New Releases by Betsy Byars

From Newbery Medal-winning author Betsy Byars comes a sweet, entertaining story that will touch the heart of dog lovers at any age. A tornado appears in the distance, and the family quickly gathers into the storm cellar. The storm rages outside, but Pete, the farmhand, knows this is the perfect time to tell his stories about a dog named Tornado. Blown into their lives by a twister when Pete was a boy, Tornado was no ordinary dog—he played card tricks, saved a turtle’s life, and had a rivalry with the family cat. Forgetting their fear, the family hangs on every word of Pete’s stories—both happy and sad—of this remarkable dog.

An early chapter book from Newbery Medal winner Betsy Byars When Boo brings home a dinosaur that only she can see, her brother Sammy, doesn''t want to encourage her antics. Boo and her dinosaur are inseparable until Boo says good-bye to the dino quite suddenly. When Sammy sees how sad his sister is, he understands Boo''s need for her dinosaur more than he wants to admit. So much so that he almost believes it . . . almost. Betsy Byars has written many chapter books, including Little Horse and Little Horse on His Own. Her language, perfectly tailored to beginning readers, combines with Erik Brooks''s charming illustrations to make a delightful book for children who are just starting to read. Boo''s Dinosaur is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children''s Book of the Year.

DIVWhen Birch agreed to one last flight in her grandfather’s Piper Cub, neither knew it would be a life-changing trip/divDIV Birch’s grandfather, “Pop,” wants to take his plane out for one more trip before moving into a retirement home. He wants to take Birch along with him, which sounds like a fine plan—until the two decide to turn the short flight into a cross-country adventure without telling Birch’s parents. As grandfather and granddaughter soar westward across strange, beautiful landscapes, Birch begins to learn more about her past, a grandmother she lost, and a family member she never knew she had./divDIV /divDIVCoast to Coast is a grand adventure; a heartwarming story of family revelations; and a panoramic view of the United States by air./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

DIVAlfie only feels comfortable when he’s drawing comics in the attic—but soon his safe haven will be off limits/divDIV Alfie is perfectly content to spend his time drawing alone in the attic. Nobody bothers him, and he has his door sealed tight against interruption. Up under the roof, he illustrates amazing cartoon strips about heroes and space adventures, from “Super Caterpillar” to “Super Bird”—even though his own life is anything but exciting. One day, Alfie’s mom calls him from the attic to tell him his older brother Bubba will be moving home and will take over the attic as his own apartment. Suddenly Alfie’s private world is turned inside out, and he’ll need to find a new “home,” even if that means spending time around his weird, argumentative family./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

DIVAnna’s role in her family of gospel singers is an important one—far away from the stage/divDIV Every member of the Glory family is blessed with abundant musical talent. Everyone, that is, except for Anna. She can’t sing or play an instrument, so the family counts on her to sell their music at performances. Naturally, she feels completely left out. When her black sheep Uncle Newt is released from prison, Anna feels oddly close to him, even though they’ve never met before. After all, Newt must know what it means to feel like an outsider. But when the Glorys’ tour bus crashes and her loved ones are in danger, Anna can’t sit on the outside any longer./divDIV /divDIVThe Glory Girl is a funny, moving tale of one oddball kid finding her place in her family, and in the world./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

DIVFrom the depths of the sewers comes a monster so gargantuan that no fishbowl can hold it/divDIV Warren Otis wants to make horror films when he grows up. But as an eight-year-old boy, he has to settle for imagining movies instead of making them. He’s thought up some real nightmares, including Bubbles, an innocent goldfish flushed down the toilet and exposed to a chemical that turned her into a one-ton monster./divDIV /divDIVWarren’s life sometimes feels like it’s a bad movie. He hasn’t seen his mom for three years, since she’s a fugitive from the FBI. His grandmother’s cranky and his sister’s acting mysterious. When things get too strange, Warren escapes into his imagination and writes one more scene featuring Bubbles. But will he ever get a chance to share his story with the people he loves?/divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

DIVClara and Deanie are on vacation to see their dad—so why do they have to spend time with his new girlfriend and her annoying son? /divDIV After their parents’ divorce, sisters Clara and Deanie are more than happy to have some time alone with their father during a beach vacation. After all, nobody dotes on them as much as their father. But it turns out dad has different plans for their trip. He’s brought along his girlfriend and her son: the snotty, completely un-fun John D. Jones. But when disaster strikes, this group of distrustful semi-relations must come together quickly to avoid a major tragedy. This absorbing story of mixed-up families shows how emotional bonds stay strong even when parents move apart./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

DIVSomehow Jimmie Little must overcome his belief that terrible things are always about to happen/divDIV Jimmie Little was always the sensible one in the family. The rest of his aunts, uncles, and cousins were always getting into ridiculous scrapes because of their bold, show-off attitudes. But when he loses his father to a mining accident and his Uncle Pete to a frozen river, everything changed. Jimmie is certain that everything he or anyone else in his family does will lead to certain disaster. It was his family that made him fearful, so it might take his family to help him find his confidence again./divDIV /divDIVGoodbye, Chicken Little is a moving story of a boy finding courage in himself and in his relatives./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

The first book in the beloved series by the Newbery Medal–winning author “races without pause between hilarious, suspenseful and touching crises” (Publishers Weekly). Newbery Award–winning author Betsy Byars’s heartwarming and timeless books about the irrepressible Blossom family are back. In this introduction to the one-of-a-kind clan, Pap, the Blossoms’ grandfather, has landed himself in jail for disturbing the peace. Even though Junior is laid up in the hospital with two broken legs after jumping off the barn roof to test his new homemade wings, he and his sister and brother, Maggie and Vern, have come up with a plan to rescue Pap. A new generation of readers will fall head over heels for this engaging, hilarious family.

