New Releases by Dori Hillestad Butler

Told in alternating voices, twelve-year-old cousins Alice and Bee become fast friends and resolve to rebuild their estranged families'' bitter relationship.

Jillian thinks there’s a ghost in her basement. King and Kayla know that ghosts aren’t real, but what is making that dark shape and that scary noise? King and Kayla are going to a sleepover at Thor and Jillian’s house. King LOVES sleepovers. They’re his favorite thing! And he particularly likes Jillian’s basement, because animals are allowed on the furniture. But Jillian and Thor are afraid to go downstairs because there’s big, dark blob that goes “Whoooooo!” and chases her around the basement. Kayla’s not worried; she wants to know what’s happening downstairs. With her intrepid co-detective, she investigates the weird sights and sounds and solves the mystery—but not before an encounter with Cat with No Name and a run-in with a skunk.

A stuck-up cat and a good-natured dog are pen pals from a distance, until a disastrous sleepover brings them together in this playful illustrated chapter book told in letters. Andy has two pets and two houses: a cat, Simon, at his mom’s house and a dog, Baxter, at his dad’s house. But when Andy’s mom goes on a business trip, Simon must spend a few nights at Andy’s dad’s house. A sleepover with the beast? Simon says, "No, thank you." Baxter, on the other hand, is sooooo excited to play together. He and Simon can go on walks! Stay up late! Eat liver treats! He can’t wait to finally meet his pen pal in person. What could go wrong? The big introduction does NOT go well for these wildly different pets. Simon is so desperate to get back home to his quiet, clean oasis that he escapes through a basement window. Can Baxter convince him to return before Andy notices his beloved cat is gone? This funny and heartwarming collaboration between Geisel Honor and Edgar Award–winning author Dori Hillestad Butler and bestselling illustrator Kevan Atteberry is a tribute to the love of a good pet—and the joy found in new friendship. With nine chapters and adorable full-color illustrations on every spread, the series is a perfect read for parents to share with kids. Named to the Delaware Diamonds Book List

King & Kayla are back on the case in this laugh-out-loud mystery from the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award-winning series. Kayla needs to return her library books, but she can''t find one of them. King knows that if they don''t return all the books, they can''t check out more—and that means no new stories. Analytical Kayla retraces her steps, with the assistance of their friend Jillian. Sensitive King smells a library book. Could it be lost in Dad''s chair? Nope, that''s a different book. In fact, it''s a book that belongs to Jillian''s little brother Adam. Can King and Kayla put the pieces together and find the lost library book? With simple, straightforward language and great verbal and visual humor, the King & Kayla series is perfect for newly independent readers. King and Kayla model excellent problem-solving skills, including working as a team, gathering facts, making lists, and evaluating evidence.

From Edgar Award Winner Dori Hillestad Butler comes a new chapter book mystery series, The Treasure Troop! Join Marly, Sai, and Isla, three code-cracking kids on the hunt for an old neighbor''s hidden treasure. In the third book of this code-busting series, Marly, Sai, and Isla are back on the hunt! Mr. Summerling has left them a brand-new set of clues to follow, including tickets to the mysterious Summer Island. So with tickets in hand, our trio sets off to their late neighbor''s island. Can they finally discover what lies at the end of this treasure hunt?

It''s three times the mystery and three times the fun in one boxed set! Join Buddy, a newly adopted dog, as he solves mysteries in his first three adventures of the award-winning Buddy Files chapter book series. This boxed set includes The Case of the Lost Boy, The Case of the Mixed-Up Mutts, The Case of the Missing Family, more than fifty stickers, and a journal to jot down clues to solve your own mysteries.

When Jillian''s dog, Thor, is accused of digging up Mr. Gary''s garden, King and Kayla put their detective skills to work to clear his name. A witness to the crime tells King that the culprit is a ''''new guy'''' who likes to fight. But who could that be?

King, Kayla, Mason, and Asia are playing in the snow. Later, Asia discovers her new gold ring is missing. What happened to it? Detective team King & Kayla are on the case! With simple, straightforward language and great verbal and visual humor, the King & Kayla series from Geisel Honor Award-winning team Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers is perfect for newly independent readers transitioning from easy readers to beginning chapter books. Great for introducing mysteries and the important concepts of fact gathering, list making, clues, and analytical thinking.

