Hyperorganized perfectionist Beatrice More is determined to plan a spectacularly professional birthday party for her little sister, Sophie. But she is foiled at every turn: her mother insists on making a homemade cake (disaster!), her father offers up discount mismatched decorations (debacle!), guests are hard to find in their new neighborhood (dire!), and no gift seems remotely special enough (defeated!). Will Beatrice's organizational skills be enough to turn this party around, or will she need a little help from her friends and maybe even from Sophie herself?

Felix Landon Yarrow, a fourteen-year-old with cerebral palsy, is captivated by the noble, chivalrous ideals of knighthood. So when he fears a school villain poses a danger to his lady love, finding a way to save her becomes his quest. In the elaborate plot he creates, Felix will triumphantly conquer his enemy and rescue his “damsel in distress.” Alas, for this brave knight, as for most middle schoolers, plans often have a way of going awry.

When Emily, Tess, Cam and Dylan decide to ignore the new town curfew during their Friday-night game of hide-and-seek, they get more than they bargained for. Down by the river, they witness a shady deal go down involving some criminal types who recently moved into their neighborhood. When the teens are discovered, they are hunted through the dark streets and back alleys. They will have to use all their hide-and-seek skills to save each other. Ultimately, Emily, the youngest of the group and the best hider, discovers that sometimes staying hidden is the best way to escape.

Sixteen-year-old Dee and her seven-year-old brother, Eddie, have been on their own for six weeks. Their father has seemingly vanished into the baking Arizona desert. Their money is drying up and the rent is coming due, but it's a visit from a social worker and the prospect of being separated from Eddie that scares Dee enough to flee. She dupes her brother into packing up and embarking on the long road trip to Canada, their birthplace and former home. Lacking a driver's license and facing a looming interrogation at the border, Dee rations their money and food as they burn down the interstate in their ancient, decrepit car.

Through twenty-six letters to her friend Nina, twelve-year-old Kasey chronicles the often humorous observations and impressions of her unexpected, month-long stay in a geriatric ward for the treatment of a rare but treatable bone disease ("osteo-something-something-itis"). Kasey tries to make her life less dull by wearing her own nightgowns, surrounding herself with her favorite stuffies and developing an unusual exercise routine. Hospital food, insomnia and the germy communal bath are enduring sources of dread, but some new (and unexpected) friends make her life bearable.

When the Gladiators basketball team's nasty coach finally gets turfed midseason, things couldn't possibly get worse. The team hasn't won a game yet, and morale is at rock bottom. Sameer, who announces the games and keeps score, and Vijay, the team mascot, have their hands full keeping the team's spirits up. When they get promoted to assistant coach and manager, can they help a small, unathletic, Shakespeare-quoting drama teacher coach the team to victory, or at least to dignity? Or will the courtside drama eclipse even the school play?

Flynn hates the outdoors. Always has. He barely pays attention in his Outdoor Ed class. He has no interest in doing a book report on Lost in the Barrens. He doesn't understand why anybody would want to go hiking or camping. But when he gets lost in the wilderness behind his parents' friends' house, it's surprising what he remembers-insulate your clothes with leaves, eat snow to stay hydrated, build a shelter, eat lichen-and how hopelessly inept he is at survival techniques.

Avez-vous déjà vécu une journée où tout va mal? C'est exactement ce que vit Olivier! Sa journée commence très mal : sa brosse à cheveux reste coincée dans ses cheveux, sa chemise préférée est encore humide du lavage, et les choses ne font qu'empirer. Olivier est de très mauvaise humeur. Il doit bien y avoir quelque chose à faire pour renverser la situation... Olivier sera-t-il capable de changer le cours de sa journée et de la rendre plus agréable? Ne lâche pas, Olivier! encouragera les enfants à examiner leur façon de gérer les situations difficiles et les jours qui ne vont pas comme prévu. Cet album éducatif et amusant permettra aux jeunes lecteurs de se reconnaître dans les situations que vit Olivier et de découvrir des stratégies et des techniques pour les apprivoiser.

When grade-eight science-project time rolls around, J.J. Murphy skips the beakers and the papiermâché and dives into research about jerks. And idiots. But mostly jerks. By his own estimation, his science project, On a Scale from Idiot to Complete Jerk, is groundbreaking, exhaustive, highly scientific and seriously worthy of bonus marks. Beginning with the dawn of humankind and concluding conclusively with a very cool pie chart, the project dissects the elements of jerkosity through extensive case studies and scientific illustrations. It explores the who, what, when, why and how of jerks and, more important, peppers the lively research with sciencey-looking graphs and charts that reveal a lot about J.J., his family and friends, and the jerks of this world.

When the party's over and the baby finally falls asleep, when the dog is all barked out and the screens are dark, the Silence pads in on soft, furry feet. A warm, comforting presence, the Silence curls up in a sun-beam like a cuddly cat and helps you read, think and be still. The Silence is friends with the Dark. Together they soothe the jagged edges left when the Noise has rolled on and gently launch the boats of your dreams into the night. When the day becomes overwhelming or other feelings become too big, the Silence slips in. With soft illustrations and soothing text, this is a quiet story about learning to find calm in the busy world around you.

A stumpy tail, mismatched paws, a long, drooly snout and the biggest dog heart that ever beat. In a celebration of what makes a pet unique, a little girl imagines how an odd assortment of parts combined to make the perfect dog. With spare, inviting text from Alison Hughes and charmingly offbeat illustrations by award-winning illustrator Ashley Spires, this gorgeous picture book is sure to be an instant classic.

Fifteen-year-old Charlie stays home from school so he can help his older brother, Tom, who is in a hip-to-toe cast after breaking his leg in a football game. When not waiting on his brother hand and foot, Charlie investigates a series of break-ins that have the whole neighborhood on edge. Things really hit home when Charlie nearly catches the thief and then foils an attempted break-in at his own house. As he continues to piece together the clues, Charlie realizes that the easiest way for the culprit to avoid suspicion is to hide in plain sight.