Maggie & Abby's Neverending Pillow Fort

Maggie & Abby's Neverending Pillow Fort
Author: Will Taylor
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 237
Release: 2018-04-03
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0062644335

A sparkling new series about two best friends on the adventure of a lifetime! Maggie’s been waiting for her best friend Abby to get home from Camp Cantaloupe for SIX. WHOLE. WEEKS. But now that Abby’s finally home, she’s…different. All New Abby wants to do is talk about camp things and plan campy activities—she even has the nerve to call Maggie’s massive, award-worthy pillow fort a “cabin.” But hey, at least she’s willing to build a “cabin” of her own. And when Maggie discovers that a pillow in the back of her fort mysteriously leads right into Abby’s new one, the two friends are suddenly just an arm’s length away. Soon they’re adding links and building more forts, until Maggie looks behind one pillow too many and finds herself face-to-face with...the authorities. Turns out their little pillow fort network isn’t the first to exist. A massive network of linked-up pillow and sofa forts already spans the globe, and the kids who run it are not happy with Maggie and Abby. With just three days to pass their outrageous entrance requirements or lose the links forever, Maggie and Abby pull out all the stops to try to save their network. There’s only a little bit of summer left to burn, and Maggie and Abby are both determined to win back their pillow fort freedom. But can their friendship—and their scrappy homemade network—survive the mission?

Maggie & Abby and the Shipwreck Treehouse

Maggie & Abby and the Shipwreck Treehouse
Author: Will Taylor
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 323
Release: 2019-08-20
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 006264436X

The sparkling, fast-paced sequel to Maggie & Abby’s Neverending Pillow Fort, which Captain Underpants creator Dav Pilkey called “a magical adventure!” Nine long months after being shut out of the pillow fort network for good, Maggie and Abby finally have a whole new mission to focus on—and this one starts with a return to the infamous Camp Cantaloupe. Abby needs this trip after a year of big, BIG changes back at home. But Abby knows that Maggie will never relax until they've solved the lingering puzzle left over from last summer: the mystery of the trap door in Camp Cantaloupe’s historic Shipwreck Treehouse. What neither of them expect, though, is for their first night at camp to go down in Cantaloupe history. And when that trap door busts open for the first time in centuries, Abby’s going to need the help of friends both old and new to help her uncover the truth—and get her back to Maggie's side before Camp Cantaloupe itself gets shut down...for good. Readers will love exploring a whole new network of magic in this twisty sequel, perfect for fans of Caroline Carlson and Kathryn Littlewood.

The Language of Seabirds

The Language of Seabirds
Author: Will Taylor
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2022-07-19
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1338753754

A sweet, tender middle-grade story of two boys finding first love with each other over a seaside summer. Jeremy is not excited about the prospect of spending the summer with his dad and his uncle in a seaside cabin in Oregon. It's the first summer after his parents' divorce, and he hasn't exactly been seeking alone time with his dad. He doesn't have a choice, though, so he goes... and on his first day takes a walk on the beach and finds himself intrigued by a boy his age running by. Eventually, he and Runner Boy (Evan) meet -- and what starts out as friendship blooms into something neither boy is expecting... and also something both boys have been secretly hoping for.

Catch that Dog!

Catch that Dog!
Author: Will Taylor
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 146
Release: 2022-06-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1338745972

Based on the amazing true story of "the world's most valuable dog," a fun adventure about a famous big-city poodle named Masterpiece who finds a new life alongside a small-town girl named Joanie. When Joanie first encounters Masterpiece, he's curled up in an alley and she mistakes him for (of all things!) a cat. Soon, though, she cleans him up and shows him home and discovers he is, in fact, a poodle. What Joanie doesn't know is that Masterpiece isn't any ordinary poodle. No, Masterpiece is a world-famous poodle, who has been in movies and advertisements and has been seen hobnobbing with celebrities. So how did Masterpiece go from a palatial apartment in New York City to an alley in a small town in New Jersey? He was dognapped! And now not only does the dognapper want him back, but his former owner is offering a big reward. Masterpiece knows he should want to go home to the luxury of his old life. But nobody's ever loved him the way Joanie loves him. What's a dog to do?

