Jaundice and Kale are back from their adventure on the high seas, and they are settling back into a quiet life in Dullsville, just the way they like it. The tea is tepid, the oatmeal is tasteless, and the socks are ripe for darning . . . until Aunt Shallot shows up and reveals herself to be anything but the dull relation they were expecting. Instead, she tells her nieces she is Magique, Queen of Magic, and she’s on her way to a big show and in need of two willing assistants. As Magique and the Bland sisters board the Uncanny Express, they meet a cast of mystifying characters. And when Magique goes missing, it’s up to Jaundice and Kale to solve the mystery—with the help of famous detective Hugo Fromage. An inventive story in the tradition of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters: The Uncanny Express has all the whimsy and humor that readers who are looking for an anything-but-bland adventure will love.
Fasten your seat belts for some unexpected turbulence ahead, as Jaundice and Kale Bland are back for their final unintentional adventure! Now that they’ve returned from the Uncanny Valley to find their home in Dullsville in absolute shambles, the sisters are rescued by high-flying aviatrix Beatrix Airdale. This time, they’re jetting off (literally) to Egypt to uncover the mysteries of a magical scarab. By way of Casablanca and after foiling multiple attacks along the way (thanks to Jaundice’s nautical knot-tying skills and Kale’s super-sleuth powers of observation), the Bland Sisters are reunited with their parents. But it turns out that Mom and Dad aren’t as bland—or as “Bland”—as Jaundice and Kale remember. Thanks to their mother’s old archeology notebook, the Bland Sisters uncover their parents’ real identities and help them achieve victory in one final, family-filled adventure.
In the spirit of A Series of Unfortunate Events and the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters will captivate middle-grade readers looking for humor, hijinks, and a swashbuckling good time. Meet Jaundice and Kale Bland, two sisters who avoid excitement at any cost. Together, they patiently await the return of their parents, who left on an errand years ago and have never returned. One day, the Bland sisters are kidnapped by an all-female band of pirates. They’re unwillingly swept into a high-seas romp that might just lead to solving the mystery of what happened to their parents. With whimsical illustrations and Roald Dahl–esque wit, The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters is the visually stunning, laugh-out-loud funny start to a new series for readers who are looking for an anything-but-bland adventure.
A second meaty serving of the ZomBert Chronicles offers a suspenseful treat for animal lovers and fans of spooky mysteries. ZomBert is back in book two of a wry new mystery series by award-winning creators Kara LaReau and Ryan Andrews. A stray cat who escaped the YummCo Laboratories on the outskirts of Lambert, Bert has now been officially adopted by nine-year-old Mellie Gore. He spends his days dozing in Mellie’s room and his nights hunting . . . and devouring fresh prey. Bert’s health and memory have returned, and his newfound strength and smarts are off the charts. Mellie, meanwhile, is busy working odd jobs to fund her cat’s visit to the vet, convinced that Bert can win the Best Pet contest at the upcoming YummCo-sponsored Harvest Festival. But is Bert really the best pet in Lambert—or just the weirdest? And could he be plotting revenge? Clever illustrated fare for fans of Bunnicula and other humorous forays into the macabre.
When Louie and Ralphie Ratso set out to transform a cluttered lot into an arcade, they end up conquering a few surprising fears along the way. Louie and Ralphie Ratso have a genius idea: if they clear out the lot down the street, they can use all the junk lying around to build makeshift games for a Big City FunTime Arcade! With their friends to help, they’ll be able to recycle all the old abandoned stuff into whack-a-mouse, a high-striker, a fortune-telling booth and more. Everyone says the house next to the lot is haunted, but if Louie just pretends it’s not there, he can ignore the goose bumps he gets every time he looks at it. Ralphie’s head’s not exactly in the game, either, because of some rumors that have been swirling around school. But they’re Ratsos, and like their dad Big Lou, Ratsos aren’t afraid of anything — right? Kara LaReau and Matt Myers team up for a second surprisingly touching chapter book proving that sometimes the things you fear the most aren’t at all what you thought — and might be exactly what you need to feel better.
