Books for Readers 8-12

Ghost stories from Michigan's Upper Peninsula have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!/

em>Welcome to the spooky streets and shores of Michigan's Upper Peninsula!/em>

Stay Alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know many ghost ships, and their ghostly crews, sail along the Upper Peninsula's shores? Or that a book-loving ghost haunts the library in Marquette? Can you believe that the former lighthouse keeper at Seul Choix still comes to work...even from beyond the grave?

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Michigan's Upper Peninsula forever, and have you sleeping with the lights on!/p

Ghost stories from the Berkshires have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!/

em>Welcome to the spooky Berkshires!/em>

Stay Alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know that at the Mount, the former home of famous author Edith Wharton, a shadowy phantom haunts the halls? Or that a ghost train still steams through the Hoosac Tunnel? Can you believe there's a top-hatted ghost who wakes guests in the night at the historic Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge?

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see the Berkshires forever, and have you sleeping with the lights on!

Ghost stories from America's Silver Valley have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky streets of Coeur d'Alene and the Silver Valley! Stay Alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. Did you know there is a ghost boy who welcomes guests at the Roosevelt Inn? Or that a spooky statue at Farragut State Park seems to watch you as you walk by? Can you believe that ghosts still take the stage at a theater in Wallace? Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Coeur d'Alene and the Silver Valley forever, and have you sleeping with the lights on!

In the tradition of Little Legends and Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls comes The City We Built: Black Leaders of Austin, an illustrated children’s book honoring the extraordinary African American men and women who played a critical role in shaping Black Austin’s social, political, and cultural heritage. A collaboration between The Black Leaders Collective; The George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center; and renowned Texas visual artist Sadé Lawson, The City We Built will take readers on an empowering and inspiring journey through Black Austin’s history, highlighting such local luminaries as:Ada Anderson, Charles Atkins, Berl Handcox, Johnny Holmes, Azie Taylor Morton, Velma Roberts, Dorothy Turner, Willie Wells, and more.

            Featuring full-page biographies and vibrantly illustrated, full-color portraits, The City We Built will not only educate young readers and inspire a new generation of Austin Black leaders—but celebrate the heroes who helped build this remarkable city.

Ghost stories from America’s Old Wild West have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky streets of Tombstone, Arizona!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know that Tombstone is home to the most infamous shootout in Wild West history? Or that those rowdy outlaws are now gunslinging ghosts? Can you believe there’s a secret tunnel below Tombstone’s streets and saloons…that just might lead to a haunted silver mine?  

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Tombstone, and have you sleeping with the light on! 

A May/June 2000 BookSense ’76 Selection

Accelerated Reader Program Selection

In China, a beautiful ceramic tile lies shattered on the ground, and the artist who dropped it is sentenced to the land’s worst punishment. The fierce warlord will execute the artist unless some wise person can put the seven pieces back together. That person will then be invited to live in the castle. Both locals and strangers from far away wait their turns for a chance to solve the warlord’s puzzle.

After learning why these people are waiting to enter the castle, a peasant boy convinces his poor but wise father to join the line. This little boy starts them off on the first step to solving the puzzle—entering the contest.

Ghost stories from America’s “Heart of Dixie” have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky state of Alabama!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know that every February, a sunken ship rises again on the Tombigbee River? Or that the man peeking out of the Pickens County Courthouse window was wrongfully imprisoned there…150 years ago? Can you believe the sounds of a Civil War horse still echo on the porch of an old house in Suggsville?  

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Alabama and have you sleeping with the light on! 

Ghost stories from Dallas, Texas have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky streets of Dallas!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know that the Sammons Center for the Arts is said to have a haunted elevator? Or that sounds of music and laughter sometimes drift up and down the halls of the Adolphus Hotel... even when no one is there? Can you believe the friendly ghost at Catfish Plantation has been known to make coffee for its hosts?

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Dallas and have you sleeping with the light on!

Ghost stories from America’s most infamous prison have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky island of Alcatraz!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know a ghost nurse wanders the halls in search of prisoners to heal? Or that nobody has ever escaped from Alcatraz…and lived to tell the tale? Can you believe Cell 14D is haunted by a mysterious, red-eyed monster? 

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Alcatraz and have you sleeping with the light on! 

