Best Selling Books by Charise Mericle Harper

One day Little Green rolls into town and says his first word: "Go!" The town is building a bridge, and now everyone has a job to do, from dump truck to forklift. Little Green helps them do their jobs with gusto. Until . . . there is a little too much gusto. They can go, go, go . . . but how will they stop? This bright, fun book with a bold package captures the endless energy of little boys and the timeless appeal of trucks and machines--both for building and knocking down. Plus, it has an underlying message about working together to get things done.

In this chapter book for young readers, June is thrilled to get a new neighbor: Mae! Soon the two of them are best friends and are having adventures determined by the Wonder Wheel that they spin each morning. Whether it’s pretending to be a dog for a day or collecting things that are blue, the girls never know what each day will bring. Also, June has a secret: her dog Sammy can talk, but only she can hear him. Will her new best friend believe her if she tells her?

Finnigan, a Secret Service squirrel in training, reports on the unusual activities in the apartment building across from his park.

The Power of Cute features lift-the-flaps, pull-tabs, and simple pop-ups and is told in a young graphic novel style. A hilariously dressed monster confronts a superhero baby and is very miffed that he is not scaring the baby. And why isn''t the baby scared? Because the baby has a superpower--the power of cute--and, through this superpower, transforms the scary monster into a cute baby monster. This funny story also addresses children''s fears and provides a morale-building solution to confronting them.

For little girls who love Ladybug Girl and Fancy Nancy, here’s the perfect story to share on any day you’re filled with love! “Today I am Superlove! There will be love, a wedding, and happily ever after.” So begins the day of one young girl who decides to stage a wedding between her stuffed animal, Mr. Mittens, and Pinky—her cat. Pinky is less than thrilled with the idea, even when Superlove dresses up as the flower girl and arranges some practice weddings between her other stuffed animals. Will Superlove get Pinky out of the tree in time to be the blushing bride? Or will she come up with another way to save the day?

In The Adventures of Wedgieman: A Hero Is Born, young reader can read and listen along as they follow Veggiebaby from his humble beginnings on his journey to becoming Veggieman. Um, make that Wedgieman, since that''s what the kids in the neighborhood all call him. Let''s face it—children aren''t the best spellers and, well, wedgies are a lot cooler than veggies! But it''s not all cauliflower and carrot sticks—Wedgieman has to fight some pretty bad dudes in his work as a superhero, yet the one battle he can''t seem to win is the one over his superhero name. Brought vividly to life by Bob Shea''s graphic and stylish illustrations, The Adventures of Wedgieman blends Charise Mericle Harper''s outlandish humor with tongue-in-cheek action that will delight young readers. The Adventures of Wedgieman: A Hero Is Born is the first book in the series, and two more are on the way! This ebook includes Read & Listen audio narration.

Using simple text and cartoon-style illustrations, Charise Mericle Harper introduces young readers to a new graphic novel series, Bean Dog and Nugget.These two engaging characters capture young kids'' actions, reactions, conversations, imagination, and humor with spot-on accuracy. Kids will want to follow Bean Dog and Nugget and their adventures in each and every book in the series. In The Ball, the first book in this series, Bean Dog and Nugget lose Bean Dog''s shiny new ball in a bush. They dream up elaborate and silly ways to get it back while they argue about who is actually going to go and get it. Enter Superdog and Ninja Nugget for a hilarious ending that kids will love and relate to.

After calling her friend "big pink baby, " Charlotte, a young alligator, feels terrible until Grandpa tells her about a useful way to learn from her mistakes.

For pink-obsessed Violet Bunny, attending the Pink Girls Pink-nic and Tea Party with her mama is the best day of the year-you should see her outfit! It''s always been girls-only, and pink-pink-pink. But when Mama wakes up with pink spots, the day seems ruined-until Daddy steps in to take her place. But Daddy is a boy, and not at all pink. What to do? Why, pink him up, of course. And with stickers, glitter, ribbons, and tape, the pink-nic becomes a daddy-daughter outing, and Violet''s pinked-up daddy is the hit of the party. Violet realizes she can pink up anything-and she will! Here''s a bunny-funny, sweet offering sure to please daughters and parents.

Presents a series of comparisons, such as "Big, " "Not so Big" and "Tasty, " "Not so Tasty" successive pages.

