Lola's mom is home but not home, because she's frantically working all the time. Lola's friends are here but not here as allegiances among the foursome change faster than you can forget your lines for a school play. Lola means well but can't help acting on her emotions and getting into trouble. She'll need to dig for bravery as she deals with a possible ghost next door, stage fright, and, hardest of all, making amends with her friends. In this heartwarming tale, Lola is braver than she thinks, and her friendships are stronger than she realizes.

In this fun-filled adventure, good-hearted Lola can’t help getting into trouble. Her friends are all traveling for the Thanksgiving holidays, so she offers to dog-sit—but fails to mention this to her mom. Now, Lola is juggling her dog-sitting responsibilities with her worries. Will her parents discover the growing knot in her hair and cause her excruciating pain brushing it out? Will her grandmothers discover that she’s lied to them every year about who makes the best pumpkin pie? Will Jack get so involved in his new babysitting and yard-work jobs that, like Mom and Dad, he won’t have time for her anymore? Lola’s worries, like the knot in her hair, grow greater until she finally has to stop hiding them and start untangling them.

Lola doesn't want to share her on-again, off-again best friend Amanda with Jessie (who seems to be around all the time)—much less with the new girl Savannah. But when the four girls embark on a school field trip to a local farm, a crazy encounter with a wild chicken may be just what's needed to steer them all toward one another. Young readers will find this latest caper starring loveable Lola hilarious and heartfelt.

Lola Zuckerman is always last—ding-dong, Z-for-Zuckerman last. What this means, of course, is that Lola has to win first place in her class's "Going Green" contest. And she'll need to beat Amanda Anderson—always first, and more importantly, her ex-best-friend! In this laugh-out-loud story with unforgettable characters—the first in an ongoing series about Lola's travails—Lola's out to prove that while she may be last, she is certainly not least!

Make the world your studio! Capture the bustle and beauty of life in your town. Experience life as only an artist can! Join the rapidly growing, international movement of artists united by a passion for drawing on location in the cities, towns and villages where they live and travel. Packed with art and advice from Marc Taro Holmes, artist and co-founder of Urbansketchers.org, this self-directed workshop shows you how to draw inspiration from real life and bring that same excitement into your sketchbook. Inside you'll find everything you need to tackle subjects ranging from still lifes and architecture to people and busy street scenes. • 15 step-by-step demonstrations cover techniques for creating expressive drawings using pencil, pen and ink, and watercolor. • Expert tips for achieving a balance of accuracy, spontaneity and speed. • Practical advice for working in the field, choosing subjects, coping with onlookers, capturing people in motion and more. • Daily exercises and creative prompts for everything from improving essential skills to diverse approaches, such as montages, storytelling portraits and one-page graphic novels. Whether you are a habitual doodler or a seasoned artist, The Urban Sketcher will have you out in the world sketching from the very first page. By completing drawings on the spot, in one session, you achieve a fresh impression of not just what you see, but also what it feels like to be there . . . visual life stories as only you can experience them.

With straightforward recipes you can trust from Mary Berry, the beloved judge of The Great British Baking Show, Fast Cakes is a must-have for all busy bakers. Fast Cakes is a definitive baking book from the queen of baking, Mary Berry. Mary has incorporated her all-in-one method of preparation into as many recipes as possible, so her recipes are now faster to make than ever--nearly 100 of the bakes take only ten minutes to make. There are scones, buns, cookies, bars, and breads perfect for any school or family party and, of course, fool-proof cakes for any occasion, from Honey & Almond Cake to Mary's First-Rate Chocolate Cake. Fast Cakes also includes many recipes perfect to make with kids, including Happy Face Cookies, Traffic Lights, and Jammy Buns. If you miss Mary's wisdom and inspiration from The Great British Baking Show, or simply want a brand-new companion to Mary Berry's Baking Bible, this is the cookbook for you, with more than 150 easy recipes to make with confidence.