Books with author Elise Primavera

A deluxe gift edition of the modern Christmas classic, featuring an access code to a printable Christmas party kit, plus downloadable audio read by Academy Award-winning actress Ellen Burstyn!Auntie Claus is just another eccentric New Yorker--or is she? Young Sophie has often wondered about her unusual great-aunt, Auntie Claus. She lives in penthouse 25C at the Bing Cherry Hotel and is so curioso! After all, Auntie Claus serves Christmas cookies all year long and her tree is always the best-decorated in the city. And then there's her annual "business trip," right around the holidays. This year Sophie is determined to get to the bottom of Auntie Claus's mysterious ways. Put on your mittens and bundle up for an adventure beyond your wildest dreams. Ho, ho, ho!

Franny longs for adventure but can't even do a cartwheel. Pru can do a cartwheel but prefers hiding under her quilt making up safety tips. Cat has no use for safety tips but supposedly has ESP. And Ivy has had a seven-year string of bad luck—a Jinx that's about to get a whole lot worse. The four are thrown together when a pair of mysterious ruby red slippers turn up, along with the fashionably mad Cha-Cha Staccato, who bears a frightening resemblance to a certain wicked witch. . . . As hilarious as it is original, The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls is an unforgettable take on girlhood, piano recitals, The Wizard of Oz, and the dependable everyday magic of true friendship.

"Evokes the spirit of such larger-than-life characters as Willy Wonka and Mary Poppins."--Publishers Weekly Nestled inside a lighthouse, Great Rapscott School for the Daughters of Busy Parents takes its motto from Amelia Earhart: Adventure is worthwhile in itself. Headmistress Ms. Rapscott couldn’t agree more, but her students, who are shipped to the school in boxes, could use a little convincing. Still, despite their initial reluctance, the students are soon soaring through the sky and getting lost on purpose. In addition to learning what birthday cakes are and how best to approach a bumbershoot tree, the students also manage to learn a little something about strength and bravery.

“High hopes finally pay off for a horse-loving girl” (Kirkus Reviews) in this charming chapter book from New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Elise Primavera.Ten-year-old Libby Thump loves two things: her dog, Margaret, and horses. She dreams about them, draws them all the time, and more than anything she wants to take lessons and learn to ride. Everyone tells Libby to live up to her potential, but her mother decides to give the lessons to her older sister, Brittany, instead, and Libby can’t believe it. Libby’s mom says Brittany needs the lessons more, to cure her “boy crazy phase.” Then Libby stumbles upon High Hope Farm and meets a horse named Princess who has been put out to pasture. Now Libby can live up to her potential, and so will everyone around her, too. With text and illustrations from Elise Primavera, author of Auntie Claus and Louise the Big Cheese acclaim, this first in a series will appeal to anyone interested in horses—or who knows the value of having a good friend. “The well-written story teaches the gentle lesson that life can be unfair, but persistence and passion ultimately pay off” (School Library Journal).

Have you heard? New York is the new North Pole! Just ask Auntie Claus! Sophie Kringle had always dreamed of being the Sugar Plum Fairy in the school play. After all, Sophie is a Kringle. Her family lives at the Bing Cherry Hotel, and her favorite aunt, Auntie Claus, serves Christmas cookies at teatime -- even in July. When Auntie Claus hears that Sophie will make her debut in the school play, she decides to have her cake and eat it too -- this year Auntie Claus will be home for the holidays and the North Pole will move south to New York! Finally getting to see the tree at Rockefeller Center, the department store windows, and the 57th Street Snowflake with Auntie Claus -- Sophie will have a Christmas that she never could have imagined! Join Sophie on an adventure that goes straight to the heart of Christmas! Bring along your favorite Christmas cookie recipe, your warmest coat, and your tutu!

The charming sequel to Ms. Rapscott's Girls. Children of busy parents attend a whimsical school where they go on magical adventures. For fans of Mary Poppins and The Mysterious Benedict Society.Includes beautiful black-and-white illustrations throughout. Great Rapscott School for Girls of Busy Parents is not your typical boarding school. Students arrive in boxes, birthday cake is served for breakfast, and two very talented corgis assist the rather quirky headmistress. This semester, the girls will learn how to get to The Top, but the semester is not off to a good start. One of the girls doesn’t make it back to school and when her friends try to rescue her, they wind up at the Bottom of the Barrel. Luckily, Ms. Rapscott knows that learning to fail is the secret to Going Far in life.

