Most Popular Books by Dan Elish

Daphna Whispers is insanely gifted. At age two and a half, she composed her first sonata. At age eight, she completed an opera. And now, at eleven and three-quarters, she is orchestrating a piano rhapsody. With a résumé like that, it''s no wonder she is a student at the prestigious Blatt School for the Insanely Gifted. But as sixth grade draws to a close, Daphna''s mind is far from the upcoming "Insanity Cup" competition. She''s preoccupied by her mother''s disappearance two months ago. When a mysterious man breaks into Daphna''s small New York apartment, Daphna discovers that her mother''s disappearance wasn''t a random accident. Her mother knew something—and now somebody is after Daphna. What starts out as a simple fact-finding trip to the basement with her friends spirals into an international expedition. And while Daphna hopes to uncover the secret of her mother''s disappearance on her global trek, the last thing she expects to uncover is an outrageous secret about the Blatt School. And one insanely shocking secret about herself.

The novel based on the groundbreaking musical by Jason Robert Brown and Dan Elish, 13, a story about friendship, fitting in, and what it means to turn thirteen. Now a movie-musical streaming on Netflix! “No one said becoming a man was easy." Evan didn’t expect relevant life advice from Rabbi Weiner, who looks so old that he must have gone to yeshiva with Moses. But wondering what it means to become a man is the least of Evan’s problems. After being uprooted right before his thirteen birthday from New York City to Appleton, Indiana, he’s more focused on using this fresh start to find the right friends to invite to his bar mitzvah. Because this is his chance to get in with the popular kids—the cool football players and pretty cheerleaders. But it’s the weird kids who welcome him, like his nerdy neighbor Patrice and Archie, whose crutches and muscular dystrophy make him an easy target for bullying. Evan doesn’t want to be laughed at for being different. He can pretend to be like the cool kids; he’s sure he can. But if you spend all your time pretending to be someone else, who do you become? In this story of acceptance and friendship, Evan prepares for his bar mitzvah, grapples with his father’s affair, and learns from his rabbi, all the while presented with various images of what it means to be a man. While he struggles to fit in with the popular boys at school, he eventually learns that being cool is not as important as being a good friend—and a good person. With relatable humor and accessible language, and at a consumable length, this book is perfect for all tweens and especially boys looking for a relatable read. Netflix has announced an adaptation of the Broadway musical that inspired 13: A Novel. Jason Robert Brown will be returning to compose new music for the show, and the cast includes Rhea Perlman, Josh Peck, Debra Messing, and Peter Hermann.

For eleven years in a row, John Applefeller has entered his highly original apple desserts in The Worldwide Dessert Contest. And every year hes watched his delectable treats turn into disasters while the evil Sylvester Sweet wins first prize. But this year, when Johns greatest creation, the worlds largest pancake, flops, he and his sidekicks decide to seek help from the king of dessert chefs, the magical Captain B. Rollie Ragoon.

Meet Justin Hearnfeld, a young man just out of college who would love to lose fifteen pounds and grow three inches taller but otherwise isn''t sure what he wants out of life. Seemingly directionless, he takes a job as a high school teacher at the Clarke School for Boys, the private school he attended--and hated--as a teenager. There, Justin commits himself to finding the girl of his dreams. And there are so many possibilities. The girl who teaches in his department, the girl he dated in college, and that new girl who works at Clarke''s sister school--all possibilities, but all with their own uniquely humorous frustrations. Also frustrating are Justin''s problematic family and the rambunctious students who draw on too much of his time for all the wrong reasons. Something had better go rights for Justin soon, otherwise the bizarre and embarrassing misadventures that seem to plague his life are going to get the better of him. In this funny and heartfelt coming-of-age novel, Justin takes his lumps one after another on his way to discovering who he is and the true meaning of love.