Could Bert really be a zombie cat? Two friends put their brains together to find out in a wry new mystery series. While helping her best friend, Danny, film his latest horror flick, Mellie discovers a scraggly cat behind a dumpster outside the YummCo Foods factory. Mellie names the stray Bert and hides him in her room, knowing her parents won’t let her keep him. But soon Bert has decapitated all her stuffed animals, and before long he is leaving the headless corpses of birds and mice as gifts for her. Danny is convinced the cat is a zombie, living on the brains of his victims. But is that what is really going on? Award-winning author Kara LaReau lets loose a fresh and sharply funny new mystery series, with an irresistible touch of the macabre. Fans of creepy stories and animal lovers alike will devour this fast-moving first episode in one gulp.
In the final episode of the ZomBert Chronicles, can Bert and Mellie foil a plot to turn the entire town of Lambert into ravenous zombie consumers? A thrilling finale to an arch mystery-adventure series pits Bert the cat against the infamous YummCo Labs. Bert was a bedraggled stray before nine-year-old Mellie Gore adopted him--and has already escaped from YummCo once, vowing to find a way back to free the other captives. Now the Yumms have nabbed Bert again, and he wants revenge. Mellie's plans to rescue her pet are interrupted when the entire town, including her own parents, begin turning into YummCo-product-consuming zombies. And why is Mellie herself suddenly starved for food to fuel her buzzing brain? What exactly is happening at the YummCo Labs? With trademark wit and a taste for the playfully macabre, award-winning creators Kara LaReau and Ryan Andrews close out the ZomBert Chronicles with a funny and suspenseful flourish.
A 2017 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book! Louie and Ralphie Ratso are no softies. Readers are sure to chuckle as the determined Ratso brothers’ plans to act tough go hilariously awry. Louie and Ralphie Ratso’s dad, Big Lou, always says that there are two kinds of people: those who are tough and those who are soft. Louie and Ralphie are tough, tough, tough, just like Big Lou, and they’re going to prove it. But every time they try to show just how tough they are, the Ratso brothers end up accidentally doing good deeds instead. What’ll Big Lou do when he finds out they’ve been acting like softies all over the Big City? Perfect for emerging and reluctant readers, this clever and surprisingly warmhearted chapter book shows that being tough all the time can be really tough.
Louie and Ralphie discover that camping is not easy — especially since Scoutmaster Grandpa Ratso doesn’t think they should ask for help — in the latest adventure in the Infamous Ratsos series. Ralphie and Louie Ratso and the rest of the Big City Scouts are leaving the city to go camping for the first time. And they have a special guide: Grandpa Ratso! He was Scoutmaster when Ralphie and Louie’s dad, Big Lou, was a kid. Grandpa teaches everyone the Scouts motto he still remembers, which says that Big City Scouts are always able to solve problems without asking for help. But the Scouts soon find that figuring out how to pitch a tent, make a fire, and find their way through the woods is tough to do by themselves. In fact, not asking for help isn’t working at all! Luckily for the Scouts, someone unexpected comes along to set them all straight about what the motto really says: Scouts have the courage to ask for help and work together. Kara LaReau and Matt Myers team up again to combine witty text and humorous illustrations for the fourth book in the Infamous Ratsos series.
Louie Ratso tries to help super-cool Chuck Wood win the heart of his friend Fluffy Rabbitski in the third installment of the Infamous Ratsos. Chuck Wood is the most popular kid in school, and Louie Ratso can’t believe that Chuck has asked him for help! Chuck likes Louie’s friend Fluffy Rabbitski, and he wants Louie to help him get Fluffy to notice him. As for Ralphie Ratso, he can’t believe that his brother wants to spend all his time with Chuck instead of with him. Meanwhile, despite Louie and Chuck’s attempts to get Fluffy's attention, she has eyes for only one thing: her garden. But there may be hope. As their father, Big Lou, tells his boys, the best way to get someone to like you is to show that you’re interested in what they like. After all, that’s how Big Lou won over Mama Ratso years ago. Can Louie help Chuck find a way into Fluffy’s heart? And will Ralphie find a way to let his brother know how much he misses him?
Louie and Ralphie are always up to something! Join the Ratso brothers on their first three adventures in a bind-up of stories with humor and heart to spare. Whether they’re trying to be tough, face their fears, or win someone’s attention, brothers Louie and Raphie will make readers laugh out loud as they stumble through one relatable situation after another. Hilarious, frequently touching, and perfect for early readers, this bind-up includes Kara LaReau’s Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book The Infamous Ratsos as well as its follow-ups, The Infamous Ratsos Are Not Afraid and The Infamous Ratsos: Project Fluffy.
