New Releases by Jon Scieszka

This series is The Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy meets The Bad Guys in a funny, visually daring adventure series for reluctant readers, teachers, and librarians alike. This hilarious, visually groundbreaking read is the conclusion to a major series by children''s literature legend Jon Scieszka. The book follows a final mission, where AlphaWolf, LaserShark, SmartHawk, and StinkBug must find a planet fit for human life after we''ve finally made Earth unlivable. Time is up for our friends the AstroNuts. In fact, time is up for you, too. If they don''t succeed on this mission, Earth is doomed! So when the team finds out they''re being sent to a place called "the perfect planet," their mission sounds way too easy. Unfortunately, the second they land, they realize they''ll be dealing with the most dangerous species of all time . . . humans. Huh? Where in the universe is this supposedly perfect place? And how will the Nuts manage to convince the humans to risk death . . . for the sake of their lives?! Featuring full-color illustrations throughout, Planet Earth as the narrator, an out-of-this-world gatefold, and how-to-draw pages in the back, eager and reluctant readers alike will be over the moon about this new mission. Full of laugh-out-loud humor with a thoughtful commentary on the reality of climate change at the core of the story, this creatively illustrated, full-color, action-packed space saga is a can''t-put-it-down page-turner for readers of all levels and fans ready to blast past Dogman. EXCITING BIG-NAME TALENT: Jon Scieszka is one of the biggest names in children''s books. The first National Ambassador of Young People''s literature, he and Steven Weinberg toured extensively for this series. They''ll continue making their way around the world for Book 3! You might have met them at ALA, the National Book Festival, the Rabbit HOle, the Brooklyn Book Festival, the Illinois Reading Council, the Tween Reads Book Festival, the Texas Book Festival, the NYC Department of Education Fall Conference, the 826 Story Soirée in New York, or NCTE in Baltimore! POPULAR SERIES: MISSIONS 1 and 2 received starred reviews, amazing blurbs, and tons of industry love. MISSION 1 was an Amazon Best Book of the Year! Dav Pilkey, Jennifer Holm, LeUyen Pham, and Gene Luen Yang are all big fans—check out those blurbs! FUN AND SCIENTIFIC: The book incorporates STEM elements in a way that readers will find fun and entertaining, while teachers and librarians will find it clever and original. PERFECT FOR BUDDING GRETA THUNBERGS: This book successfully talks about the effect of climate change and impels its readers to take action, without feeling didactic or message-y at all. TIES TO REAL-WORLD ISSUES: Readers will recognize quite a few dilemmas the AstroNuts face from current events on Earth. Making connections between fiction and non-fiction is a big developmental milestone for young readers, and this book works as an effective allegory for our most dire contemporary concerns. RELUCTANT READER–FRIENDLY: The book is a great vehicle for reluctant readers, featuring cool topics and bright art, and relying on visual literacy and very few words. A CONSTELLATION OF TOPICS: Space, STEM, and talking animals: There''s something here for every reader! LOLs FOR DAYS: The book is funny and will delight kids who love books like Wimpy Kid, The 39-Story Treehouse, Dog Man, and Captain Underpants. While it contains serious ideas, it''s a quick, easy, and fun visual read. GROUNDBREAKING DESIGN: The hundreds of pages of full-color art are dynamic and engaging—and it doesn''t look like anything else out there. Steven Weinberg bases his art on public domain pieces from the Smithsonian museum! Teachers turn to the books for this element of the art and use it in classrooms to talk about collage, idea sourcing, history, and art medium. PERFECT ART PROJECT: On the website, kids can download pages of the "original" art and use it to make their own hybrid animal collages. Perfect for: • Perfect for fans of Dog Man, Big Nate, Wimpy Kid, and Captain Underpants • Families who care about the environment • Grandparents • Teachers and educators who are looking to introduce STEM and environmental topics to children • Librarians

This laugh-out-loud, visually groundbreaking read launches a major new series by children''s literature legend Jon Scieszka. Featuring full-color illustrations throughout, a spectacular gatefold, plus how-to-draw pages in the back, it''s an outer space adventure that demonstrates a giant leap for bookmaking and a giant leap for any kid looking for their next go-to series. AstroWolf, LaserShark, SmartHawk, and StinkBug are animals that have been hybridized to find other planets for humans to live on once we''ve ruined Earth. So off they rocket to the Plant Planet! Will that planet support human life? Or do Plant Planet''s inhabitants have a more sinister plan? AstroNuts Mission One is a can''t-put-it-down page-turner for reluctant readers and fans ready to blast past Wimpy Kid.

In the fifth book of the New York Times bestselling Frank Einstein series, Frank Einstein (kid genius, scientist, and inventor) and his best friend, Watson, pair up with Klink (a self-assembled artificial-intelligence entity) and Klank (a mostly self-assembled and artificial almost intelligence entity) to compete with T. Edison, their classmate and archrival. This time they’re studying the science and mysteries of our very own home planet: Earth!

