New Releases by Jeff Gottesfeld

A moving and inclusive tribute to our youngest servicepeople—known as “brats”—honors the bravery, resilience, patience, and adaptability of US military families. When at least one of your parents is in the United States Armed Forces, you’re a military kid. Some say “military brat,” which stands for Born Resilient and Tough. Brats look like other kids but don’t live like other kids. In a military family, if one person serves, everyone serves. For Navy brats, making friends all over the world—learning to say, “So long till next time”—is another act of service. Staying brave on the home front when your dad, a United States Marine, deploys overseas is another act of service. And when one of your moms is stationed in Greenland, serving means celebrating Christmas late, among the daffodils, during her leave. Born to a mission that their parents chose, military kids are hardy like dandelions, always ready for the winds of change. Some even help care for wounded warriors or support parents with PTSD. Together or apart, at home or abroad, in peace or during war, military families boast heroes of all stripes. Illustrated with warmth and empathy by a former Army brat, this nuanced portrait captures their strength and sacrifice with grace and compassion.

"A solemn and respectful reminder to younger readers of what was paid and what is owed." —School Library Journal (starred review) The team behind Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier join forces to create a touching companion book honoring military veterans and the program that keeps their contribution alive. Located in our nation’s capital are monuments dedicated to the service members who fought in the last century’s wars. Visitors line up to gaze at the Iwo Jima Memorial, stark against the sky; the solemn Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; the national World War II Memorial with its circle of unity; the Korean War Veterans Memorial; and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, engraved with tens of thousands of names. It is here that the Honor Flight program has brought some 300,000 aging veterans, all of them deserving a chance to see their commitment and sacrifice honored and commemorated. Told in the voice of an anonymous veteran, Jeff Gottesfeld’s first-person narrative conveys the emotional impact of a visit that not only encompasses a tour of the monuments but also includes moving tributes from friends and schoolchildren and ends with the kind of welcome home that some of the veterans had never received. Matt Tavares’s striking illustrations bring readers close to both Washington’s timeless monuments and the veterans whose role in history will never be forgotten. An afterword and notes from the author provide more information for curious readers.

Themes: heroism, friendship, pets, earthquakes, survival. One ordinary day, everything changes for Jen and her stubborn cat, Mimi. Jen soon realizes that she and Mimi share a gift that's beyond belief. This series of short 60- to 70-page novels was designed to engage a broad spectrum of striving readers. No longer will upper-elementary students have to read material junior to their maturity and interests. Characters are age appropriate and come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Science fiction, sports, paranormal, realistic life, historical fiction, and fantasy are just a few of the many genres. Books are no higher than a 1.5 reading level, with illustrations on every spread that support visual literacy and draw kids into the text. Red Rhino Books maintain consistency in design and readability throughout each novel, making reading enjoyable and achievable.

Dan and Pete try to make the most of having to stay indoors on a stormy night. Their evening takes a dramatic turn when they decide to help a friend. This series of short novels was designed to engage a broad spectrum of striving readers. No longer will upper-elementary students have to read material junior to their maturity and interests. Characters are age appropriate and come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Science ficion, sports, paranormal, realistic life, historical fiction, and fantasy are just a few of the many genres. Books are no higher than a 1.5 reading level, with illustrations on every spread that support visual literacy and draw kids into the text. Each book is around 70 pages.

Themes: Friendship, Summer Camp, Writing, Stage Fright, Prejudice, Learning Life Lessons. Ava is ready for a fun summer of helping out at day camp. But she’s not a fan of all the other helpers. Will a new friend help to change her perspective? This series of short 60- to 70-page novels was designed to engage a broad spectrum of striving readers. No longer will upper-elementary students have to read material junior to their maturity and interests. Characters are age appropriate and come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Science fiction, sports, paranormal, realistic life, historical fiction, and fantasy are just a few of the many genres. Books are no higher than a 1.5 reading level, with illustrations on every spread that support visual literacy and draw kids into the text. Red Rhino Books maintain consistency in design and readability throughout each novel, making reading enjoyable and achievable.