When Ralphie Ratso stands up to some kids who bullied his friend, they vow revenge. But will ratting them out make it worse? Sid and Kurt have been picking on Ralphie’s friend Tiny, and when Ralphie tells them to stop, the two boys get sent to the principal’s office. Now Sid and Kurt are out to get Ralphie! They upend Ralphie’s lunch tray, whip the ball at his head on the playground, and pelt him with peashooters when the teachers aren't looking—ping! Ralphie’s brother, Louie, says he should tell a grown-up, but Ralphie—not wanting to be a Ratty Tattletale—decides to “fight fire with fire,” only creating new problems for himself. It’s time to tell Big Lou, his dad, who has a few wise ideas for putting things right. Full of the charm and fun that Ratsos fans love, this fifth adventure highlights the difference between standing up for yourself and taking vengeance—and shows why confiding in a trusted grown-up when you have a big problem can be the coolest thing to do.
Ralphie is excited to sing and dance with his friends--until Chad makes fun of them for being "girly." Can everyone learn to be true to themselves? When Louie and Ralphie Ratso see their friends singing and dancing in the run-down band shell in the Big City Park, Louie gets one of his big ideas. They'll put on a concert to raise money to improve the park! But as Ralphie, Tiny, Velma, and Millicent plan a repertoire by the Critter Kidz, their favorite pop group, featuring costumes full of glitter and sequins, Chad Badgerton teases and says they look "girly"--making Ralphie self-conscious about being in the group. Why is being girly a bad thing? Then Tiny, their lead singer, loses his voice, and the gang worries that the concert won't happen at all--until Ralphie and Louie discover that Chad has a secret fan stash of his own. Can Ralphie muster enough confidence to help Chad find his? Fans of the Ratsos as well as readers new to the series will be tickled and heartened by this latest adventure.
Evie and Simon always mind their manners. But sometimes, they have to mind their father's, too! In this humorous spin on manners books, two kids teach their father everything he needs to know about mealtime etiquette. Everything is going well, until a surprise visitor arrives for dinner! Will Father be able to remember all of Evie and Simon's lessons? With humor, charming word for word narration, and a dash of silliness, No Slurping, No Burping! uses role reversal to show young readers how to be considerate guests at mealtime.
Louie and Ralphie Ratso aren't afraid of anything . . . are they? Teaming up might be the perfect solution in these two stories about brothers whose tough act goes off the rails.
Unable to get Snowbaby to fall asleep on a snowy winter night, Snowpapa and Snowmama decide that a more creative solution than counting snowflakes is needed. By the author of Rocko and Spanky Go to a Party.
Sisters Jaundice and Kale Bland are flown to Egypt, where they are reunited with their parents, whose real identities they learn, and seek to uncover the mysteries of a magical scarab.
Louie and Ralphie Ratso and the rest of the Big City Scouts are going camping for the first time. And they have a special guide: Grandpa Ratso! Grandpa teaches everyone the Scouts oath, which says Scouts are always able to solve problems without asking for help. But the Scouts soon discover that figuring out how to pitch a tent, make a fire, and find their way is tough to do by themselves. In fact, not asking for help isn't working at all, and everybody is hungry, tired, lost, and itchy! Luckily, someone unexpected sets things straight about what the oath really says - and it isn't about doing things on your own!--publisher's description.
When Ralphie Ratso stands up to some kids who bullied his friend, they vow revenge. But will ratting them out make it worse? Sid and Kurt have been picking on Ralphie’s friend Tiny, and when Ralphie tells them to stop, the two boys get sent to the principal’s office. Now Sid and Kurt are out to get Ralphie! They upend Ralphie’s lunch tray, whip the ball at his head on the playground, and pelt him with peashooters when the teachers aren't looking—ping! Ralphie’s brother, Louie, says he should tell a grown-up, but Ralphie—not wanting to be a Ratty Tattletale—decides to “fight fire with fire,” only creating new problems for himself. It’s time to tell Big Lou, his dad, who has a few wise ideas for putting things right. Full of the charm and fun that Ratsos fans love, this fifth adventure highlights the difference between standing up for yourself and taking vengeance—and shows why confiding in a trusted grown-up when you have a big problem can be the coolest thing to do.