IT’S TIME FOR BED, and Leo must get out of his pirate costume and into his pjs, and as he removes each item of clothing, Leo fondly says good night. (“Good night, green bandana . . . Good night, red and white shirt . . .”) Meanwhile, his friend Teddy has other plans as he gets ready for a swashbuckling nighttime adventure. Young readers will love seeing Leo transform from pirate to sleepy-head with a cute surprise ending. This charming good-night book also teaches colors and object identification.

MOST OF THE TIME, Randolph is very, very nice. But when his friend Ivy gets invited to a really great sleepover birthday party and he doesn''t, Randolph feels a little left out, and sad, and mad. And then he goes a little crazy! Will he ever turn back to the nice friend he once was? We hope so! This nutty friendship story recognizes that even best friends aren''t always good friends (sometimes they can be downright rotten!). Kids'' squirmier feelings are conveyed with good humor and empathy in this reassuring tale about the icky feelings we all have, even though we are mostly very, very nice.

This middle grade graphic memoir by Charise Mericle Harper, featuring illustrations by Rory Lucey, follows a young girl who undergoes a crisis of conscience, realizing that she is a “bad sister.” Meet Charise. She’s energetic, helpful, a model pet owner and full of inventions. But she’s also a bad sister. When she goes too far and breaks little brother Daniel’s tooth, can she redeem herself? Is an accident really an accident if you could have stopped it? But most importantly... What does it mean to be a good sister?

Bad Dude, who we met in Wedgieman to the Rescue, is up to no good again. This time, he''s using his evil Powerful Ordinary-Object Phaser (also known as POOP) to change the size of things. He''s created giant bees and giant bunnies who wind up terrorizing him until Wedgieman saves the day and puts the giant phaser out of commission—but not before Wedgieman creates a Giant Carrot Wedgie for the neighborhood kids there are giant carrots for everyone! Beginning readers (and their caregivers) will howl with delight over the ka-pow! humor and blam! illustrations.

What if everything were just like boys? If shopping carts were like boys . . . grocery stores would be racetracks! If pillows were like boys . . . bedrooms would be superhero hideouts! Perfect for bedtime, this funny and tender celebration of boyhood will have everyone seeing their world in a whole new way.

A fun new boy has just moved in next door to Grace’s best friend, Mimi. When Grace has to go away on a family trip during school, she is terrified that when she comes back Mimi will be best friends with Max instead! After her trip, not only does it seem her fear has come true, but Mimi is even friends with the disgusting Sammy. Now Just Grace has to team up with two other Graces in her third-grade class for a school project, including the Big Meanie.

Fresh, innovative, and loaded with laugh-out-loud wit and humor, Just Grace is a series that stands out from the pack, just like Grace herself. Author Charise Harper weaves together distinctive, quirky illustrations and vibrant characters in fast-paced stories that capture familiar school and family situations that every young girl can relate to in a truly authentic voice. Artist, comedian, animal-lover, environmentalist, cook, sister, good friend —Grace is the quintessential 3rd grader… just a little bit… different. In this eighth addition to the series—Grace has major problems. Her neighbor is getting married and she has to get over her disappointment at not being chosen for a flower girl, not to mention figure out what to give as a wedding present! But with a touch of girl power, Grace musters up a fantastic idea that takes a lot of planning and a little help from all of her friends; her dog, Mr. Scruffers; and Crinkles the cat. Will her plan go off without a hitch on wedding day?

A zesty series for fans of kids'' cooking competitions! It''s “lights, camera, cook!” for four tween contestants—energetic Tate, charming Rae, worldly Caroline, and hyper-competitive Oliver—who are all about to enter a televised cooking competition. What will the kids cook up? How will they all get along on- and off-camera? Which junior chef will have the grit—and maybe the grits—to make it through each challenge? And which junior chef will have to hang their apron up for good? Bonus: Includes real cooking techniques for the aspiring young chef!

Henry (and his heart) are perfectly happy playing indoors. But Henry''s mom encourages him to go for a walk outside. Soon, Henry''s heart starts beating faster. Is Henry riding a rollercoaster? Is he doing jumping jacks? What could be making Henry''s heart beat faster? In this engaging, informative story, children learn about the many ways the heart functions within the body, and how what we see, hear, and feel can directly affect our heart rate (like falling in love with a puppy!). Henry''s Heart leads him to the best gift ever—woof woof!