Themes: Self-confidence, Friendship, Mystery, Fantasy, Fiction, Tween. Maddie and Lori find some very unusual mints that they love at first. But what happens when they learn something entirely unexpected about their favorite candy? This series of short novels was designed to engage a broad spectrum of struggling readers. No longer will upper-elementary students have to read material junior to their maturity and interests. Characters are age appropriate and come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Science ficion, sports, paranormal, realistic life, historical fiction, and fantasy are just a few of the many genres. Books are no higher than a 1.5 reading level, with illustrations on every spread that support visual literacy and draw kids into the text. Each book is around 70 pages.

Themes: friendship, popularity, student politics, competition, disagreements, rejection, acceptance, loyalty. Rae and Kia are best friends starting sixth grade at a new school. But when they both decide to run for student council, things get complicated. Will this mean the end of their friendship? This series of short 60- to 70-page novels was designed to engage a broad spectrum of striving readers. No longer will upper-elementary students have to read material junior to their maturity and interests. Characters are age appropriate and come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Science fiction, sports, paranormal, realistic life, historical fiction, and fantasy are just a few of the many genres. Books are no higher than a 1.5 reading level, with illustrations on every spread that support visual literacy and draw kids into the text. Red Rhino Books® maintain consistency in design and readability throughout each novel, making reading enjoyable and achievable.

Sam and Logan are best friends. But sometimes Logan likes to have fun in ways that Sam doesn't. When Sam decides to join Logan to explore a graveyard, he later comes to regret his choice.

Theme: friendship, acting, honesty, secrets, Hollywood, Piper and May would like to get to know Sandy, the new girl in their class, but Sandy would rather be left alone. After some time, Sandy finally starts to warm up to the girls. But they can tell she's hiding something. Piper decides to get to the bottom of Sandy's secrets once and for all.

BFFs Danya and Emma are known around school as ÒDemma.Ó The girls are inseparable, even though theyÕre total opposites. When a terrible car accident leaves Emma in a wheelchair, Danya is plagued with guilt. She believes the wreck was her fault. Emma believes it too, and she may never be able to forgive her friend.

With every step, the Tomb Guards pay homage to America’s fallen. Discover their story, and that of the unknown soldiers they honor, through resonant words and illustrations. Keeping vigil at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in Arlington National Cemetery, are the sentinel guards, whose every step, every turn, honors and remembers America’s fallen. They protect fellow soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, making sure they are never alone. To stand there—with absolute precision, in every type of weather, at every moment of the day, one in a line uninterrupted since midnight July 2, 1937—is the ultimate privilege and the most difficult post to earn in the army. Everything these men and women do is in service to the Unknowns. Their standard is perfection. Exactly how the unnamed men came to be entombed at Arlington, and exactly how their fellow soldiers have come to keep vigil over them, is a sobering and powerful tale, told by Jeff Gottesfeld and luminously illustrated by Matt Tavares—a tale that honors the soldiers who honor the fallen.

Discover the unlikely story of Beate Sirota Gordon, a young woman who grew up in Japan and returned as a translator working for the American military after WWII. Fluent in Japanese language and culture, she was assigned to work with the delegation writing the new post-war constitution. Thanks to her bravery in speaking up for the women of Japan, the new constitution ended up including equal rights for all women.

Ellie and her friend Kate get to spend time with Ellie's grandparents at their beach cottage. It's their first trip without their parents. The girls are excited and share everything on social media. But then a solar storm knocks out power to the entire state. People have to learn to live without electricity, running water, or technology. Will the girls be bored to tears? Hi-Lo Chapter Books for Children. This series of short novels was designed to engage a broad spectrum of struggling readers. No longer will upper-elementary students have to read material junior to their maturity and interests. Characters are age appropriate and come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Science fiction, sports, paranormal, realistic life, historical fiction, and fantasy are just a few of the many genres. Books are no higher than a 1.5 reading level, with illustrations on every spread that support visual literacy and draw kids into the text.

