Books published by publisher Square Fish, 2007

From Barbara O'Connor, the beloved author of Wish, comes a big-hearted story about the meaning of friendship, the challenges of growing up, and one lovable runaway dog.Mavis Jeeter is fearless and bold, but she has never lived in one place long enough to have a real best friend. Her flighty mother has uprooted them again to another new home and taken a job as a housekeeper for the Tully family. Mavis wants this home to be permanent―which means finding herself a best friend.Rose Tully is a worrier who feels like she doesn’t quite fit in with the other girls in her neighborhood. Her closest friend is Mr. Duffy, but he hasn’t been himself since his dog died. Rose may have to break a few of her mother’s many rules to help Mr. Duffy―and find someone who really understands her.Henry has run away from home, but he craves kindness and comfort―and doesn’t know where to look for them. When Mavis and Rose hatch a scheme to find Mr. Duffy a new dog, their lives and Henry’s intersect―and they all come to find friendship in places they never expected.

Chester Cricket needs help. That's the message John Robin carries into the Times Square subway station where Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse live. Quickly, Chester's good friends set off on the long, hard journey to the Old Meadow, where all is not well. Houses are creeping closer. Bulldozers and construction are everywhere. It looks like Chester and his friends' home will be ruined and the children of the town won't have a place to play. Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse are used to the city life. Now in the country, they need to find a place to stay and good things to eat. And most of all they must think of a plan to help their friends.

The slapstick shenanigans continue in Invasion of the Ufonuts, the hilarious second book in Laurie Keller's Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut series. Arnie finds himself in trouble when his neighbor, Loretta Schmoretta, begins telling news reporters that she was the victim of an alien abduction. And not just any aliens―alien doughnuts from outer spastry, who will continue the abductions until people stop eating doughnuts! Although Arnie thinks this is a ridiculous story, he notices that everyone is treating him differently, as if he is an alien doughnut rather than just a doughnut-dog. And then Arnie gets abducted! Arnie must think fast in order to rescue his fellow doughnuts and the townspeople from the alien invaders. This title has Common Core connections.A Christy Ottaviano BookPraise for the Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut series (Bowling Alley Bandit, Invasion of the UFOnuts, and The Spinny Icky Showdown):“A bowling tournament gives the rolling raconteur introduced in the 2003 picture book Arnie the Doughnut fresh scope for wisecracks and wild misadventures. . . . Like triumphant Mr. Bing, Keller walks off with a ‘Stiffy Stu McShiny' award for this yummy chapter-book series opener.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review, for Bowling Alley Bandit“Keller shrewdly targets hesitant readers with an abundance of goofy comedy.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review, for Bowling Alley Bandit“Should be a winner with reluctant readers who . . . are ready for a generous dose of extreme silliness.” -Childrens Literature for Invasion of the Ufonuts

An irresistible collection of short stories for cat lovers.At the annual gathering of the MEOW society, cats of all kinds convene to share their stories and those of their ancestors. Chico, the smallest cat in the world, recounts stopping a crime. The Pirate Cat tells of the fateful day when he discovered a treasure while hunting for mice. And Georgio shares his delectable―and sometimes surprising―recipes.Cat Diaries is a winning companion to Dog Diaries, also by Betsy Byars and her daughters Betsy Duffy and Laurie Myers. With gorgeous black-and-white illustrations by Erik Brooks, animal lovers and reluctant readers will be wooed by the charm, strength, and wit of these feline friends.

New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Honor recipient Steve Sheinkin welcomes young readers to the thrilling, tragic, and downright wild historic adventure of America’s westward expansion in Which Way to the Wild West? Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn’t Tell You About America’s Westward Expansion, featuring illustrations by Tim Robinson. 1805: Explorer William Clark reaches the Pacific Ocean and pens the badly spelled line “Ocian in view! O! the joy!” (Hey, he was an explorer, not a spelling bee champion!)1836: Mexican general Santa Anna surrounds the Alamo, trapping 180 Texans inside and prompting Texan William Travis to declare, “I shall never surrender or retreat.”1861: Two railroad companies, one starting in the West and one in the East, start a race to lay the most track and create a transcontinental railroad.With a storyteller's voice and attention to the details that make history real and interesting, Steve Sheinkin delivers the wild facts about America's greatest adventure. From the Louisiana Purchase (remember: if you're negotiating a treaty for your country, play it cool.) to the gold rush (there were only three ways to get to California--all of them bad) to the life of the cowboy, the Indian wars, and the everyday happenings that defined living on the frontier.“An engaging...medley of anecdotes about the Wild West in nine lively chapters starting with the Louisiana Purchase and ending with the Lakota massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. Casual vignettes of famous figures and ordinary people come to life.” ―School Library Journal“Sheinkin builds his conversational narrative around stories of the men and women who peopled the west, with particular attention given to African Americans, Chinese workers, and everyday farmers and cowboys. There's plenty of humor here, but Sheinkin's strength is his ability to transition between events.”―The Horn BookAlso by Steve Sheinkin:Bomb: The Race to Build―and Steal―the World's Most Dangerous WeaponThe Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & TreacheryThe Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil RightsUndefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football TeamMost Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam WarKing George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American RevolutionTwo Miserable Presidents: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the Civil WarBorn to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America

