Books published by publisher Persnickety Press

Nicholas Preston, age 8, is a blueberry guy. Lately, that’s been a very good thing, because the blueberry bushes his parents planted in their yard have been delivering more fruit than a family of four can pick … or eat! Last summer they recruited neighbors to help with the harvest and take away what they picked. Still, the Prestons have been eating blueberry jam, syrup, muffins, even burgers (!) throughout the year. This summer, the crop is even bigger, but Nico has a plan. If he can convince all his classmates to volunteer a day to pick the berries, they’ll all get the best blueberries in town, and he’ll have plenty left to sell. Then if he can sell enough, he will donate the money to the Community Center fund so they can open the park at the end of the summer. But first, Nicholas will have to protect the crop from a Mama Bear and her cubs who live in the forest behind their house and seem to love nothing more than blueberries. And, he’s going to have to convince his teacher to give him time to persuade his classmates to help out. And, on the chosen date, when his classmates don’t show up, he’s going to have to keep on believing. What’s more, when the harvest is in and it seems that everyone in town already has more blueberries than they need, Nico has to find a place where there will be customers for his berries. For this, he’ll need permission from the crankiest man on their street. In this chapter book, everyday adventures combine with the power of friendship, the rewards of persistence, and what just may be a little bit of magic to help Nicholas succeed and be named Raccoon Creek’s Businessman of the Year. Young chapter book readers will root for Nico and cheer for his success.

It's Little Frog's first autumn, and she doesn't like it one bit. It is not the green world she loves so much, but something scarier and ominous, filled with red and gold and yellow. And noise! WHIRRRRR. CHIRRRR. BAROOOOOOM. But encouraged by her Mama, who reminds her that "Most things that are scary are just new," Little Frog bravely sets out into this world. When her courage waivers, she starts to run and soon is lost, miserably lost. She finds her way to Papa Frog and he shows her what Mama Frog means. This charmer of a story is by multi-award winning author Jane Yolen, author of Owl Moon and the How Do Dinosaurs books. The wonderful autumn palette and adorable pictures are by newcomer Ellen Shi, who is not afraid of trying something new herself.

“It isn’t fair that our town doesn’t have its own theater,” eight-year-old Hannah complains. A lot of thinking, planning, dreaming, and list-making later, and Hannah―along with the kids of Raccoon River―are up to their ears in a brand new project: saving the town’s old abandoned Plaza Theater. But first, they have to get a look inside. It’s spooky―spider webs and creaky floors, and one slowly-swaying stage curtain. Can the Plaza be saved? Although the kids may not be able to fix plumbing or install new lights, sew curtains or patch holes in the roof, they can raise money. In a boastful moment, Hannah pledges that they will raise $2,500.00―the price tag for some special equipment they want to donate. But now with only three weeks to go before opening night, it looks like they are not going to reach their goal. Unless they get big help from unexpected places. Lauren L. Wohl tells a story of determination and hard work, cooperation and more than little bit of luck where the kids of a small town make a real difference in their community, the first sequel to Blueberry Bonanza in the Raccoon River Kids Adventures series. Mark Tuchman illustrates the action with characterful drawings that enrich the tale.

Make bedtime bearable again with Hush Up and Hibernate―now available in paperback! Leaves are falling, a cold wind is blowing, geese are heading south. Clearly, winter is coming. It’s time for black bears to do what they always do this time of year―hibernate. Kids will get a kick out of this romp of a tale about a black bear cub that finds every excuse imaginable to avoid the inevitable go-to-bed moment. Will Mama Bear finally win? Or will Baby Bear come up with the ultimate reason to skip going to sleep?

"From head to toe, and in between, scientists get dressed for the work they do and the places they do it!" In Scientists Get Dressed by award-winning author Deborah Lee Rose, stunning and engaging ""you are there"" photos and fun-fact filled text let readers discover how scientists suit up, gown up, gear up, even dress up in costume to do their jobs. Young readers (and listeners) meet real scientists facing the challenges of making new discoveries, saving lives and saving our planet―whether they're floating weightless in space or swimming with endangered whale sharks, digging out snow samples from a frozen glacier or gathering hot lava from a burning volcano, rescuing a wild bald eagle or operating on a human brain. Kids of all ages love to role play through dress up. Through the unique lens of what scientists wear―including many photos never before published―Scientists Get Dressed inspires kids to explore STEM in new ways, and to imagine themselves getting dressed for exciting and important work. What do scientists wear? Kids will be fascinated and surprised to learn that scientists wear not only white lab coats but helmets, jackets, boots, goggles, fins, spacesuits, waders, harnesses and gloves of all kinds. Even young children know gloves keep their hands warm―but for scientists, gloves make their work possible and safe. Volcano scientists wear cotton gloves that won't melt near burning lava. Water scientists wear insulating gloves to stay warm and dry in frozen streams. Brain surgeons wear tight, thin gloves that flex with every movement. Raptor scientists wear gloves of stuff stronger than steel, to guard themselves from an eagle’s ripping talons and beak. Scientists Get Dressed teaches young readers how the right clothing and gear help scientists do their extraordinary work in hard to reach places like the high forest canopy and dark bat caves, and protect them from hazards like germs, chemicals and the Sun's dangerous radiation. From labs to volcanic lava fields, from warm ocean waves to frigid polar ice caps, from beehives to beyond Earth's atmosphere, Scientists Get Dressed zooms in on what scientists do, how they do it and why it matters.