Books published by publisher Lark Books

Can the love of God that came down at Christmas heal all? Cure all? Lexi believes this with all her heart.Lexi Remington, the twelve-year-old foster child readers worldwide adored in Love Came Down at Christmas, received a new name: Lexi Stotler. Yes, her Christmas wish to be adopted came true. Now, at thirteen, her Christmas wish is to see Mr. Fraudburg be transformed like Mr. Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. So, Lexi brings a stray dog to Mr. Fraudburg. After all, don’t dogs calm a soul down? His son, Adam, asks little of his father, but instantly loves this dog…and asks, pleads, to keep him. The more Adam pushes to keep the dog, Mr. Fraudburg becomes more miserly and despicable. He knows he needs help when his wife, son, and church members shy away from him. But Lexi sees through his tough, rough exterior. She was like that once, too. Lexi enlists the aid of Emma Yoder, an elderly Amish woman. Emma still helps Lexi let love in, and surely she can do the same for Mr. Fraudburg. By Christmas Day, Lexi wonders if her obsession with A Christmas Carol is being played out right before her. Not in Victorian England, but Smicksburg, Pennsylvania.

From colorful shoelaces to shimmering amulet bags, these 50 crocheted creations will enchant kids and take them from the very beginning to a more experienced level. Even children who have never picked up a pair of needles will master the fundamentals quickly, thanks to the many detailed directions and instructive, attractive color photos. The fun begins as they try their hand at the basic chain stitch, and then learn to crochet around a ring to make a key chain. Small, accessible projects follow, including a yellow purse with a glass button accent and comfy wool slippers. As kids’ skills increase, they can move on to clothes, toys, backpacks, and more.

Oh, no: mummies have abducted an archeology student! And it’s up to young solvers to save him by finding a path through the perilous desert. The quest begins with clue-laden letters from The Explorer’s Club asking for help in finding the missing archeologist. But what makes this collection extra fun and challenging is that the maze on each lavishly illustrated spread connects to the others in the book, creating, in essence, one giant maze. In order to solve the mystery, readers will have to flip back and forth through the pages. Good luck!

New in Paper"There is something here for everyone [with] easy-to-follow instructions [and] action-packed, full-color photographs....An excellent choice for teachers, librarians, and recreation workers, and for youngsters who are looking for something to do."--School Library JournalFreeze Tag, Capture the Flag, Balloon Blanket Toss: nothing says childhood more than afternoons spent playing outdoors. With the 200 super activities in this comprehensive collection, the fun never ends. Color photos showing happy-looking boys and girls having a fine time invite young readers to join in. So let the games begin--both classic and new, with variations too. Children will have a blast with timeless amusements such as Tug of War, Ultimate Frisbee, Hopscotch, Jump Rope, and cool pool-time ideas. From Hackey Sack to Water Limbo, each game is great, and the simple instructions and other tips make them easy to play.

Another crime for the great Inspector Rockfort to solve! A Countess’s precious stones have been taken from her hotel room, and local police have concluded that one of the hotel’s other guests did the deed. So, Rockfort inspects the seaside resort, looking for jewelry among the cheerfully colorful carousels, greenhouses, and candy and shell shops chock-a-block with goods. But he can use some help, and that’s where kids come in. They have to go through the drawings, searching carefully for the Countess’s missing jewels in each one, and solving fun riddles. By the end, Rockfort and his team of puzzle-loving readers will have figured out whodunit and cracked a tough case.

Kids are crazy for digital photography: it’s hip and provides instant gratification. This appealing, irreverent, and fully updated guide gives children 10 and up the wherewithal to go wild with the new technology. Featuring the latest equipment and software, revised stats, and a fresh new cover, it explains everything from using the camera to coordinating it with the computer, printer, and scanner to manipulating the images. Then, they can dive right into 50 cool, inventive activities and turn their friends into aliens, make a Warhol-esque pop art masterpiece, and create a “trapped-in-the-computer” screen saver!

“Mary had a little lamb,” and so can any child, on a beautiful, bright knit. Thirty charming, intermediate-level projects give knitters a wonderful opportunity to delight their children with beloved nursery rhymes on handmade mittens, scarves, hats, vests, or blankets. Each item, shown in color photos and charts, is worked in one piece and presents a shortened version of the rhyme along with an image that illustrates the playful words. Those new to working with color will find helpful hints, and a section on creating personalized patterns comes complete with blank grids and an alphabet.

From thinking of a unique science fair experiment to putting fabulous finishing touches on the display, this cool collection of 50 smart and illustrated projects gives budding scientists everything they need to put together a winner—and have fun doing it, too. Kids have seen all the tricks, and they’re tired of science fair books that show them (yawn) how to make the “been there, done that” volcano or a boring model of the solar system. Here are experiments they really want to do, on subjects such as slime, magic sand, video games, mummies, dog germs, horoscopes, bicycles, and more. The whole science fair experience is broken down into small, manageable steps, so youngsters won’t feel overwhelmed. All safety precautions are taken, with notes on parental supervision, when necessary. The author lives in Asheville, NC.

Ingenious rat detective Inspector Rockfort has an invitation for all young sleuths: join him on a treasure hunt. A dozen precious pieces have just been snatched from the city museum. Where could the missing valuables be? Rockfort is determined to find out, as he interviews all the shopkeepers on the street where the thief was last seen. Are there scarabs and ankhs concealed in the brightly colored galleries, flower stalls, and intriguingly detailed junk stores? On every page, children are challenged to find one of the purloined items hidden in the drawing and figure out the answers to riddles. When all the puzzles are solved, the mystery is too!

Poetry's hip, poetry's hot, and poetry's a blast with this cool, contemporary guide created in the same entertaining style as the popular In Print!Kids instinctively love poetry--its rhythm, its rhymes, and its playful transformation of ordinary language. And these days, such cutting-edge, youthful forms as rap, hip-hop, and slams have made poetry more relevant than ever. With its fun facts, exciting writing activities, and words of encouragement from a respected professional, Immersed in Verse nurtures the nascent poet in every child. Best of all, these awe-inspiring ideas have nothing in common with blah school assignments. Instead, youngsters rearrange their favorite (or least favorite) poems; start their own poetry workshop; present “open mike night” in the basement; and record their friends reciting. Along the way, they'll open more than a few “poet's toolboxes.” They'll explore the wonderful world of words and learn about attitude, equipment, techniques (including “metaphors be with you”), different styles of verse, revising your writing, getting published, and performing. Allan Wolf has served as the educational director for the national touring company Poetry Alive! His books include The Blood-Hungry Spleen and Other Poems about Our Parts and New Found Land. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and three children.A Selection of the Children's Book of the Month Club.