Books published by publisher Yearling

"Every reader will find some piece of themselves in Levy's sharp, humorous, and heartfelt novel. A twisty mystery with quirky, unforgettable characters and a positive message to boot."—JOHN DAVID ANDERSON, the critically acclaimed author of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day and PostedThe Breakfast Club meets middle school with a prank twist in this hilarious and heartwarming story about six very different seventh graders who are forced to band together after a vandalism incident.When Theo's photography project is mysteriously vandalized at school there are five suspected students who all say "it wasn't me." Theo just wants to forget about the humiliating incident but his favorite teacher is determined to get to the bottom of it and has the six of them come into school over vacation to talk. She calls it "Justice Circle." The six students—the Nerd, the Princess, the Jock, the Screw Up, the Weirdo, and the Nobody—think of it as detention. AKA their worst nightmare. That is until they realize they might get along after all, despite their differences. But what is everyone hiding and will school ever be the same?*PW Best Books *Winter Kids' Indie Next List * JLG selection * Three starred reviews"What at first seems like a novel solely about bullying becomes a story about six kids who find their way to true friendship and fierce loyalty, and why restorative justice is worth the time and effort it takes." —Publishers Weekly, starred review "A timely, introspective whodunit with a lot of heart." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Levy writes in an easy style with laugh-out-loud humor, offering characters that slowly reveal deeper complexity." —School Library Journal, starred review

The instant New York Times bestseller from the author of the Newbery Medal winner When You Reach Me: a story about spies, games, and friendship. The first day Georges (the S is silent) moves into a new Brooklyn apartment, he sees a sign taped to a door in the basement: SPY CLUB MEETING—TODAY! That’s how he meets his twelve-year-old neigh­bor Safer. He and Georges quickly become allies—and fellow spies. Their assignment? Tracking the mysterious Mr. X, who lives in the apartment upstairs. But as Safer’s requests become more and more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: how far is too far to go for your only friend? “Will touch the hearts of kids and adults alike.” —NPR Winner of the Guardian Prize for Children’s FictionNamed a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and more!

Join the world's greatest detective, Nate the Great, as he solves the mystery of the missing word! Perfect for beginning readers and the Common Core, this long-running chapter book series will encourage children to problem-solve with Nate, using logical thinking to solve mysteries!WHAT DOES A STRANGE, LONG, MADE-UP WORD SOUND LIKE?Esmeralda came up with the perfect name for Rosamond's pet concert. But she lost the pink paper where she wrote the word--and she can't remember what it is. Nate the Great and his dog, Sludge, take on the unusual case, and they are soon braving pink papers and barking, oinking, and talking pets. Will Nate and Sludge find the word in time for the show to go on?Visit Nate the Great and Sludge!NatetheGreatBooks.comPraise for the Nate the Great Series:"Kids will like Nate the Great."-SLJ, Starred "A consistently entertaining series."-Booklist"Loose, humorous chalk and watercolor spots help turn this beginning reader into a page-turner."-Publishers Weekly"Nate, Sludge, and all their friends have been delighting beginning readers for years."-Kirkus Reviews"They don't come any cooler than Nate the Great."-The Huffington Post

"We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful" is the motto of Deza Malone's family. Deza is the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But it's 1936 and the Great Depression has hit Gary hard, and there are no jobs for black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother, Jimmie, go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. Jimmie's beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while Deza and Mother find a new home, and cling to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the Depression and prove that Deza truly is the Mighty Miss Malone.

Perfect for beginning readers looking for a Halloween chapter book! Kids can problem-solve with Nate, the world's greatest detective, using logical thinking to solve mysteries! It is Halloween night, and all the kids are dressed up to go trick-or-treating. But Nate's friend Rosamond needs his help. Her cat Little Hex is missing. Is he hiding, or is he lost? Nate and his trusty dog, Sludge, are on the case! Check out the Fun Activities section in the back of the book! Visit Nate the Great and Sludge!NatetheGreatBooks.com“All the regulars are back in Nate's latest mystery, and as fresh as ever. Sharmat makes beginning reading a pleasure.”--School Library Journal

This funny fractured fairy tale goes behind the scenes of Rumpelstiltskin. New York Times Bestselling author Liesl Shurtliff "spins words into gold [Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor winner]."In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse. To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.A Texas Bluebonnet finalist and winner of the ILA award for middle grade fiction, Rump is perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted or Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark and Grimm. And don't miss Liesl Shurtliff's other fairy tale retellings: Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk and Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood."A fresh riff on the Grimm Brothers' Rumpelstiltskin, told with wit from the impish point of view of the troublemaker himself." —People"Lighthearted and inventive, Rump amusingly expands a classic tale." —Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fablehaven.