Frozen woodchucks are attacking the galaxy! But they''re no match for Jimmy and his crew of space travelers . . . or are they? Meet our heroes: Jimmy Weathers An average fifth grader living in New York City who never suspected that the fate of the world would be resting squarely on his ten-year-old shoulders. William H. Taft V Jimmy''s best friend—the great-great-great-great-nephew of the fattest man who was ever president. Janice Claytooth A ten-year-old rocket scientist whose bestselling book Light Speed and You has sold only one copy on earth but millions throughout the galaxy. Imogene Weathers A feisty two-year-old inventor with a penchant for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Will this unlikely quartet discover the mastermind behind the frozen woodchuck attacks before it''s too late?

Henry Mann is a 32-year-old bachelor who has spent the last few years watching everyone he knows get married. After the most recent wedding, where an intoxicated Henry proposes to no less than three women (including the rabbi), it dawns on him that being single isn''t that much fun after all. " Nine Wives is an inventive, original, funny, and big-hearted novel, a book I will recommend to anyone interested in good fiction."--Tim O''Brien, National Book Award-winning author of July, July "Dan Elish has written an extremely funny book."—Jay Parini, author of The Apprentice Lover "Dan Elish has created a Portnoy for the 21st century."—David Eddie, author of Chump Change "Henry Mann wages battle between the real world and the imagined one with equal parts goofiness and suaveness. A very charming novel."—Antonya Nelson, author of Female Trouble "Enough to put Bridget Jones to shame."—Helen Schulman, author of P.S. "In a world where Sex and the City and Bergdorff Blondes tell us what we think we need to know about relationships, Elish has created a world far more real without stinting on the wit, insight, or hilarity."—Jonathan Rabb, author of The Book of Q "Dan Elish at last shows women what lurks within the minds of men."—Helen Ellis, author of Eating the Cheshire Cat "I read Nine Wives while Dan and I were dating. I didn''t speak to him for a week, but I married him anyway."—Andrea Elish

New York State has long been the first stop for immigrants from Europe and other parts of the world. Many choose to stay, giving New York one of the largest and most diverse populations in the nation. Readers will explore New York''s diverse geography; the history of immigration, manufacturing, and finance; and the combination of people, art, and ingenuity that makes the Empire State one of the most iconic places in the world.

Presents a biography of Chester A. Arthur

"An examination of the life and accomplishments of the famed explorer from New Zealand who was one of the first to scale Mount Everest"--Provided by publisher.

This book provides comprehensive information on the geography, history, governmental structure, economy, cultural diversity, and landmarks of Colorado. The state''s song is included.

Surveys the geography, history, government, customs, and people of the state of Vermont.

A comprehensive look at President James Madison within the historical and cultural context of his times.

"This series provides comprehensive information on the presidents of the United States and places each within his historical and cultural context. It also explores the formative events of his times and how he respond"--Provided by publisher.

Describes the events leading up to the 1919 World Series and how eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of deliberatly losing the game.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt is one of the United States'' most influential presidents. His untiring service to the nation during the Great Depression and World War II brought hope and promise to many Americans. Franklin Delano Roosevelt explores the life of this American hero, as well as the difficult times in which he served as the thirty-second president of the United States. Book jacket.

In the Craft of Writing series, aspiring writers will discover that-like carpentry, computer programming, or calculus, but often infinitely more fun-writing is a craft that anyone can learn. Talent helps, but persistence and following some basic rules of the trade are crucial. from fiction to journalism, with playwriting, screenwriting, and poetry in between, readers will learn about the history of the art form as well as getting practical tips on how to go about writing and selling their work. Each book has a chapter full of exercises for the aspiring writer, and all of the books in this series are written by professionals in the field.

Discusses the main concerns of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, and how those have evolved since; what''s changed for the better, what might be worse, and where do we go from here.

On-point historical photographs combined with strong narration bring the story of the raid that captured bin Laden to life. Kids will feel as though they are in the room with President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the others in the cabinet who called for and monitored the raid. Primary source quotations make the event feel immediate, and photographs by the White House photographer add to the immediacy, and the understanding of the risks and dangers posed by the ultimately successful mission.

Thirteen-year-old Matt is so envious of his best friend Keith that he wishes things would go badly for him, and when Keith''s fortune changes while at the same time Matt finds his first true girlfriend, Matt is overcome with guilt.