More clever science experiments, funny jokes, and robot hijinks await readers in book four of the New York Times bestselling Frank Einstein chapter book series from the mad scientist team of Jon Scieszka and Brian Biggs. The perfect combination to engage and entertain readers, the series features real science facts with adventure and humor, making these books ideal for STEM education. This latest installment examines the quest to unlock the power behind the science of “all connected life.” Kid-genius and inventor Frank Einstein loves figuring out how the world works by creating household contraptions that are part science, part imagination, and definitely unusual. In the series opener, an uneventful experiment in his garage-lab, a lightning storm, and a flash of electricity bring Frank’s inventions—the robots Klink and Klank—to life! Not exactly the ideal lab partners, the wisecracking Klink and the overly expressive Klank nonetheless help Frank attempt to perfect his inventions. In the fourth book in the series, Frank—along with his best friend, Watson, and Klink and Klank—once again finds himself in competition with his classmate and archrival T. Edison and his sign-language-speaking sidekick, Mr. Chimp, over Frank’s newest invention: the EvoBlaster Belt, which allows the user to evolve and devolve into other forms of life, blasting from one species to another. Integrating real science facts with wacky humor, a silly cast of characters, and science fiction, this uniquely engaging series is an irresistible chemical reaction for middle-grade readers. With easy-to-read language and graphic illustrations on almost every page, this chapter book series is a must for reluctant readers. The Frank Einstein series encourages middle-grade readers to question the way things work and to discover how they, too, can experiment with science. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews raves, “This buoyant, tongue-in-cheek celebration of the impulse to ‘keep asking questions and finding your own answers’ fires on all cylinders,” while Publishers Weekly says that the series “proves that science can be as fun as it is important and useful.” Read all the books in the New York Times bestselling Frank Einstein series: Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor (Book 1), Frank Einstein and the Electro-Finger (Book 2), Frank Einstein and the BrainTurbo (Book 3), and Frank Einstein and the EvoBlaster Belt (Book 4). Visit frankeinsteinbooks.com for more information.

"Huge laughs and great science—the kind of smart, funny stuff that makes Jon Scieszka a legend." —Mac Barnett, author of Battle Bunny and The Terrible Two Frank Einstein (kid-genius scientist and inventor) and his best friend Watson, along with Klink (a self-assembled artificial intelligence entity), create the BrainTurbo to power-boost the human body and help their baseball-pitching pal Janegoodall make the team. But when Klank (a mostly self-assembled and artificial almost intelligence entity) goes missing, they must first rescue their robot pal and stop T. Edison—Frank’s classmate and archrival—from stealing their latest invention and using it against them!

A collection of horror and ghost stories featuring monsters, ghosts and more. Eleven masters of suspense Kelly Barnhill, Michael Buckley, Adam Gidwitz, Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown, Claire Legrand, Nikki Loftin, Daniel Jos Older, Dav Pilkey, R.L. Stine, and Rita Williams-Garcia have come together to bring you a bone-chilling collection of original ghost stories with illustrations by Gris Grimly, perfect for sharing around the campfire, reading under the covers with a flashlight, and scaring your friends'' pants off.

Like the New York Times bestselling Smash! Crash! and Truckery Rhymes, this truck-tastic alphabet adventure is full of creativity, fun, and truck-loving action! Honk if you love trucks—and get ready to play with your As, Bs, and construction Cs! This rollicking, boisterous, bold, concept picture book features your favorite Trucktown friends as they race around town, pointing out quirky items and actions that incorporate all the letters of the alphabet. Rev your engines and get ready for rowdy fun from A to Z!

Jon Scieszka''s Guys Read anthology series for tweens turns to nonfiction in its fifth volume, True Stories. The fifth installment in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading features ten stories that are 100% amazing, 100% adventurous, 100% unbelievable—and 100% true. A star-studded group of award-winning nonfiction authors and journalists provides something for every reader, all aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Compiled and edited by real-life literature legend Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: True Stories is a mind-blowing collection of essays, biographies, how-to guides, and more, all proving that the truth is most definitely out there. Supports the Common Core State Standards

Child genius Frank Einstein tries to invent a robot that can learn on its own, and after an accident brings Klink and Klank to life, they work to help Frank perfect his Antimatter Motor until his nemesis steals the robots for his doomsday plan.

Alex, whose birthday it is, hijacks a story about Birthday Bunny on his special day and turns it into a battle between a supervillain and his enemies in the forest--who, in the original story, are simply planning a surprise party.