This series of modern classics about the charming Penderwick family from National Book Award winner and New York Times bestseller Jeanne Birdsall is perfect for fans of Noel Streatfeild and Edward Eager. Over one million copies sold, now with a bright new look!The Penderwick sisters are home on Gardam Street and ready for an adventure! But the adventure they get isn’t quite what they had in mind. Mr. Penderwick’s sister has decided it’s time for him to start dating—and the girls know that can only mean one thing: disaster. Enter the Save-Daddy Plan—a plot so brilliant, so bold, so funny, that only the Penderwick girls could have come up with it. It’s high jinks, big laughs, and loads of family warmth as the Penderwicks triumphantly return.

In the vein of timely titles such as Katherine Applegate's Wishtree and Alan Gratz's Refugee comes a touching, accessible middle-grade debut about the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis, as well as the life-changing power of friendship and standing as an ally.There used to be an empty chair at the back of Mrs. Khan's classroom, but on the third Tuesday of the school year a new kid fills it: nine-year-old Ahmet, a Syrian refugee. The whole class is curious about this new boy--he doesn't seem to smile, and he doesn't talk much. But after learning that Ahmet fled a Very Real War" and was separated from his family along the way, a determined group of his classmates band together to concoct the Greatest Idea in the World--a magnificent plan to reunite Ahmet with his loved ones.Balancing humor and heart, this relatable story about the refugee crisis from the perspective of kids highlights the community-changing potential of standing as an ally and reminds readers that everyone deserves a place to call home.Overall Winner of the 2019 Waterstones Children's Book PrizeWinner of the 2019 Blue Peter Book Award"Tearjerking and chuckle-inducing. . . . Above all it celebrates the power of kindness." --The Sunday Post (Scotland)"Inspiring and sweet. . . . This is a beautiful, open-hearted debut from Onjali Q Raúf that should help children be the best they can be and realise the power of kindness." --BookTrust (UK)"An engaging exploration of the refugee crisis through the eyes of a child." --Readings (Australia)

Join the world’s greatest detective, Nate the Great, as he solves the mystery of his friend’s missing pet snake! Perfect for beginning readers and the Common Core, this long-running chapter book series will encourage children to problem-solve with Nate, using logical thinking to solve mysteries! WILL THIS CASE SLITHER AWAY? Rosamond is having a birthday party for her cousin Lizzy! Nate the Great and his dog, Sludge, are invited. So are Lizzy’s four pet snakes. Nate believes that a good detective knows his limits. Nate does not want to go to a birthday party filled with dangerous, slimy guests. But when one of these “guests” goes missing, Nate and Sludge must face their fears to save the day! Visit Nate the Great and Sludge! NatetheGreatBooks.com Praise for the Nate the Great Series ★ “Kids will like Nate the Great.” —School Library Journal, Starred “A consistently entertaining series.” —Booklist “Loose, humorous chalk and watercolor spots help turn this beginning reader into a page-turner.” —Publishers Weekly “Nate, Sludge, and all their friends have been delighting beginning readers for years.” —Kirkus Reviews “They don’t come any cooler than Nate the Great.” —The Huffington Post

A kid favorite for over thirty years, this award-winning modern-classic is sure to delight readers for years to come!"Winthrop has a real gift for fantasy..." --Madeleine L'Engle, award-winning author of A Wrinkle in Time When William learns that his favorite caretaker Mrs. Phillips is leaving, he is devastated. But then she gives him her parting gift--a mysterious model castle that has been in her family for years. The castle is perfect in every way, with a drawbridge, a moat, and a fingerhigh knight to guard the gates. It's almost too real.Sure enough, when William picks up the tiny silver knight, Sir Simon comes alive in his hand and tells William a mighty story of wild sorcery, wizards, and a kingdom in need of saving. Hoping the castle's magic holds the key to getting his friend to stay, William embarks on a fantastic quest to another land and another time--where a fiery dragon and an evil wizard are waiting to do battle.

"A fast-moving, eerie...tale set on Halloween night. Eight costumed boys running to meet their friend Pipkin at the haunted house outside town encounter instead the huge and cadaverous Mr. Moundshroud. As Pipkin scrambles to join them, he is swept away by a dark Something, and Moundshroud leads the boys on the tail of a kite through time and space to search the past for their friend and the meaning of Halloween. After witnessing a funeral procession in ancient Egypt, cavemen discovering fire, Druid rites, the persecution of witches in the Dark Ages, and the gargoyles of Notre Dame, they catch up with the elusive Pipkin in the catacombs of Mexico, where each boy gives one year from the end of his life to save Pipkin's. Enhanced by appropriately haunting black-and-white drawings."--Booklist