As he's shown in his previous hugely popular books, Jeffrey Brown has a real gift for finding humor in quirky yet universal truths. Now the bestselling author of Darth Vader and Son and Vader's Little Princess brings his witty comic observations to terrestrial parenting in this perceptive book celebrating the more surreal moments of raising a child. In charming colorful panels, Brown wryly illustrates his fiveyear- old son's take on the world around him, from watching TV ("Elton John looks pretty in that shirt") to playing with toys ("This truck can survive on very little water") to odd requests ("Don't feel happy at me"), capturing the sweetly weird times that mothers and fathers everywhere experience with their own curious, pure-minded kids.

From the author of Cog and Voyage of the Dogs, Weird Kid is a hilarious and heartfelt homage to everyone who feels like they don’t belong. Perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and Stuart Gibbs. Jake Wind is trying to stay under the radar. Whose radar? Anyone who might be too interested in the fact that he has shapeshifting abilities he can’t control. Or that his parents found him as a ball of goo when he was a baby. Keeping his powers in check is crucial, though, if he wants to live a normal life and go to middle school instead of being homeschooled (and if he wants to avoid being kidnapped and experimented on, of course). Things feel like they’re going his way when he survives his first day of school without transforming and makes a new friend. But when mysterious sinkholes start popping up around town—sinkholes filled with the same extraterrestrial substance as Jake—and his neighbors, classmates, and even his family start acting a little, well, weird, Jake will have to learn to use his powers in order to save his town. "The short page count, humor, and action make this a good choice for reluctant readers. A solid purchase for school and public libraries." —School Library Journal

Unconventional--yet effective--parenting strategies, carefully curated by the creator of the popular podcast The Longest Shortest Time Some of the best parenting advice that Hillary Frank ever received did not come from parenting experts, but from friends and podcast listeners who acted on a whim, often in moments of desperation. These "weird parenting wins" were born of moments when the expert advice wasn't working, and instead of freaking out, these parents had a stroke of genius. For example, there's the dad who pig-snorted in his baby's ear to get her to stop crying, and the mom who made a "flat daddy" out of cardboard and sat it at the dinner table when her kids were missing their deployed military father. Every parent and kid is unique, and as we get to know our kids, we can figure out what makes them tick. Because this is an ongoing process, Weird Parenting Wins covers children of all ages, ranging in topics from "The Art of Getting Your Kid to Act Like a Person" (on hygiene, potty training, and manners) to "The Art of Getting Your Kid to Tell You Things" (because eventually, they're going to be tight-lipped). You may find that someone else's weird parenting win works for you, or you might be inspired to try something new the next time you're stuck in a parenting rut. Or maybe you'll just get a good laugh out of the mom who got her kid to try beets because...it might turn her poop pink.

Fiction, Reading Recovery Level 22, F&P level M, DRA Level 28, Theme Childrens Fiction, Stage TRANSITIONAL, Character

There's a new art teacher at school, and all the kids say he's a little out there. That he's got horns and a tail and he sings and dances around the classroom.But, come on. He can't be THAT weird...Can he?From the author of "The Schmillustrator's Coloring Book" comes the 100% true story: "The Art Teacher is Weird", a new picture book for fans of goofy poetry and oddball illustrations.

A hurricane ends A.J.'s vacation in Bermuda early and forces him and his family to stay at Andrea's house, where he fights with Andrea and has to go back-to-school shopping. Then their parents send them to the weirdest day camp ever.

Our world is teeming with amazing animals of every kind—small and sweet, big and bad, fun, fantastic, freaky, and downright scary! The Giant Book of Anmials will give kids a close-up look at many of these, both familiar and unfamiliar, from the huge blue whale to the tiny pink fairy armadillo and dozens of other animals from all around the globe. They’ll also get a fanciful glimpse of a few mythical creatures that have only existed in legendary tales, as well as a look at very real animals that are now permanently gone from the planet. Finally, kids will learn about some of the many species that are critically endangered today, giving them their first awareness of how important it is to respect and protect all of Earth’s animal life.