Primary For Children

Orphan Benjamin Bartholomew Piff closed his eyes, blew out the candle, and wished with all his might. Soon after, sirens wailed all over the Wishworks Factory: Ben had followed every rule of birthday wishing to a T and had made the most dangerous wish of all...a wish for unlimited wishes.

There are two files on Sahara Jones. The one the school counselor keeps is evidence that she is a fifth grader who needs special education. The other is the book Sahara is secretly writing, her Heart-Wrenching Life Story and Amazing Adventures.

Katie is sick of her school's rules. But when she turns into the principal and announces that there are no rules, she creates a great big mess! Will Katie be able to get the school back in shape?

It's been a couple of weeks since Katie turned into the class hamster, and she's beginning to hope that maybe her transforming days are through. But more excitement lies ahead for Katie as she becomes Lucille, the cafeteria lunch lady! Unfortunately, the principal isn't too happy with a lunch lady who throws egg salad and starts food fights...so it's up to Katie (back in her own body) and her classmates to save the day.

In An American Plague, Jim Murphy tells the story of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic. Bizarre medical practices of the time are discussed, as well as popular historical figures, such as George Washington and Benjamin Rush, who were involved in finding a cure for this horrific outbreak. Pat Bottino's captivating narration adds appeal to this interesting historical tale.

Having fled the turmoil of Scotland, Elspeth Monro is learning to love her life in 1775 North Carolina. She likes her new friend and her weaving apprenticeship. But as Loyalists and Patriots strive to recruit her neighbors, a shadowy figure threatens her family.

When Russell's dog, Rodney Rodent, jumps at a strange mural to get at a creepy-looking gnome and disappears into the painting, the Flint Future Detectives are on the case. This time they have a new president, Richelle. A secret password leads Steven, Russell, and Richelle to the mysterious Mr. Chickee, who's living in a whole different universe!

Berlitz Kids' The Five Crayons is the introduction to the Adventures with Nicholas series. Featuring easy German vocabulary and simple sentences, this story teaches colors, numbers from one to ten, rooms and furniture, animals, weather expressions, means of transportation, location words, and more. The 60-minute program offers a catchy, thematically related song for each chapter. It's a fun learning experience for students, parents, or teachers.

Like other rock hopper penguins, Mr. Pin enjoys the icy weather in the South Pole. But he loves eating chocolate and solving mysteries more. When he moves to Chicago to be a detective, his new home is wonderful! Snowflakes swirl in the wind, and Sally from Smiling Sally’s diner gives him all the chocolate ice cream he can eat. Soon Maggie, Sally’s young niece, becomes his new friend. But Sally and Maggie are worried. Gangsters are threatening to blow up the diner. Will Mr. Pin be able to help them?

Philip Ardagh's Unlikely Exploits chart the extraordinary changes in fortune of the downtrodden McNally family beginning with The Fall of Fergal. The setting is an unidentified country suffering from an unexpected breakout of large holes.

When Andrew and Judy's neighbor gives her dog a bath, microscopic Andrew and Judy find themselves washed off the dog and lost in the bathroom! They'll have to use their wits and Thudd's storehouse of facts if they're to survive run-ins with mold, mildew, an ocean of soapy water, and a predatory spider on their way back to the Atom Sucker.

GRIMPOW HAD NO idea who the dead man was, but hidden in his leather bag was a treasure that would change his life forever. Ruby and emerald encrusted daggers, silver coins, jewels, and a letter with a golden seal depicting a snake swallowing its own tail. And clutched in the man's firm grip—a stone. A stone that will shape Grimpow's destiny. For when he holds it, strange things begin to happen. Visions of places he's never been fill his mind and he's able to read the strange language in the letter, a message meant for someone else entirely.

Katie and Suzanne want to see the new big movie, Tornado, but neither of their parents will let them. As Suzanne complains loudly about always being treated like her baby sister, Katie actually becomes Suzanne's baby sister, Heather. When Katie is Heather, she speaks. Find out how Katie gets out of this one.

Something strange is happening to Mr. Fetlock's well-trained racehorses! Suddenly his swiftest steeds are running slowly. Sometimes they just sit down. Nine-year-old Harriet Bean is just the right size to pose as a jockey and unravel this bizarre mystery. But as Harriet sits next to Black Lightning, she has second thoughts about riding such a terrifying beast and exposing the diabolical League of Cheats.

The emperor of the enchanted Faerie Realm has been murdered and now Pyrgus, his son, is the Emperor Elect. As Pyrgus contemplates his new responsibilities as emperor, his father's body is stolen! Hairstreak, evil leader of the Faeries of the Night, and his wicked henchmen have resurrected it as a zombie and plan to take control of the kingdom. Pyrgus and his courageous sister Holly Blue are banished from the realm and stripped of their magical powers.

Young Jim Hawkins quiet life as the son of an innkeeper changes when an ancient sailor takes up lodging at the inn. When the old man dies without paying his bill, Jim must search the sailor's one possession, a large sea-chest, for payment. He finds a map that is the key to a fortune. This commences a Caribbean treasure hunt, with pirate Long John Silver only steps behind!

Long before dinosaurs, slime moulds ruled the world. Now they've been sucked through time and are growing on an old iron fort. Too bad that Smiler is stuck there too, together with the worst clown in the world, a Giant Maggot, a green glowing rabbit, and some really nasty head life. Is this the end of civilization as we know it?

In this eagerly awaited sequel to A House Called Awful End, Eddie Dickens narrowly avoids being blown up, trampled by horses, hit by a hot-air balloon, and arrested...only to find himself falling head over heels for a girl with a face like a camel's and into the hands of a murderous gang of escaped convicts, up on the misty moors, who have a "little job" for him to do.

With a foreword by Dred Scott's great-grandson, Shelia P. Moses' stunning story chronicles Dred Scott's experiences as a slave, as a plaintiff in one of the most important legal cases in American history, and, at last, as a free man. Dred Scott's story is one of tremendous courage and fierce determination. His is a life that should be known by, and should inspire, all Americans.

All seems well in the city on Pinchester, but trouble is brewing at the Varmint Theater. Before he knows it, Hermux is hired not only to investigate a mysterious blackmailer, but to design the set for an upcoming show. As Hermux enters the dizzying world of the theater he finds himself in a whirlwind of distractions, among them an accidental foray into reality theater and trying to fight off sexy film director Brinx Lotelle's shameless interest in Hermux's girlfriend Linka.