New Releases by Janet Tashjian

Tommy Take Off the Fish! is a wacky and endearing picture book by bestselling children's author Janet Tashjian and award-winning artist and animation director Stephen Holman, celebrating the joy of each child's individuality. Tommy LOVES wearing his fish costume, not just to the aquarium but EVERYWHERE. His parents try to reel in his enthusiasm, but Tommy doesn't feel the need to fit in. A loving and hilarious look at the wonderful lure of a child's passionate imagination. Early readers will delight in the colorful, layered illustrations as well as the heartwarming story.

Derek Fallon won the lottery and now gets to spend over a billion dollars with a friend, let the shopping begin! But Derek's shopping spree quickly causes major life problems. Derek soon makes a shift to focus on his entrepreneurial skills and find more helpful ways to spend his money. Here is another thoughtful, funny, and timely middle grade adventure in the life of the ever-loving, ever-mischievous Derek Fallon.

My Life as a Coder is the ninth book in Janet Tashjian's much-loved, diary fiction My Life series starring reluctant reader Derek Fallon, featuring illustrations by Jake Tashjian. Derek Fallon receives an exciting new gift--a laptop! But there's a catch: it has no Wi-Fi so he can't use it for gaming. If he wants to play computer games, he'll have to learn how to code them himself. Another unforgettable adventure awaits in Book 9 of the My Life series, this time involving tech and coding! Christy Ottaviano Books

Jump into Book 3 of this magical middle grade adventure series with Sticker Girl Martina Rivera! A gumball machine robot. Two adorable (and creative) kittens. An unruly ant farm. These are just a few of the new stickers waiting to be peeled off of Martina Rivera’s new magical sticker sheet and SPRING TO LIFE. Student council is keeping Martina busy with a bake sale and cupcake-savvy Bev is excited to help out. The girls advertise their delicious creations and are thrilled to be invited to participate in a web show baking contest. Can Martina balance school and a ruthless cupcake competition, all while keeping her stickers in check? Or is this a recipe for disaster? Christy Ottaviano Books

Book 7 of the much-loved My Life series that has the irrepressible Derek Fallon starting his own Youtube web series! Derek Fallon finally found something to get excited about at school—an extracurricular class on making videos! Together with his friends Carly, Matt, and Umberto, Derek can’t wait to create his own Youtube web series. But he soon realizes Youtube stardom is a lot of work. On top of that, it’s time for his foster monkey Frank to go to monkey college so Derek must scramble to find a reason for Frank to stay with his family—if only a little while longer. Can Derek solve both problems at once? What if Frank became a part of Derek's Youtube videos? Here's another funny and thoughtful novel in the series that centers around most every tween today’s pastime—Youtube! Christy Ottaviano Books

Meet Sticker Girl Martina Rivera, a quiet kid with a remarkable secret: Her sticker collection comes to life! Adventures abound in this new middle-grade series by bestselling author Janet Tashjian. Stickers included! Martina Rivera has a remarkable imagination. But with two extroverted brothers at home, she’s always struggled to make a big impression on those around her. Life soon takes an exciting turn when Martina discovers the secret power of her sticker collection: They come to life! Among her magical sticker friends are Craig, a rambunctious talking cupcake; Nora, a karaoke-singing ladybug; and Lucinda, a very sleepy fairy. Will her new sticker friends help her overcome her shyness? Or will they get Martina in lots of trouble? Or both?! It’s time to meet Sticker Girl! Bonus feature: sticker sheet featuring all the magic stickers from Book 1 packaged with the book! A Christy Ottaviano Book "Tashjian introduces a smart, young Latina protagonist in a strong series opener for young readers . . . Readers will be eager for the follow-up adventures of Sticker Girl." —Kirkus Reviews Also in the Sticker Girl series: Sticker Girl Sticker Girl Rules the School

Derek Fallon becomes a ninja-in-training in Book 6 of the much-loved My Life series.

Marty Frye is not your ordinary sleuth. Marty Frye is a poet detective--he makes up rhymes as he solves small crimes. When his friend Emma's diary is missing, Marty is on the case. When Katie's flour is nowhere to be found, Marty tracks it down. And when the brand-new Action Chuck figures mysteriously vanish from the toy store, Marty unravels the mystery. Will there ever be a case too hard for Marty to solve? Or a word too impossible to rhyme?

