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Olive Hudson desperately wants a dog. But that doesn't seem to be a possibility right now. Newly orphaned, she's moving in with the half sister she hardly knows and their life is too chaotic to include a dog. But then something wonderful happens: Olive gets a chance to raise Lumie, a guide dog puppy. Discipline. Rules. Lots of hugs. Only the best of the best puppies continue on to become guide dogs, and of course Olive wants Lumie to be chosen. But if she is, that means that Olive will lose her.

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*Epistolary, Friendship, Realistic and Sports Fiction

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The last thing Barclay Thorne ever wanted was an adventure.

Thankfully, as an apprentice to the town’s mushroom farmer, Barclay need only work hard and follow the rules to one day become the head mushroom farmer himself. No danger required. But then Barclay accidentally breaks his town’s most sacred rule: never ever EVER stray into the Woods, for within the Woods lurk vicious magical Beasts.

To Barclay’s horror, he faces a fate far worse than being eaten: he unwittingly bonds with a Beast and is run out of town by an angry mob. Determined to break this bond and return home, Barclay journeys to find the mysterious town of Lore Keepers, people who have also bonded with Beasts and share their powers.

But after making new friends, entering a dangerous apprenticeship exam, and even facing the legendary Beast of the Woods, Barclay must make a difficult choice: return to the home and rules he’s always known, or embrace the adventure awaiting him.

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As the only Indian American kid in her small town, Lekha Divekar feels like she has two versions of herself: Home Lekha, who loves watching Bollywood movies and eating Indian food, and School Lekha, who pins her hair over her bindi birthmark and avoids confrontation at all costs, especially when someone teases her for being Indian.

When a girl Lekha’s age moves in across the street, Lekha is excited to hear that her name is Avantika and she’s Desi, too! Finally, there will be someone else around who gets it. But as soon as Avantika speaks, Lekha realizes she has an accent. She’s new to this country, and not at all like Lekha.

To Lekha’s surprise, Avantika does not feel the same way as Lekha about having two separate lives or about the bullying at school. Avantika doesn’t take the bullying quietly. And she proudly displays her culture no matter where she is: at home or at school.

When a racist incident rocks Lekha’s community, Lekha realizes she must make a choice: continue to remain silent or find her voice before it’s too late.

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Beauty comes at a price. And no one knows that better than Ebenezer Tweezer, who has stayed beautiful for 511 years. How, you may wonder? Ebenezer simply has to feed the beast in the attic of his mansion. In return for meals of performing monkeys, statues of Winston Churchill, and the occasional cactus, Ebenezer gets potions that keep him young and beautiful, as well as other presents.

But the beast grows ever greedier with each meal, and one day he announces that he’d like to eat a nice, juicy child next. Ebenezer has never done anything quite this terrible to hold onto his wonderful life. Still, he finds the absolutely snottiest, naughtiest, and most frankly unpleasant child he can and prepares to feed her to the beast.

The child, Bethany, may just be more than Ebenezer bargained for. She’s certainly a really rather rude houseguest, but Ebenezer still finds himself wishing she didn’t have to be gobbled up after all. Could it be Bethany is less meal-worthy and more…friend-worthy?

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Effie lost her mom.

Lost her home.

And now she has to live with two strange aunts who she's never met before.

Life in Brooklyn takes a strange twist for Effie as she learns more about her family and herself. With new friends who will do whatever they can to be there for her, a cursed pop-star, and her new magically-inclined family -- Effie's life is about to get interesting.

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Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She’s a scientist, which is why she can’t think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she’s made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There’s something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour…he’s gone.

Claire tries to brush it off, she must be imagining things, letting her dad’s ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her.

Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something...and Claire needs to find out what before it’s too late.

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He’s not a stray house cat, he’s an immortal being. And now he must choose whether to return to his planet or remain with his new human friend in a humorous, heart-tugging story from the author of I, Cosmo.

The cat that Olive rescues from a flood has a secret: he’s not really a cat at all, but an alien who crashed to Earth on a beam of light. The cat, whom Olive names Leonard, was prepared to visit the planet as a human—but something went wrong. Now Leonard may never know what it’s like to hold an umbrella, go bowling, or host a dinner party. (And his human jokes still need some work: Knock, knock. Who’s there? Just Leonard. It is me.) While Olive worries about whether she will have to move after her mom and her new boyfriend get back from their summer vacation, Leonard tries to figure out how to get from South Carolina to Yellowstone National Park, because if he’s not there at the end of the month, he’ll miss his ride home. But as Olive teaches Leonard about the beautiful and confusing world of humans, he starts to realize how much he cares about this particular one. A sweet and dryly funny story about what it means to be human—and what it means to be home.