Fasten your seat belts for some unexpected turbulence ahead, as Jaundice and Kale Bland are back for their final unintentional adventure! Now that they’ve returned from the Uncanny Valley to find their home in Dullsville in absolute shambles, the sisters are rescued by high-flying aviatrix Beatrix Airdale. This time, they’re jetting off (literally) to Egypt to uncover the mysteries of a magical scarab. By way of Casablanca and after foiling multiple attacks along the way (thanks to Jaundice’s nautical knot-tying skills and Kale’s super-sleuth powers of observation), the Bland Sisters are reunited with their parents. But it turns out that Mom and Dad aren’t as bland—or as “Bland”—as Jaundice and Kale remember. Thanks to their mother’s old archeology notebook, the Bland Sisters uncover their parents’ real identities and help them achieve victory in one final, family-filled adventure.
A 2017 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book! Louie and Ralphie Ratso are no softies. Readers are sure to chuckle as the determined Ratso brothers’ plans to act tough go hilariously awry. Louie and Ralphie Ratso’s dad, Big Lou, always says that there are two kinds of people: those who are tough and those who are soft. Louie and Ralphie are tough, tough, tough, just like Big Lou, and they’re going to prove it. But every time they try to show just how tough they are, the Ratso brothers end up accidentally doing good deeds instead. What’ll Big Lou do when he finds out they’ve been acting like softies all over the Big City? Perfect for emerging and reluctant readers, this clever and surprisingly warmhearted chapter book shows that being tough all the time can be really tough.
Could Bert really be a zombie cat? Two friends put their brains together to find out in a wry new mystery series. While helping her best friend, Danny, film his latest horror flick, Mellie discovers a scraggly cat behind a dumpster outside the YummCo Foods factory. Mellie names the stray Bert and hides him in her room, knowing her parents won’t let her keep him. But soon Bert has decapitated all her stuffed animals, and before long he is leaving the headless corpses of birds and mice as gifts for her. Danny is convinced the cat is a zombie, living on the brains of his victims. But is that what is really going on? Award-winning author Kara LaReau lets loose a fresh and sharply funny new mystery series, with an irresistible touch of the macabre. Fans of creepy stories and animal lovers alike will devour this fast-moving first episode in one gulp.
Louie and Ralphie are always up to something! Join the Ratso brothers on their first three adventures in a bind-up of stories with humor and heart to spare. Whether they’re trying to be tough, face their fears, or win someone’s attention, brothers Louie and Raphie will make readers laugh out loud as they stumble through one relatable situation after another. Hilarious, frequently touching, and perfect for early readers, this bind-up includes Kara LaReau’s Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book The Infamous Ratsos as well as its follow-ups, The Infamous Ratsos Are Not Afraid and The Infamous Ratsos: Project Fluffy.
In the final episode of the ZomBert Chronicles, can Bert and Mellie foil a plot to turn the entire town of Lambert into ravenous zombie consumers? A thrilling finale to an arch mystery-adventure series pits Bert the cat against the infamous YummCo Labs. Bert was a bedraggled stray before nine-year-old Mellie Gore adopted him--and has already escaped from YummCo once, vowing to find a way back to free the other captives. Now the Yumms have nabbed Bert again, and he wants revenge. Mellie's plans to rescue her pet are interrupted when the entire town, including her own parents, begin turning into YummCo-product-consuming zombies. And why is Mellie herself suddenly starved for food to fuel her buzzing brain? What exactly is happening at the YummCo Labs? With trademark wit and a taste for the playfully macabre, award-winning creators Kara LaReau and Ryan Andrews close out the ZomBert Chronicles with a funny and suspenseful flourish.
An award-winning author and a Caldecott Medalist introduce an adorable new circus star — who won’t stop wailing! When Frieda and Boffo Clown have a baby, everyone in the circus is over the moon. But there is just one problem: Baby Clown won’t stop crying! Frieda and Boffo try everything: putting on their silliest faces, driving him around in their tiny car. They even try taking off his red nose and big shoes. But that just makes Baby Clown cry more. Can Frieda and Boffo turn his little clown frown upside down in time for the sold-out show? Kara LaReau deftly juggles wit and warmth in this hilarious nod to parental persistence, while Matthew Cordell’s big-top-bright illustrations bring Baby Clown and his circus family to humorously frazzled life. Older siblings, in particular, will step right up to this applause-worthy picture book, joining Baby Clown in many a heartfelt “WAAAAH!”
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