Other Worlds, the fourth volume in Jon Scieszka’s Guys Read anthology series for tween boys, features ten thrilling new tales of science fiction and fantasy from some of the biggest names in children’s literature. Prepare yourself for ten trips into the unknown, as ten of your favorite writers—Rick Riordan, who has written an all-new and exclusive Percy Jackson tale, Tom Angleberger of Origami Yoda fame, Newbery medalist Rebecca Stead, Shannon Hale, D. J. MacHale, Eric Nylund, Kenneth Oppel, Neal Shusterman, Shaun Tan, and none other than the late Ray Bradbury—spin tales of fantasy and science fiction the likes of which you have never imagined. Compiled by National Ambassador for Children’s Literature (and Secret Ambassador for the Intergalactic Alliance) Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Other Worlds is sure to boldly take you where no reader has gone before.

With only one hundred more Spaceheadz to sign up, Michael K.''s friends start planning an Earth-saving party but Michael fears the Brainwave might be used for a much more sinister purpose.

Jack Truck and his best friend Dump Truck Dan are spending the day doing their favorite thing... Smashing and Crashing throughout the whole town! Along the way the meet up with their friends and give us a rollicking tour! But when a mysterious shadow falls and a strange voice calls, is the duo in trouble? Or has a new friend come to town to join in all the smashing fun.

From the minds of Scieszka and Shannon comes a tale of a quixotic robot determined to conquer the earth. The only problem is that the earth he lands on is a suburban kitchen and he is three inches tall. Robot Zot, the fearless and unstoppable warrior, leaves a trail of destruction as he encounters blenders, toasters, and televisions. But when he discovers the princess...a pink cell phone...his mission takes a new course. Robot Zot must learn how to be a hero - in the name of true love.

Will’s got it rough. He’s practically the only kid in school who hasn’t found out that he’s a wizard or a vampire or the child of a Norse god. But when a supervillain takes over the school and all the kids with powers are gone, it’s up to Will to try and save the day. A short story from the acclaimed collection Guys Read: Funny Business, edited by Jon Scieszka.

Long before Artemis Fowl appeared in Eoin Colfer’s hit series, he was born in the form of Eoin’s younger brother Donal--the “young criminal mastermind” of the family. And on one particular spring day, he concocts his most sinister plot yet. A short story from the acclaimed collection Guys Read: Funny Business, edited by Jon Scieszka.

Jack isn’t like the Pagoda brothers. He knows the difference between fun and stupid. Launching yourself across the backyard in a makeshift Roman catapult? Fun. Smoking an entire pack of cigarettes as fast as possible? Stupid. But when it comes to emergency self-surgery…Jack still has something to learn. A short story from the acclaimed collection Guys Read: Funny Business, edited by Jon Scieszka.

Joe’s got a problem. He has to write to an author for a school assignment and get her to answer a bunch of questions. But the author he’s chosen, Maureen O’Toople, just doesn’t want to play along. Jon Scieszka and Kate DiCamillo collaborate on a hilarious and heartfelt short story from the acclaimed collection Guys Read: Funny Business, edited by Jon Scieszka.

Jeff Kinney is pretty much the nicest guy you can hope to meet. Except when it comes to his brother, Patrick. The two of them have been locked in a battle for supremacy since they were young—a war that continues to this day. A short story from the acclaimed collection Guys Read: Funny Business, edited by Jon Scieszka.

Presents a collection of three stories from Trucktown, previously published separately.

After being warped back to ancient China, Joe, Fred, and Anna are faced with some big tasks. They must rescue General Li Shimin from prison so he can defeat the awful ruler, Wang. Then they must figure out how to free Sam, who is trapped in . . . The Book. Join the Time Warp Trio as they learn kung fu, scale the Great Wall of China, and learn to stop time itself!

Melvin is baffled by who gave him a valentine. Can he figure out who it is when Rita beeps her way onto his radar?

Tales, rowdy rhymes, and honk-along songs all about trucks.

Melvin has a flat tire and needs a new one. He rolls into a spooky junkyard and finds just what he needs: a golden! But what happens when a junkyard ghost wants it back?

A madcap variation of the cumulative nursery rhyme, this time beginning when Jack writes a book.

When Max gets in trouble after speeding up a ramp, all of his Trucktown friends try to help out.

Melvin, a cautious cement mixer, worries that he cannot keep up with the other trucks, but when Rita needs help, he overcomes his fear in order to help her.

How did Jon Scieszka get so funny, anyway? Growing up as one of six brothers was a good start, but that was just the beginning. Throw in Catholic school, lots of comic books, lazy summers at the lake with time to kill, babysitting misadventures, TV shows, jokes told at family dinner, and the result is Knucklehead. Part memoir, part scrapbook, this hilarious trip down memory lane provides a unique glimpse into the formation of a creative mind and a free spirit. Watch a QuickTime trailer for this book.