History

Ghost stories from Cheyenne, Wyoming have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

The haunted history of the Magic City of the Plains comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Visit the Plains Hotel to catch a glimpse of the spirits who checked in but never checked out. Or look for the ghosts of cowboys at the town’s Wrangler Store. 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.

Ghost stories from the Birthplace of Rock ’n Roll have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

The haunted history of Memphis comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Come for the blues and barbecue, but stay for the ghosts. Have you heard about the spirits at the Memphis Zoo? Or how about the grisly history surrounding the Grand Carousel? 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.

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

The haunted history of Cleveland comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Visit the beautiful, majestic—and haunted—Franklin Castle. Explore the tunnels beneath the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument to see if the lingering spirits show themselves. Hop the rails for a spooky train ride, where ghosts from a long-ago accident haunt the railcar they traveled in. 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.

Welcome to the desert! Parent and child lizards visit the desert in best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock's Hello! board book series for children. In Hello, Desert! join the pair as they explore and discover all the fun things to do and see in the desert. For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

Dinosaurs stomp through the pages!

Do you think that you may be a dinosaur? If your claws puncture kickballs, you use a whole tree to brush your teeth, and your tail spikes always rip through your pants, it’s possible that you may just be a dinosaur. Apatosaurus chomps and Velociraptor romps in this hilarious, informative rhyming picture book. Bright illustrations show children the tail-thumping chaos a Spinosaurus could cause trying to find dinner in a refrigerator and why a T. rex should never, ever try to take the school bus. Featuring information on dinosaurs’ sizes, diets, health, and social lives, You May Just Be a Dinosaur is a prehistoric parade of the funniest, punniest, chummiest dinos you’ll ever see in the schoolyard.

Joey, left at home alone one night, sees and hears strange things, but he has the superior wit to convince any and all possible monsters that his brother, Dan, is the better choice for dinner.

A holiday who done it for kids. Tallie's Christmas lights were stolen, and she's determined to track down the culprit. Was it the mail man? Her slobbery pup Fuego? To find out, Tallie dons her spy gear, sets a trap, finds the thief, and trades him a more suitable decoration to get her glowing candy canes back.

Back for a new adventure, Bo the lovable black Lab is ready to solve another mystery and save the day once again. It's up to this tenacious pup to find the reason behind all of the wildfires sweeping the countryside in east Texas. Gathering evidence as he goes, Bo must find the culprit and put a stop to this perilous crime spree.

Ghost stories from the Long Beach Peninsula have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

The haunted history of Pacific County comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Learn about Oysterville Church and the wandering spirits who still call it home. Or discover the history of the Shelburne Hotel, but be careful or you’ll end up trapped for eternity, too. 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.

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

The haunted history of Spa City comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Visit the Lincoln Baths and take a dip alongside the spirits who linger there. Or catch a glimpse of Sacandaga Reservoir’s infamous witch lights. 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.

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

The haunted history of Snohomish comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Climb up Fiddler’s Bluff and hear the scratchy tunes played by a musically challenged phantom. Visit the Cabbage Patch restaurant for a slice of pie and see if a ghostly girl tries to get to your dessert before you. Throughout Snohomish meet the ghosts of soldiers, pioneers, policemen, and even a librarian who loved the town so much they wouldn’t leave, even after death. 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.

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

The haunted history of Flint comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Visit the Capitol Theatre to spot ghosts from the basement to the balcony. Or check in to a certain haunted hotel and see if the restless spirits keep you up all night. Flint is so spooky, there’s even a whole haunted neighborhood—Carriage Town! 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.

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

The haunted history of Austin comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Chat with the ghosts who roam the hallways of the capitol building downtown. Or visit Mount Bonnell and learn about Antonia, who threw herself from the cliffs after her fiancé perished trying to rescue her. Learn the history of the great flood of 1900 and then witness the ghostly orbs at Lake McDonald. Are they the spirits of the dead? 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.

Ghost stories from Prescott, Arizona have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery! 

The haunted history of Prescott comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Visit the Palace Saloon, but be sure to watch out for bottles thrown by phantom hands! Or attend a show at the Elks Opera House, but prepare to be distracted by wandering specters. 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.

Whales and walruses! That’s not a pirate’s hat!

One day Paulina, engrossed in a book about the many types of hats, accidentally wanders onto a pirate ship only to sit on the captain’s headdress. When the captain comes up to get his now squashed topper, Paulina, newly knowledgeable about hats, sees that his headgear isn’t the right fit for a pirate ship’s captain! She leads the crew on a madcap chase around the globe from Borka Borka Island to Polly Golly Canyon to find suitable parts for a faultless topper. Fish bones and flippers! Will they ever find the right pirate chapeau for the captain?