Ghost stories from America’s “Jewel of the Sierras” have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky shores of Lake Tahoe!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know Tahoe has a lake monster named Tessie? Or a prehistoric flying beast roaming the skies? Can you believe you might bump into ghostly legends like Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe—and even Elvis!—just hanging around your hotel?

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Lake Tahoe, and have you sleeping with the light on!

Ghost stories from New York's upstate towns have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky Catskills!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know the ghost of a colonial solider still haunts a home in Kinderhook? Or that the place where Washington Irving wrote “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is just as spooky as that famous story? Can you believe New York’s Catskill Mountains are home to a shape-shifting witch? 

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see the Catskills and have you sleeping with the light on! 

Ghost stories from Connecticut’s spookiest seaport have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky seaport of Mystic, Connecticut!  

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know that a friendly innkeeper still checks in on guests at the inn he owned…200 years ago? Or that there may be a fiery curse on Mystic dating back to colonial days? Can you believe the Mystic River may be home to a ghost ship? 

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Mystic, and have you sleeping with the light on! 

Ghost stories from America’s heart of the Southwest have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky streets of Santa Fe!  

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know a ghostly miner still roams the Sangre de Cristo Mountains looking for the treasure he lost? Or that the spirit of a Spanish solider wanders Santa Fe not realizing he’s dead? Can you believe you may even spot the ghost of Billy the Kid playing cards in town? 

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Santa Fe, and have you sleeping with the light on! 

Ghost stories from New England's famous island have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky streets of Martha’s Vineyard!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know there’s a house in Edgartown full of ghosts who refuse to leave? Or that the little girl who haunts a home in Vineyard Haven is just looking for a playmate? Can you believe the sound of the wailing wind is really a ghostly woman, searching for her husband who died at sea?

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Martha’s Vineyard, and have you sleeping with the light on! 

Ghost stories from down the shore have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky Jersey Shore! 

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know that many of the Jersey Shore’s famous lighthouses are haunted? Or that restless ghosts from the past wander these moonlit shores? Can you believe musical apparitions may be rocking—and haunting—the Convention Hall in Asbury Park? 

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see the Jersey Shore and have you sleeping with the light on! 

Ghost stories from America’s heartland have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to the spooky streets of Columbia, Missouri!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know ghostly soldiers reenact Civil War battles along one road in Woodlandville? Or that a demon pack of hunting dogs can still be heard baying on a haunted farm outside Columbia? Can you believe that in the home of the University president, a former resident decided never to leave?

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Columbia and have you sleeping with the light on!

Ghost stories from Southern California have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

Welcome to spooky Southern California!   

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. 

Did you know the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is home to ghostly movie stars? Or that some ghosts get to spend eternity at Disneyland, “The Happiest Place on Earth?” Can you believe spirits from all over have turned Silver City into a literal Ghost Town?  

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Southern California, and have you sleeping with the light on! 

Sometimes the coolest places are right outside your front door. Learning about Kansas City’s interesting and unique culture has never been so super fun!

Did you know Amelia Earhart once lived in the City of Fountains? Or that you’re likely to spot a ghost at The Hotel Savoy? From Arrowhead Stadium to Kaw Point Park, Super Cities!: Kansas City covers it all and is sure to engage any reader with fun facts about the history, culture, and people who make this place great. Attend a show at the Starlight Theatre, stroll through Swope Park, and swim in the Missouri River, all right here. Take a peek inside to learn more about the impressive, unusual, super history of Kansas City!

Welcome to Arizona! Parent and child eastern collared lizards tour Arizona in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. In Hello, Arizona! join the pair as they explore the Grand Canyon, Tucson, Phoenix, and Slide Rock State Park. Along the way, saddle up at a dude ranch, paint at the museum, visit an old pueblo home, and peek at the stars at the Lowell Observatory! For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

Accelerated Reader Program Selection

’Round Christmastime, things are a little different on the Emerald Isle. Instead of logs thrown onto the fire, we find turf blazing bright. Instead of cold eggnog spiced just right, the mother and father are enjoying their stout. You’ll find no Donner or Cupid or Blitzen, but Ould Neddy the donkey and his small cart. Father Christmas with his Irish eyes twinkling ushers in his seven elves, to enjoy the poteen and plum pudding and unpack his large sack. And thus begins the wondrous Irish Night Before Christmas.