Dreamer, Wisher, Liar is a heartwarming story about one girl''s transformative summer full of friendship, secret magic, and family. Fans of Rebecca Stead will enjoy Charise Mericle Harper''s funny and poignant novel. When her best friend is moving away and her mom has arranged for some strange little girl to come and stay with them, Ash—who is petrified of change and new people—is expecting the worst summer of her life. Then seven-year-old Claire shows up. Armed with a love of thrift-store clothes and an altogether too-sunny disposition, Claire proceeds to turn Ash''s carefully constructed life upside down. While every part of Ash''s life seems to be disrupted, she must protect a carefully hidden secret: She has discovered a magical jar in her basement. It''s a wish jar, full of someone''s old wishes—and it has the power to send her back in time and provide a window into another friendship between two girls. Discovering her own connection to the girls'' story shows Ash that her life is full of surprises and friends she never saw coming.

This black-and-white coloring book features 62 original pieces of unique doodle artwork, each with an encouraging quote for everyday inspiration and a touch of humor make this a fresh addition to the popular genre. Each page is perforated, making it easy to frame and display the finished art work. A Christy Ottaviano Book

"When Morgan and Lewis receive a cryptic letter and a key from Mr. Lee, they get to see more of his life-like costume creations. Robots, aliens, and Sasquatches abound and the big question through it all is--what''s real and what''s pretending to be real?"-

When Emily receives a pack of note cards labeled "Flashcards of My Life" as an unexpected birthday present, she uses them as inspiration to journal and to untangle her knotted life. Includes illustrations by the author.

Three hilarious misadventures starring the third-grade girl who’s “a hero through and through,” from the author of theNext Best Junior Chef books (Booklist, starred review). Meet third-grader Grace Stewart, who gets stuck with the name “Just Grace” when she tries to distinguish herself from the three other Graces in her class. Grace is plenty different, though. She has a “teeny-tiny superpower,” for instance—she can tell if someone is unhappy and often tries to fix it. But sometimes her good intentions backfire . . . Join Just Grace as she deals with a missing cat, a new neighbor, and more in this delightfully funny three-book collection including Just Grace, Still Just Grace, Just Grace Walks the Dog. Praise for the Just Grace series “The kids come alive in the story, and Harper . . . enhances the comical goings-on with sparkling cartoon sketches. Equally delightful is the wry voice of energetic Just Grace, who never misses an opportunity to point out the injustices life has dealt her.”—Booklist (starred review) “Fans of Amber Brown, Clementine, and Judy Moody will love her.”—School Library Journal “Her casual language, cheeky attitude and punchy delivery are spot-on.”—Bookpage “Grace’s cartoon illustrations and charts enliven the conversational, first-person text.”—Kirkus Reviews “Girls who are settling into chapter book series featuring Clementine and Judy Moody will love the fast pace and familiar school and family situations . . . Harper’s sketches add interest and break up the text, leaving the new reader time to pause and smile.”—Horn Book

Grace can do a lot of things...but can she save the planet???? Or at the very least, can she help her best friend Mimi get her favorite stuffed animal back? Lots of exciting things are happening to Grace and her friends. Most exciting of all, Mimi''s older cousin Gwen is coming to stay with Mimi, and Miss Lois''s class is GOING GREEN! For their "green" project, Grace and Mimi aim to inspire their friends and classmates to conserve plastic bottles. But a far more important issue is that Gwen has taken a strong liking to Mimi''s favorite stuffed toy, Willoughby. Just Grace uses her empathy superpower to figure out ways to make her best friend feel better, and she makes a difference for the environment too. Yard sales, toy owls, decorated plastic water bottles, flaming onion rings, and a very entrepreneurial Sammy Stringer make this another winning entry in the JUST GRACE series.

Following his debut in Wedgieman: A Hero Is Born, our superhero continues on his mission to get children to eat their vegetables. Until he meets Bad Dude and his secret inventions, that is. Bad Dude has a plan; it''s a bad plan. He wants to use his Make-Things-Disappear Machine to zap the playground and make it dematerialize—and then force all the children to work in the Bad Dude Factory! But have no fear, Wedgieman comes to the rescue and saves the day—and develops a new wedgie in the process that''s called The Celery! Beginning readers (and their caregivers) will howl with delight over the ka-pow! humor and blam! illustrations. This ebook contains Read & Listen audio narration.

Fashion Kitty is experiencing a bit of a slump. Lately, there haven''t been as many fashion emergencies to solve. But when the principal of her school makes a new rule that everyone has to wear boring school unforms, Fashion Kitty will finally be able to put her fashion talents to use. But what if some kitties don''t want her help?