From Edgar Award Winner Dori Hillestad Butler comes a new chapter book mystery series, The Treasure Troop! Join Marly, Isla, and Sai, three code-cracking kids on the hunt for an old neighbor''s hidden treasure. Marly always knew Mr. Summerling as her friendly neighbor living in the big, old house next-door. Sure, he walked around with a metal detector and talked about being a "treasure hunter," but she didn''t think much of it. But when news of Mr. Summerling''s death arrives at her doorstep, Marly is brought into a treasure hunt of her own. In Mr. Summerling''s will, he''s left a treasure for Marly and her two classmates, Isla and Sai. The catch? They have to solve a series of riddles, puzzles, and clues to find its location. And not only that, they have to work together on it -- which Marly is not looking forward to. But with no other choice, she, Isla, and Sai set off on the hunt. Can the three kids come together to crack the code? And even if they do solve the clues... what could Mr. Summerling possibly have left them?

Kayla lost a tooth, but now it''s missing! What does Kayla know? -Her tooth is not inside the tooth fairy pillow. It''s not inside her backpack. It''s not inside the car. What does King know?

What happens when everything you thought was true about your life turns out to be a lie? Thirteen-year-old T. J. always believed that her twin sister and her mother were dead—because that''s what her father had told her. But Mom and Sam are very much alive. And now they want T. J. to be part of their family. When T. J. reluctantly visits her mom and Sam for the first time, she is stunned by how similar she is to her twin sister, even though their lives have been very different. While she is drawn to her new family, she is also wary of becoming attached to them and hurting her father''s feelings. Then he suffers a debilitating accident and tries to ensnare T. J. in another web of lies. Her loyalties are finally tested. In this thought-provoking companion to Do You Know the Monkey Man?, Dori Hillestad Butler explores the other side of the story, creating a complex portrait of a family in crisis and offers readers the opportunity to compare different characters'' perspectives on the same story.

Kayla made peanut butter treats for Jillian''s new puppy Thor. But now the treats are missing. What does Kayla know? There''s an intruder in the house. How will they solve the mystery?

King & Kayla are back on the case in this laugh-out-loud mystery from the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award-winning series. King and Kayla are playing fetch with Jillian and Thor. Jillian throws King''s favorite ball too hard, and it goes over the fence and into the neighbor''s yard. The ball she brings back isn''t King''s. Where is King''s favorite ball? Analytical Kayla creates a list of possible explanations to investigate. Sensitive King puts aside his worries and questions the cat hiding under the porch, who claims a mouse did it. How could a mouse take King''s ball? With simple, straightforward language and great verbal and visual humor, the King & Kayla series is perfect for newly independent readers. King and Kayla model excellent problem-solving skills, including working as a team, gathering facts, making lists, and evaluating evidence.

Edgar Award Winner Dori Hillestad Butler gives us the tenth—and final!—title in her not-too-scary chapter book mystery series, The Haunted Library, in the form of a super special! It''s almost Halloween, and Kaz and Claire are off to Seattle to visit Claire''s cousins. They explore the local library...and find a ghost living there! The ghost''s family has been missing, so Kaz and Claire decide to investigate. When they discover ghostly activity in the city''s subterranean passages, they put their detective skills to work. Kaz and Claire are on the case!

King & Kayla are back on the case in this laugh-out-loud mystery from the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award-winning series. Kayla made peanut butter treats for Thor, Jillian''s new puppy. But now the treats are missing, and King is under suspicion. Analytical Kayla notices that King''s breath doesn''t smell like peanut butter, so he didn''t eat them. Sensitive King detects the presence of an intruder in their house. Is it Jillian''s little brother Adam? Or someone else? Who took the missing dog treats? With simple, straightforward language and great verbal and visual humor, the King & Kayla series is perfect for newly independent readers. King and Kayla model excellent problem-solving skills, including working as a team, gathering facts, making lists, and evaluating evidence.

