Books published by publisher Harcourt Paperbacks Apr-01-2008

It's time for Mousopolis's First Annual Barbecue Cook-Off. But just when the fun is about to begin, the irresistible aroma of barbecue sauce awakens the most frightening creature known to mousekind: the dreaded Dogzilla. As her horrible doggy breath fills the streets, the residents of Mousopolis must run for their lives. Can they get rid of that big stinky dog before it's too late?

Carnegie Medal Winner, United KingdomLos Angeles Times Book Prize Winner One of TIME Magazine's 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time Borders 2004 Original Voices Award Winner Named a Best Book of 2003 by Publishers Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal, The Irish Times, The Times (London), The Financial Times and The Albany Times-Union.Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown entrusts her with the task of burning a secret bundle of letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers that the letters could reveal the grim truth behind a murder.Set in 1906 against the backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, Jennifer Donnelly's astonishing debut novel effortlessly weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, and real, and wholly original.Includes a reader's guide and an interview with the author.

Girls approaching puberty have lots of questions: How can they get rid of zits? Why do they sometimes feel cranky and scared? Are they "normal"? With a relaxed conversational style, this comprehensive and compassionate guide will help answer those questions and many more--even those that are too scary or embarrassing to ask. Loaded with information that will help tween girls understand and cope with the physical and psychological changes that go along with puberty, this updated and expanded coming-of-age guide will be shared and read over and over until all those changes don't seem so confusing.

The exciting world of professional soccer comes to life in this compelling sequel to GOAL! The Dream Begins. Young soccer player Santiago Munez has come a long way from the barrios of Los Angeles. He has become one of Newcastle United’s most outstanding players. He is so good, in fact, that he is recruited for one of the world’s best teams, Real Madrid. So Santiago leaves dreary northern England for the sunny shores of Spain. As part of Real Madrid, he is no longer just a soccer player--he’s also a celebrity. He can now afford fast cars, a fancy house, and practically anything else he’s ever dreamed of. But these luxuries come with a price: He is constantly swarmed by paparazzi. And while Santiago travels the world with the team, his fiancée, Roz, is left behind most of the time, uneasy about his fast-paced new lifestyle. Santiago struggles to keep his balance, but when someone from his past unexpectedly resurfaces in Madrid, his charmed life begins to crumble. Will Santiago be able to keep playing great soccer while dealing with the pressures--and temptations--of fame?

For weeks the people of the Brazilian town of Olinda have been sewing costumes, painting masks, and creating giant puppets--preparing for carnaval. Like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, carnaval is a five-day festival of parades, dancing, and singing. But unlike Mardi Gras, Olinda’s carnaval still celebrates the traditions and folklore of the people and the shared cultures--indigenous, European, and African--that make up Brazil. As generations have done each year, the people of Olinda and their visitors give themselves over to the music, dance, and joy of carnaval.

Leshaya is a survivor. Rescued from the brink of death, this child of a heroin addict has seen it all: revolving foster homes, physical abuse, an unwanted pregnancy. Now, as her tumultuous childhood is coming to an end, she is determined to make a life for herself by doing the only thing that makes her feel whole . . . singing.Han Nolan pulls no punches in this hard-hitting story of a girl at the bottom who dreams of nothing but the top.

Many years have passed since the end of the Trojan War, and Penelope is still waiting for her husband, Odysseus, to return home. The city of Ithaka is overrun with uncouth suitors hoping to marry her, thereby gaining control of the land. But when a naked, half-drowned man washes up on the beach, everything changes. Told through the eyes of Klymene, a young girl who is like a daughter to Penelope, this is a timeless story of passion, jealousy, gods, and royalty in the aftermath of war.