy) has grown up with two parents working at the Renaissance Faire, and she's eager to begin her own training as a squire. First, though, she'll need to prove her bravery. Luckily, Impy has just the quest in mind - she'll go to public school after a life of being homeschooled! But it's not easy to act like a noble knight-in-training in middle school. When her new friends encourage her to do something mean, Impy goes along with it. Before long, Impy doesn't even recognize herself. Is she the dragon in her own story or the heroic knight?

Miss Porter isn’t your average teacher, though. She’s a personal digital assistant that literally knows everything. She can tell a million hundred weird jokes and get pizza delivered by drone in seconds! But what happens when Miss Porter’s system is no longer set to fun? Will anyone be able to shut her down before she takes over Ella Mentry?

In 1914, a beautiful foal with a distinctive cross on his nose is sold to the Army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western front. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?

BIG NATE will surpass all others! But it won't be easy. He's stuck with Gina, his all-time enemy, in a class project for his least favorite teacher Mrs. Godfrey, aka Godzilla. To make matters worse, Gina ALSO ends up on his fleeceball team, right when Nate is set to win his first fleeceball championship ever. This is his moment for glory, but Gina's sure to steal his thunder, or ruin everything.

In this sixth entry in Jim Benton’s New York Times best-selling series, pint-sized Franny K. Stein dreams up a zany cure for having too much to do. Being a mad scientist in the modern world is tough enough already—without the added burden of soccer, cooking, and bagpipe classes. To keep up with her many activities, Franny decides to clone herself, the mad-science way, by building three customized, steel-plated Franbots.

Otis and his farm friends love to play hide-and-seek. Otis especially loves to be "It", finding his friends as they hide. Yet when the newest addition to the farm - a bounding puppy who can't sit still and has a habit of licking faces - tries to hide, he finds his attention wandering and is soon lost in the forest. Night falls and Otis, knowing his new friend is afraid of the dark, sets out to find him. There's just one problem: Otis is "also" afraid of the dark. His friend is alone and in need, though, so Otis takes a deep breath, counts to 10, and sets off on a different game.

Jalen is so excited for the new school year because this is the year he’ll finally get to try out for the football team! But when he arrives at school, he learns the unthinkable—that the football team has been cut. He and his friends are devastated. But Jalen isn’t ready to give up, and with some advice from some friends, maybe—just maybe—they can save the day.

George and Harold thought they were beyond boogers. Their new pet, Sulu the Bionic Hamster, had defeated the Bionic Booger Boy, and through the wonders of science, Melvin Sneedly had been brought back to normal (well, almost normal). It looked like their last adventure was actually going to have a happy ending...except for one thing (well, three things) - the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers. Now George, Harold, and their buddies are on the run - with the Robo-Boogers in hot, gooey pursuit! Will the boys get away from these gross globs, or will Sulu have to save the day again?

As the newest member of the BSC, Dawn is eager to prove herself. So when a big job comes along, she jumps at the chance to show everyone what she's made of. The Barretts are even more challenging than Dawn expected. The house is a mess, Mrs. Barrett is unreliable, and the kids are out of control. Dawn knows she's a great baby-sitter, but this is impossible! She only knows one thing for sure - a member of the BSC never gives up!

Perfect for fans of The One and Only Ivan, this irresistible debut novel combines plucky humor and a whole lot of heart in a story about the true meaning of family. Sometimes flying means keeping your feet on the ground...Born in a dismal room in a pet store, Alastair the African grey parrot dreams of escape to bluer skies. He'd like nothing more than to fly away to a palm tree with his beloved sister, Aggie. But when Aggie is purchased by 12-year-old Fritz, and Alastair is adopted by elderly dance-enthusiast and pie-baker Albertina Plopky, the future looks ready to crash-land.

Speed and self-confidence, that’s Astrid’s motto. Nicknamed “the little thunderbolt,” she loves to spend her days racing down the hillside on her sled, singing loudly as she goes, and visiting Gunnvald, her grumpy, septuagenarian best friend and godfather, who makes hot chocolate from real chocolate bars. She just wishes there were other children to share her hair-raising adventures with. But Astrid’s world is about to be turned upside down by two startling arrivals to the village of Glimmerdal: first a new family, then a mysterious, towering woman who everyone seems to know.

Three lonely riverside dwellers - a boy, a firefly, and a cricket - are all trying to make sense of unexpected changes in their world. Each has a secret dream, but each finds himself trapped. Becoming friends brings them happiness and solidarity, but more changes are in store. Each character stands up to his greatest fear, and, in doing so, finds his greatest strength.

After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy was a rare jellyfish sting. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory - even if it means traveling the globe alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door.