New Releases by Ellen Potter

Cordelia and Isaac set out to solve a monstrous mystery at the Central Park Zoo in this exciting third installment of the “sweet and silly” (Booklist) Squirlish series perfect for fans of Sophie Mouse and Critter Club! Cordelia is a human girl raised by squirrels in Central Park and well-known among the park’s other critters. When she gets an urgent message summoning her to the Central Park Zoo, Cordelia learns from the sea lions that a monster has been roaming the park grounds—something the size of a bear with glowing eyes! With the help of her best friend, Isaac, Cordelia sets out to trap this mystery creature. They follow a string of questionable leads taking them to a dog park, a parade, and even an encounter with the New York Yankees! But can they find the Central Park Ghost?

"Cordelia, a human girl living with squirrels in Central Park, must protect squirrel Prince Oliver during his quest for the Royal Scepter, but Prince Oliver has other plans and is more interested in finding a shark than a scepter"--

If Nell wants to keep her magic and save her brother, she’ll have to master her spell work and find some way back to the Nigh in this fun and fast-paced sequel to Hither & Nigh, perfect for fans of James Riley and Thirteen Witches! Weeks have passed since Nell Batista and her friends from the Last Chance Club learned how to use magic to access the hidden world of New York City called the Nigh. Weeks since Nell found her missing brother River in the Nigh and was forced to leave him behind. Desperate to find him again, Nell is eager to improve her spell work and get back to the Nigh. Then a visitor shows up at the club with the news that Nell and her friends are all being fast-tracked to become Watchers, magic practitioners tasked with making sure important events unfold the way they are supposed to. Before they can become Watchers, they must all pass three Initiation Trials, armed with tiny powerful creatures from the Nigh called Fates. Nell’s Fates aren’t particularly special, but they’ll have to do, for the costs of failing are steep: not only would she be kicked out of the club and expelled from school, but she would lose all memories of magic—including the Nigh and her brother. Then she gets word that the terrifying Minister is gathering her Magicians in the Nigh to come after both Nell and River. If there were ever a time for Nell to excel at her spell work, it’s now…but can she master her lessons—and muster enough magic—in time?

Cordelia, a young girl raised by squirrels, tries to branch out from her squirrel family and make a human friend, but after stumbling into a gymnastics class she finds social skills are a tough nut to crack.

A human boy and young Sasquatch explore the mysterious woods in this adventure by the author of The Squatchicorns. It's a big day for Hugo, Boone, and the students at the Academy for Curious Squidges (a Squidge is a young Sasquatch). Today's the day they'll get their Bimbling Badge, which allows them to explore the North Woods on their own. But humans, snakes, and sinkholes aren't the only things they have to look out for! The legend of a lizard-like monster lurking in the swamp is enough to spook any young Sasquatch. When Hugo, Boone, and Gigi find themselves stranded in the middle of Ripple Worm River, they discover that there are more mysterious creatures in the North Woods than they'd bargained for. Praise for the Big Foot and Little Foot series "A fun romp with valuable lessons in friendship and forgiveness." — Booklist

*"A sensitive, touching, and sometimes heartbreakingly funny picture of middle school life."--School Library Journal, starred review Outrageously funny and smart, this story of an obese boy who takes on his bullies is as heartwarming as it is clever. Twelve-year-old Owen Birnbaum is the fattest kid in school. But he also invents cool contraptions--like a TV that can show the past--because there is something that happened two years ago which he needs to see if he ever hopes to unravel a dreadful mystery. But inventor or not, there is a lot Owen can't figure out. Like how his Oreos keep disappearing from his lunch. Or why his sister suddenly wants to be called by a boy's name. Or why a diabolical, scar-faced bully at school seems to be on a mission to destroy him. He's sure that if only he can get the TV to work, things will start to make sense. But it will take a revelation, not a cool invention, for Owen to see that the answer is not in the past, but the present. That no matter how large he is on the outside, he doesn't have to feel small on the inside. With her trademark humor, Ellen Potter has created a larger-than-life character and story whose weight is immense when measured in heart. Praise for Slob: A Junior Library Guild Selection! "Potter delicately and confidently delivers a pitch-perfect story of self-worth . . . . This is a book for everyone: smart, devious, overweight, underweight, shy, courageous and everyone in between." --The Children's Book Review

In this tale by the author of The Monster Detector, a Sasquatch and a human boy make a new friend while dealing with a curse and celebrating a birthday. When a tribe of Sasquatches flee from a mysterious curse, they take refuge in Hugo's home, Widdershins Cavern. These new Sasquatches look a bit . . . odd. For example, they all have unicorn horns on their heads! Always open to meeting new creatures, Hugo befriends one of these strange squidges, Nobb. Nobb offers to escort Hugo though the North Woods so that Hugo can attend Boone's birthday party. Having never been inside a Human house, Hugo finds the experience confusing and somewhat disastrous. Just when it looks like Hugo may have ruined Boone's birthday, they set out on a mission to solve the troubling curse in Nobb's cavern. Praise for the Big Foot and Little Foot series "A delightful series about friendship and embracing difference." — School Library Journal

