Runt Higgins has a long to-do list. He needs to find out who cursed him, and why; he needs to make up with his best friend, Syke; and he needs to pass the Junior Henchman Training Program. That last one? Not likely. Professor Murphy hates Runt and is actively trying to fail him. The only way for Runt to pass the class and stay at Dr. Critchlore’s school is to locate a rare mineral that Dr. Critchlore needs to make an Undefeatable Minion. To find it, Runt must travel to icy Upper Worb and battle gyrfalcons, yetis . . . and the loathsome team from Dr. Pravus’s school. Their newest member? Runt’s former best friend, Syke.

Welcome to Dr. Critchlore’s School for Minions, the premier trainer of minions for Evil Overlords everywhere. No student is prouder to be at Dr. Critchlore’s than Runt Higgins, a twelve-year-old werewolf. (At least he thinks he’s twelve. He was abandoned at the school as a baby, so he can’t say for sure.) Runt loves everything about Dr. Critchlore’s. He loves his classes—such as History of Henchmen and Introduction to Explosives. He loves his friends—such as Darthin the gargoyle and Syke the tree nymph. And he loves his foster family, who took him in when his wolf pack couldn’t. But not everyone loves Dr. Critchlore’s as much as Runt. After a series of disasters, each worse than the next, it’s clear that someone is trying to shut the school down. It’s up to Runt, who knows the place better than anybody, to figure out who’s behind the attacks . . . and to save his home, and Dr. Critchlore himself, from total destruction.

The second book in this hilarious, illustrated series cracks the imaginative world of minions wide open, and we meet the other schools and Evil Overlords that surround Dr. Critchlore’s. Runt Higgins needs answers, fast. Someone cursed him to die on his sixteenth birthday, but no one seems to know who cursed him or why. Runt decides he must find the Great Library, where all true knowledge is hidden. Unfortunately, the only people who know the location of the Great Library are a covert network of librarian-spies who’d rather die than give up the Library’s secrets. And when one of Runt’s professors is attacked, it soon becomes clear that others are also out to find the Library at any cost. Meanwhile, Runt’s not the only one whose days are numbered. To save the floundering school from an inevitable sale, Dr. Critchlore takes some desperate measures. His master plan to save the school: a fashion show.

In the race to create the Undefeatable Minion, Dr. Critchlore’s longtime rival, Dr. Pravus, is winning. As Dr. Critchlore rallies his troops, Runt is kidnapped. As the last prince of Andirat, he must lead the rebellion in his home country. Isolated from his minion friends, Runt grows suspicious of the rebels, who seem to be working with Dr. Pravus. Runt knows he must escape and tell Dr. Critchlore, but reaching him activates Runt’s curse, giving him just days to live! His only chance for survival: Stop Dr. Pravus and win the allegiance of the witch who cursed him. Fortunately for Runt, he knows just the minions for the job.

Every resident of the planet Yipsmix has synesthesia—they don’t just hear sounds; they see and taste them, too. On this unusual planet, poor Jaq Rollop must save his family’s farm. To do so, Jaq is forced to sell his beloved pet and only friend. Trusting and na.ve, Jaq gets swindled into trading his pet for a seemingly worthless key. But then something very strange happens. The key leads Jaq through a wormhole to a terrifying and magical land full of riches, overwhelming sensations, and giants. The name of this frightening land? Earth. This clever middle-grade fantasy will appeal to fans of the Sisters Grimm, A Tale Dark & Grimm, and the Land of Stories series.

Readers who love Percy Jackson, the Unwanteds, and Beyonders will discover that 100 cupboards mean 100 opportunities for adventure! The bestselling and highly acclaimed 100 Cupboards series starts here. What dangers are locked behind the cupboard doors? Henry isn’t brave, but when he hears a thumping and scratching on the other side of his bedroom wall, he can’t ignore it. He scrapes off the plaster and discovers mysterious doors—cupboards of all different shapes and sizes. Through one he sees a glowing room and a man strolling back and forth. Through another he sees only darkness and feels the cold sense that something isn’t right. When his cousin Henrietta boldly travels into the worlds beyond the cupboards, it’s up to Henry to follow her. Now that he’s opened the doors, can he keep the evil inside from coming through? “A must-read series.” —The Washington Post

A classic fairy tale gets a fresh twist in this vibrant Caribbean spin on the Little Mermaid! The Little Mermaid longs to know about the world above the ocean. When she’s finally old enough to visit, she falls in love with a prince! A sea witch agrees to give the mermaid a potion that will make her human—but the spell will be broken if the prince doesn’t love her too! Set in the Caribbean, with beautiful illustrations by Puerto Rican illustrator Nivea Ortiz, this fifth book in the Once Upon a World series is the same beloved fairy tale but it’s totally reimagined. Once Upon a World offers a multicultural take on the fairy tales we all know and love. Because these tales are for everyone, everywhere.