New Releases by Eve Bunting

"A good introduction to both New England and the joys of nature." —Booklist It''s fall again, and time for Jim and Andy to help their dad run Fred''s Fall Color Tours. The tourists they shuttle around are "Leaf Peepers" and, boy, do those Peepers love to ooh and aah about the dumbest things. Leaves, trees, pumpkins. Bo-o-ring. But this year, even as they poke fun at the Peepers, Jim and Andy can''t help but notice how the leaves floating in the river look like a brilliantly colored island, and how the spiky tree branches seem to sweep the clouds across the night sky. Maybe the Peepers aren''t so silly after all.

After reading in the newspaper that it''s Valentine''s Day, Mr. Goat sets out in search of very special gifts for his first love. But just what would a goat choose as the perfect gifts to show how he feels? Readers will be in for a surprise at Mr. Goat''s nontraditional selections. From acclaimed children''s author Eve Bunting comes a sweet holiday tale sure to warm hearts on Valentine''s Day and every day of the year.

When little brown puppy gives his mother a present, his friends decide to give their mamas presents too.

In early-nineteenth century Scotland, sixteen-year-old Josie, an orphan, is sent to live with an aunt and uncle on the rocky, stormy northwest coast. Everything and everyone in her new surroundings, including her relatives, is sinister, threatening, and mysterious. She''s told that Eli, the young man she''s attracted to, is forbidden to her, but not why. Spirited, curious, and determined, Josie sets out to learn the village''s secrets and discovers evil, fueled by heartless greed, as well as a ghostly presence eager for revenge. An author''s note gives the historical inspiration for this story.

Welcome to Frog and his world. He enjoys nothing better than spending time floating on his pond or visiting with his friends. He appreciates the simpler things in life and would prefer that things stay just the way they are—nice and peaceful. From acclaimed children’s writer Eve Bunting comes a beginning reader series featuring the delightful Frog and his friends Rabbit, Possum, Raccoon, and Squirrel. In Frog Saves the Day Frog and his friends mistakenly think a nearby train is a ferocious dragon and later Frog rescues a friend’s child from danger.

Welcome to Frog and his world. He enjoys nothing better than spending time floating on his pond or visiting with his friends. He appreciates the simpler things in life and would prefer that things stay just the way they are--nice and peaceful. From acclaimed children's writer Eve Bunting comes a beginning reader series featuring the delightful Frog and his friends Rabbit, Possum, Raccoon, and Squirrel. In Outdoor Surprises Frog eagerly joins a singing group, helps Squirrel rescue a baby bird, and provides a voice of reason when his woodland friends are scared by a nighttime story.

When Big Bear outgrows his old boat, he gives it to Little Bear and builds himself a new one--just like it except bigger--until his friends start making suggestions that result in something very different.

Maeve is unnerved when she and her grandfather find a body in the bog in Ballywhinney, Ireland. It turns out to be the body of a young girl who lived more than a thousand years ago. A girl like Maeve, with fair hair, who walked the same fields and picked the same flowers. When archeologists display the mummy at a museum, Maeve wonders: Does the girl mind being displayed in a glass case for all to see? Or does she miss the green meadow where she had lain for so many hundreds of years? Two picture-book masters sensitively capture the layers of thought and feeling arising in the face of an awe-inspiring and mysterious discovery.

"I always knew my father was a pirate and I always knew I wanted to be one, too." At age fifteen, Catherine''s life is about to change. Her mother has just died and Catherine can''t stand the thought of being sent to live with her aunt in Boston. She longs for a life of adventure. After she discovers her father''s secret life as captain of the pirate ship Reprisal, her only thoughts are to join him on the high seas. Catherine imagines a life of sailing the blue waters of the Caribbean, the wind whipping at her back. She''s heard tales of bloodshed and brutality but her father''s ship would never be like that. Catherine convinces her father to let her join him, disguised as a boy. But once the Reprisal sets sail, she finds life aboard a pirate ship is not for the faint of heart. If her secret is uncovered, punishment will be swift and brutal.