A Sasquatch and a young boy deal with monsters, stereotypes, and cultural misunderstandings in this follow-up to Big Foot and Little Foot. Hugo is a young Sasquatch. Boone is a young boy. After an unlikely encounter, they've become an even unlikelier pair of best friends. After saving up his Monster Card wrappers, Hugo sends away for a special prize in the mail—a Monster Detector! Using the watchlike device, Hugo quickly spots a monster right in his own cavern. Spooked, Hugo heads to school and finds yet another surprise—his friend Boone! Boone announces he wants to go to Sasquatch school, but no human has ever gone before, and not everyone is as happy about it as Hugo. Boone's first day of school gets off to a rocky start, but Hugo doesn't have much time to worry before he makes another monster sighting and takes off after the creature. What follows are even more surprises, ones that have Hugo and Boone rethinking what it really means to be a "monster." "A lovely story of using empathy to work through culture clashes." — Kirkus Reviews

Move over, Junie B. Jones! Piper Green is back in her fourth chapter-book adventure, and it could take her all the way to China. Suitcase? Check. Passport? Check. Magic X-ray vision glasses from the Fairy Tree? Check, check, check! Piper Green’s class is taking a school trip to China—well, they’re taking a “pretend” trip, on a “pretend” airplane. And when all the kids in the class announce they’ve been on a plane plenty of times, Piper says she has, too. After all, it’s just a pretend trip, right? But when Piper gets chosen to be a flight attendant, her little fib suddenly feels like a very big problem. Could the X-ray vision glasses Piper found in the Fairy Tree help her out? “Following in the fine tradition of spunky girls—Ramona, Amber Brown, Judy Moody, Clementine—Piper Green is set to make some friends in the early chapter book world.” —School Library Journal’s 100 Scope Notes “Piper has a winning combination of stubbornness, loyalty, and independence.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Move over Junie B. Jones! Get to know Piper Green as she discovers the ordinary magic right outside her front door. Piper Green is in for another adventure when she finds an unusual whistle hidden inside the Fairy Tree in her front yard. But Piper doesn’t want a whistle... she wants a pony! On a trip with her dad to check the family’s lobster traps, the whistle attracts the attention of an unexpected friend. Could the fairy whistle be working its magic after all? "Following in the fine tradition of spunky girls – Ramona, Amber Brown, Judy Moody, Clementine – Piper Green is set to make some friends in the early chapter book world." —School Library Journal 100 Scope Notes ★ “Skillfully blending humor, pathos, and warmth with an atmospheric setting, Potter has created an honest, empathic slice-of-life story, laced with a touch of magic.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

On an island off the coast of Maine, where children ride lobster boats to school, Piper wants a horse but finds, instead, another object hidden in the red maple tree.

Book two of Ellen Potter’s charming new illustrated early chapter book series set on an island off the coast of Maine, where kids, lobster boats, and a hint of magic are part of everyday life. As far as Piper Green is concerned, the day started out lucky: • Lucky thing #1: Her mom is painting Piper’s bedroom her favorite color. • Lucky thing #2: Piper found a perfect strawberry at breakfast. • Lucky thing #3: Piper lost a tooth. And as everyone knows, tooth + tooth fairy = ka-ching! There’s just one problem. According to her friend Jacob, too much good luck can sometimes equal bad luck. And when Piper gets to school that day, Bad Luck is waiting for her. Will the Fairy Tree in Piper’s front yard be enough to break her unlucky streak?

Otis Dooda's adventures in a New York City apartment building continue as he gets baby carrots jammed up his nose while competing against Sid Frackas for the title of the greatest LEGO genius who ever lived.

The author of "Kneebone Boy" and "The Humming Room" begins a new illustrated chapter-book series featuring nine-year-old Otis Dooda, who moves with his family from a small town to a New York City apartment. There, his life becomes sort-of crazy. Illustrations.

LEARN HOW TO WRITE LIKE THE EXPERTS, FROM THE EXPERTS. In Spilling Ink: A Young Writer's Handbook, you'll find practical advice in a perfect package for young aspiring writers. After receiving letters from fans asking for writing advice,accomplished authors Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter joined together to create this guidebook for young writers. The authors mix inspirational anecdotes with practical guidance on how to find a voice, develop characters and plot, make revisions, and overcome writer's block. Fun writing prompts will help young writers jump-start their own projects, and encouragement throughout will keep them at work.

Olivia Kidney has been through a lot. Being able to communicate with ghosts means never a dull moment? or a normal life. But just when things have calmed down, Olivia?s father insists she enroll at one of the most prestigious arts schools in Manhattan! Yet her school problems take a backseat when Olivia must help her friend Frannie solve an age-old mystery, one that forces her deep underground into the infamous, intricate subway system of New York City. And what awaits her makes ghosts look like child?s play.

What is it with Olivia and ghosts? No matter where Olivia Kidney goes, they follow. even when she and her klutzy handyman father start over in a new brownstone in New York City—owned by the mad, bad, and dangerous Ansel Plover—there is no escape from the weirdness that is Olivia's life. Their new living room is entirely submerged underwater, and Olivia needs a boat to navigate past the bobbing furniture and snapping turtles just to get to her bedroom. Complete strangers show up in the middle of the night to practice bumping into walls! And then, there are the ghosts. The house holds secrets, lots of them—Olivia can feel it. Why, she wonders, was she invited to live there?

Ultra-snobby Clara Frankofile has everything an eleven-year-old girl could want. She’s fabulously wealthy, she lives alone in a penthouse apartment with its own roller coaster, and all of New York City is afraid of her! Each night at the Pish Posh restaurant, she watches the glittery movie actresses and princesses, and decides who is important enough to stay and who she will kick to the sidewalk in disgrace. But Clara’s world is turned upside down when she discovers that a peculiar mystery is happening in the restaurant, right under her upturned nose.With the help of a whip-smart twelveyear- old jewel thief, Clara embarks on a wildly dangerous mission through the streets of New York to solve a 200-hundred-year-old secret.