Themes: Social Media, Popularity, Fiction, Tween, Emergent Reader, Chapter Book, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. Annie and Erin were besties who loved YouTube kid star Cory Mall. Could the girls make a video that would go viral? They wanted to try. Their first attempt was goofy, but it worked! The girls got a lot of views. When other friends joined them, their next video was even better. Then TV host Big Don got involved. Were they ready to be superstars? This series of short novels was designed to engage a broad spectrum of struggling readers. No longer will upper-elementary students have to read material junior to their maturity and interests. Characters are age appropriate and come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Science ficion, sports, paranormal, realistic life, historical fiction, and fantasy are just a few of the many genres. Books are no higher than a 1.5 reading level, with illustrations on every spread that support visual literacy and draw kids into the text. Each book is around 70 pages.

Themes: Fitting In, Differences, Bullying, Friendship, Fiction, Tween, Emergent Reader, Chapter Book, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. Serena is the new girl in town, and she has snagged a cool boyfriend, who seems amazing ... until she learns the truth. White Lightning Books addresses a wide variety of themes and interests in a narrow range of reading levels, no higher than a 2.5. Students who struggle to read will often not recover from low reading achievement in elementary school if their particular interests are not addressed. Encouragement and finding the theme to –hook” them is key. These are not YA or elementary books„a fact younger teens will appreciate. Each book is approximately 100 pages with covers that will appeal to young teen readers. The titles in the White Lightning series are designed in a similar style. Students will know what to expect when they pick up a book: a fast-paced story, mature and age-appropriate topics, short chapters, and achievable reading success.

A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, 2016 Told from the perspective of the tree outside Anne Frank's window—and illustrated by a Caldecott Honor artist—this book introduces her story in a gentle and incredibly powerful way to a young audience. The tree in the courtyard was a horse chestnut. Her leaves were green stars; her flowers foaming cones of white and pink. Seagulls flocked to her shade. She spread roots and reached skyward in peace. The tree watched a little girl, who played and laughed and wrote in a diary. When strangers invaded the city and warplanes roared overhead, the tree watched the girl peek out of the curtained window of the annex. It watched as she and her family were taken away—and when her father returned after the war, alone. The tree died the summer Anne Frank would have turned eighty-one, but its seeds and saplings have been planted around the world as a symbol of peace. Its story, and Anne’s story, are beautifully told and illustrated in this powerful picture book.

A play about the power of books, muscles and human kindness. Josh (or Jo, since almost any role can be cast as male or female) is the children's librarian at a poor public library facing a huge budget crisis. He's also a power lifter, pumping iron in the library basement and running a video blog about young adult and children's books, weights and life. Kids flock to his unconventional story time and check out books by the dozens. All but one kid, that is - a loner named Mr. T (or Ms. T), who has the loud tics of Tourette syndrome. Slowly, Josh and Mr. T form a friendship, and Mr. T finally ventures to Josh's basement gym, where a friendship is born. The stakes go up when the town says the library needs to close for monetary reasons. This hits Josh and the kids hard and leads to them staging a '60s-inspired Read-In rather than letting their library be shut down. At the play's end, a Sixth Sense-like ending reveals the true identity of Mr. T. The World's Strongest Librarian will get kids pumped up to read, to work themselves into shape and especially to be kind to others.

Eva and Carmen want spending money for ice cream at Chill. They want to treat their friends. They want to do more things with their free time than the money they get from their parents allows. But their parents tell them to think of a way to earn it themselves, because they won’t waste their cash on extras. So the girls come up with a plan to make extra cash over the summer. But they don’t realize how hard having a job can be. Hi-Lo Chapter Books for Children. This series of short novels was designed to engage a broad spectrum of struggling readers. No longer will upper-elementary students have to read material junior to their maturity and interests. Characters are age appropriate and come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Science fiction, sports, paranormal, realistic life, historical fiction, and fantasy are just a few of the many genres. Books are no higher than a 1.5 reading level, with illustrations on every spread that support visual literacy and draw kids into the text.