This uplifting, silly story is satisfying for any child from the swashbuckling to the scholarly and perfect for any parent who wants a phenomenal tale on the power of knowledge to be found in books.  

When a scary situation causes a dinosaur-sized transformation, how will he adapt?

When Gregory wakes up in the body of a dinosaur on the morning of his class presentation, he’s worried. He is scheduled to talk about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs and he has practiced all week so he won’t be scared in front of the class but he didn’t plan for this! As soon as Gregory gets out of bed, everything starts to go wrong. He spills the orange juice, forgets his diorama, and can only speak in roar. What is he going to do when his favorite teacher, Mrs. Anning, calls on him to present his project?

In this loose adaptation of the literary classic by Franz Kafka author Paul Many encourages children not to give up when things get scary. Stan Jaskiel’s humorous illustrations show Gregory adapting to his startling new reality and, once he has, everything changes!

Baku the crocodile and Taki the monkey are back in a tale that teaches lessons in trust, forgiveness, and honesty.

There is a perfect read for every person if only you search for it!

Gabe and Ellie love soccer, animals, games, and especially gum, but they hate to read! Upon telling Ms. Molly, the mysterious librarian, that “reading is boring,” Ellie falls into a deep read! Gabe tries everything to break the curse, but only a read of true love can free Ellie. Determined to have his friend back, Gabe traverses the mountain of books surrounding Ellie to find the perfect book for him. Can he read a book cover to cover and truly love it?

A masterful twist on an enchanting fairytale, this story shows children that there’s a book for everyone! The magical library illustrations and hidden Pelican books propel readers and non-readers on an unforgettable adventure sure to help them find their very own “perfect read”.

A most exciting word has the whole library abuzz. What combination of letters could possibly drive a person to do such absurd things? Fascinated children look on as Miss Divine dines on a table, chomps down a chair, and savors a shelf-all to chase down a single word. Written in the style of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, this book reveals the only verb that could make a librarian practically purr, and that word is READ.

Watch out crows, this scarecrow won’t give up without a fight!

Every year, pesky crows throw a party in a scarecrow’s patch, gobbling up all the pumpkins in sight and leaving a horrid mess. Not this year! Jeb is determined to protect his pumpkins no matter the cost. Those crows are in for an unpleasant surprise!

Author and illustrator Jana Dillon conceived this as her first book. Originally published in 1992, the rollicking dialogue, glowing scenes of evening mischief, and a scarecrow family of unusual charm have all stood the test of time in this inventive tale full of the radiance and excitement of the Halloween season.

Upsie Downsie has convinced his mother he's having trouble falling asleep, so she brings in the neighborhood experts to help. They try lullabies, tedious recitations, storytelling, a massage, a warm bath, and even counting, but they all succumb to sleep, leaving Upsie to the next neighbor.

The creators of A Nantucket Nanny cross the water to Martha's Vineyard, offering smiles for all ages in this new collection of limericks.

A great big tale about peach pickin' fun. Join Tall Papa Tom, Pretty Mama May, Little Buddy Earl, and the rest of the bunch as they head to the Peach Pickin' Festival. Little Buddy Earl yodels each time they pass a field, but what's the use of that? His yodel soon comes in handy when he turns a tiny peach into the largest in the land! Complete with a recipe for peach cobbler, this tale about teamwork proves that sometimes the smallest person can be the biggest help.

Big Brother finds out that not all babies are the same. Big Brother learns that not all little siblings are the same when his parents bring home a baby girl. He thinks he learned all about babies when Little Brother was small. However, Sister is very different. Other things are different too. Big Brother is old enough now to help keep an eye on the baby when Mommy and Daddy are busy and watching after Sister is not as easy as it sounds. But despite all the trouble she causes, Sister finds her way into Brother's heart, and that is where she will stay.

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

Inspired by all the wonderful sights, sounds, and . . . smells of the City of Roses, 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: Portland is sure to deliver hours of knee-slapping entertainment.

What building in Portland has the most STORIES?
Powell’s Books!

Fun Factoid: In 1842, the founders of Portland disagreed on what the city should be called. One proposed “Boston, Oregon,” the other came up with “Portland, Oregon.” Amazing, but true: the name was decided by the toss of a coin! And I guess you know which one won!

Driven by love, nourished by hope, and sustained by faith, thousands of families adopt children internationally. A unique opportunity for every reader to take part in an intimate family journey and to witness the shared joy of relatives and friends upon a homecoming.

J is for jack-o'-lantern in this spooky ABC book.