This humorous tale in the same vein as the famous Cajun Night Before Christmas® is the Irish version of Father Christmas’s yearly visit. Told in delightful brogue, it will have everyone wishing “Nollaig sona agut!” (Merry Christmas to you!).

Father Christmas, with his Irish eyes twinkling, ushers in his seven elves and thus begins this Irish tale.

Sometimes the coolest places are right outside your front door. Learning about Memphis’s interesting and unique culture has never been so super fun!

Did you know Memphis got its name from an ancient Egyptian city? Or that the famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong performed on Beale Street? Have you ever heard of the ghost at Hebe Fountain? From the Mississippi River to the Crystal Shrine Grotto, Super Cities!: Memphis covers it all and is sure to engage any reader with fun facts about the history, culture, and people who make this place great. Attend a show at the Orpheum Theatre, camp along the Wolf River, and rock out with Elvis, all right here. Take a peek inside to learn more about the impressive, unusual, super history of the Bluff City!

Sometimes the coolest places are right outside your front door. Learning about the Twin Cities’ interesting and unique culture has never been so super fun!

Did you know St. Paul’s annual Winter Carnival is the country’s oldest winter festival? Or that people have traveled Minnesota’s lakes and rivers for nearly 10,000 years? Have you ever been to the haunted Dairy Queen in downtown Minneapolis? From the Foshay Tower to the legendary First Avenue music club, Super Cities!: The Twin Cities covers it all and is sure to engage any reader with fun facts about the history, culture, and people who make this place great. Attend the Minnesota Opera, explore the Como Park Zoo, and rock out with Minneapolis-native Prince, all right here. Take a peek inside to learn more about the impressive, unusual, super history of the Twin Cities!

Welcome to Grand Canyon! Parent and child abert's squirrels tour Grand Canyon in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. In Hello, Grand Canyon! join the pair as they hike, hunt for fossils, and become junior rangers at the national park. Along the way, ride a mule to the bottom of the canyon, raft in the Colorado River, and learn about Native American history. For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

Sometimes the coolest places are right outside your front door. Learning about Yellowstone’s interesting and unique culture has never been so super fun!

Did you know Yellowstone was the world’s first national park? Or that the Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States? From Old Faithful to the Wild West Pizzeria, Super Parks!: Yellowstone covers it all and is sure to engage any reader with fun facts about the history, culture, and people who make this place great. Drive along the Grand Loop, hike to Fossil Forest, and swim in the Firehole River, all right here. Take a peek inside to learn more about the impressive, unusual, super history of Yellowstone National Park!

Sometimes the coolest places are right outside your front door. Learning about Albuquerque’s interesting and unique culture has never been so super fun!

Did you know Albuquerque’s annual International Balloon Fiesta is the largest gathering of hot-air balloons in the world? Or that people have been living in northern New Mexico for nearly 12,000 years? Have you ever been to a concert at the haunted KiMo Theater? From the Rio Grande to Sandia Peak, Super Cities!: Albuquerque covers it all and is sure to engage any reader with fun facts about the history, culture, and people who make this place great. Hike La Luz Trail, explore the Wildlife West Nature Park, and take a ride down Route 66, all right here. Take a peek inside to learn more about the impressive, unusual, super history of the Duke City!

Welcome to Los Angeles! Parent and child golden retrievers tour Los Angeles, California in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. In Hello, Los Angeles! join the pair as they visit Universal Studios, make instruments at the children's museum, and see animals at the zoo! Along the way, ride a pony at Griffith Park, eat a taco on Olvera Street, and catch a concert at the Hollywood Bowl! For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

Jenny Giraffe is all set for the big Christmas parade, the caroling, and especially, the arrival of Papa Noel. But Jenny has never experienced the holiday season and hasn’t any idea what Christmas is all about or even who Papa Noel is! Luckily, her friends T-Boy, Lita, Claude, and Angelle are going to teach her all about the joyous season through the special Christmastime celebrations in Louisiana.