Las Vegas is the city of lady luck. And teen heiress Alana Skye is living the life, thanks to her billionaire dad. But money comes with strings attached. Failure is not an option. Kaylee Ryan was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she has nerve and imagination. Just what this new Vegas transplant needs to make it big. Alana: Some say that New York City is the city that never sleeps. They say wrong. The city that really never sleeps is Las Vegas, Nevada. Or Sin City. And teen heiress Alana Skye is living the life, thanks to her billionaire dad. But her dad’s expectations are high since he’s put her in charge of a new teen venture. Will she prove that the apple doesn’t far fall from the tree? Or will she fall flat on her face?

Teen flip-book series featuring two different stories. Want a different point of view? Simply flip the book! Las Vegas is the city of lady luck. And teen heiress Alana Skye is living the life, thanks to her billionaire dad. But money comes with strings attached. Failure is not an option. Kaylee Ryan was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she has nerve and imagination. Just what this new Vegas transplant needs to make it big. Alana: Some say that New York City is the city that never sleeps. They say wrong. The city that really never sleeps is Las Vegas, Nevada. Or Sin City. And teen heiress Alana Skye is living the life, thanks to her billionaire dad. But her dad’s expectations are high since he’s put her in charge of a new teen venture. Will she prove that the apple doesn’t far fall from the tree? Or will she fall flat on her face? Kaylee: Kaylee Ryan was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her dad is in prison. And after her mom’s death, things go from bad to worse. A high school dropout. Friendless. Homeless. Unemployed. But she’s made of tough stuff. And a new teen project opening in Las Vegas is having a job fair. Making her way from L.A. to Vegas is the easy part. The hard part is landing the job. Until lady luck bumps into her. Reading Level 4.0. Interest Level: Young Adult.

Ronette Bradley hasn’t exactly been an ideal student. Certainly she’s no overachiever. But she’s caught a lucky break. And she’s determined not to screw up. Part romance—part confessional—part college adventures—each ebook is approximately 28,000 words–160 pages. It’s a funny thing about time. The proverb, “Time heals all wounds,” is true to some extent. But Jayson still hurts. Maybe Ronette doesn’t want time to heal this wound. It feels better fresh. Jayson thought she’d change her mind over break. But Ronette is firm. She’s alone, finally. Except she’s not. “Hey, Houseman girl.” This brother has the warmest, friendliest face Ronette has ever seen. The rest, as they say, is history.

Ronette Bradley hasn’t exactly been an ideal student. Certainly she’s no overachiever. But she’s caught a lucky break. And she’s determined not to screw up. Part romance—part confessional—part college adventures—each ebook is approximately 28,000 words–160 pages. Ronette wants to fly solo for a while. But Cornell London—a senior—is interested. Ronette’s not sure she’s ready for another relationship. Besides, Jayson still wants her back; for now he’s firmly in the “friend” column. Chyna, her frenemy roommate, has stolen one of her poems and rapped it, which puts them on the verge of a hip-hop deal. No lie. Now the Houseman Gammas are knocking ...

Ronette Bradley hasn’t exactly been an ideal student. Certainly she’s no overachiever. But she’s caught a lucky break. And she’s determined not to screw up. Part romance—part confessional—part college adventures—each ebook is approximately 28,000 words–160 pages. Ronette Bradley. Good on standardized tests, a mess on her report cards. With high school over, she’s stuck cleaning hotel rooms. Her high school sweetheart, Jayson Jones, is off to renowned Houseman University, a historically black college in the Dee Cee—two sisters for every brother. Ronette’s ended up at CCC, the dismal Chicagoland Community College. Until one fateful telephone call changes everything ...