It's another day at Boerring Elementary: Einstein the class hamster, lover of fun facts, is getting ready for his game show when in walks Principal Decker with some bad news. Due to severe budget cuts, the school library will be closed for the rest of the year. How is this possible? The library is the heart of the school! Einstein is determined to find a way to save the library. With the help of Marlon the turtle, his friend Ned, and Ms. Moreno's entire class, plans are put in motion! Janet and Jake Tashjian are back with another winning story starring the lovable walking encyclopedia, Einstein the class hamster. This title has Common Core connections.

Derek Fallon gets the chance of a lifetime—to participate in a gaming company focus group and to test out a new video game called "Arctic Ninja." Together with his friends Carly, Matt, and Umberto, Derek thinks his gaming talents will be showcased. But he soon realizes that everyone has got him beat, including whiz kid El Cid. On top of that, school reading tests have begun and Derek feels doubly off his game. Isn't there anything he's good at?

Derek Fallon discovers all the angst that comes with being twelve—he just wants to feel grown up, but life gets in the way with a series of mishaps that make him look like a baby. He passes out during a worm dissection in science class, falls flat on his face in gym class and gets a fat lip that causes him to lisp all day, and his plans for a monster-truck party turn into a bouncy house disaster. Why isn't being in middle school as great as Derek imagined? Thankfully, with a little help from his friends—and, ironically, a Toys for Tots fundraiser—things seem like they could start shaping up at last. My Life as a Joke by Janet and Jake Tashjian is a Christy Ottaviano Book

Twelve-year-old Derek Fallon has the opportunity of a lifetime--to perform stunts in a movie featuring a popular twelve-year-old star--but complications arise involving his best friend, a capuchin monkey, and Derek's chronic inability to concentrate on schoolwork.

In Book Three of the popular "My Life . . ." series by Janet Tashjian, Derek Fallon's plan to help out a new classmate backfires miserably There's a new kid in Derek Fallon's class. His name is Umberto and he uses a wheelchair. Derek's family is still fostering Frank the monkey, and Derek thinks it would be great to train Frank to assist Umberto. But Derek quickly realizes that Umberto is definitely not looking for any help. Derek soon becomes the butt of Umberto's jokes. On top of that, Umberto starts stealing Derek's cartoon ideas and claiming them as his own. How did Derek get himself into this mess, and how can he find a way out before he is the laughingstock of school? The answer may very well be his cartoon strip—SUPER FRANK! My Life as a Cartoonist features illustrations by Janet Tashjian's son, Jake Tashjian.

The year is 1971 and the place is Laurel Canyon, California. Quinn, a fourteen-year-old music "encyclopedia," writes a music column—called "For What It's Worth"—for his school paper. But Quinn's world is about to change when he is faced with helping a war dodger and must make some tough decisions. When he starts receiving cryptic Ouija board messages from Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix (all members of the 27 Club), he knows he is in over his head. Fortunately for Quinn, his new girlfriend Caroline helps him get a grip and channel his inner self.

Derek wird als Stuntboy für einen Film engagiert, und das an der Seite von Teeniestar Tanya Billings! Es stellt sich jedoch heraus, dass Derek die Stunts für Tanya übernehmen soll. Und um ihr ähnlich zu sehen, muss er eine Perücke tragen! Aber dann kommt es noch schlimmer: Auf YouTube taucht ein Film auf, der Derek dabei zeigt, wie er lautes Lesen übt. Ist das peinlich! Es scheint, als würde sein Leben schnurstracks in die Katastrophe führen. Aber Derek wäre nicht Derek, wenn er das einfach so hinnehmen würde.

Derek Fallon gets the opportunity of a lifetime—to be a stunt boy in a major movie featuring a pretty teen starlet. After accepting the job he learns that he is the star's stunt double and must wear a wig! His friends are never going to let him live this down. If that weren't his only problem, his parents are threatening to give away his pet monkey, and his best friend just posted an embarrassing video of him on Youtube. Can life get any worse? Still the irrepressible Derek takes it all in stride and even manages to save the day.