Jenny Giraffe Discovers Papa Noel brings the holiday spirit to homes everywhere through the fun-loving adventures of everyone’s favorite four-legged artist. From the celebrated Christmas parade to the tradition of the Christmas tree to the story of Baby Jesus’ birth, Jenny learns to appreciate the excitement and love of the season. She even gets to participate in some truly unique Louisiana festivities like the lighting of the bonfires along the river to guide Papa Noel on his route to deliver his gifts. But Jenny is still puzzled about who this jolly man is and why it is that some people call him Santa Claus. Perhaps only on Christmas Eve will everything become much clearer.

Author and stand-up comedian Michael Strecker tells jokes about po’ boys and ferries, and crawfish and oil—everything under the New Orleans sun! Paired with the comically animated illustrations of Vernon Smith, fans of the Crescent City will be belly-laughing about the unique yet familiar places, people, and things. Included are silly takes on local favs such as this gem: “Why did the Chihuahua need to go to the optometrist? It had Popeyes!”

Featuring a “What Dat?” glossary of local terms and their pronunciations, this collection of hilarious and guaranteed age appropriate jokes will have readers laughing ‘til the remoulade comes out of their nose!

Set in a Louisiana bayou and told in Cajun dialect-de chirren been nezzle/Good snug on de flo'--the poem has lively illustrations that perfectly suit the unique text.
-Horn Book

Rice is especially good with facial expressions, whether they are on a Texas jack rabbit, a longhorn steer, a dusty cowboy, or the green and long-nosed alligator named Gaston.
-Library Journal

It's the night before Christmas in a tiny shack on the Louisiana bayou, and Santa Claus, with his eight friendly alligators and toy-laden skiff, is on his way. Written in lively Cajun accents, the best-selling Cajun Night Before Christmas� is a beloved holiday classic. Now, with this innovative coloring book, children of all ages can put their own colorful spin on the story. These brilliant illustrations are sure to inspire some wide Cajun smiles.

Author Kathleen Welch, a member of the Core Committee for developing the Louisiana Alzheimer’s State Plan, and her husband, illustrator Alan McGillivray, provide a child’s perspective in their tale for little ones experiencing Alzheimer’s and dementia in their family. As the elder elephant and her young grandson spend the day together, she forgets her hat, loses her brush, gets lost, confuses her grandson’s name, and tells stories of things that happened long ago as if they just occurred. When danger threatens, her love for her family shines through the clouds of her memory and she remembers things she learned as a child. The author provides a guide to further discussion with young children and a resource list for families facing this devastating disease.

Home to thousands of US sailors, the USS Alabama fought bravely in World War II, but after she finished her service, the battleship was set to be scrapped. The people of Alabama decided they had to save the ship named for their proud state. No one was more determined than Alabama’s schoolchildren.

Author Karyn Tunks traces the story of the children’s efforts in this informative and entertaining account. Tunks reveals a wealth of detail about life at sea before the ship was decommissioned and the many challenges Alabamians faced in securing the ship’s permanent home.

Artist Julie Dupré Buckner captures the feeling of the era in her detailed, vivid illustrations of the ship, those who called her home, and those who saved her for future generations. Complete with a glossary, illustrated ship’s diagram, and timeline, USS Alabama: Hooray for the Mighty A! offers beginning readers a glimpse of the fascinating history of the battleship and how even the smallest of actions can produce incredible results.

Bursting with laugh-out-loud jokes and fun facts, LOL Jokes: Pittsburgh combines the best of humor and history for young readers!

Inspired by all the wonderful sights, sounds, and . . . smells of the Steel City, this local joke book delivers kid-friendly punchlines that will have readers laughing ’til they cry! Alongside hilarious jokes and puns are fascinating facts, goofy tidbits of local history, and engaging graphics that will keep readers chuckling and sharing with friends. LOL Jokes: Pittsburgh is sure to deliver hours of knee-slapping entertainment.

What did the Pittsburgh Steeler say to the football?

“Catch ya later!”

Fun factoid: In 1892, the first professional football game was played in Pittsburgh between the Allegheny Athletic Association and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. (Allegheny won!)

Bursting with laugh-out-loud jokes and fun facts, LOL Jokes: Los Angeles combines the best of humor and history for young readers!