High school freshman Robinson "Robin" Paige lives with his grandmother, Miz Paige, on the meanest street in the city. Miz Paige is his rock. Sly and Kaykay have been his buddies since forever. Smart, stoic, and loyal, Robin's life has been defined by loss. And he doesn't want another tragedy, so he lives afraid to stand or speak out. But then he gets pushed to the edge. Somehow, someway, he will get back at the Ninth Street Rangers...Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor takes on a whole new meaning--If Robin hadn't just paid off the Ninth Street Rangers, or if Tyrone and Dodo hadn't hit on him to do their schoolwork, he never would have done what he was about to do.

Perfect for fans of Lauren Conrad's L.A. CANDY series, this e-original sequel to Amen, L.A. is full of sizzle, scandal, and secrets. Before she moved to L.A., Natalie and her boyfriend, Sean, got really close. She's not sure how she feels about him now, though, and when her mom gets her to join a church group called Wait/Great, Natalie feels like a total hypocrite. She's not the lily-white girl everyone thinks she is--especially Brett Goldstein, the hot eighteen-year-old TV star who's blowing up her phone and taking her on some incredible dates. If Brett and her L.A. friends knew the truth, what would they think? Inside, Natalie is the same small-town Minnesota girl she's always been. But in a world where what's on the outside is what counts, staying true to yourself isn't easy. . . .

Winning the title of "WrestleManiac" sounds pretty awesome, especially for a twelve-year-old die-hard WWE fan. The WrestleManiac gets the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to carry the defending champ's belt at WrestleMania, not to mention a trip to the event and the possibility of meeting the champ! Problem is, first you have to win a nationwide competition, and WWE fans can be kind of . . . competitive! Read along as one kid does whatever it takes to win the title of WrestleManiac, even if it means bodyslamming the competition!

Is the Confederate battle flag a racist symbol—or a proud reminder of Southern heritage? When Kate’s liberal-minded family moves from the suburbs of New York City to a small town near Nashville, Kate is convinced her life is over. Redford lives up to Kate’s low expectations. The Confederate battle flag waves proudly in the sky, the local diner serves grits and sweet tea, and country music rules the airwaves. Then she meets Jackson Redford III, scion of the town and embodiment of everything Dixie. And dang if brilliant, gorgeous Jack doesn’t make Kate decide that maybe her new hometown isn’t so bad after all. But a petition to replace the school’s Confederate flag symbol is stirring up trouble. Kate dives right in, not afraid to attack what she sees as offensive. Getting involved means making enemies, though, and soon, Kate and Jack—and their families—find themselves pitted against each other in a bitter controversy: not just about the flag, but about what it means to be an American.

Before the legend ... Before the icon ... There was the teenager named Clark Kent ... Pete Ross always figured he'd spend his money on yacht excursions and caviar if he ever got rich. But when the gang from Smallville become counsellors at a camp for underprivileged kids, his vision of the high life quickly changes. Pete decides he wants to accrue great wealth not for himself, but for those who are less fortunate. He's on a mission and he's prepared to achieve his goal any way he can - even by using Clark Kent's powers. Look out for: Arrival: Michael Teitelbaum/ See No Evil: Cherie Bennett & Jeff Gottesfeld/ Flight: Cherie Bennett & Jeff Gottesfeld/ Animal Rage: David & Bobbi Weiss/ Speed: Cherie Bennett & Jeff Gottesfeld/ Buried Secrets: Suzan Colon/ Greed:Cherie Bennett & Jeff Gottesfeld/ Control: Susan Colon/ Shadows: Diane Gallagher/ Silence: Nancy Holder/ Curse: Alan Grant/ City: Devlin Grayson

Teenage Clark Kent secretly uses his super powers to find the perpetrator of several racial hate crimes in Smallville.

At Fable Harbor University Hospital, Zoey and Trisan are finally getting used to the hectic pace and they're learning a lot and keeping busy even when they're not on duty.