New Releases by Jack Gantos

It is Valentine''s Day and Rotten Ralph, a very, very nasty cat, is up to his rotten tricks.

Jack Henry has moved to the island of Barbados with his offbeat family and his secret diary. But still he can''t escape his penchant for wacky misadventure. Because of a headless chicken, he gets a violent case of blood poisoning. In a pepper-eating contest with his father, he discovers the perils of male bonding. And then he has his heartstrings twanged by an older woman who just happens to be his sister''s best friend. These are just a few of his trials and tribulations in these eight fierce and funny stories, based on the author''s own childhood diaries. This title has Common Core connections.

Rotten Ralph, the cat, is not at all nice to the Christmas visitor.

Willy''s Raiders, who always play fair and square, prove the good guys always win when they go up for the championship against the Weasels, who resort to dirty tricks.

A little monster, having disobeyed his mother by eating the watermelon intended for the family''s dessert, suffers for his greed in a subsequent dream.