Books with author Martin Walters

As she breaks 200 pounds, and not in a good way, 29-year-old Rita finds herself married to a self-focused widower with two difficult kids and a mother who almost makes Rita’s own mother look like a role model—which is really saying something. Graham’s first wife, being dead, just keeps getting better and better in everyone’s memories while Rita just gets fatter and more aggravated. She’s tried every diet in the book, but it’s not until a family crisis forces her out the door that she discovers that the easiest way to lose weight is to get rid of the baggage on the inside. Funny and insightful, RITA JUST WANTS TO BE THIN is sure to make readers of all shapes and sizes feel better about themselves—and ultimately maybe even about Rita.

Hazel is a ghost, who lives with all her friends in Ghost Town. They shop at the ghostery store, they go to ghost school and at night they sleep in a big room, all together. Within a simple narrative, this interactive book invites young readers to engage with each page in a different way. Who is not sleeping? Who is feeling sad? How many ghosts are playing in the playground today? Clean, bold collage illustrations have a sweetly vintage vibe and are packed full of surprises that will delight toddlers and early readers. A neon pantone brings a contemporary edge.