The name's Goldfish. Zombie Goldfish. Fishy mayhem abounds with two more fin-tastic stories from author Mo O'Hara featuring our favorite (New York Times-bestselling!) zombie goldfish.Frankie was a completely normal pet goldfish . . . until Tom's evil-scientist big brother tried to murder him with toxic gunge! Luckily Tom and his best friend Pradeep shocked Frankie back to life with a battery, and ever since he's been a BIG FAT ZOMBIE GOLDFISH. In Live and Let Swim, a normal trip to the aquarium for Tom, Pradeep, and Sami suddenly turns into a death-defying race to save Frankie from being eaten by a hungry psychic octopus during their big brothers' latest evil plan.Then, when the TV show My Pet's Got Talent comes to town all the paranormal pets suddenly start losing their talents. Can Frankie save the day without his dangerous hypnotic powers?Live and Let Swim by New York Times-bestselling author Mo O'Hara brings back all the kooky fun and humor you've come to expect from this irresistible chapter book series.

Nicki Demere is an orphan and a pickpocket. She also happens to be the U.S. Marshals’ best bet to keep a family alive. . . .“Jake Burt is a storytelling magician. Partcoming of age tale and part spy thriller, Greetings from Witness Protection could be a collaboration between Judy Blume and Ian Fleming.”―Ann M. Martin, New York Times-bestselling author of RainReign and the Baby-Sitters Club seriesThe marshals are looking for the perfect girl to join a mother, father, and son on the run from the nation’s most notorious criminals. After all, the bad guys are searching for a family with one kid, not two, and adding a streetwise girl who knows a little something about hiding things may be just what the marshals need.Nicki swears she can keep the Trevor family safe, but to do so she’ll have to dodge hitmen, cyberbullies, and the specter of standardized testing, all while maintaining her marshal-mandated B-minus average. As she barely balances the responsibilities of her new identity, Nicki learns that the biggest threats to her family’s security might not lurk on the road from New York to North Carolina, but rather in her own past.Jake Burt's debut middle-grade novel Greetings from Witness Protection! is as funny as it is poignant.Praise for Greetings from Witness Protection!:"This inventive, clever story has a lot of heart at its center. Jake Burt’s debut is utterly rewarding.” ―Wendy Mass, New York Times-bestselling author of The Candymakers and Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life"The biggest complaint that readers may have about Burt’s debut novel is that it ends." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review "What do you get when you mix a snarky city girl with a shady past and lightning reflexes with a seemingly typical suburban family she's just met? A funny, action-packed novel about the trials of school, parental arguments, and sibling rivalry―all with a dash of high-stakes thrills and dramatic showdowns. . . . fans of Ally Carter's 'Gallagher Girls' spy novels and the 'Heist Society' art thief series will relish the action and fast-paced plot as well as the engaging and competent Nicki, whose emotional strength and quick wits carry her through much of the narrative." ―School Library Journal"A fun story showcasing a smart, bold girl who creates for herself a community of similarly good-hearted, high-achieving girlfriends―all while playing by the marshals’ rules, building a family, dealing with middle school drama, and wrestling her own demons (kleptomania). For readers who enjoy ordinary-kid-turns-hero stories, Burt’s debut novel will be an engaging treat." ―VOYA

A Coretta Scott King Author Honor BookWhen sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white.In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth.Tariq's friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down.How It Went Down is a timely story by acclaimed author Kekla Magoon who won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for The Rock and the River, and whose book X :A Novel (written with Ilyasah Shabazz) was longlisted for the National Book Award.This title has Common Core connections.

Second in Taran Matharu’s New York Times bestselling epic fantasy Summoner Trilogy, The Inquisition is an action-packed adventure of a young man gifted―or cursed―with an extraordinary and terrifying power… A year has passed since the Tournament. Fletcher and Ignatius have been locked away in Pelt's dungeons, but now they must face trial at the hands of the Inquisition, a powerful institution controlled by those who would delight in Fletcher's downfall. The trial is haunted by ghosts from the past with shocking revelations about Fletcher's origins, but he has little time to dwell on them; the graduating students of Vocans are to be sent deep into the orc jungles to complete a dangerous mission for the king and his council. If they fail, the orcish armies will rise to power beyond anything the Empire has ever seen. With loyal friends Othello and Sylva by his side, Fletcher must battle his way to the heart of Orcdom and save Hominum from destruction . . . or die trying.This paperback edition includes an interview with the author, a special sneak peek of the sequel, The Battlemage, and more.The Summoner TrilogyThe NoviceThe InquisitionThe BattlemageAlso in the Summoner seriesThe Outcast (Summoner: The Prequel)The Summoner’s HandbookA Fine Welcome: Othello’s Journey (A Summoner Short Story)

A wacky cross-country adventure starring the fifty states!"Well, it was just your basic, ordinary day in the good old U. S. of A. States all over the country were waking up, having their first cups of coffee, reading the morning paper, and enjoying the beautiful sunrise.All the states, that is, except for Kansas."At the first annual "states party," Virginia and Idaho hatch a plan to swap spots so each can see another part of the country. Before the party is over, all the states decide to switch places. In the beginning, every state is happy in its new location. But soon things start to go wrong. Will the states ever unscramble themselves and return to their proper places?Packed with madcap humor and whimsical illustrations, this quirky story-starring all fifty states-is chock-full of introductory facts and silly antics that will make learning geography as much fun as taking a vacation.This title has Common Core connections.