Is anybody there? For Marcus Mullen, being a latchkey kid is no bigdeal. Every day after school, he picks up his key from it's hiding place in the oak tree in the yard, and spends the afternoon working on his bike or cooking dinner for his mom and himself. It's been like that ever since his father died, and Marcus has never minded -- until the day his key isn't there. That's noly the begining. Food disapppearing. Clocks and flashlights vanish. Suddenly nothing feels safe and comfortable anymore. Is anybody really there? Marcus knows he has to find out -- ans soon!

Here is a charming picture book about an author''s much anticipated visit to a school — and what happens after she leaves. Third Street School is buzzing with excitement. Author Amanda Drake is coming to visit! The kids have read all her books. They''ve hung a welcome banner in the hall and pinned drawings on the classroom walls. Then the big day arrives! And Amanda Drake is everything the kids hoped she''d be. She reads stories, cuddles the stuffed animals, and tells the kids what it''s like to be a writer. Then one child comes up with an idea: "It would be really cool if you would write a book about your visit to our school." And that''s precisely what Amanda Drake does! Eve Bunting''s happy book, a Society of School Librarians International Honor Book, is written in playful rhyme and illustrated with zest by Suzanne Bloom.

When Miss Goose announces that the library is going to close forever, Raccoon and his friends spring into action. Where will they get the help they need to save their beloved library? In books, of course! This cheery tale from ever-popular author Eve Bunting shows how important libraries are to every community. Facing a dilemma that is all too common in our human world today, the adorable animal denizens of Buttercup Meadow confront it with an inspiring blend of ingenuity, teamwork, and imagination. Bright, playful illustrations enhance the light treatment of this serious subject, in a story that celebrates the value of books in everyone’s lives.

Everyone in the family, and all the neighbors, too, are getting the house and garden ready for the birth of this highly anticipated child. The baby''s room is painted with rainbows and stars, special furniture is made and bought, a kite is made, local children create a welcome banner. It feels as if the entire world is waiting just for this one special baby to be born. And when it is born, the parents make this very, very clear: We loved you even before you were born...and we always will.

Twins are a double blessing. Brindle Cow is having a baby! All the delightful characters from Eve Bunting’s The Wedding are back to celebrate the happy event, along with some adorable new characters. Don’t miss the exuberant—and numerous—baby rabbits. Judy Love’s illustrations are packed with humorous details as the group of devoted friends show off their gifts and travel to Brindle Cow’s baby shower. But when the friends arrive to greet the new baby—surprise! surprise!—it’s twins.

Every time his family gets excited over something Baby James can do, big brother Shane demonstrates that he can do even better, from burping to rolling over to walking.

The boy has been waiting for this day for many months. It''s the day his daddy comes home from overseas. He jumps out of bed and gets ready for the big event. But before going downstairs for breakfast, he takes along something very important: his red balloon. There will be many families and loved ones at the pier. The red balloon will help his father find him among the crowd. But as the ship approaches, the boy loses his grip on the red balloon. Will his daddy find him in the crowd?

Kidnapped. Injected with a shrinking formula. Held prisoner in a bizarre dollhouse. Kyle Wilson, once a regular kid, is now the size of a doll, but still alive. He is the fourth Lambkin in crazy Mrs. Shepherd''s collection. She''ll keep them safe, she says. She loves them like her own children, she says. She would never harm them ... as long as they don''t make her angry. John made her angry. Look what happened to him. One thing is certain. Kyle and the others must figure out how to escape, and fast. Otherwise they''ll end up as Lambkins forever ... or worse.

A boy discovers how many wonderful things he can fit in his backpack.

Francisco, a young Mexican-American boy, helps his grandfather find work as a gardener, even though the old man cannot speak English and knows nothing about gardening.

For one family the traditional Hanukkah celebration has a deeper meaning. Amidst the food and the festivities, Grandma and Great-Aunt Rose begin their story -- the one they tell each year. They pass on to each generation a tale of perseverance during the darkest hours of the Holocaust, and the strength it took to continue to honor Hanukkah in the only way they could. Their story reaffirms the values of tradition and family, but also shows us that by continuing to honor the tragedies and the triumphs of the past there will always be hope for the future.

