New Releases by Betsy Duffey

''My Hero'' to Be Chosen: Eight finalists will compete tonight for the title My Hero. The winner will wear the coveted gold Hero medal. These brave and courageous dogs will each appear with their nominator who will tell their story. There''s Smiley, who fought a giant bull. Bear used his giant paws to save the life of another dog. Munchkin warned a gardener of a poisonous snake about to strike. Old Dog helped find people buried under rubble after a tornado. Buster pulled a baby carriage out of the path of a careening truck. Blue, who had never been known to bark, used his voice to bring help to his wounded master. Dopey''s constant barking saved the life of a baby left in a sweltering car. Little Bit brought love and companionship to a nursing home resident. In My Dog, My Hero each story is told in the unique, sometimes humorous, but always compelling voice of the person whose life was changed by the heroic action of a very extraordinary dog. Betsy Byars and her daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers have joined forces to create dog stories full of adventure and suspense. Loren Long''s paintings capture the heroic dignity of each of the dogs and heighten the drama of their special stories.

Complete with new beginnings and the promise of happy endings, the Howard Books Spring 2013 Fiction eSampler has an array of debut authors and perennial favorites for you to try out and enjoy. Step back in time with our historical fiction, fall in love with our inspirational romance, and enjoy our contemporary stories. If you would like to learn more about any of our authors or the titles featured, please visit us at HowardBooksOnline.com, follow @Howard_Books, or like us at Facebook.com/HowardBooks and sign up to receive our free monthly e-newsletter to stay informed of all of Howard’s fiction releases. With chapter excerpts from the following Spring 2014 new releases: Sinners and the Sea by Rebecca Kanner Friend Me by John Faubion The Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki The Thief by Stephanie Landsem Healer of Carthage by Lynne Gentry Vow Unbroken by Caryl McAdoo The Shepherd’s Song by Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers Fifteen Minutes by Karen Kingsbury Fearless Hope by Serena Miller Sing for Me by Karen Halvorsen Schreck Fair Play by Deaanne Gist Chateau of Secrets by Melanie Dobson Somebody Like You by Beth K. Vogt Visit HowardBooksOnline.com for more on these and other authors.

Follow the incredible journey of one piece of paper—a copy of Psalm 23—as it travels around the world, linking lives and hearts with its simple but beautiful message. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures… Shortly before a tragic car accident, Kate McConnell wrote down the powerful words of Psalm 23 on a piece of paper for her wayward son. Just before she loses consciousness, Kate wonders if she’s done enough with her life and prays,“Please, let my life count.” Unbeknownst to Kate, her handwritten copy of Psalm 23 soon begins a remarkable journey around the world. From a lonely dry cleaning employee to a soldier wounded in Iraq, to a young Kurdish girl fleeing her country, to a Kenyan runner in the Rome Invitational Marathon, this humble message forever changes the lives of twelve very different people. Eventually, Kate’s paper makes it back to its starting place, and she discovers the unexpected ways that God changes lives, even through the smallest gestures. With beautiful prose evocative of master storyteller Andy Andrews’s The Butterfly Effect, this “intriguing…[and] inspiring read” (RT Book Reviews) will touch your heart and remind you of the ways God works through us to reach beyond what we can imagine.

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.

At the first annual meeting of WOOF--Words Of Our Friends--assorted dogs preserve their heritage by sharing tales of canines throughout history, including Abu, who ruled all of Egypt except for one pesky cat, and Zippy, who simply must find the squeaky toy.

Throughout the year, 12 of Mr. Magro''s students have written about their biggest emergencies and tucked them into The SOS File. Now it''s time to read the stories out loud and try to guess whose contribution has earned extra credit. Illustrations.

"Add this title to your "Recommended Reading for Summer Camp" bibliographies"--School Library Journal Cody''s mom is pulling the plug and sending him off to camp. That means no TV, no video games, no computers-for one whole week! According to his wilderness guide, the first rule of survival is to be prepared. The only thing Cody''s not prepared for is how much fun he''ll have at camp! "Fans of Cody will stay unplugged themselves until the final pages of this fun-filled story." -Booklist

Kelly Sparks is the undisputed gadget champ at Danville School. Then Albert Einstein Jones, an alumnus of Young Inventor''s Camp, joins her class. Kelly could give up the gadget crown gracefully -but she''d much rather let the spitballs and smelly goo fly!

Cody doesn''t have an act for his third grade talent show, so he looks to his parents for inspiration. B&W illustrations.

Middle school student and aspiring author Booker Jones is evicted from his bedroom when his grandfather moves in, creating problems both at home and at school.

Willie and Crow are back at camp. Last year, Willie won the joke contest and was the knock-knock king. Now Crow wants to get him back. But Willie has a secret weapon--or does he? This time Crow takes charge as Willie must solve the clues hidden in knock-knock jokes to get back his secret weapon--a knock-knock joke book.

At summer camp, Willie is king of the knock-knock jokes. That is, until he is challenged by Crow, who claims to be the best at everything. So the campers decide to have a contest, and soon the jokes are flying fast and furious. Who will be the new knock-knock king?

While secretly building a roller coaster in the woods, twelve-year-old Hart tries to come to terms with his parents'' divorce and his mother''s new relationship with a television weatherman.

Evie and Megan find a dog, cat, and rabbit in a temporary animal shelter and try to find them homes before they are put to sleep by the authorities.

"Have a lost pet? We''ll find it! Have a lonely pet? We''ll mind it! Have a hungry pet? We''ll feed it!" When Evie and Megan start their new business, they''re sure they''ll have a terrific response. Then someone leaves four puppies on Evie''s doorstep, and they prove to be a real handful.

George is faced with the task of training his new puppy Lucky.

When Robbie York is marked as a target by a bully at school, he decides that the only way to survive the third grade is by being cool.

Marty Malone is great at math, but finds out that he needs more than just math to tackle third grade problems like PE and making friends.