In the second book of the Alien Next Door series, Harris and Roxy go over to Zeke's house and meet his strange family. Will Harris be able to prove to Roxy that Zeke and his family are aliens? Harris has his suspicions that the new kid at school, Zeke, is an alien, but he hasn't been able to prove it to his best friend, Roxy. When they're both invited over to Zeke's house, Harris thinks this is the perfect opportunity for him to research Zeke's alien family and show Roxy that they're all from another planet. But Roxy is perfectly fine playing with all of Zeke's alien technology which she just thinks is "hi-tech," and as a thank you, Harris's parents invite Zeke's parents over for dinner. At dinner, no one but Harris seems to notice all the strange things Zeke's family is doing-like making food levitate to their mouths. However, Zeke realizes that Harris is the only one noticing these things and decides to use this opportunity to have a little more fun at dinner. . . .
In the first book of the Alien Next Door series, an alien boy named Zeke tries to fit in and adjust to life on Earth, while a classmate, Harris, suspects that Zeke might not be quite what he claims to be. Zeke the alien is on his way to his first day of school, feeling down because he has to start over again on a new planet, as his scientist parents constantly move to wherever their research takes them. When he gets to school, no one seems to notice anything strange or different about him except Harris, a kid obsessed with science fiction and aliens. Harris sees Zeke doing extraordinary things but can't convince anyone, least of all his best friend, Roxy, that Zeke might be an alien. Roxy just thinks Harris is jealous that she's becoming friends with Zeke. But when Roxy invites Zeke over to Harris's house, will Harris find a way to prove that he's right?
Richard Bickerstaff and his friend Henry are prisoners on Grax, a hostile planet. Aric, their tiny alien friend, has been taken from them--perhaps forever. And now they're eating lunch in a Graxian jail, face to face with a Turinga Death Machine! Can life get any more dangerous? Kids will love this very funny Stepping Stones HUMOR title!
When eight-year-old Josh and his family adopt an energetic puppy with a big personality and a talent for escaping, everyone is sure that obedience school will teach him good manners. But Bagels turns out to be a bigger handful than anyone predicted. He gets into the laundry, the groceries and the neighbor’s koi pond. He even gets expelled from obedience school. Josh and his little sister, Becky, are worried that if Bagels doesn’t shape up, their parents will send him back to the shelter. Can Bagels redeem himself before it’s too late? The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
When Sofia is around, every moment of every day is exciting. This spunky 7-year-old can even make having the hiccups fun! Can you imagine what kind of fun Sofia will have at her first quincea_era or when the lights go out? No matter what happens, it will be memorable if Sofia is involved! This early chapter book from the Sofia Martinez series includes Spanish words in the text and a Spanish glossary.
Harris thinks there's something about the new kid at school, Zeke, and that's because Zeke is actually the new kid on the planet! Will Zeke be able to make friends on this new planet, or will Harris discover his secret? Join Zeke and Harris on their adventures in this four-book collection that is out of this world! This four-book collection is sure to be a hit with any young reader. Filled with humor, adventure, and friendship, The Alien Next Door follows Zeke, an alien who is new to Earth, and his friendship with Harris, a very observant Earthling. Combining the first four books in the series, The New Kid, Aliens for Dinner?!, Alien Scout, and Trick or Cheat?, kids will love being able read book after book without waiting.
When Sandro Zapote finds out his little sister needs heart surgery, he is determined to help his parents raise the money they’ll need to help her get better. Sandro’s dad is in the states illegally and must work two jobs to support the family. For one, he picks up roadkill for the department of streets and sanitation and gets paid by the carcass. For the other, he collects scrap metal to recycle for cash. Sandro helps his dad with some of the scrap metal heavy lifting, and one headboard, a weight bench, some gutters, and a few car parts later, Sandro has a brilliant idea: can collecting. Save the environment. Save his family. Maybe even save some spending money for the fabulous, fast new bike he’s been coveting. Well-meaning and with funny inner monologue, Sandro is the kind of person you can’t help but cheer for. He’s a boy who loves drawing, soccer, and his little sister. And whether he’s fishing a fuzzy, dust-coated turtle out from under his sister’s bed or organizing a school-wide can drive all by himself, Sandro is a smart, self-aware hero, who makes just a few mistakes along the way. Canned and Crushed, by first-time author Bibi, gives Sandro a funny, relatable, readable voice, while being fresh and original. It’s a story that will open its readers’ eyes, dealing with issues of illegal immigration, unemployment, racism and religious persecution, bullying, and more—carefully and with a light and often humorous touch. This is a cross between The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and it’s a book no kid will want to miss. Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Key Selling Points New, enhanced features (dyslexia-friendly font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers.
A summer on an idyllic island surrounded by water and wildlife. What could possibly go wrong? When eleven-year-old Becca returns to her grandmother’s rustic cottage for another summer, she finds herself seeing her beloved island in new ways. A hunting owl mistakes a bobbing ponytail for prey. A cozy sleepover on the beach takes on the tinges of a nightmare when a family of river otters shows up to claim their territory. An argument between a nestbound baby eaglet and its haranguing mother reaches operatic dimensions. Becca finds a dead bear on the beach and helps to give it a burial at sea. Then there are dramas of the human variety. Aunt Meg is grieving over a miscarriage, and Aunt Clare’s medical work in Africa has brought on a sadness that even the love of family and the island’s beauty can’t cure. And there is the burning question of whether Aunt Fifi and the local plumber will ever become an item, and would that mean losing the only plumber on the island? Meanwhile, cousin Alicia claims to be too old to participate in the kids’ summer project — a performance of The Tempest, a play that seems to find unsettling echoes in the natural surroundings Becca thought she knew so well. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
In the eighth book of the Alien Next Door series, Harris and Roxy have stowed away aboard Zeke's spaceship and are flying to his home planet of Tragas! Harris and Roxy have hidden away on Zeke's family's spaceship and are headed to Tragas! Zeke's parents freak out when they discover the kids aboard, but they've come too far to turn back. So that gives Harris and Roxy two whole days to explore the alien planet with Zeke while the ship refuels before they all have to fly back to Earth. But, much like Zeke had to on Earth, they have to blend in. Will they be able to hide the fact that they're the aliens on this new planet?