For one energetic three-year-old, there are countless reasons to love his new big boy bed. There’s room now for Teddy to sleep with him, and his painted clay lizard, and Hippo. He can go under the bed and pretend to be a dog and scare his cat, Whiskers. Best of all, he can get out of his bed any time he wants—as long as his parents don’t hear him! Written with warmth and humor, this story captures the feelings surrounding a rite of passage that every child experiences. Eve Bunting’s simple, reassuring text and Maggie Smith’s bright, lively illustrations are just right for beginning readers and listeners.

Little Bear loves his little boat. He rows it around Huckleberry Lake, fishing and dreaming. But then Little Bear begins to grow and grow, until one day he doesn’t fit in his little boat anymore! All children who experience growing pains will appreciate Little Bear’s predicament. And they will smile with satisfaction as the solution to his problem unfolds in simple, lyrical words and charming pictures from two award-winning picture-book creators.

A boy standing with his father on the shore watches five Orca whales and imagines them talking underwater in their star-dance light while the bubbles bubble up.

In a California garden on a rainy night, Cricket feels small and worthless. He hops up some steps and finds himself in a place filled with light and warmth and a tall, sparkling tree. He begins to sing but is scared into silence by two voices, one big and one small. It is then that he makes a marvelous discovery. Eve Bunting’s text is filled with her customary tenderness and charm, and Timothy Bush has captured its mood in his luminous illustrations. Together they create a memorable holiday book about a cricket who discovers that though he may be small, he is not insignificant.

As summer ends and they get ready to go back to school, two young girls try to deal with the news that the grandparents they love are getting a divorce.

Thirteen-year-old Brodie Lynch was ready for the perfect summer of adventure along the awesome Blackwater River. That was before everything changed forever. When a harmless prank goes too far, the unthinkable happens. Brodie's lies make him a hero, but inside, his guilt tears at him like the treacherous current of the Blackwater itself, which has become a horrifying reminder of his part in the tragedy. In this gripping new coming-of-age novel, a young boy is faced with a choice between right and wrong and ultimately learns that truth can offer hope in even the darkest moments. 01-02 Golden Sower Award Masterlist (YA Cat.) 2000 Quick Picks for Young Adults (Recomm. Books for Reluctant Young Readers)

A young girl hopes to find her mother as she rides an Orphan Train to find a new life out west in "this finely crafted, heart-wrenching story" ( Publishers Weekly, starred review). Marianne, heading west with fourteen other children on an Orphan Train, is sure her mother will show up at one of the stations along the way. When her mother left Marianne at the orphanage, hadn''t she promised she''d come for her after making a new life in the West? Stop after stop goes by, and there''s no sign of her mother in the crowds that come to look over the children. No one shows any interest in adopting shy, plain Marianne, either. But that''s all right: She has to be free for her mother to claim her. Then the train pulls into its final stop, a town called Somewhere . . . An American Library Association, Notable Children''s Book ALA Booklist Editor''s Choice Jefferson Cup Award Honor Book

My father cuts a moon-counting stick that he keeps in our tipi. At the rising of the first moon he makes a notch in it. "A new beginning for the young buffalo," he says. "And for us." In this beautifully written story by acclaimed author Eve Bunting, a young boy comes of age under the thirteen moons of the Sioux year. With each notch in his father's moon-counting stick, the boy marvels at the world around him, observing the sometimes subtle, sometimes remarkable changes in the seasons and in his own tribe's way of living. With rich and carefully researched paintings by artist John Sandford, Moonstick: The Seasons of the Sioux is a glorious picture book about one boy's journey toward manhood.

A homeless family''s luck changes after they help an old woman who has even less than they do at Christmas.

In a letter to the Wish Fairy, Annabel reveals that if she had five wishes she would ask for a cat, a dog, a horse, a pig, and a crow.