Puddlejumpers


Book Description

Ernie Banks, named for the legendary Chicago Cubs shortstop, is a troubled, thirteen-year-old juvenile delinquent. Abandoned on the doorstep of the Lakeside Home for Boys when he was three years old, he's now considered a "lifer," a permanent ward of the state. As a last reprieve before being sent to a juvenile detention facility, Ernie is allowed to spend three weeks on a working farm. When Ernie arrives at the home of Russ Frazier, he learns that the widower's baby was kidnapped years before, leaving behind a red quilt as the single piece of evidence.




Puddle Jumpers


Book Description

It’s a rainy day in the month of May and Sam spots a rainbow, and then a puddle. A perfect spring puddle. His mother warns, “No! No jumping in puddles! You must keep clean today!” but Sam can’t stop himself from testing the water with his galoshes. And then the puddle invites him to play. The puddle whispers, “Jump, Puddle Jumper, jump!” and with that very first jump, Sam is off on an adventure of the imagination. He’ll be a frog in a pond, with a hat and some spots and a magic wand. He’ll be a crocodile with pink polka dots and teeth like blades, and a polar bear with purple polar hair. He’s going to jump, leap, dance, plunge, swim, and jump again. Sam is having so much fun in his puddle that even Mom can’t resist. With a leap and a thwump, she’s jumping too, cheering, “Jump, Puddle Jumper, jump!” This happy picture book celebrates the simple, pure joy of jumping in a rain puddle. Nancy Cote’s cheerful illustrations are full of kid appeal, a perfect match to a story that captures the magic of being a child. Let your imagination take you on your own adventure the next time you encounter an irresistible puddle. Aimed for children ages 3 to 6, this is a charming book about letting your imagination run wild and also about the joys children can find in even just a simple rain puddle. Encouraging kids to explore their outside world provides important developmental play for kids and parents will find the mom's reluctance and then acquiescence a good reminder that adults need to enter the world of children in order to allow them to explore their world and to learn from it. Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.




Puddle Jumpers


Book Description

Miserable. That is the only way to describe 10-year-old Daniel's life for the past 3 years. His mother is terminally ill, his father is not around, and their caretaker, his Aunt, is a ruthless beast of a woman. On the day of his mother’s death Daniel learns his life is not what it seems and his mother’s illness may not have been an accident. As the day's events unfold a mystical man appears and offers Daniel a chance to save his mother from death itself. With a magical pair of rainboots Daniel and his newfound friend Penny are transported to a picturesque land filled with a multitude of puddles. They soon learn through a pure childhood mishap that the rainboots can transport them through each puddle to an entirely different world! The duo embarks on a whirlwind adventure, tasked with finding an oddball inventor who has gone to great lengths to stay lost. Along with a new companion (Bregfut the highly educated squirrel and right-hand man to the inventor) they must find their way through this new world, without being caught by the Queen of Oskal who has her own reasons for wanting Daniel within her clutches. Upon their journey Daniels uncovers hidden truths about his family, his mother, and most importantly, himself. The first in a potential series, Puddle Jumpers is a coming-of-age adventure full of magic, madness, and mystery.




Puddles


Book Description

Morning is magical after a night of rain and thunder. And best of all are the puddles! Big ones, little ones, long ones, skinny ones. Splash! Splash! Splash! Put on your raincoat and join two puddle-jumpers in this bouncy read-along that's just right for a rainy day or any day.




The Deep Deep Puddle


Book Description

During an overnight rainstorm, a large and deep puddle forms across a city street, and the next day increasing numbers of creatures or things disappear into it, from one shaggy dog to nine robbers. Full color.




NOWHERE BOY


Book Description







Gretchen Groundhog, It's Your Day!


Book Description

It's almost Groundhog Day, and the town of Piccadilly is all a-buzz because Gretchen Groundhog will not Go Out. Her Great-Uncle Gus is too old to look for his shadow anymore—now it's Gretchen's turn. But she's too shy.




Puddle Hunters


Book Description

When the rain stops it's time to go puddle hunting. Ruby and Banjo and Mum go up the street, and into the park, over the bridge and down to the riverflats where the puddles lie waiting... Splosh it, Ruby! Splosh it, Banjo! Splosh it, Mum! A glorious celebration of splashing and squelching all the way home.




Read On...Speculative Fiction for Teens


Book Description

This guide offers exciting new reading paths for students who enjoy fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal themes. With over 350 titles organized into their primary appeal characteristics and scores of thematic lists, librarians and educators will benefit from lists of contemporary selections specifically written for teens. Interest in teen fiction has grown in popularity in the last decade, especially within the fantasy and paranormal genres. This timely guide is one of the few books on the subject that lists titles that are written specifically for teens. Read On...Speculative Fiction for Teens features popular, contemporary themes ranging from vampire love and ghost stories to epic fantasy and out-of-this-world science fiction. Each of the five chapters caters to a specific area of interest—story, character, setting, mood, and language—and within the chapter, numerous lists of novels are organized by topic, with the best titles highlighted. Each of the more than 350 listed titles includes bibliographic information and a brief, punchy description.