Libby Thump’s life is a perfect mix of horseback riding, art, and her dog Margaret until her resilience is put to the test when she must learn to ride a challenging pony in this chapter book companion to Libby of High Hopes from New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Elise Primavera. “The second book in the Libby of High Hopes series is as enjoyable as the first” said Booklist.Libby Thump still wishes for a horse of her own, but she’s very happy riding Princess, the aging horse who belongs to Sal, the stable owner of High Hopes Farm. Libby loves Princess and her gentle ways, and Princess loves Libby. Then one day Sal says she has to ride Saddleshoes instead—and Saddleshoes is the most difficult pony at the stable! Sal says Princess is too old to be ridden much longer and that Libby is outgrowing her, so Libby is stuck: ride Saddleshoes, or don’t ride at all. But Libby is nothing if not determined, and so she decides that the only way to live up to her potential and achieve her dream of being the best rider in the world is to try something new. Can she find a way to win a blue ribbon riding Saddleshoes?

Fans of Mary Poppins will love this whimsical tale of a boarding school for children of very busy parents, where an extraordinary headmistress teaches them life lessons about courage, adventure, friendship . . . and the importance of birthday cake.Nestled inside a lighthouse, Great Rapscott School for the Daughters of Busy Parents takes its motto from Amelia Earhart: Adventure is worthwhile in itself. Headmistress Ms. Rapscott couldn’t agree more, but her students, who are shipped to the school in boxes, could use a little convincing. Still, despite their initial reluctance, the students are soon soaring through the sky and getting lost on purpose. In addition to learning what birthday cakes are and how best to approach a bumbershoot tree, the students also manage to learn a little something about strength and bravery.Bestselling author Elise Primavera has created an irresistible, richly illustrated story about finding your way.

It's getting toward Christmas at the Bing Cherry Hotel, and Auntie Claus is preparing for her annual "business trip." Just before she is ready to leave, her favorite nephew, Christopher Kringle, begins to have doubts about the family business. To settle the matter, Auntie Claus summons Chris for tea, but like any self-respecting Kringle, Chris decides to take matters into his own hands: He plans to get on the Bad-Boys-and-Girls List on purpose! Even after his older sister, Sophie, reveals that their great-aunt, Auntie Claus, is really Santa's sister, Chris needs to see for himself, in order to believe. In this companion to the much loved Auntie Claus, come along on a magical journey with Sophie Kringle's little brother, Chris, to a place you may have seen only in your dreams. And discover that anything is possible, when you have the key to Christmas!

Students at a whimsical school for children of busy parents learn silly lessons about manners, friendship, and going far in life, in book two of the series that’s tailor-made for a new generation of Mary Poppins fans Great Rapscott School for Girls of Busy Parents is not your typical boarding school. Students arrive in boxes, birthday cake is served for breakfast, and two very talented corgis assist the rather quirky headmistress. This semester, the girls will learn how to get to The Top, but the semester is not off to a good start. One of the girls doesn’t make it back to school and when her friends try to rescue her, they wind up at the Bottom of the Barrel. Luckily, Ms. Rapscott knows that learning to fail is the secret to Going Far in life.  Complete with charming black-and-white illustrations, this sequel to Ms. Rapscott’s Girls is full of, warmhearted lessons, spirited adventure, and good cheer.From the Hardcover edition.

It's getting toward Christmas at the Bing Cherry Hotel, and Auntie Claus is preparing for her annual "business trip." Just before she is ready to leave, her favorite nephew, Christopher Kringle, begins to have doubts about the family business. To settle the matter, Auntie Claus summons Chris for tea, but like any self-respecting Kringle, Chris decides to take matters into his own hands: He plans to get on the Bad-Boys-and-Girls List on purpose! Even after his older sister, Sophie, reveals that their great-aunt, Auntie Claus, is really Santa's sister, Chris needs to see for himself, in order to believe.In this companion to the much loved Auntie Claus, come along on a magical journey with Sophie Kringle's little brother, Chris, to a place you may have seen only in your dreams. And discover that anything is possible, when you have the key to Christmas!

Lulu was a thumb sucker. She and her thumb were very happy together—in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, Lulu and her thumb were best friends. Despite the urging of her family and the teasing of her friends, Lulu just would not give up her thumb-sucking habit. That is, until one day . . . when Lulu made up her mind to stop. And to help herself and thumb suckers all over the world, Lulu developed a program—one with steps. Twelve steps, to be exact. Join Lulu in her quest to kick the habit as she goes through the steps in this funny and insightful picture book. Told in a light-hearted manner and filled with good humor about a universal and important concern, Thumb Love will be embraced by parents and caregivers alike. This is not an issue book but a story that will resonate with anyone who is—or was—a kid.