Inspired by all the wonderful sights, sounds, and . . . smells of the City of Angels, this local joke book delivers kid-friendly punchlines that will have readers laughing ’til they cry! Alongside hilarious jokes and puns are fascinating facts, goofy tidbits of local history, and engaging graphics that will keep readers chuckling and sharing with friends. LOL Jokes: Los Angeles is sure to deliver hours of knee-slapping entertainment.

What L.A plant fits in your hand?

A palm tree!

Fun Factoid: The iconic Los Angeles palm tree is actually a native of India or Southeast Africa.

Bursting with laugh-out-loud jokes and fun facts, LOL Jokes: Denver combines the best of humor and history for young readers!

Inspired by all the wonderful sights, sounds, and . . . smells of the Mile-High City, this local joke book delivers kid-friendly punchlines that will have readers laughing ’til they cry! Alongside hilarious jokes and puns are fascinating facts, goofy tidbits of local history, and engaging graphics that will keep readers chuckling and sharing with friends. LOL Jokes: Denver is sure to deliver hours of knee-slapping entertainment.

Denny: What has a head and a tail but no body?

Penny: A nickel!

Fun Factoid: The Denver Mint produces 8 billion coins a year, all of which have a D for Denver on them!

Bursting with laugh-out-loud jokes and fun facts, LOL Jokes: Cleveland combines the best of humor and history for young readers!

Inspired by all the wonderful sights, sounds, and . . . smells of the CLE, this local joke book delivers kid-friendly punchlines that will have readers laughing ’til they cry! Alongside hilarious jokes and puns are fascinating facts, goofy tidbits of local history, and engaging graphics that will keep readers chuckling and sharing with friends. LOL Jokes: Cleveland is sure to deliver hours of knee-slapping entertainment.

Why didn’t the potato chip trust the sandwich?

Because the sandwich was full of baloney!

Fun Factoid: The first potato chip factory in the world was built in Cleveland by farmer William Tappendon, in 1895!

Ghost stories from the Southwestern United States have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

The haunted history of the Southwest comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Visit Fort Huachuca to catch a glimpse of the ghosts of Buffalo Soldiers. Or spend the night at the Museum of Colorado Prisons in Canon City, but don’t count on getting much sleep while surrounded by restless spirits. Dive into this spooky chapter book for suspenseful tales of bumps in the night, paranormal investigations, and the unexplained; just be sure to keep the light on.

Nana loves to make Kole magical green dinosaur pancakes for breakfast. In Green Dinosaur Pancakes Kole discovered Nana’s pancakes come to life and the strongest survive their morning spats! In this sequel, the green T-Rex just won’t leave Kole alone. When Kole encounters a school bully, the prehistoric pancake helps him out of a sticky situation. In this anti-bullying tale, Kole and the green reptile stand up to the bully and learn that a little kindness can go a long way and that friends can come from the most unexpected places. Author Kat Pigott offers a timely lesson and talented teenage artist Mason Sibley provides appealing characters in this entertaining story.

Learn colors and numbers with a Lone Star twist!

From one black horse to ten purple pinwheels, this lively board book takes children on a colorful journey through Texas! Everything from four espátulas (“spoonbills”) to five botas (“boots”) to six garza (“egrets”) come to life in vivid photographs of Lone Star backyards and open fields. This bilingual picture book will spark the imagination and creativity in every child—Texan or not! Children will enjoy the educational nature of this book, counting from place to place and picking up a few Spanish words along the way! An enjoyable and relatable counting adventure, the beautiful photographs make learning colors and numbers in two languages as easy as uno, dos, très!

“In Lindsley’s vigorously brushed rural scenes, the comically gesticulating red rooster often occupies the foreground as, behind, a multiracial procession of revelers in colorful festival costume goes from farm to farm begging for a handout.”
—Kirkus

With her trademark lyricism, Louisiana musician and author Johnette Downing draws readers through an Acadian landscape. This brand-new tale introduces a cagey rooster who vows not to be in the communal gumbo pot this Courir de Mardi Gras. Downing provides a glossary of traditional French-Cajun words used in the story and a delicious recipe for gumbo z’herbes .

Award-winning musician and author Johnette Downing has performed on five continents. Her book Petit Pierre and the Floating Marsh represented the State of Louisiana in the Pavilion of States at the 2016 National Book Festival.