The second week of Next Best Junior Chef features family and traditions, as Caroline, Oliver, and Rae, ages eleven to twelve, face more challenges and another elimination.

There was a bold lady who wanted a star, I don''t know why she wanted a star, it seemed too far... In this funny, clever adaptation of the classic song "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," Charise Mericle Harper takes readers on a wacky journey as a feisty, bold lady tries everything from skates, to a bike, to a car to reach a star. Children will love poring over all the details in Harper''s magical illustrations.

In this sixth installment in the Just Grace series, Grace and Mimi have a secret . . . Mimi is going to be a big sister. Then when Lily, a visiting four year old, turns into the Terrible Tutu, Grace can''t escape her, and Mimi can''t wait to be with her. Using all her empathy powers Grace shows Lily and Mimi the creative path towards a new friendship.

One day your prince will come...or so Princess Patty was told. But he''s taking too long, and she''s tired of waiting; so with Miss Loverpuff (her pet starfish) in tow, Patty sets off to find her own happily-ever-after. Follow along with word-for-word narration as Princess Patty meets a prince who places leftover peas under the bed, and another who can''t tell the difference between catching dragons and dragon flies! Will she ever meet the right Prince Charming? In this delightful picture book, Charise Mericle Harper uses her vivid, energetic style to bring this smart princess''s journey to life.

Written in verse and filled with full-color illustrations drawn by the author, this book invites young readers inside the minds of great inventors, encouraging them to think imaginatively as it offers the origins of items such as roller skates, potato chips, eyeglasses, the vacuum cleaner, and more.

Grace has lots of new and exciting things to share in the latest addition to the Just Grace series! There''s a new crossing guard in town named Marie who needs a bit of help making friends, a fun substitute teacher for Miss Lois, and most exciting, Grace and Mimi are going to have their own table at the craft fair! They are going to make lots of crafts to sell—and hopefully save up enough money to go to the county fair. There is one small problem, though - Mimi is a sewing natural, but when it comes to crafting, Grace doesn''t know what to make. Leave it to Grace to come up with a great idea for the fair that is a big success, and even helps the new crossing guard find a friend.

In the eleventh installment in the Just Grace series, Just Grace gets an invitation to a super sleepover!

Everyone’s favorite Grace is back. And this time she has a dog. Unfortunately, he’s only made of cardboard and rides a skate board. Grace is determined though to prove to her parents that she is responsible and dependable enough to get a real dog. Things you learn in this book: 1. Sometimes it is okay to be sneaky if you don’t get caught. 2. How to do flashlight Morse code. 3. What happened at school that was exciting: nothing. 4. How it feels to walk into your class after going to the principal’s office! 5. Many other things, but most important, how to convince your parents to MAYBE let you get a dog. A real one, not one made of cardboard.

It''s hard to believe, but Fashion Kitty is in danger, who is the villian? Is it a jealous kitty? Is it a boy kitty? Is it an inventor kitty? Is it a kitty full of trouble? Yes! Yes! Yes! And Yes! Sometimes even a superhero needs a helping paw. Lucky for Fashion Kitty, she''s not the only hero in town.

The girl “who should easily find a place in the pantheon of precocious third graders” returns! From the author of the Next Best Junior Chef books (School Library Journal). In this seventh installment in the Just Grace series, any day now Grace’s best friend in the whole world, Mimi, is going to be getting a brand-new sister. Grace is really excited, plus nervous, plus worried, plus happy all mixed together. But both Grace and Mimi are in for a surprise when they find out that Mimi’s family is not adopting a brand-new sister—and instead she is getting a brand-new brother. (Oh, brother!) And to heighten the excitement even further, Grace is in for another big surprise! Praise for the Just Grace series “The kids come alive in the story, and Harper . . . enhances the comical goings-on with sparkling cartoon sketches. Equally delightful is the wry voice of energetic Just Grace, who never misses an opportunity to point out the injustices life has dealt her. She’s a hero through and through.”—Booklist (starred review) “Fans of Amber Brown, Clementine, and Judy Moody will love her.”—School Library Journal “Her casual language, cheeky attitude and punchy delivery are spot-on.”—Bookpage “Grace’s cartoon illustrations and charts enliven the conversational, first-person text.”—Kirkus Reviews “Girls who are settling into chapter book series featuring Clementine and Judy Moody will love the fast pace and familiar school and family situations . . . Harper’s sketches add interest and break up the text, leaving the new reader time to pause and smile.”—Horn Book