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Bell has spent his whole life - all eleven years of it - on Mars. But he's still just a regular kid - he loves cats, any kind of cake, and is curious about the secrets the adults in the US colony are keeping. Like, why don't have contact with anyone on the other Mars colonies? Why are they so isolated? When a virus breaks out and the grown-ups all fall ill, Bell and the other children are the only ones who can help. It's up to Bell - a regular kid in a very different world - to uncover the truth and save his family ... and possibly unite an entire planet.

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Vivy Cohen wants to play baseball. Ever since her hero, Major League star pitcher VJ Capello, taught her how to throw a knuckleball at a family fun day for kids with autism, she's been perfecting her pitch. And now she knows she's ready to play on a real team. When her social skills teacher makes her write a letter to someone she knows, she writes to VJ and tells him everything about how much she wants to pitch, and how her mom says she can't because she's a girl and because she has autism. And then two amazing things happen: Vivy meets a Little League coach who invites her to join his team, the Flying Squirrels. And VJ starts writing back.

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When Ben reads his fortune-cookie fortune, he's alarmed and inspired. Immediately, he begins drafting a bucket list of unfinished tasks and lifelong dreams (finish his 1000-piece model of the Taj Mahal, eat an entire cake, etc....). As Ben marches himself in and out of trouble, takes useful risks, and helps both his parents to see the bigger picture, readers discover how something that seems scary can instead be empowering--leading to friendships that might never have been made, neighbors that might never have been known, and apple pies that might otherwise never have been baked.

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Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody I Book Trailer

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Children's Book Trailer American As Paneer Pie

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OFFICIAL BOOK TRAILER FOR SCRITCH SCRATCH!

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Raising Lumie by Joan Bauer book trailer

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Author Carlie Sorosiak discusses her new book Leonard (My Life As a Cat)

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Carlie Sorosiak 
Leonard (My Life as a Cat)
He’s not a stray house cat, he’s an immortal being. And now he must choose whether to return to his planet or remain with his new human friend in a humorous, heart-tugging story from the author of I, Cosmo.
Click here to learn more – https://www.edelweiss.plus/?sku=1536207705&g=4400

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4th- 8th Grade BookBuzz: Get a Grip Vivy Cohen!

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Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Doom Book Trailer

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Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Doom Book Trailer

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Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Doom - Book Movie Trailer

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A LIGHTHOUSE
STANDS BETWEEN THE WORLDS...

Perfect for fans of T.J. Klune, Erin Morganstern, and Alix E. Harrow, Amanda's debut adult fantasy novel serves as an invitation to all those who spent their childhoods searching for new worlds within wardrobes.

It releases from Orbit US and Gollancz UK in Summer 2024. Its international rights are represented by Heather Baror-Shapiro.

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A LIGHTHOUSE STANDS BETWEEN THE WORLDS... Perfect for fans of T.J. Klune, Erin Morganstern, and Alix E. Harrow, Amanda's debut adult fantasy novel serves as an invitation to all those who spent their childhoods searching for new worlds within wardrobes. It releases from Orbit US and Gollancz UK in Summer 2024.

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Jack Meggitt-Phillips is an author, scriptwriter, and playwright whose work has been performed at The Roundhouse and featured on Radio 4. He is scriptwriter and presenter of The History of Advertising podcast. In his mind, Jack is an enormously talented ballroom dancer, however his enthusiasm far surpasses his actual talent. Jack lives in north London where he spends most of his time drinking peculiar teas and reading P.G. Wodehouse novels.

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Jack Meggitt-Phillips is an author, scriptwriter, and playwright whose work has been performed at The Roundhouse and featured on Radio 4. He is scriptwriter and presenter of The History of Advertising podcast. In his mind, Jack is an enormously talented ballroom dancer, however his enthusiasm far surpasses his actual talent.

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Author and illustrator Sophie Escabasse (Esofii) different work and projects, including the Witches of Brooklyn.

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A new spooky mystery about a girl detective who must decode a series of ominous clues tied to a century-old tragedy to find a missing teenager before it’s too late…

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A story about heroes - some are human and some have four feet!

"Bauer ( Soar) employs her well-honed skill at depicting believable, evolving relationships that are rooted in love and nurtured by encouragement...funny, forthright...big-hearted..." - Publishers Weekly, starred

"Bauer once again works her magic crafting memorable characters overflowing with courage and kindness..." - Kirkus Reviews, starred

"...let the story wash over you and work its magic..." - Booklist

Read More

A boy who can't run gives a town wings.

