Books published by publisher Carolrhoda Books, 2008

Did witches always ride brooms? No! In fact, long, long ago, witches crept about on tiptoe. On Halloween, they would scare children and cast spells . . . but always from the ground. No witch ever thought of flying—no witch until Druscilla. Druscilla was an old witch with the loudest, creakiest knees anyone had ever heard. But she was determined not to let anything spoil her element of surprise. One Halloween, after many failed attempts at sneaking up on unsuspecting villagers, Druscilla made a discovery that changed the course of witch history.

Beep is a robot who hungers for adventure. Bah is a goat who wants to stay out of trouble. When Bah discovers a single sock, Beep knows there’s only one thing to do: find its match! Together, Beep and Bah begin a winding journey that takes them up high hills and into the deep ocean. On the way, they‘ll meet monkeys, whales, and angry bears—but will they find the missing sock?

Noah's trying to build an ark, but with the snakes quacking, the beavers crowing, and the pigs howling, he can't even hear himself think, much less make a giant boat. Pretty soon Noah's barking in annoyance—and then it starts to rain! Discover how each animal came to make the noise it does today in this whimsical retelling of the beloved Noah's ark story.

After more moves than they can count, Isa's family finally puts down roots. People in town are afraid of the abandoned orchard behind their home, but Isa and her sister Junie are happy to have acres of land to explore. But when Junie gets sick, Isa's mom falls into a depression, and medical bills force Isa's dad to work more. No one notices that Isa's clothes are falling apart and her stomach is empty. Out of frustration, Isa buries her out-grown sneakers in the orchard. The next day a sapling sprouts buds that bloom to reveal new shoes. Can Isa use this magical tree to save her family?

Poor George is in trouble again. He's been called to the principal's office. But before the principal can tell him why he's there...he confesses. He was late to class, didn't finish his math assignment, spilled paint, and set a cage of mice loose. One mishap has led to another and now George is up to his ears in trouble—but it's not his fault! George has an excuse for everything, but as his bad choices catch up with him, George runs out of others to blame.

In her debut picture book, Beth Mills offers a pitch-perfect look at recess, friendship, and being a good sport. First grader Ella McKeen is the undisputed kickball queen until a new girl named Riya shows up―and shows her up at recess. How does Ella handle losing? By throwing herself on the grass and screaming while the rest of the class watches her fall apart. Yikes!

In the 1930s, Lewis's dad, Lewis Michaux Sr., had an itch he needed to scratch—a book itch. How to scratch it? He started a bookstore in Harlem and named it the National Memorial African Bookstore. And as far as Lewis Michaux Jr. could tell, his father's bookstore was one of a kind. People from all over came to visit the store, even famous people—Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, and Langston Hughes, to name a few. In his father's bookstore people bought and read books, and they also learned from each other. People swapped and traded ideas and talked about how things could change. They came together here all because of his father's book itch. Read the story of how Lewis Michaux Sr. and his bookstore fostered new ideas and helped people stand up for what they believed in.

Studying Antarctica has never been for the fainthearted."Hereabouts died a very gallant gentleman, Captain L. E. G. Oates of the Inniskilling Dragoons. In March 1912, returning from the Pole, he walked willingly to his death in a blizzard to try to save his comrades, beset by hardship."—Inscription on a cross placed near presumed final resting place of Antarctic explorer Lawrence “Titus” Oates, The Terra Nova Expedition, 1910-1913“We have one survival bag for every two people.”—Antarctic paleontologist William Hammer, Transantarctic Vertebrate Paleontology Project, 2004 “When the ice cracks, it can sound like massive thunder rolls that seem to go on forever. If it is a serious cracking in the ice, it literally sounds like canon shots.”—Eighth-grade science teacher and Antarctic diver Robin Ellwood, Lake Ecosystems in Antarctica Project, 2008-2009Humanity’s fascination with the land at the bottom of the globe dates back at least to the ancient Romans, who imagined Terra Australis Incognita—the “unknown southern land”—and drew it on their maps even though no one had ever seen it. It took a thousand years for this unknown land to become known. Despite the many people who have since visited it, conquering the Antarctic frontier is a never-ending challenge that calls scientists and explorers to risk their lives in the pursuit of knowledge.Frozen Secrets is the tale of a continent, the inside story of the critical, cutting-edge research that brave men and women from around the world have done and still do in Antarctica. Sally M. Walker traces expeditions from the earliest explorers to today’s research stations, where contemporary scientists work in some of the harshest conditions on Earth.Whether they study the formation of polar ice or the stratigraphy of ancient rock or the fossils of newly discovered dinosaurs or the chemistry of air trapped in miniscule frozen bubbles, the scientists working in Antarctica are building a body of knowledge that will influence future generations as they make choices that could affect the course of the whole planet.

In a hockey match unrivaled in prehistory, the Meat-Eaters take on the Veggiesaurs. Fans go wild in the stands as T. Rex and Triceratops face off, and the game is off to a rip-roaring start. An assist from Raptor gains the first goal for the Meat-Eaters―but the naughty Pterodactyl twins, playing wingers, earn their team a penalty. The Veggies are quick to take advantage and Diplo scores. A tie game! Join the fans and find out what happens. You'll have a front row seat, so keep an eye on Raptor. Hockey gets him pretty riled up and that's quite a set of teeth he's baring . . .

The Paleo Theater is packed with cheering fans ready for a dance showdown. When the beat drops, can Triceratops win over the judges with his pop and lock? Can Allo's on-pointe ballet moves dominate the solo category? And will Maia and Stego take home the top prize for their sizzling salsa steps? This prehistoric dance competition will keep you on the edge of your seat!