Kids Literature

A family road trip is supposed to be a lot of fun… unless, of course, you’re the Heffleys. The journey starts off full of promise, then quickly takes several wrong turns. Gas station bathrooms, crazed seagulls, a fender bender, and a runaway pig - not exactly Greg Heffley’s idea of a good time. But even the worst road trip can turn into an adventure - and this is one the Heffleys won’t soon forget.

In The Deep End, book 15 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series from number-one international best-selling author Jeff Kinney, Greg Heffley and his family hit the road for a cross-country camping trip, ready for the adventure of a lifetime. But things take an unexpected turn, and they find themselves stranded at an RV park that’s not exactly a summertime paradise. When the skies open up and the water starts to rise, the Heffleys wonder if they can save their vacation - or if they’re already in too deep.

Some animals have minds of their own. This is certainly the case for Mariska, the horse escape artist; Milkshake, the charging cow; and Pony, the runaway goat! When these animals put their minds to something, they can't be stopped - especially when they are causing mischief. In Horse Escape Artist, you'll find out how these determined animals caused chaos in three hilarious stories.

Nine-year-old Violet loves spending time in her Aunt Abigail's flower shop in their small British town. And she's so excited to stay overnight with her Aunt Abigail for the first time! But when Aunt Abigail has to leave to deal with an emergency, Violet and her friends, twins Jack and Zack, start poking around - and discover that her aunt owns an ancient magical flower book and uses her flower magic to make people happy! Violet wants to do that, too. Her first mission: making a match between two of her teachers. Unfortunately, it all goes wrong!

A distinctive new voice: Rex Ogle's story of starting middle school on the free lunch program is timely, heartbreaking, and true. Free Lunch is the story of Rex Ogle's first semester in sixth grade. Rex and his baby brother often went hungry, wore secondhand clothes, and were short of school supplies, and Rex was on his school's free lunch program. Grounded in the immediacy of physical hunger and the humiliation of having to announce it every day in the school lunch line, Rex's is a compelling story of a more profound hunger - that of a child for his parents' love and care.

In the latest installment of the phenomenally best-selling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, author-illustrator Jeff Kinney brings the series back to its roots, as Greg starts a new school year and faces a challenge he never could've imagined.

What happens to race car drivers when they eat too much? They get indy-gestion. Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids provides children ages seven-to-10 many hours of fun and laughter. Young listeners will have a blast sharing this collection of hundreds of one-liners, knock-knock jokes, tongue twisters, and more with their friends and family! This mega-best-selling book will have children rolling on the floor with laughter, and is sure to be a great gift idea for any child.

Being a kid can really stink. And no one knows this better than Greg Heffley, who finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. In Diary of a Wimpy Kid, author and illustrator Jeff Kinney introduces us to an unlikely hero. As Greg says in his diary: Just don't expect me to be all "Dear Diary" this and "Dear Diary" that. Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won’t do and what he actually does are two very different things.

Some kids want to be President when they grow up. Twelve-year-old Judson Moon wants to be President right now! "Grown-ups have had a thousand years to mess up the world," Judson explains. "Now it's our turn." But running for President is hard. You have to kiss a zillion babies and shake a zillion hands, and say a zillion 'hellos'."

Good with his hands, be it crafting a piece of wood, playing his guitar, or pleasing a lover - he excels at them all. Friendly, flirty, and talented, he's cool under pressure, and hot everywhere else. But he keeps his heart closed, even as his interest and emotions are tested. Olivia Rourke works alongside him at BAM. Talented, private, and intriguing, she touches something inside him he can't deny. He wants to know her. In every possible way. He wants her to know him. Her past tells her to stay clear. Van is everything that she wants, and exactly what she cannot have.

Love is in the air - but what does that mean for Greg Heffley? A Valentine's Day dance at Greg's middle school has turned his world upside down. As Greg scrambles to find a date, he's worried he'll be left out in the cold on the big night. His best friend, Rowley, doesn't have any prospects either, but that's a small consolation. An unexpected twist gives Greg a partner for the dance and leaves Rowley the odd man out. But a lot can happen in one night, and in the end, you never know who's going to be lucky in love.

In Caterflies and Ice, an unexpected snow storm causes trouble for the magical creatures of the forest. When Zoey and Sassafras attempt to rescue trapped caterfly eggs, they make a mistake. Can they figure out a way to fix things before the baby caterflies hatch?

Teagan: I wanted to go home. Moving to America wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the family next door, but because of my so-called guardian - and I used that term lightly - we were the latest family to take up residency in Thirteenth Street, and I was the sole target of the bitch over the fence. But, for me, life was a lot to get a lot worse. Noah: I was going to lose my shit over the girl-next-door. God, three months of having her live next door to me and I still felt like slamming my head into the garden wall - now worse than ever since she had challenged me.

Athena always knew she was smart and special, but she didn’t realize that she was a goddess! When she’s whisked away to Mount Olympus Academy, she worries about fitting in and dealing with her dad (Zeus). Luckily, she meets the Goddess Girls and finds the best friends she’s ever had.

Ali Rain: Sometimes I think to myself, "How did I get here?" Then the pain hits and I remember...it's because she's gone. I now live in a new town, go to a new school, and I'm supposed to be moving on with my new life. Only, I no longer know who I am anymore. Dancing is all I have left and every day I feel completely alone. Silence has become the theme song to my life. She said to find some joy and light, but I don't know how. Mostly, I feel surrounded in darkness...that is, until I meet him.

The evening begins like many others. Lionel falls asleep while listening to his uncle tell stories. Ryan stays up reading and listening to music. Vicki goes out smoking pot with her friends. And Judd, tired of being told what to do, takes his father’s credit card and heads to the airport in search of freedom. But in one shocking moment, everything changes. All over the world, millions of people suddenly vanish. Driverless cars crash on the highways, and planes fall through the sky without pilots.

Fifth grade was the worst year of Marc's life. He stunk at gym class, math was too hard for him, the school lunch was horrible, and his class field trip was ruined because he couldn't swim. But what was the most awful thing about fifth grade? Kenny Williamson, the class bully, who called himself the "King of the Jungle". When Marc's mother tells him that his uncle Jake is coming to stay for the whole summer, Marc can't wait. Uncle Jake is a for-real super-cool Navy SEAL. And Uncle Jake has a plan.

The zombies are disappearing. This might seem like a good thing, since zombies eat your brains, but normal human kid Jack Sullivan is suspicious. He keeps hearing an eerie shrieking noise that seems to be almost summoning the zombies - but to where, and for what (probably) foul purpose? Jack, his three best friends (maybe the only people left on Earth), and their pet monster Rover need to get to the bottom of this. Along the way they encounter a lot more than they bargained for.

To escape the stress of the holidays, the Heffleys decide to get out of town and go to a resort instead of celebrating Christmas at home. But what's billed as a stress-free vacation becomes a holiday nightmare.

Middle-schooler Greg Heffley charts the rise of his teenage brother’s band, Löded Diper, as they live out their rock-and-roll dreams. But things could get messy for Greg and Rodrick when the Diper hits the road.