Rise of ZomBert

by Kara LaReau
Rise of ZomBert
Author: Kara LaReau
Publisher: Candlewick
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2020-07-14
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1536201065
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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.

The Infamous Ratsos

by Kara LaReau
The Infamous Ratsos
Author: Kara LaReau
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 44
Release: 2016-08-02
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 076368726X
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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.

Revenge of Zombert

by Kara Lareau
Revenge of Zombert
Author: Kara Lareau
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2023-09-12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 153623298X
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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.

Baby Clown

by Kara LaReau
Baby Clown
Author: Kara LaReau
Publisher: Candlewick
Total Pages: 33
Release: 2020-04-14
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0763697435
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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!”

The Infamous Ratsos: Project Fluffy

by Kara LaReau
The Infamous Ratsos: Project Fluffy
Author: Kara LaReau
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 65
Release: 2018-10-16
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1536204161
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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?

Judy and the Beast (Goosebumps SlappyWorld #15)

by R. L. Stine
Judy and the Beast (Goosebumps SlappyWorld #15)
Author: R. L. Stine
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2021-09-07
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1338752154
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Goosebumps now on Disney+! Judy Glassman lives with her brother, Kenny, and father, Noah, in a village at the foot of Evil Rock. Every winter, Kenny accompanies their dad up to the mansion at the top of the mountain to assist the rich, eccentric Grendel family with their house repairs. But this year, Judy convinces her dad to let her come too. Judy has heard whispers about the Beast of Evil Rock -- a half-human creature who stalks the crags. And she's determined to find out for herself if it's true. Will Judy discover the secret of Evil Rock before the Beast finds her first?

The Infamous Ratsos: Ratty Tattletale

by Kara LaReau
The Infamous Ratsos: Ratty Tattletale
Author: Kara LaReau
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 97
Release: 2021-03-02
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1536218243
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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.

Brother's Keeper

by Julie Lee
Brother's Keeper
Author: Julie Lee
Publisher: Holiday House
Total Pages: 323
Release: 2020-07-21
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0823444945
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With war looming on the horizon and winter setting in, can two children escape North Korea on their own? Winner of the Freeman Book Award! North Korea. December, 1950. Twelve-year-old Sora and her family live under an iron set of rules: No travel without a permit. No criticism of the government. No absences from Communist meetings. Wear red. Hang pictures of the Great Leader. Don't trust your neighbors. Don't speak your mind. You are being watched. But war is coming, war between North and South Korea, between the Soviets and the Americans. War causes chaos--and war is the perfect time to escape. The plan is simple: Sora and her family will walk hundreds of miles to the South Korean city of Busan from their tiny mountain village. They just need to avoid napalm, frostbite, border guards, and enemy soldiers. But they can't. And when an incendiary bombing changes everything, Sora and her little brother Young will have to get to Busan on their own. Can a twelve-year-old girl and her eight-year-old brother survive three hundred miles of warzone in winter? Haunting, timely, and beautiful, this harrowing novel from a searing new talent offers readers a glimpse into a vanished time and a closed nation. A Jane Addams Children's Book Award Finalist An ILA Intermediate Fiction Award Winner An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year A Junior Library Guild Selection A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year "Will ultimately be recognized as one of the best books... on the Korean War."—Education About Asia, the Association for Asian Studies

The Dragon Thief

by Zetta Elliott
The Dragon Thief
Author: Zetta Elliott
Publisher: Yearling
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2021-01-12
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1524770523
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Stealing a baby dragon was easy! Hiding it is a little more complicated, in this sequel to reviewer favorite Dragons in a Bag. Jaxon had just one job--to return three baby dragons to the realm of magic. But when he got there, only two dragons were left in the bag. His best friend's sister, Kavita, is a dragon thief! Kavita only wanted what was best for the baby dragon. But now every time she feeds it, the dragon grows and grows! How can she possibly keep it secret? Even worse, stealing it has upset the balance between the worlds. The gates to the other realm have shut tight! Jaxon needs all the help he can get to find Kavita, outsmart a trickster named Blue, and return the baby dragon to its true home.