The Birdy Snatchers


Book Description

Everyone’s favorite avian superhero takes on an evil villain creating mindless zombies in this action-packed, illustrated chapter book. Gordon Blue is not just a second grader. He is also a superhero named Kung Pow Chicken! When the smartest chickens in town start acting like zombies, this superhero gets cracking. He knows only a bad guy would steal brains! But does Kung Pow Chicken have the smarts to stop the evil birdbrain? Praise for Let’s Get Cracking! “A perfectly puntastic page-turner. Hybrids of comics and traditional pictures, the goofy all-color illustrations propel the fast-moving, high-interest story. “Ham and eggs!” —you don’t want to miss this!” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review “Just the thing for beginning readers.” —Publishers Weekly “Step aside, Captain Underpants! There is a new hero in town—this time, with feathers. . . . Fresh, funny, and packed with full-color illustrations, this new transitional series will be an instant hit with readers looking for silly fun and a touch of mystery.” —Booklist




Heroes on the Side


Book Description

Everyone’s favorite avian superhero must rescue the world’s sidekicks from a dastardly chicknapper in this action-packed, illustrated chapter book. Gordon Blue and his brother Benny are taking a trip to New York City. That means superhero Kung Pow Chicken and his sidekick, Egg Drop, will be there! Egg Drop gets invited to a big sidekicks party. But it is a trap! Bad guy Ticklebeak and his Bad Eggs chicknap all of the world’s sidekicks! Can Kung Pow Chicken save the sidekicks? Or will this hero crack under pressure? Praise for Let’s Get Cracking! “A perfectly puntastic page-turner. Hybrids of comics and traditional pictures, the goofy all-color illustrations propel the fast-moving, high-interest story. ‘Ham and eggs’—you don’t want to miss this!” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review “Just the thing for beginning readers.” —Publishers Weekly “Step aside, Captain Underpants! There is a new hero in town—this time, with feathers. . . . Fresh, funny, and packed with full-color illustrations, this new transitional series will be an instant hit with readers looking for silly fun and a touch of mystery.” —Booklist




Jurassic Peck: A Branches Book (Kung Pow Chicken #5)


Book Description

Everyone's favorite crime-fighting superhero chicken is back! Pick a book. Grow a Reader!This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!In the fifth installment of this action-packed full-color series, heroes Kung Pow Chicken, Egg Drop, and Beak Girl go back in time to save the future! A mishap in Professor Quack's lab sends the team to dino times, where they encounter an evil chicken who wants to bring dinosaurs back to the future -- and take over Fowladelphia! With help from a new dinosaur friend, the heroes get to work. Will they make it home in time for dinner?




Kung POW Chicken Collection (Books #1-4)


Book Description

"Kung Pow Chicken isn't just any superhero. He's powerful! He's quick-witted! And ... he's a chicken! In this hilarious series, ordinary Gordon Blue transforms into Kung Pow Chicken. Kung Pow Chicken and his sidekick, Egg Drop, are an avian dynamic duo that fights crime in the city of Fowladelphia"--Provided by publisher.




Let's Get Cracking!


Book Description

Gordon Blue and his brother Benny, unlikely superheroes, must save Fowladelphia from Granny Goosebumps, who has filled the city with cookies that cause innocent chickens' feathers to fall off.




The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora


Book Description

A 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book Save the restaurant. Save the town. Get the girl. Make Abuela proud. Can thirteen-year-old Arturo Zamora do it all or is he in for a BIG, EPIC FAIL? For Arturo, summertime in Miami means playing basketball until dark, sipping mango smoothies, and keeping cool under banyan trees. And maybe a few shifts as junior lunchtime dishwasher at Abuela’s restaurant. Maybe. But this summer also includes Carmen, a poetry enthusiast who moves into Arturo’s apartment complex and turns his stomach into a deep fryer. He almost doesn’t notice the smarmy land developer who rolls into town and threatens to change it. Arturo refuses to let his family and community go down without a fight, and as he schemes with Carmen, Arturo discovers the power of poetry and protest through untold family stories and the work of José Martí. Funny and poignant, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora is the vibrant story of a family, a striking portrait of a town, and one boy's quest to save both, perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia.




Reaching Reluctant Young Readers


Book Description

Reaching Reluctant Young Readers features 150 middle-grade books. Each profiled title has the potential to hook the reluctant reader and lure them to read the entire book. To specifically encourage elementary and middle-school-age reluctant children to read, there is first a pitch to get the reader’s attention. That is followed by a short reading passage to “set the hook” and encourage the young person to read the rest of the book on their own. Further, the book contains several hundred additional recommended titles. The books selected for this collection were chosen following the criteria of reluctant reader books created by the Quick Picks committee sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association. While these guidelines were designed for young adult books, they also work well for middle-grade books. The criteria include: clear writing (no convoluted long sentences with sophisticated vocabulary), high interest “hook” in the first few pages, well-defined characters, interesting plot, and familiar themes.




All Paws on Deck: A Branches Book (Haggis and Tank Unleashed #1)


Book Description

Meet Haggis and Tank--two dogs with BIG imaginations! Pick a book. Grow a reader! This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!Tank is an outgoing Great Dane. Haggis is a grumpy Scottie dog. In the first book in the series, Haggis and Tank set sail as pirates. At first, Haggis doesn't see what Tank does--that an adventure awaits them with just a little imagination! But soon, Haggis joins in and the two friends go on a pirate adventure. They talk like pirates, swab the deck, and even search for buried treasure. This series is full of clever wordplay and homophones that make Haggis and Tank's adventures even more fun!




Escape from Egypt


Book Description

Chase and Ava get stuck in the sands of time near King Tut’s tomb in this archaeological adventure from the–bestselling author of Stealing the Sword. Chase and Ava are ready for their next adventures as Time Jumpers! When Chase touches the dead, green-backed beetle in the suitcase, he and Ava spin through time—to King Tut’s tomb! Now they have to put the beetle back where it belongs. But the man with different color eyes is still chasing them . . . Why does he want these objects? Chase and Ava need to stay one step ahead of this bad guy. And they need to find some answers! Oriol Vidal’s engaging illustrations appear on every page. Newly independent readers will eat up this time-travel series from New York Times–bestselling author Wendy Mass. Pick a book. Grow a Reader! This series is part of Scholastic’s early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow! Praise for the first book in the Time Jumpers series, Stealing the Sword “The characters are likeable and the story has lots of action.” —School Library Journal “Mass moves the plot along smartly to a climax featuring some brisk, if bloodless, swordplay.” —Kirkus Reviews




March of the Vanderpants: A Branches Book (The Notebook of Doom #12)


Book Description

Could Principal Vanderpants be the BOSS-MONSTER?! Pick a book. Grow a Reader!This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!In book 12, the S.S.M.P. needs to track down the boss-monster and get their monster notebook back! Alexander, Rip, and Nikki are keeping their eyes open for clues. Then Alexander spots Principal Vanderpants carrying a white bucket filled with spaghetti through that mysterious locked door on the 13th floor. Why is the principal acting so strangely? Could SHE be the boss-monster?