Books with author John K. Anderson

The acclaimed author of Ms. Bixby's Last Day and Posted returns with an unforgettable tale of love and laughter, of fathers and sons, of what family truly means, and of the ways in which we sometimes need to lose something in order to find ourselves.Rion Kwirk comes from a rather odd family. His mother named him and his sisters after her favorite constellations, and his father makes funky-flavored jellybeans for a living. One sister acts as if she's always on stage, and the other is a walking dictionary. But no one in the family is more odd than Rion's grandfather, Papa Kwirk. He's the kind of guy who shows up on his motorcycle only on holidays handing out crossbows and stuffed squirrels as presents. Rion has always been fascinated by Papa Kwirk, especially as his son--Rion's father--is the complete opposite. Where Dad is predictable, nerdy, and reassuringly boring, Papa Kwirk is mysterious, dangerous, and cool.Which is why, when Rion and his family learn of Papa Kwirk's death and pile into the car to attend his funeral and pay their respects, Rion can't help but feel that that's not the end of his story. That there's so much more to Papa Kwirk to discover.He doesn't know how right he is.

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Everyone knows there are different kinds of teachers. The good ones. The not-so-good ones. The boring ones, the mean ones, the ones who try too hard. The ones you'll never remember, and the ones you want to forget. But Ms. Bixby is none of these. She's the sort of teacher who makes you feel like the indignity of school is worthwhile. Who makes the idea of growing up less terrifying. Who you never want to disappoint. What Ms. Bixby is, is one of a kind. Topher, Brand, and Steve know this better than anyone. And so when Ms. Bixby unexpectedly announces that she is very sick and won't be able to finish the school year, they come up with a plan. Through the three very different stories they tell, we begin to understand just what Ms. Bixby means to Topher, Brand, and Steve-and what they are willing to go to such great lengths to tell her.

In this hilarious, coming-of-age novel that's "Ready Player One for the middle grade crowd" (School Library Journal), twelve-year-old Bryan Biggins wakes up to find that his life has become a video game. Meet Bryan Biggins. Most of the time he's a freckle-faced boy, small for his age, who attends a school known for its unwritten uniform of North Face jackets and Hollister jeans. The rest of the time he is Kieran Nightstalker, the level-fifty dark-elf hero of his favorite video game, Sovereign of Darkness. Until one day Bryan wakes up to find out his life has become a video game. Sort of. Except instead of fighting dragons or blasting bad guys, he's still doing geometry and getting picked last for dodgeball. It's still middle school. Only now there's much more at stake. Stealing the Twinkie from underneath the noses of those dieting teachers isn't enough to earn him another life. And battling the creature that escaped from the science lab doesn't seem to cut it either. And who knew Romeo and Juliet would turn into a zombie bloodbath?! All the while he's losing hit points and gaining levels, and facing the truth that GAME OVER might flash before his eyes at any minute. It all seems to be building to something...something that has been haunting Bryan since way before his life turned into an X-Box nightmare, a challenge that only he can face. Will Bryan find a way to beat the game before it's too late?

How do you explain faith to a little child? The Big Topics for Little Kids series uses the metaphors of a father away at war and his letters to a daughter who doesn't remember ever seeing him. With concrete examples to which children can relate, Joel Anderson breaks down this huge concept into tiny pieces that little minds can understand. Parents will appreciate this tool that will help them discuss the abstract topic of faith with their children.

Drew Bean might be a part of a secret organization for the training of superhero sidekicks, but that doesn't mean that life is all leaping tall buildings in single bounds.Drew is possessed of super senses--his hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell are the most powerful on the planet--making him literally the most sensitive kid in school. And then there's his best friend, Jenna--their friendship would be complicated enough if she weren't able to throw an eighteen-wheeler the length of a city block. Add in trying to keep his sidekick life a secret from everyone, including his parents, and the truth is clear: middle school is pretty much a drag regardless of whether you have superpowers. But this is all before a supervillain long thought dead returns to the city of Justica and Drew's two identities threaten to crash head-on into each other. Drew has always found it pretty easy to separate right from wrong, good from evil. It's what a superhero does. But what happens when that line starts to disappear? If you love superheroes, action, sarcasm, dangling above pits of acid, and/or people who secrete granite from their pores, you will love Sidekicked, John David Anderson's hilarious middle-grade superhero coming-of-age story.

You are Kellen Moore, the best pitcher at West Burbank High. It isn't your arm that makes you successful, but your cool head. You've always had an uncanny ability on the mound to tune out the crowd, the opposing team, and the pressure. Well, almost always. . .The state championship game forces you to revisit one moment you let the pressure get the better of you--an embarrassing day you'd rather forget. This time, can you make the choices that will help bring home the trophy for your team?

[Children's Fiction (Ages 8-12)]Everyone knows there are different kinds of teachers. The boring ones, the mean ones, the ones who try too hard, the ones who stopped trying long ago. The ones you'll never remember, and the ones you want to forget. Ms. Bixby is none of these. She's the sort of teacher who makes you feel like school is somehow worthwhile. Who recognizes something in you that sometimes you don't even see in yourself. Topher, Brand, and Steve know this better than anyone. And so when Ms. Bixby unexpectedly announces that she won't be able to finish the school year, they come up with a risky plan-- more of a quest, really-- to give Ms. Bixby the last day she deserves.

The acclaimed author of Ms. Bixby's Last Day and Posted returns with an unforgettable tale of love and laughter, of fathers and sons, of what family truly means, and of the ways in which we sometimes need to lose something in order to find ourselves.Rion Kwirk comes from a rather odd family. His mother named him and his sisters after her favorite constellations, and his father makes funky-flavored jellybeans for a living. One sister acts as if she's always on stage, and the other is a walking dictionary. But no one in the family is more odd than Rion's grandfather, Papa Kwirk. He's the kind of guy who shows up on his motorcycle only on holidays handing out crossbows and stuffed squirrels as presents. Rion has always been fascinated by Papa Kwirk, especially as his son--Rion's father--is the complete opposite. Where Dad is predictable, nerdy, and reassuringly boring, Papa Kwirk is mysterious, dangerous, and cool.Which is why, when Rion and his family learn of Papa Kwirk's death and pile into the car to attend his funeral and pay their respects, Rion can't help but feel that that's not the end of his story. That there's so much more to Papa Kwirk to discover.He doesn't know how right he is.

You are Scotty Reardon, the backup to Bobby "The Beast" Brownstein, Murrow High's star senior quarterback. Your job is to be ready to play at all times, just in case you're needed. It's the day of the first game of the season and you are ready. . . mostly. But there's a secret that you've never felt comfortable sharing with your coaches or teammates. It's made being a quarterback twice as hard, and could bring a fast end to your playing career. Can you make sure your secret doesn't stop you from succeeding when it's your turn to take the field?