"An outstanding, tender exploration of courage and the true nature of heroism..." - Kirkus Reviews, starred

"Largehearted warmth...able characterizations, a page-turning plot, and winning humor." - Booklist, starred

"Joan Bauer is a superb author who knows how to get readers to care about her characters . . . This book is perfect for middle school students and would make a great read-aloud." - School Library Connection, starred review

"Triumphant and moving." - School Library Journal

Read More

Watch the video

Order the Book

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A story about heroes - some are human and some have four feet! "Bauer ( Soar) employs her well-honed skill at depicting believable, evolving relationships that are rooted in love and nurtured by encouragement...funny, forthright...big-hearted..." - Publishers Weekly, starred "Bauer once again works her magic crafting memorable characters overflowing with courage and kindness..."

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Skip to Main Content (Press Enter) We'll send you the latest updates about Sarah Kapit We'll send you the latest updates about Sarah Kapit Dismiss Thanks! Something awesome is on its way. Back to Top Start earning points for buying books! Just for joining you'll get personalized recommendations on your dashboard daily and features only for members.

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Information about Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr

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Information about Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr

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Ben does his best to heed his fortune cookie's advice, and as a result he is paired with Walter-the kid who's always picked last-for a school scavenger hunt. Working with Walter must be a good thing if the cookie said so, but so far all he does is talk too loud and recite obscure facts about feet. Meanwhile, Ben has an argument with his best friend Janet, and waiting for her to apologize first isn't going so well.... But eventually, Ben's patience starts paying off: if he and Walter are able to pull out a win in the scavenger hunt, they'll earn a half-day of recess for the whole school! Waiting may not always be a good thing, but taking the time to listen and consider all options isn't half bad. How the husband/wife co-creators of the Cookie Chronicles
worked together to tell a story that reflects their shared-
and individual-experience.
Robbi: Hi. I'm Robbi. I'm the illustrator of a new middle grade series called Cookie Chronicles.

Matthew: And I'm Matthew. I wrote Cookie Chronicles.

R: We've been asked to tell you how we worked together to make these books.

M: As a warning, I'm sometimes long-winded. Robbi, may I do a bit of table-setting if I promise to compliment you a lot?

M: I'll try to keep it short and sweet.

R: I won't be holding my breath.

M: Here's the thing folks. My life would be so different if hadn't met Robbi.

I never would have had the guts to quit my high-paying corporate job in the name of chasing my dream of being a writer. I certainly wouldn't have moved into the drafty hayloft of an old barn to spend a decade making strange and unsellable books while slowly finding footholds in the publishing world.

I wouldn't be a permit-holding commercial salmon fisherman who spends his summers working for Robbi's family business on the Alaskan tundra, avoiding grizzly bears, and wearing rubber pants while pulling sockeye from the Bering Sea.

And, to the point of this interview, if I'd never met Robbi, the hero of Cookie Chronicles would probably be named Ben Smith. Or Ben Jones. But certainly not Ben .

Which is to say, in case you're thinking of marrying Robbi, tread carefully. It comes with certain... consequences .

Robbi has strong opinions and bold ideas. She doesn't hesitate to speak her mind or put her mark on things.

R: Most of those things Matthew said were true enough, if maybe a little heavy on the flattery. Who is he trying to impress, I wonder?

M: Did I mention that Robbi hates compliments?

M: Did I mention that Robbi is incredibly strong?

R: Okay, okay. Let's move on to the book stuff. This is supposed to be about books, right?

M: Yes, and the fact that there aren't nearly enough that are diverse and representative.

R: This is true. Is that why you invited me? Somehow in all of that long-windedness, Matthew forgot to mention that I'm half-Japanese.

R: Be direct, man! I'm half-Japanese! My tough-as-nails mom grew up in post-war Tokyo and came to the States in her early twenties to fulfill a lifelong dream of freedom and adventure. My dad is a white guy who grew up with all of the privileges afforded to white men in America but is a dedicated nonconformist. They met and married (saving my mom from an arranged marriage in Japan) and moved to the small rural town in Maryland where I grew up.

M: In a house two blocks from the drafty hayloft I mentioned earlier.

R: Back then, there was no discernible Asian community here.

R: True, true. Honestly, as a kid, I never felt like I was part of a larger Japanese or Asian American community. I didn't really identify as being Asian or half-Asian, even though there were plenty of times when my Asian-ness was cited by other kids as a point of difference. There was a boy down the street who called me and my siblings "Chop Suey," and it wasn't until I went to a Chinese restaurant for the first time in college and saw on the menu that I realized it was more than just a funny nickname.

R: I guess just as my mother's daughter. When I went off to college, people started asking me where I "was from," and I would answer, completely earnestly, that I was from Maryland. But what they really meant was, "What's your ethnic background?" It wasn't until I got that question for the hundredth time that I started to realize that "Asian" was a cultural category, and that "half Asian" was also a that I was.

