Most Popular Books by Elise Primavera

After a tangle with a rotten-to-the-core witch, Scarlett Starlett and Simon Greensnout discover that the talking cypress tree was right--love lasts forever.

There’s nothing like a pair of sparkly, shiny, and pretty la-di-da shoes to bring out the Big Cheese in a girl. But Louise’s mother doesn’t quite see it that way. Instead Louise has to wear the dull and drab brown tie shoes she has worn for years. They are practical, Louise’s mother says. They are better in the rain, the shoe salesman says. It doesn’t matter that Louise doesn’t see it that way. Then Louise’s best friend Fern comes to school with shiny new patent leather shoes from Paris with sparkles on the toes! Are the bonds of friendship greater than shoe envy? Only Louise can say…

For seven years, bad luck has followed Ivy around like a dog on a leash. Her father disappeared, her mother is a washed–up beauty–pageant winner, and now Viola and her mother have moved into a raqmshackle house on Gumm Street. Ivy''s new neighbors–bookish Pru, stuck–up Cat, and wannabe adventurer Franny–are worse than unfriendly. But then a mysterious pair of ruby red slippers turn up, and the four girls are swept away...not to OZ, but to the jaw–droppingly strange lands of SPOZ, and SPUDZ, and OOZE, pursued by the fashionably mad Cha–Cha Staccato, who bears a frightening resemblance to a certain wicked witch.... Ages: 8 –12

Lulu was a thumb sucker. She and her thumb were very happy together—in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, Lulu and her thumb were best friends. Despite the urging of her family and the teasing of her friends, Lulu just would not give up her thumb-sucking habit. That is, until one day . . . when Lulu made up her mind to stop. And to help herself and thumb suckers all over the world, Lulu developed a program—one with steps. Twelve steps, to be exact. Join Lulu in her quest to kick the habit as she goes through the steps in this funny and insightful picture book. Told in a light-hearted manner and filled with good humor about a universal and important concern, Thumb Love will be embraced by parents and caregivers alike. This is not an issue book but a story that will resonate with anyone who is—or was—a kid.

Fans of Mary Poppins will love this whimsical tale of a boarding school for children of very busy parents, where an extraordinary headmistress teaches them life lessons about courage, adventure, friendship . . . and the importance of birthday cake. Nestled inside a lighthouse, Great Rapscott School for the Daughters of Busy Parents takes its motto from Amelia Earhart: Adventure is worthwhile in itself. Headmistress Ms. Rapscott couldn’t agree more, but her students, who are shipped to the school in boxes, could use a little convincing. Still, despite their initial reluctance, the students are soon soaring through the sky and getting lost on purpose. In addition to learning what birthday cakes are and how best to approach a bumbershoot tree, the students also manage to learn a little something about strength and bravery. Bestselling author Elise Primavera has created an irresistible, richly illustrated story about finding your way.

“High hopes finally pay off for a horse-loving girl” (Kirkus Reviews) in this charming chapter book from New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Elise Primavera. Ten-year-old Libby Thump loves two things: her dog, Margaret, and horses. She dreams about them, draws them all the time, and more than anything she wants to take lessons and learn to ride. Everyone tells Libby to live up to her potential, but her mother decides to give the lessons to her older sister, Brittany, instead, and Libby can’t believe it. Libby’s mom says Brittany needs the lessons more, to cure her “boy crazy phase.” Then Libby stumbles upon High Hope Farm and meets a horse named Princess who has been put out to pasture. Now Libby can live up to her potential, and so will everyone around her, too. With text and illustrations from Elise Primavera, author of Auntie Claus and Louise the Big Cheese acclaim, this first in a series will appeal to anyone interested in horses—or who knows the value of having a good friend. “The well-written story teaches the gentle lesson that life can be unfair, but persistence and passion ultimately pay off” (School Library Journal).

