Family Reader

This book covers fascinating origin stories of 55 everyday items that were invented by accident; that is, the inventor did not expect to make the product when the product was discovered. Not only will this book share amazing stories about everyday products, but it will also inspire you. We all encounter things that go wrong, and this book reminds us that when life gives lemons, we can make lemonade. (Seriously, pink lemonade was made by accident—listen to the story inside.) Each story is written to encourage kids and adults to be curious and be inspired to create.

Are Amelia Bedelia and her friends barking up the wrong tree? Recess just got super exciting. Amelia Bedelia and her friends are on the playground when they hear a strange noise coming from a nearby tree. It’s a tiny kitten stuck on a high branch! It’s up to Amelia Bedelia and her friends to figure out how to rescue the kitten and, once they do, to find the little cat a purr-fect new home!

Marty's mountain means more to him than meatballs, magic, and movies. But does it matter more than Mom?

When Timothy McDunn is accidentally left behind in the middle of Dinosaur World he has to rely on his wits, and the help of a baby duckbilled dinosaur, to escape the jaws of the most terrifying creature in the park!

Anne gets a treat for keeping her side of their shared room neat and clean. However, messy Gina does not.

First scientists thought it was for balance, but the tail helps the kangaroo to be able to move the fore and hind legs together. Trivia helps to inform and educate people. Experts say trivia aids to keep the mind sharp and engaged, a plus for all occupations and people from all walks of life that require no amount of energy. Knowing Obscure Facts Is Good for Our Mental Health.

Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. They have a puppy of their own named Buddy, but they also foster dogs that need help finding new homes. Charles and his friend Sammy are on their way home from school one day when they hear a puppy crying. His name is Patches, and he's tied up in a garage all by himself. His owners seem to care ABOUT Patches, but they don't know how to care FOR him. And it's up to Charles and Lizzie to show them!

All Ekata wants is to stay alive - and the chance to prove herself as a scholar. Once Ekata's brother is finally named heir to the dukedom of Kylma Above, there will be nothing to keep her at home with her murderous family. Not her books or her experiments, not her family's icy castle atop a frozen lake, not even the tantalizingly close Kylma Below, a mesmerizing underwater kingdom that provides her family with magic. But just as escape is within reach, her parents and 12 siblings fall under a strange sleeping sickness, and no one can find a cure.

Two fox sisters are surprised when their neighbor hops over the back fence. It's the boy next door, Eugene. Together these three foxes play pirates, camp outside, and learn the value of true friendship.

This fun-filled tale by acclaimed children’s author Laura McGee Kvasnosky was named an ALA Notable Children’s Book and received the Theodor Seuss Geisel Beginning Reader Award. Fox sisters Zelda and Ivy refuse to eat cucumber sandwiches for lunch ever again. To avoid this nasty meal, they pack their bags and run away (even if they only make it to the backyard). The young foxes’ adventures are separated into three chapters - perfect for young listeners.

Beware! There is pancake batter in the air! It's a battle for the better batter. Will Betty beat Baxter, or Baxter beat Betty?

Lali's first mother was an elephant. When she was found and taken in by a hunter as a baby, her elephant mother joined the family, too. Years later, the beautiful animal catches the eye of the queen. Lali fears that she will lose her elephant.

Emma and Olivia are responsible for feeding, cleaning, and taking care of their guinea pig, Gertrude. When they forget to do their job, Gertrude becomes Dirty Gertie! Mom says if they don't take care of Gertie, they will have to find her a new home.

Lizzie and Charles Peterson love puppies. Even though they finally have their very own puppy, Buddy, Lizzie still can't get enough time with dogs. She helps her Aunt Amanda at her doggie day care center as often as she can. At the doggie day care, Lizzie meets a pesky but lovable pug named Pugsley. Pugsley is adorable, but he didn't earn the nickname Mr. Pest for nothing and his owners decide he's too much of a handful to keep!

Everyone knows that twelve-year-old Madison “Madi” Lewis is not allowed to bring home any more animals. After she's saved hairless mice, two birds, a rabbit, and a stray tom cat that ended up destroying the front porch, Madi’s parents decide that if they find one more stray animal in the house, she won’t be allowed to meet Jane Goodall at an upcoming gala event.

The 100-year-old Doll family, beautifully crafted china dolls passed down through four generations of girls in one American family, meet their new neighbors, the Funcrafts, a doll family made completely of plastic and delivered straight from the factory shelves.

Spurred by a newfound awareness of false advertising, Stink Moody becomes the proverbial kid in a candy store as his letter-writing campaign yields him heaps of free rewards. When Stink buys a mammoth jawbreaker that doesn't break his jaw, he writes a letter of complaint to the manufacturer — and receives a ten-pound box of 21,280 jawbreakers for his trouble!

Mrs. Z’s class is holding a variety show, and everyone has signed up to demonstrate their special skills! Everyone, that is, except Ayana Ndoum. She’s good at reading, but someone’s already reciting a poem. She’s good at synchronized swimming, but they can't get a pool onstage. What could her act be? Before she can figure it out, she has an even bigger problem to deal with: Why is her dad at school? Turns out her dad is a variety show volunteer! He talks to everyone and asks too many questions. It’s embarrassing for Ayana, who likes to be quiet and help from the sidelines.

Olivia is a vegetarian. Ivy is a vampire. And they're twins?!? Ever since Olivia discovered that her long-lost twin sister, Ivy, is a vampire, she's been soaking up everything Ivy will tell her about Franklin Grove's vampire community. It's all top secret, and Olivia's sworn that she'll never tell another soul. But now, nosy tabloid reporter Serena Star is snooping around. As she gets closer and closer to the truth, it's up to Ivy and Olivia to throw her off track. This is one fangtastic news story that can't get out!

When the Moody family drops anchor on “Artichoke” Island, they are greeted by the mysterious Cap’n Weevil, a one-eyed buccaneer with a scraggly beard and a treasure map. Before you can say “Davy Jones’s Locker,” Stink and Judy are racing in search of gold. But they’re not the only salty dogs lookin’ for loot. Can Scurvy Stink and Mad Molly beat out their rivals? Not unless they can find the hidden clues, crack the secret codes, and solve the tricky puzzles - before time runs out! Aaarrr!