M: I'm guessing from that answer that the books you read growing up weren't particularly helpful on this front?

Not really, and honestly, I can only remember one book with a Japanese protagonist. It was R: Sign of the Chrysanthemum by Katherine Paterson. But it was about an orphan in feudal Japan, which didn't reflect my experience at all. So, while I thought it was extra cool to read a book about what I thought of as my mom's culture, it wasn't something I especially identified with.

R: It's not that I suffered particularly growing up, but looking back, I can see that there were a lot of missed opportunities to better understand the greater context of who I am, why my family ate the things we did, why we celebrated the things we did, and what it really meant for my mom to break every convention and come to the States as a young Japanese woman and start a new life for herself. I had no idea that my ethnic identity was a thing I'd eventually have to grapple with. Or that it was a thing I could be proud of. My mom was so amazing, and I had no idea.

But getting back to your original question, no, none of the books I read growing up were much help when it came to understanding or connecting with my half-Asian-ness.

M: Which brings us back to Robbi's talent for putting her mark on things. A few years ago, I wrote a story about a literal-minded boy named Ben who gets a fortune cookie fortune that says LIVE EACH DAY AS IF IT WERE YOUR LAST. Taking the fortune as gospel, Ben panics, makes himself a bucket list, and tries to cram a lifetime's worth of tasks and moonshots into a single day. I wrote this book because I was a literal-minded kid. Ben's adventures are exaggerations of my own struggles as I tried to figure out how language worked.

As is my practice whenever I write something I feel good about and hope that Robbi will agree to illustrate, I printed the manuscript, crossed my fingers, and handed it to her.

M: What's a straightforward American life?

R: Good question. I guess I mean a life in which "American" is the primary point of identity and not some subset thereof. Even though I was half-Japanese, I thought of myself as American first. Do you think of yourself as White first or as American?

R: Even though my mom grew up in Tokyo and had a heavy Japanese accent, she wanted to be as American as she could. And she wanted us kids to be American. I never learned to speak Japanese, for example. In retrospect, I really wish I had. And now that I have my own kids and my mom has passed away, I truly regret that I didn't learn more about my heritage from her and that I didn't feel a part of a greater Asian-American community growing up.

M: For what it's worth, I think she would have really liked these books, in part because they're about a kid who's living the childhood she wanted for you.

R: I like to think so, anyway. Thanks for leaving me holes to fill.

You always fill them so well. Once we figured out that Ben was half-Japanese, I went back into the manuscript and adjusted it to reflect Ben and his dad's heritage-working with Robbi to strike the right balance. For example, in book three, M: The Cookie of Perfection, Ben's Aunt Nora uses Kintsugi as a metaphor to help Ben understand the implicit beauty to be found in imperfection. But Nora has to use the internet to look up the word . She knows the concept but can't remember the details. Even though she's ethnically Japanese, she's culturally American. We wanted to be true to Robbi's experience. And to the experience of our kids. From never wearing shoes in our house to saying Itadakimasu when we sit down to eat, their lives are informed by countless little touchstones that tie them to their Japanese heritage.

M: Exactly! But if Robbi hadn't been the person illustrating this book, Cookie Chronicles definitely would have been the story of a white kid, because that was experience. But, luckily mine isn't the only name on the front of this book. Robbi choosing to make Ben half-Japanese is an act of co-authorship. She wasn't just illustrating a story I wrote. She was making a choice that expands and deepens the book's meaning. And hopefully, its impact.

R: We're glad to have been able to take a stab at contributing to the growing roster of non-white protagonists.

M: But we're not claiming to be doing anything revolutionary.

R: No! There are tons of great books that and expand readers' sense of the incredible variety and richness of the human experience. And more every day. My own kids have so many more opportunities than I did to read about the experience of other mixed-race kids.

M: Our point, if we have one, is that sometimes expanding representation in books is just a matter of looking for authentic opportunities to do so. And inviting illustrators to flex their authorial muscles.

R: Isn't your other point that, in spite of all associated calamity, marrying Robbi wasn't such a bad thing after all?

R: I stand corrected. Robbi really is the worst.

******

To learn about their many other books and ask them to visit your school or conference, visit To follow their adventures (and watch their daily, 60-second videos) follow them on www.robbiandmatthew.com. Instagram or YouTube Robbi and Matthew are the wife/husband, illustrator/author co-creators of the Cookie Chronicles series, the first two books of which will be published by Knopf on March 1. .

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Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr (Cookie Chronicles) in Conversation

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Ben does his best to heed his fortune cookie's advice, and as a result he is paired with Walter-the kid who's always picked last-for a school scavenger hunt. Working with Walter must be a good thing if the cookie said so, but so far all he does is talk too loud and recite obscure facts about feet.