New Releases by Blake Hoena

For the better part of a century, skateboards have played a unique role in sports and popular culture. From wheels stuck to a milk crate to the highly technical craftsmanship of today’s skateboards, the invention’s journey is a fascinating one filled with great stories, incredible minds, and colorful characters. Learn all about their evolution over the decades, see the many forms the sport has taken, and meet the amazing people who have helped shape skater culture.

Historical figures lead readers through the events of American westward expansion in an entertaining graphic novel format.

Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and sentence highlighting for an engaging read aloud experience! Cell phones allowed people to connect on the go, and smartphones have transformed the way we share information. From the earliest landlines to the minicomputers that link people across the world, discover the shifts in phone technology that shaped modern communication—and the people who made them happen. This graphic history also shows readers the big changes in design, size, and battery life that took place before mobile phones hit the center of popular culture.

See the PERSEUS monster truck soar over ginormous jumps and take on his mechanical enemy MEDUSA! Will Perseus prevail, or will his gas-guzzling foe leave him beyond repair? With short, action-packed chapters and high-powered art, the ThunderTrucks will have little motorheads and mythology fans alike shifting their reading habits into high gear.

Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and sentence highlighting to engage reluctant readers! This graphic biography shows readers the moments that have defined Colin Kaepernick’s life as a quarterback and an activist. His talent and determination made him a college football success and brought him to the National Football League. As a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, he led his team to multiple playoffs and even competed in the Super Bowl. When outrage over violence against African Americans became a national movement, Kaepernick joined the protests. His decision cost him his career in football, but he gained a voice heard worldwide.

In an era of discrimination, Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson broke Major League Baseball's race barrier. Before Robinson took his place at first base, the majors discriminated against African-American athletes, denying them a chance to compete. Despite facing harassment from fans and other players, Robinson stayed focused on the game, becoming the MLB Rookie of the Year in 1947 and later a baseball legend. This graphic biography follows Robinson's time on semi-pro teams, his days in the US military, and his history-making experience with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

When you have a problem, where can you go for answers? The library! When Codie and her friends join Ms. Gillian, the Specialist, on another Adventure in Makerspace, they find themselves lost in a maze, with a monster just around the corner! Can they code their way out? Join them to complete Mission: Coding! This graphic novel includes fun bonus features such as a theme song and author interview available through the free Capstone 4D app. A great way to add augmented reality to your reading experience!

Some scary stories are passed down from generation to generation. Read this book to discover some spooky folktales that were written many years ago.

Modern ghost stories are created from truly creepy myths and rumors. Read this book to discover some urban legends that will make your skin crawl.

In order to claim his place as king, Jason set out in search of a rare treasure. With the help of brave men called Argonauts, Jason fought harpies, navigated through rocky cliffs, and confronted a fearful dragon on his quest for the golden fleece. Follow Jason's exciting adventure in graphic novel format.

To fulfill his quest and erase a sorrowful past, the half-man, half-god Hercules was ordered to complete 12 difficult labors. From wrestling the Nemean Lion to capturing the Erymanthian boar, Hercules achieved the impossible and became a legendary hero of ancient mythology. Follow Hercules' exciting adventure in graphic novel format.

As a war tribute to Crete, King Aegeus of Athens is forced to give 14 tributes as a sacrifice to the minotaur, a creature that is half-man, half-bull. To complete his quest and save the tributes from a horrible fate, Theseus must travel to the heart of the Labyrinth and confront the ferocious beast himself. Follow Theseus' exciting adventure in graphic novel format.

Drawing your favorite animals is easy when you start with letters! In this book paired with lively music, children learn to draw different animals. Using letters as a basis, they are provided simple, step-by-step instructions to create their masterpieces. This hardcover book comes with CD and online music access.

When you have a problem, where can you go for answers? The library! When Codie and her friends join Ms. Gillian, the Specialist, on another Adventure in Makerspace, they find themselves face-to-face with dinosaurs! Are they stuck in a prehistoric world? Join them to complete A Stop-Motion Animation Mission!

