Ajani loves having a dad from Denmark and a mom from Jamaica. Ajani speaks three languages and gets to spend summers with his grandparents in the coolest places. But when a classmate overhears dark-skinned Ajani speaking Danish, the boy makes a hurtful, racist comment. Ajani is crushed. Until a chance encounter with Louis the Helper Hound helps Ajani feel proud of his heritage and helps him and his classmates fight racism.
After losing her first two forever homes, Noodle the golden doodle knows all about the sadness of goodbyes. But in her new home with Andrea and as an official Helper Hound, Noodle helps Gabriel deal with the loss of his grandfather and to discover that our loved ones can be found in the little things all around us even when they’re gone.
Ming often gets teased for being “weird.” His curious mind and wild imagination make him extra nervous for his school’s upcoming lockdown drill after a deadly dance hall shooting. His teacher calls the Helper Hounds to help calm his nerves—and King Tut comes to the rescue! King Tut knows all about being weird. she’s been in some scary situations herself after being abandoned under a bridge as a puppy. King Tut helps Ming and his classmates through the lockdown drill. Discover how King Tut helps Ming and his friends see the beauty in being “weird.”
Danny is scared to tell the truth. After he saw someone steal some bikes, now he has to see that person in court and tell what he did. To help calm Danny’s fears on the big day, his parents call the Helper Hounds—and there’s no better pup for the job than Spooky. Spooky was involved in a crime herself—she lost her leg after being shot by a police officer who thought she was dangerous. Will Spooky’s best calming tricks give Danny the courage to tell the truth in court?
Max and his sister Lily are staying with relatives while their Mom is away getting her own emotional help. Max and Lily are being teased and bullied at school. Their Aunt Eileen calls the Helper Hounds – and soon Robot, an endearing Rottweiler who knows all about bullies, comes to give support. A lot of people think Rottweiler's are bullies, but that's because they don't really know how cuddly they can be. Robot and his handler Samuel help the kids at Max and Lily's school deal with bullies while Max and Lily gain new friends.
Mary’s new in town. She’s worried about starting classes at her new school. That’s why her mom called the Helper Hounds – and why Sparkplug, the wildly handsome, wickedly smart, card-carrying, world famous Helper Hound is on the scene. Sparky knows a thing or two about moving. He moved four times as a puppy, and learned to make new friends along the way. Sparky knows he can teach Mary all his best tricks and help her meet new friends, too. At least Sparky thought he could until he met Custard, Mary’s persnickety cat. Will Sparky’s best tricks be enough to win over Custard and show Mary making friends is nothing to fear?
Portia has overcome a lot in life. Born with Down syndrome, Portia has been through many surgeries, lots of doctor’s appointments, and strange looks from people who want to limit what she can do. Inside herself, Portia knows she can do anything – including getting over her fear of dogs. But when Penny shows up at Portia’s house, she isn’t so sure. After all, Penny is a pit bull – the scariest dogs of all, right? Good thing Penny has a few tricks of her own to win Portia’s trust.
The McNallys are visiting the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on the border of Georgia and Florida. On a swamp tour, Gavin captures two people capturing baby alligators on video. He and his father set off in kayaks to investigate. Can they notify officials about the poachers and save the alligators?
What was supposed to be a relaxing ocean crossing for Billy Stuart and his friends after their adventures on the island of Crete quickly transforms into a veritable odyssey. A violent storm throws them off their maritime course and leads to a downpour of events with potentially tragic consequences: mutiny, vicious monster attacks, siren songs and more. The dire situation doesn't get any better when they finally make it to shore. A thousand dangers make the Zintrepids' every waking moment seem like a nightmare. And is Billy Stuart still on the trail of his grandfather, the explorer Virgil Stuart who has traveled through time? Or are the Zintrepids forever lost in an unknown age and strange place? Brightly illustrated and enhanced with games and puzzles throughout, Billy Stuart and the Sea of One Thousand Dangers is the third title in the Billy Stuart Adventures series, following Billy Stuart and the Zintrepids and Billy Stuart in the Minotaur's Lair.
Reece's new dog, Ruckus, tears through life like a Tyrannosaurus rex. He bites everything that moves and drives Reece's mom nuts. The puppy was Dad's idea, to make things easier for Reece after his parents' separation, but Ruckus is not easy at all and Mom is getting fed up. When her diamond earrings go missing, it sends the family into a tailspin. What happens when a dog swallows something precious? Reece is about to find out. But they can't give up on this little Jack Russell terror, can they? He's family, after all. We first met Reece and his family in the Orca Echoes title Where's Burgess? by Laurie Elmquist.