Edgar Award Winner Dori Hillestad Butler gives us the ninth title in her not-too-scary chapter book mystery series, The Haunted Library. Kaz are Claire are on the case again—this time, they''re looking for Kaz''s long-lost uncle! Their search takes them to a bakery and a movie theater. Along the way, they meet another kid ghost detective. Will Kaz and Claire be able to figure out what''s going on?

Here is the eighth title in Edgar Award Winner Dori Hillestad Butler''s not-too-scary chapter book mystery series, The Haunted Library. Kaz are Claire are called on for another case! A family thinks their house is haunted, making it difficult for them to sell it. Will Kaz and Claire be able to figure out what''s going on, and find more of Kaz''s family members along the way?

When strange noises are heard in the tree house where their club meets, Claire and Kaz wonder if a rival club is causing problems in order to scare them away, or if they are coming from the ghosts of one of Kaz''s departed ancestors.

Kaz and Claire are back for a timely mystery in this adorable series by Edgar Award winner Dori Hillestad Butler! Kaz and Claire are called in for another ghostly mystery, and this ghost is always right on time. When Claire''s friend tells the young detectives about his five o''clock ghost, Kaz wonders if it could be his own missing brother, Little John. Kaz and Claire search the house up and down, but they can''t find any trace of Little John--or any other ghost. Yet when five o''clock comes along, the strange occurrences come back again...

Kaz and Claire’s new detective agency is a success! Their latest case, though, is proving to be the hardest yet. When Claire’s classmate says he saw a ghost backstage while rehearsing the school play, Kaz goes to school with Claire to investigate. From the description the boy gave, Kaz is sure it’s his mom—but where has she gone? Kaz and Claire search everywhere and find no trace of her, but the mysterious ghostly activities are still happening…

A brand-new young chapter book series from Edgar Award winner Dori Hillestad Butler! After successfully solving the mystery of the ghost in the library, Kaz and Claire land the first case for their detective agency—a haunted attic in a neighbor’s home! With a little help from Grannie, Kaz and Claire discover that what appeared to be something spooky has a much simpler explanation.

An illustrated young chapter book series full of friendship and mystery from Edgar Award winner Dori Hillestad Butler! When ghost boy Kaz’s haunt is torn down and he is separated from his ghost family, he meets a real girl named Claire, who lives above the town library with her parents and her grandmother. Claire has a special ability to see ghosts when other humans cannot and she and Kaz quickly form a friendship. The two join forces to solve the mystery of the ghost that’s haunting the library. Could it be one of Kaz’s lost family members?

Landing a first official case after solving the mystery of the library ghost, Kaz and Claire investigate a neighbor''s attic to see if they can discover an explanation for its seemingly spooky qualities. By the award-winning author of Trading Places With Tank Talbott. Simultaneous and eBook.

Kaz is an ordinary ghost. The wind separates Kaz from his family and carries him to a library far away, and he is scared he will be lost forever. That is, until he meets Claire--a human who can actually see him!

There have always been rumors of a ghost at Four Lakes Elementary. On the night of the fourth grade sleepover, Mr. Poe, the custodian, tells the story of Agatha, the girl who haunts the school. Then secret notes, unusual banging, and a ghostly voice invade the sleepover. Buddy is determined to find out if there really is a ghost.

"My Name is Buddy. I am a dog. I am also a detective." Buddy is in the school library and kids are taking turns reading with him. While Buddy listens to a ghost story, he hears rustling in the shelves behind him. He turns to look, but doesn''t see anyone back there. He hears a book fall. Something smells strange. Not human...not canine, not like anything Buddy has ever smelled before. Could it maybe be the school ghost Buddy has heard so much about? When the child he''s sitting with leaves, Buddy goes over to the shelves to investigate...and comes face to face with a mysterious creature that has a long, blue tongue. Buddy fans will cheer as their favorite dog detective solves another case with own great doggy style.

Buddy wants to solve the mystery of where his old family went while trying to find out where his new owner has disappeared to.

Buddy the dog risks everything when he leaves his new family to investigate what happened to his beloved Kayla and her father, slipping into a van her Uncle Marty is using to empty her house in the middle of the night.

This alphabetical police primer kicks off with A is for academy and ends with Z is for zoom lens. In between, children learn the basics of police work including when the first force began, the equipment used on the job, and some of the different careers in law enforcement. Full color.