An entertaining adventure in the Newbery Medal–winning author’s series starring “a lively, likable family” (School Library Journal). Junior Blossom has set out to test his brand-new invention, a coyote trap. How on earth does he end up lost in a cave with Mad Mary, a.k.a. “the Vulture Lady,” while his family attempts to find him in this suspenseful and sidesplitting Blossom Family sequel.

DIVAlgebra is hard, but love is harder/divDIV For a twelve-year-old, Bingo Brown has a lot figured out. He has good friends, he knows how to cook, and he’s even made peace with the school bully. But the problem with being twelve is that new problems keep popping up and confusing him. Soon Bingo is panicking over the love of his life moving to Oklahoma, the school bully asking for relationship advice, and his parents acting weirder than ever. If Bingo’s ever going to make it to high school with his heart in one piece, he’s going to need to ace every test in the language of love./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

DIVBingo’s ultimate guide to finding love might need a few more chapters when his long-distance girlfriend returns home/divDIV Bingo Brown is confident that he can write the definitive guidebook for middle-school boys trying to win over girls. With his baby brother, Jamie, in mind, he jots down notes about the lessons he’s learned: Should you worry if the girl you like grows taller than you? (No.) What do you do when hauling your family’s dirty clothes to the laundromat? (Go the back way.) But when Bingo’s girlfriend, Melissa, moves back to town and doesn’t want to talk to him, he realizes he still has some learning to do./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Betsy Byars including rare images from the author’s personal collection./div

An irresistible collection of short stories for cat lovers. At the annual gathering of the MEOW society, cats of all kinds convene to share their stories and those of their ancestors. Chico, the smallest cat in the world, recounts stopping a crime. The Pirate Cat tells of the fateful day when he discovered a treasure while hunting for mice. And Georgio shares his delectable—and sometimes surprising—recipes. Cat Diaries is a winning companion to Dog Diaries, also by Betsy Byars and her daughters Betsy Duffy and Laurie Myers. With gorgeous black-and-white illustrations by Erik Brooks, animal lovers and reluctant readers will be wooed by the charm, strength, and wit of these feline friends.

George Bean always wants to play on the roof of his apartmentbuilding. But only his older sister Anna can sit there, because she''s writing a roof poem. Anna may be the first Bean to be in a book if the poem wins a contest at school. George decides to write a roof poem too. Soon all the Beans are on the roof writing the roof poems. All except George. He needs some inspiration. How will he get it? From the Trade Paperback edition.

When Herculeah discovers a mysterious letter inside the lining of a secondhand coat, she suspects it''s a desperate cry for help. If so, what happened to the person who wrote it? Herculeah thinks she knows the answer. What she doesn''t know is that someone is watching her-someone who will do anything to keep her quiet.

Madame Rosa, the eccentric local fortune teller, has been murdered, and the only witness is her parrot,Tarot. But he’s not talking. Herculeah Jones thinks she knows who the killer is, but she’s not the only one. . . . Someone else knows—someone who wants to make sure Herculeah won’t be around to see the future.

Sara''s life has always flowed smoothly, like the gliding swans on the lake, until her little brother Charlie disappears. Then Sara is forced to see her life in a whole new way.

Lennie is addicted to television. Even reruns are more exciting than real life, and Lennie likes to pretend he''s the one experiencing the drama. But Lennie''s daydreams lead him into a real situation that could cost him his life—and suddenly he''s in trouble more terrifying and dangerous than anything he''s ever seen on TV. "Byars infuses the story with her special magic. Lennie is a likable, funny, moving, and always entertaining character." –Publishers Weekly

The Golly Sisters, May-May and Rose, share further adventures as they take their traveling show through the West.

Set in the mid-1800s, in the pioneering days of the USA, this story tells of Dewey who fears a full-scale Indian attack and knows that he has to get himself and his grandmother to safety. But their only escape route is the uncharted Trouble River.

You can''t always decide where life will take you--especially when you''re a kid. Carlie knows she''s got no say in what happens to her. Stuck in a foster home with two other kids, Harvey and Thomas J, she''s just a pinball being bounced from bumper to bumper. As soon as you get settled, somebody puts another coin in the machine and off you go again. But against her will and her better judgment, Carlie and the boys become friends. And all three of them start to see that they can take control of their own Iives. Carlie knows she''s got no say in what happens to her. Stuck in a foster home with two other kids, Harvey and Thomas J, she''s just a pinball being bounced from bumper to bumper. As soon as you get settled, somebody puts another coin in the machine and off you go again. But against her will and her beter judgement, Carlie and the boys become friends. And all three of them start to see that they can take control of their own lives.

In the aftermath of a big flood in Alderson County, the Blossom family continues coping in their rare family style.

Summary: A boy is puzzled by the comic and confusing questions of youth and worried by disturbing insights into adult conflicts.

Will tries everything to quiet his crying baby brother.