Where is Blue? What blue things can you find? Hunt for this cool hue as you Sing Your Colors!

Jason is ready to win the famous golden fenders, but it's not going to be easy. He has to take on the likes of Perseus and The Hydra in a freestyle event. While he is doing wheelies and donuts, one evil official is trying to make sure Jason gets crushed by his completion. ThunderTrucks combines Greek mythology and monster trucks, using action-packed text in the early chapter book format to keep young readers racing to finish. A glossary, author and illustrator bios, and additional Greek myth information round out these exciting early chapter books.

Even monsters get scared, and Will the ghost is beyond scared when he hears noises in his room after he goes to bed. A thump from under the bed and a thud from the closet lead Will to discover a human boy and girl in his bedroom! He needs to get them out before his scary sister finds them. Will calls his friends and the Monster Heroes come to the rescue! A glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts complete this early chapter book.

Nobody told Odysseus about the monster truck competition in Troy, but when he tries to join the fun he finds that hero ThunderTrucks are not allowed in--but Odysseus comes up with a clever plan to get past the dump truck cards and enter the contest.

Atlanta is the fastest truck in the world, and she it out to prove it. It's not going to be easy with every hero and monster truck challenging her for the title. And with each race she wins, her challengers get more devious in their attempts to stop her. Mixing Greek myths and monster trucks makes the ThunderTrucks early chapter books perfect for young readers. A glossary, author and illustrator bios, and additional Greek myth information add to the fun.

When you have a problem, where can you go for answers? The library! When Matt and his friends join Ms. Gillian, the Specialist, on another Adventure in Makerspace, they find themselves in a fairy-tale world. With the Big Bad Wolf and an angry witch on their trail, can they build their way out? Join them to complete Mission: 3-D Printing! This graphic novel includes fun bonus features such as a theme song and author interview available through the free Capstone 4D app. A great way to add augmented reality to your reading experience!

Watch the BELLEROPHON monster truck take on his toughest competition-himself! Can this ThunderTruck discover his special skill before he has a nervous breakdown? With short, action-packed chapters and high-powered art, the ThunderTrucks will have little motorheads and mythology fans alike shifting their reading habits into high gear.

A new mummy has started at school, but he's really just a human in disguise. Brian the zombie and his friends know they need to protect the new kid from Harriet the werewolf and her gang of bullies. The Monster Heroes come up with a plan that makes the human boy seem like the scariest monster of all. A glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts complete this early chapter book.

Do you have a problem? Maybe you can use an algorithm to fix it Learn about the codes all around us in Algorithms: Solve a Problem Sing along as you learn to Code It This hardcover book comes with CD and online music access.

Mina the vampire and her family are on vacation in Transylvania, and Mina has two problems--she has to conceal the fact that she prefers beet juice to blood when she meets great-great-great grandpa Drac, and she needs to rescue a group of tourists who do not realize that they are on the dinner menu.

"When you have a problem, where can you go for answers? The library! When Cyrus and his friends join Ms. Gillian, the Specialist, on another Adventure in Makerspace, they find themselves on Mars. Can they build a Mars rover of their own? Join them to complete Mission: Robotics! This graphic novel includes fun bonus features such as a theme song and author interview available through the free Capstone 4D app. A great way to add augmented reality to your reading experience!"--

In this Classic Fable in Rhythm and Rhyme, a speedy rabbit challenges a slow turtle to a race. Who will win? Find out when you sing along to The Tortoise and the Hare Includes online music access.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED KIDS presents an all-star collection of BASKETBALL jokes, riddles, and memes! With slam-dunk one-liners like "Why do babies make good basketball players? Because they're so good at dribbling!" these colorful, illustrated joke books will have BASKETBALL fans rolling in the stadium aisles.