A relative of Dennis (Denus) McGee, the Cajun musician whose grave is a traditional stop on the Courir de Mardi Gras, Jennifer Lindsley works with all ages, introducing them to the pleasures of creativity.

Creole cooking with Grandma!

Bell peppers, shrimp, oysters, onions, and okra—Grandma stirs up these and other traditional fresh ingredients to create this special Southern dish. Add generous portions of rice and hot sauce with a handful of filé seasoning, and you’ve got a classic Creole gumbo! Now available as a board book, this delightful rhyming story features colorful collage-style illustrations surrounded by the charming and infectious poetic rhythm. Early readers and pre-readers alike will be enchanted as Grandma adds more and more items to her big black pot. Every ingredient plays an important part in the formation of this delicious dish, making it the tastiest treat in Louisiana. Bon appétit!

This baby mosquito is in for the meal of his life!

Swept away by a hurricane shortly after his birth, Boudreaux the mosquito has one biting question that needs to be answered: what are mosquitos supposed to eat?  Across the swamps of Louisiana he goes, determined to find a breakfast fit for a pest. Unfortunately for Boudreaux, not a single animal is able to help: The alligator tells him to ask the wolf, who tells him to ask the bear, who tells him to ask the wild hog. Before he knows it, Boudreaux has exhausted his wings buzzing from one ear to the next, and he’s still no closer to finding his first meal! He finally receives a very intriguing answer . . . but what will become of Boudreaux when he tests this theory?

More Southern Christmas spirit than you can handle!

Cyndi Lou finds herself in a quite a fix when her beau, Billy Ray, tries to secure her affection with an assortment of Christmas gifts. This sounds like a pretty good deal for Cyndi Lou and her Memaw, but when the gifts go on for twelve days straight and include such Christmas “treasures” as razorback hogs, live catfish, and a dozen possums, it’s hard for Cyndi Lou to really get into the Christmas spirit. What with all of the armadillos and those Nascar racers taking up residence in the double-wide, is it any wonder the sheriff has to put Memaw in the sanitarium? This enchantingly fractured version of the well-known rhyme for adults will truly “bless your heart!”

Welcome to San Francisco! Parent and child Pelicans explore The City by the Bay in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. In Hello, San Francisco! join the pair on their fun-filled visit to this famously foggy city as they ride cable cars up steep hills, shop on Fisherman's Wharf, and cross the Golden Gate Bridge. Along the way they eat fortune cookies in Chinatown, look up at the redwood trees in Muir Woods, and make some new friends at the San Francisco Zoo! For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

Gold/Honors Award Winner
National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Children’s Products
The Big Read 2010
Recommended Reading List for the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools

Based on a popular song adapted by the multi-award-winning New Orleans singer-songwriter Johnette Downing, Today Is Monday in Louisiana rhythmically takes readers through a culinary calendar, describing a Louisiana meal a day. Now adapted to board book format for tiny hands, each page presents collaged images of yummy foods. On Monday there are red beans to eat and on Tuesday, po’ boys. On Wednesday gumbo is served, and on it goes, each day bringing another unique and tasty Louisiana dish to share.

Johnette Downing stays true to her Louisiana roots in her newest book, featuring a young pelican searching for his proper home. As Petit Pierre journeys across the wetlands, he asks each creature where he should live. He accumulates gifts from them until he realizes the wetlands are home to all his friends and, just maybe, to Pierre as well!

Within the luscious illustrations are facts about the denizens of the wetlands and how each reader can make a difference in preserving and protecting the wetlands for generations to come. Proceeds from this book, created in partnership with the Audubon Nature Institute and the New Orleans Pelicans, fund wetland education programs.

Ghost stories from the Midwestern United States have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery! 

The haunted history of the Midwest comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Visit Ohio, the oldest state in the Midwest, to glimpse ghosts in the Butler County Historical Museum. Or travel to Crown Point, Indiana, and see Ruffle Shirt Hill’s Underground Railroad site. Dive into this spooky chapter book for suspenseful tales of bumps in the night, paranormal investigations, and the unexplained all across America’s Midwestern states; just be sure to keep the light on.

When is enough really enough?