The Lost Girl

The Lost Girl
Author: Anne Ursu
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2019-02-12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0062275119

Three starred reviews A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2019 Anne Ursu, author of the National Book Award nominee The Real Boy, returns with a story of the power of fantasy, the limits of love, and the struggles inherent in growing up. When you’re an identical twin, your story always starts with someone else. For Iris, that means her story starts with Lark. Iris has always been the grounded, capable, and rational one; Lark has been inventive, dreamy, and brilliant—and from their first moments in the world together, they’ve never left each other’s side. Everyone around them realized early on what the two sisters already knew: they had better outcomes when they were together. When fifth grade arrives, however, it's decided that Iris and Lark should be split into different classrooms, and something breaks in them both. Iris is no longer so confident; Lark retreats into herself as she deals with challenges at school. And at the same time, something strange is happening in the city around them, things both great and small going missing without a trace. As Iris begins to understand that anything can be lost in the blink of an eye, she decides it’s up to her to find a way to keep her sister safe.

Luxury Arts of the Renaissance

Luxury Arts of the Renaissance
Author: Marina Belozerskaya
Publisher: Getty Publications
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2005-10-01
Genre: Art
ISBN: 0892367857

Today we associate the Renaissance with painting, sculpture, and architecture—the “major” arts. Yet contemporaries often held the “minor” arts—gem-studded goldwork, richly embellished armor, splendid tapestries and embroideries, music, and ephemeral multi-media spectacles—in much higher esteem. Isabella d’Este, Marchesa of Mantua, was typical of the Italian nobility: she bequeathed to her children precious stone vases mounted in gold, engraved gems, ivories, and antique bronzes and marbles; her favorite ladies-in-waiting, by contrast, received mere paintings. Renaissance patrons and observers extolled finely wrought luxury artifacts for their exquisite craftsmanship and the symbolic capital of their components; paintings and sculptures in modest materials, although discussed by some literati, were of lesser consequence. This book endeavors to return to the mainstream material long marginalized as a result of historical and ideological biases of the intervening centuries. The author analyzes how luxury arts went from being lofty markers of ascendancy and discernment in the Renaissance to being dismissed as “decorative” or “minor” arts—extravagant trinkets of the rich unworthy of the status of Art. Then, by re-examining the objects themselves and their uses in their day, she shows how sumptuous creations constructed the world and taste of Renaissance women and men.

The Worst Book Ever

The Worst Book Ever
Author: Beth Bacon
Publisher:
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2018-04-12
Genre:
ISBN: 9780999432440

Most bad books are happy hanging out at rummage sales. Not this bad book. Its goal is to be featured on the Banned Books List. Problem is, no one seems to notice¿ until the book teams up with its boisterous readers. Together, the book and its readers shout, sing, and wiggle their way into the attention of a local librarian. Will the book see its cover on the library wall¿ or will it end up in the recycling bin? Full of bold, colorful graphics and laugh-out-loud humor, The Worst Book Ever is another high-lo book for reluctant readers by Beth Bacon. Uses meta-storytelling and interactivity to get kids laughing, wiggling, shouting¿and reading. Ideal for read-alouds, story time, as well as independent reading for beginning to intermediate reluctant readers.

Ask a Manager

Ask a Manager
Author: Alison Green
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2018-05-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0399181822

From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together

Word Travelers and the Taj Mahal Mystery

Word Travelers and the Taj Mahal Mystery
Author: Raj Haldar
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 95
Release: 2021-10-05
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1728222060

Are you ready for adventure? The first book in a new action-packed series from bestselling author Raj Haldar follows two best friends as they race to different parts of the world to solve mysteries and uncover lost treasures! It's a Super Saturday sleepover! That means best friends Eddie and Molly-Jean (who prefers to be called MJ) are going to play outside, create obstacle courses for MJ's newts, and watch their favorite movies—and then they'll travel to India to solve a mystery and help save a school—all before bedtime! This action-packed mystery story is perfect for anyone looking for: A wild adventure around the world that middle school kids will love! A story of two best friends solving mysteries with a little magic! Cool, new knowledge tucked inside an epic chapter book! A journey to India to learn the Hindi roots of the English language Magically travel around the world along with two best friends who decipher clues and uncover mysterious secrets. Can you help them find the golden key? "Reminiscent of Mary Pope Osborne's "Magic Tree House" series...contains the same mix of fantasy, adventure, and cultural discovery. Etymology is the distinctive feature here, and its importance is reflected in every part of the text."—School Library Journal, starred review