The Infamous Ratsos Are Tough, Tough, Tough! Three Books in One


Book Description

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.




The Infamous Ratsos


Book Description

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.




The Infamous Ratsos: Project Fluffy


Book Description

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?




Rise of ZomBert


Book Description

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: Ratty Tattletale


Book 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.




Baby Clown


Book Description

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!”




E-I-E-I-O!


Book Description

Struggling with an overgrown yard and his own aimlessness, Old MacDonald receives advice from the wise and ecologically sensible Little Red Hen, who helps him compost his way through the steps of creating a thriving organic farm. By the best-selling author of Wild About Books.




Phineas L. MacGuire . . . Erupts!


Book Description

When Mac is paired with his un-best friend for the upcoming science fair, the two struggle to agree on a project until Mac comes up with a brilliant idea.




The Uncanny Express (The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters Book 2)


Book Description

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.




Boxes for Katje


Book Description

Boxes for Katje (HC)