Bon Dieu! In this Cajun take on a Brothers Grimm classic, can you ever have too much of a good thing? When fisherman Paul catches a talking fish, it promises to grant him a wish if he lets it go. As proof, the supernatural sac-à-lait piles crawfish into his boat. Paul returns home with his reward. It seems his wife is just not satisfied! She dreams up progressively outlandish demands each time he returns home. Eventually everyone learns that you must be careful what you wish for if you want to hang on to what’s really important. In this third collaboration between author Connie Collins Morgan and illustrator Herb Leonhard, the wonderfully woven tale is brought to life with moody and expressive images with a Louisiana flair. Readers of all ages will delight in this soon-to-be classic Cajun tale!

Throw me out there, mister!

When Carnival rolls around in New Orleans, everyone gets into the celebration—including the beads! On Fat Tuesday, a plain string of little purple beads hangs from a hook on a parade float. His fervent wish is to be caught by someone special. The bigger and fancier beads tell him that no one will ever catch him. But a little hope and determination may go a long way in the magical season of Mardi Gras! When the bead spots a little princess in the crowd, he knows she is the person for him! Will she try to catch him? The heartwarming tale offers opportunities for a discussion of bullying, self-worth, and inclusion with young readers. The delightful story and illustrations from this daughter/father team will charm the entire family and become a parade route favorite!

Raised in New Orleans, Julie P. Rowley holds a master’s of education in early childhood curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans. Her stories were inspired by her daughter’s imagination.

A graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, John R. Paquette is a retired editor. He is also a professional vocalist and a talented portrait artist and illustrator. He enjoyed collaborating with his daughter.

This delightfully illustrated book for young readers tells of a child getting used to the idea of sharing with his little brother. He doesn't want to! But he soon finds out that if he shares with brother, brother shares with him.

Sophisticated city mouse Chicory never imagined she would venture beyond her elegant Creole home in New Orleans—until she falls asleep in a picnic basket and wakes up in the Cajun swamps! There she meets Roux, a simple country mouse, and together they experience the bucolic bayou life. Chicory persuades Roux to see what the city has to offer, and they journey to New Orleans for a taste of Creole culture. Idyllic picnics and lavish white-linen luncheons offer both delights and frights in this Southern retelling of Aesop’s classic fable. Whimsical illustrations and two original songs make this a story you won’t forget!

Todd-Michael St. Pierre is the author of several New Orleans cookbooks and children’s books. He was a judge for The Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest and is a dedicated gardener and cat lover.

Lee Brandt Randall has a degree in printmaking from Louisiana State University. She works in graphic design, film animation, and book illustration and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Told with a Texas twang, this tale features a dozen icons of the Lone Star state. Clever rhymes count down the days of Christmas, revealing such surprise gifts as silver spurs, oil wells, and armadillos. Festive illustrations fill the pages of this western romp.

Welcome to San Diego! Parent and child Pandas tour America's Finest City in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. In Hello, San Diego! join the pair as they visit the beach, spend the day at Balboa Park, tour the Bay on a boat, and discover tide pool creatures at Cabrillo National Monument. Along the way they stop for tacos in Old Town, ride a roller coaster, wave to sea lions, watch hang gliders, and end their day roasting marsh-mallows on Coronado Island! For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

Welcome to the spooky streets and shores of Newport!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. Did you know that a flaming phantom ship with one lone passenger sails along the shores of Newport in the winter? Can you believe that the beautiful mansions owned by America’s wealthiest families are now home to ghosts? Can you believe the spirit of a keeper refuses to leave the lighthouse he once looked after?
Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Newport, Rhode Island, and have you sleeping with the light on!

Welcome to the spooky towns of the Finger Lakes region!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. Did you know that the depths of Seneca Lake may harbor an ancient lake monster? Or that buildings along the Erie Canal are haunted by ghosts from that bygone era? Can you believe that even the plywood used to build a famous old theater in Ithaca may be haunted?
Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see the Finger Lakes, and have you sleeping with the light on!

Welcome to the spooky shores of Door County!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms. Did you know that Door County is the home to a ghost cow and a ghost dog? Or that a ghostly high school basketball team can be heard celebrating on frozen Lake Michigan in the winter? Can you believe that a phantom ship has been sailing around the peninsula— since 1679? Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Door County, and have you sleeping with the light on!