"In their second term at Great Rapscott School for Girls of Busy Parents, Ms. Rapscott teaches her students that the path to The Top starts at the Bottom of the Barrel and other silly lessons"--

When Chris expresses doubt about the existence of Santa Claus, his older sister Sophie reveals that their aunt is really Santa''s sister and helper and then sends him on a strange journey.

Angelina Neatolini''s wish for a pet, denied by her family on the grounds that pets are too messy, is overheard by a hard-of-hearing ladybug, who fills their tidy new home with assorted pests. By the award-winning author of Auntie Claus.

From New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Elise Primavera comes an imaginative young middle grade fantasy adventure bubbling with wit and whimsy. Marigold Star is destined for greatness. Everyone in Bramblycrumbly thinks so, her parents and pet dragon included. There''s just one problem. Marigold can''t do magic! Then one day she tries a new spell written in a very old book. It''s called the Invis-O-Friend Spell, and it makes Marigold invisible to all but the friend who needs her most. To Marigold''s surprise, the spell works! But now there''s another problem. The spell sent Marigold to the human world. And to return home, she''ll have to befriend a host of human children who are struggling to make friends. Marigold will have to hurry, or the line between her magical world and the human one might crumble until she has no home left to go back to.

When Sophie is cast as the Sugar Plum Fairy in her school''s performance of the Nutcracker, her Auntie Claus forgoes her usual fall business trip and transforms New York City into the North Pole, with some unpleasant consequences.

Louise is determined to get straight As even though she''s stuck with the toughest teacher in the whole school.

Louise, who wants nothing more than to be important, jumps at the chance to attend a charm school run by Claire Eclaire, who is from Paris. Full color.

Horror has never been so absurd. After a bloodcurdling summer at camp, Fred and Anthony are eager to get back to watching horror movies and slacking off at school. But on their first day back, the boys'' plans are dashed by some chilling changes at Sunny Babbling Brook Elementary. Their nicest teachers have been replaced by maniacs, and the cafeteria now serves nothing but organic health food. Then worse, a new kid named Billy Bob Bomzie, son of the infamous Mr. Bomzie, shows up to torment the boys. Right away Fred and Anthony are framed for a rash of weird accidents at school. Clearly Billy Bob is guilty, but the whole school is suddenly in love with him. Not only that, he''s rolling in awards and dough for his hit picture book, which is thirty-two blank pages. How can this be? The boys suspect he is receiving help from some being in the Netherworld in charge of making dreck popular. Now it''s up to Fred and Anthony and their new ally, the Phantom of the Mop Closet, to defeat the dark forces at Sunny Babbling Brook. While they''re at it, maybe they can find the supernatural force to make their own dreck popular and rake in some dough!

When Fred and Anthony are faced with their unfinished history project, they come up with a great idea: pay someone else to do it. There''s just one problem: they have no money. Luckily, they have plenty of schemes for making quick dough. So, after a paralyzing case of writer''s block forces them to abandon careers as best-selling authors, they ride around town on their skateboards, trying to get "old people" to hire them. But Fred and Anthony never imagined that in their quest to avoid work, they would stumble into a portal to the Netherworld, where terrifying (or just plain wacky) encounters with ghosts, monsters, and other paranormal creatures eerily echo the plots of their favorite horror movies . . . We''re launching with two titles and following with one a season thereafter.

When a baked potato–loving lady adopts a dog, she adores him unconditionally—and given the pup''s small, round frame and warm, brown coat she can''t help but call him "Baked Potato"! But what happens when a dog who thinks he''s a baked potato gets lost? Will he find his lady? And more importantly, will he find himself? I''m a Baked Potato! is a fun, bighearted story about the names we''re given, the names we choose, and how both can help us find our way home. Full of heart and laugh-out-loud moments, this story will leave readers giggling—and looking at pets in a whole new way.

Three dotted animals, a frog, duck, and moose, enjoy playing together and form a band, but their friendship is endangered as the fortunes of their band rise and continue to change.