On summer break and avoiding his assigned reading list, Derek Fallon begins a mysterious adventure while trying to find clues to an incident in his past. After reading an old newspaper clipping about a teenage girl who drowned on Martha s Vineyard while she was babysitting him, Derek who was a toddler at the time and does not even recall the event becomes a detective in search of answers. As summer and his investigation comes to a close, Derek soon realizes that he hasn't done the reading assignment his teacher gave him but that he has learned a valuable lesson: even though reading is hard, everyone needs stories. A fabulous, fast-paced choice for reluctant and avid readers alike, this book also includes drawings throughout.""De vacaciones de verano y evitando su tarea de lectura, Derek Fallon emprende una aventura misteriosa mientras busca pistasde un incidente de su pasado. Despues de leer un recorte de prensa viejo sobre una chica adolescente que se ahogo en Martha's Vineyard mientras lo cuidaba, Derek quien en aquel entonces era apenas un nino y no recuerda nada del suceso se convierte en un detective en busca derespuestas. A la medida que se acerca el final del verano y de su investigacion, Derek se da cuenta de que no ha hecho la tarea de lectura que se le asigno pero si aprendio una leccion valiosa: aunque la lectura es dificil, todo el mundo necesita historias. Este libro de ritmo rapido es una opcion fabulosa para los lectores renuentes y los avidos igualmente e incluye dibujos a lo largo."""

Summer's finally here, and Derek Fallon is looking forward to pelting the UPS truck with water balloons, climbing onto the garage roof, and conducting silly investigations. But when his parents decide to send him to Learning Camp, Derek's dreams of fun come to an end. Ever since he's been labeled a "reluctant reader," his mom has pushed him to read "real" books-something other than his beloved Calvin & Hobbes. As Derek forges unexpected friendships and uncovers a family secret involving himself (in diapers! no less), he realizes that adventures and surprises are around the corner, complete with curve balls. My Life as a Book is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Larry (otherwise known as Josh) is in the doldrums, but after meeting a spiritual guru at Walden Pond who convinces him to join his study group, he starts to question his grasp of reality.

Those were the magic words and Beth knew it. How many times had I uttered that phrase to Ms. Robinson in guidance, the standard answer for what I wanted to do with my life? CHANGE THE WORLD. Did I still have the strength and determination to get it together and try to make a difference? Was it my destiny, my vocation? Or was I just trying to impress a girl? As I looked at Beth, I wondered if the reason why even mattered. The indefatigable Larry is back, and this time he takes on the American political system After falling off the wagon and becoming what he so clearly and strongly resisted-a consumer-Josh Swensen (aka Larry) finds himself in a hyper-paranoid state of no return. That is, until he's kidnapped and coaxed into resurfacing as his old persona. Before long, Larry is back on the scene with much more on his mind than a gospel Web site-this time Larry wants to affect change in government. What starts out as a campaign to get the younger population to vote turns into a run for the presidency. Can Larry really take on George Bush? In this very smart, very witty novel, Janet Tashjian brings the political world to the forefront and explores it from many different points of view.

A hard-hitting novel that breaks open the gritty world of teen relationship abuse, by the author of The Gospel According to Larry "Unlike Abby, I hadn't had a boyfriend since Peter last year, and even that was stretching the definition of boyfriend way past anything Webster would recognize. I had better luck holding the attention of a roomful of people in a comedy club than a guy-I couldn't decide if that was good or just plain pathetic." Seventeen-year-old Becky Martin-smart, funny, ambitious-aspires to be a stand-up comic. While setting out to make her goal a reality, she meets Kip Costello, a rising star in the San Francisco comedy-club scene. And what could be better than an intense boyfriend who cares about every detail of her life? But Becky soon discovers a darker side to Kip, where emotional and physical abuse grow hand-in-hand. As the relationship goes from loving to controlling, Becky must find the courage to get help before it's too late. In this powerful novel, Janet Tashjian tackles the difficult and complex subject of teen relationship abuse from the viewpoints of both the victim and the perpetrator, showing that there are no easy answers for either-but many brave survivors.

Becky ist glücklich verliebt. Aber allmählich stellt sie fest, dass Kip ein Kontrollfreak ist, der Macht über sie haben will. Als er sie bei seinen Wutausbrüchen wiederholt verletzt, verlässt sie ihn. Aber als Kip sich geläutert zeigt, willigt sie in ein Treffen ein, das schwerwiegende Folgen hat.