In "Who's in Charge" Stella gets a lesson in responsibility when she volunteers to watch her best friends dog, Bella, for a few days. The only problem with this plan is that Stella didn't ask her mother for permission. With new baby Marco at home, Stella's mom already has her hands full. But Grandma agrees its good for Stella to have some responsibility as she's getting older. It looks as though Stella has things under control. It's only for a few days; what could go wrong? When Bella gets loose and runs away, Stella is heartbroken. Will Stella find Bella before Evie gets back? And where does she even start to look? Its just another day in the life of Stella Batts! In this early chapter book series, the ups and downs of Stella's life are charmingly chronicled.
In his third wilderness adventure, eleven-year-old Buck Bray, along with the rest of The Wild World of Buck Bray TV crew, including the cameraman's daughter, Toni Shoop, heads to Yellowstone National Park to film an episode about its famous geysers and hot springs. They are also there to learn more about the park's gray wolf restoration program. But soon after arriving, Buck narrowly escapes injury when a herd of bison stampedes. Buck is almost certain the animals were agitated by a drone. Flying drones in a national park is illegal. Who is behind it? What are they trying to do? And drones aren't the only problem. Someone is threatening the wildlife. Once Buck and Toni start to investigate, they find out that gray wolves are not the only top predator in Yellowstone.
In Needs a New Name, Stella decides to change her name after a boy from her class keeps calling her "Smella." How hard can it be to pick a new name? It's not as easy as it sounds.
There's a storm at sea. Piper and Percy must stay below deck. The wind is blowing, and the thunder is loud. They decide to hide in a closet until the storm is over. But then Percy thinks he sees a pirate ghost in the closet with them! Piper and Percy are surprised when they realize the ghost is their father's pirate coat and hat hanging on a hook. Calico Kid is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO.
Piper and Percy have been arguing all day. Then their parents give them a map and drop them off on a secret island for their first treasure hunt. They have to work together! Piper and Percy swim in a waterfall, play with a monkey, and laugh together. But they don't find the treasure. At the end of the day, their parents tell them they did find the treasure - friendship.
When Hank leaves his bike in the driveway to be run over by his dad, he needs to help pay for a new one. But Hank is a kid. What can he do? Pet-sitting sounds easy! Otis is back! But Ben drops him off at Hank's during a storm and Otis dashes off in fear. Can Hank and Janie find him before Ben returns? Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Calico Kid is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO.
When Hank leaves his bike in the driveway to be run over by his dad, he needs to help pay for a new one. But Hank is a kid. What can he do? Pet-sitting sounds easy! Janie asks Hank to watch her parrot Pete. Hank feels like a pirate! But Pete talks too much. And can Hank keep up with the mess? Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Calico Kid is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO.
Silo loves to work on the farm. He is proud of his herding abilities! But sometimes Silo can be a bit bossy. When he tries to herd the friends, he learns that being friendly is better than being bossy. Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Calico Kid is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO.
Pip and Squeak are best friends. They do everything together! Then Squeak makes a new friend, and Pip gets upset. But soon he learns it's great to have more than one friend! Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Calico Kid is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO.
School is canceled! Ana and Andrew play in the snow with their neighbors and learn to make snow ice cream. They save a snowball in the freezer for their cousins in Trinidad who have never seen snow. Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Calico Kid is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO.
Ana and Andrew are excited when Grandma comes to stay. During her visit, the family tours the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture and learns about important African American achievements. Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Calico Kid is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO.
During Carnival, Ana & Andrew travel to visit their family on the island of Trinidad. They love watching the parade and dancing to the music. This year, they learn how their ancestors helped create the holiday! Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Calico Kid is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO.
When super snooper Joey brings his pot-bellied pig Pickles to stay, Hank never imagined that a pig with a cute name like Pickles could cause so much trouble. Book #2 in the series.
Alex has decided to create a graphic novel to complete his fourth grade assignment on the Renaissance. His pencil is nearly worn out when his father returns from an archaeological dig and suggests Alex get a replacement pencil from his bag to complete the assignment. Alex uses the borrowed pencil to draw a monster that a knight must put a stop in order to save the village and its inhabitants. When he wakes up the next morning, the paper is blank and the monster is staring at him! Can he figure out a way to get things back to normal?
The school play was a hit, but Sara and Alex have lost the Mystical Pencil again. Stewart found it and used the pencil to design his science fair project -- a working robot. The problem is, Stewart's robot stumbles upon the power of the pencil and decides to make himself a few friends. The helpful robot has drawn an evil robot as well and now the evil bot has created his own army. Can Alex, Sara, and Stewart defeat the robots and return the pencil to the museum before it is too late?
