Best Selling Books by Helen Ketteman

A girl waits impatiently as she and her father prepare a surprise birthday party for her mother.

AV2 Fiction Readalong by Weigl brings you timeless tales of mystery, suspense, adventure, and the lessons learned while growing up. These celebrated children’s stories are sure to entertain and educate while captivating even the most reluctant readers. Log on to www.av2books.com, and enter the unique book code found on page 2 of this book to unlock an extra dimension to these beloved tales. Hear the story come to life as you read along in your own book.

Originally published: Morton Grove, Ill.: Albert Whitman, 2009.

Originally published: Morton Grove, Ill.: Albert Whitman, 2004.

"Published in 2014 by Albert Whitman & Company."(9780807578506)--Copyright page.

When Gator starts tappin his toes, all the swamp animals sing to his beat

A Tex-Mex retelling of The Little Gingerbread Man, Senorita Gordita tells the tale of its titular character as she runs through the desert, boasting and fleeing from spiders, lizards, and other desert creatures.

Times sure are tough on the ranch, and Waynetta and her ma can use all the luck they can get. But when Waynetta trades their last longhorn for a handful of so-called magic corn, Ma is non too pleased. A fast-paced Texas retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk featuring a girl hero.

Little Bear learns that if he becomes sick, Mama Bear will nurse him, and a variety of zoo animals, back to health.

From the author of the popular Goodnight, Little Monster and a character designer for Pixar films comes a delightful rhyming romp through an old haunted house. Vibrantly painted illustrations lead three children through the house, where new creatures await in each room. Readers can count along as they see Pa goblin and his wee goblins four and witches and ghosts, and so many more. Just the right blend of spooky fun, this book is a can''t-miss treat for Halloween.

Too poor to buy the latest fashion, Aunt Hilarity tries to make her own bustle several times, with disastrous results.

Old Maynard Jenkins tells about the terrible blizzard that occurred one Christmas when he was a boy, when the weather was so cold in Lizzard, Indiana, that Santa Claus moved his workshop there and it snowed for two weeks straight. Reprint. AB. C. SLJ.

Loosely based on "Cinderella, " this story is set in Texas, the fairy godmother is a cow, and the hero, named Bubba, is the stepson of a wicked rancher.

An eager child finds that it takes time and patience to make friends with Grandma''s cat.

When her town hosts a Fourth of July cake competition, Donna Rae tries to bake the best cake ever, but with every patriotic confection she makes, something goes wrong.

After saving to buy a baseball glove, a young farm boy takes a memorable trip to town with his father.

After Papa''s death, Mama and her five children can barely make ends meet, yet she still finds the time to embroider a special dress for Yvette''s graduation.

Rhyming text describes a mother guiding her young monster through bedtime preparations, such as howling at the moon, snacking on worm juice and beetle bread, and choosing a bedtime story.

Little Monster''s nervous about his first day of school, but his teacher Mr. Drool and the other monsters put him at ease.

What happens when a heat wave descends on the family farm? Why, the corn stalks turn into popcorn in the fields, flowers pluck themselves and hide under the porch, and the cows jump so much from the hot air that they churn their own milk into butter, that''s what! In this delightful tall tale, illustrated by Scott Goto (Shooting Star, Shoeshine Whittaker), a young girl saves the day (and the farm) using her own ingenuity, every crow in Kansas, and a packet of lettuce seeds.