New Releases by Joan Bauer

A poignant, hopeful story of a girl and her puppy. Olive Hudson desperately wants a dog. But that doesn''t seem to be a possibility right now. Newly orphaned, she''s moving in with the half sister she hardly knows and their life is too chaotic to include a dog. But then something wonderful happens: Olive gets a chance to raise Lumie, a guide dog puppy. Discipline. Rules. Lots of hugs. Only the best of the best puppies continue on to become guide dogs, and of course Olive wants Lumie to be chosen. But if she is, that means that Olive will lose her. Once again, the incomparable Joan Bauer tells a touching story that is full of heart and warmth and unabashed idealism.

Newbery Honor winner Joan Bauer hits a home run with her newest protagonist, who always sees the positive side of any situation. Jeremiah is not one to let anything keep him down. Starting with his adoption by computer genius Walt, Jeremiah has looked on his life as a series of lucky breaks. When a weak heart keeps him from playing his beloved baseball, Jeremiah appoints himself the team coach. When Walt has to move for another new assignment, Jeremiah sees it as a great chance to explore a new town. But no sooner do they arrive than a doping scandel is revealed and the town feels betrayed and disgraced. Jeremiah takes it as his personal mission to restore the town''s morale and help the teams bounce back and remember how to soar. Full of humor, heart, and baseball lore, Soar is Joan Bauer at her best.

Feeling scared and powerless when her father''s anger escalates and her parents separate, twelve-year-old Anna spends the summer with her grandmother and decides to make a difference when she sees what seems to be a girl held against her will.

Sixth-grader Sugar and her mother lose their beloved house and experience the harsh world of homelessness, in this new work by a Newbery Honor winner ("Hope Was Here").

Foster McFee dreams of having her own cooking show like her idol, celebrity chef Sonny Kroll. Macon Dillard''s goal is to be a documentary filmmaker. Foster''s mother Rayka longs to be a headliner instead of a back-up singer. And Miss Charleena plans a triumphant return to Hollywood. Everyone has a dream, but nobody is even close to famous in the little town of Culpepper. Until some unexpected events shake the town and its inhabitants-and put their big ambitions to the test. Full of humor, unforgettable characters, surprises, and lots and lots of heart, this is Joan Bauer at her most engaging.

Something?s rotten in the heart of apple country! Hildy Biddle dreams of being a journalist. A reporter for her high school newspaper, The Core, she?s just waiting for a chance to prove herself. Not content to just cover school issues, Hildy?s drawn to the town?s big story?the haunted old Ludlow house. On the surface, Banesville, USA, seems like such a happy place, but lately, eerie happenings and ghostly sightings are making Hildy take a deeper look. Her efforts to find out who is really haunting Banesville isn?t making her popular, and she starts wondering if she?s cut out to be a journalist after all. But she refuses to give up, because, hopefully, the truth will set a few ghosts free. Peeled is classic Joan Bauer, featuring a strong heroine, and filled with her trademark witty dialogue, and problems and people worth standing up to.

The must-read sequel to the beloved Rules of the Road, from award-winning author Joan Bauer. Jenna Boller is dripping with newfound maturity after her life-altering summer on the road. She has a job she loves at Gladstone Shoes, a best friend who makes her laugh, and a dysfunctional family she''s learning how to handle. Jenna feels ready for anything—until Tanner Cobb, a guy with a past, a police record, and dangerously good looks, walks into her life. Suddenly Jenna''s surrounded by crises, including a shoe empire on the verge of crumbling. Tanner''s street smarts seem to be what Jenna needs, but can she trust him enough when the going gets tough?

Imagine having a personal cupid--an actual winged being--pop into your life and offer to make your dreams come true. The catch is he can help you in only one way: artistically, academically, or romantically. That''s what happens to aspiring photographer Allison Jean (A. J.) McCreary. A. J. knows she should concentrate on getting into a top-notch art school. But she''s spent five torturous months obsessed with handsome hunk, Peter Terris. Just one shot from the cupid''s bow and thownk, A. J. will have the undying devotion of handsome Peter...forever.

A Newbery Honor Book Joan Bauer''s beloved Newbery Honor book--now with a great new look for middle grade readers! When Hope and her aunt move to small-town Wisconsin to take over the local diner, Hope''s not sure what to expect. But what they find is that the owner, G.T., isn''t quite ready to give up yet--in fact, he''s decided to run for mayor against a corrupt candidate. And as Hope starts to make her place at the diner, she also finds herself caught up in G.T.''s campaign--particularly his visions for the future. After all, as G.T. points out, everyone can use a little hope to help get through the tough times . . . even Hope herself. Filled with heart, charm, and good old-fashioned fun, this is Joan Bauer at her best. * “When it comes to creating strong, independent, and funny teenaged female characters, Bauer is in a class by herself ... Bauer tells a fast-paced, multilayered story with humor but does not gloss over the struggle[s].”—School Library Journal, starred review “Bauer has succeeded in creating another quirky, poignant, and funny novel about a strong girl who admits her frailties ... Hope’s story is highly recommended for both middle and high school students.”—VOYA “Another entry in Bauer’s growing collection of books about likable and appealing female teenagers with a strong vocational calling ... As always from Bauer, this novel is full of humor, starring a strong and idealistic protagonist, packed with funny lines, and peopled with interesting and quirky characters.” —Kirkus Reviews

Meet Jenna Boller, star employee at Gladstone''s Shoe Store in Chicago. Standing a gawky 5''11'''' at 16 years old, Jenna is the kind of girl most likely to stand out in the crowd for all the wrong reasons. But that doesn''t stop Madeline Gladstone, the president of Gladstone''s Shoes 176 outlets in 37 states, from hiring Jenna to drive her cross country in a last ditch effort to stop Elden Gladstone from taking over his mother''s company and turning a quality business into a shop-and-schlock empire. Now Jenna Boller shoe salesperson is about to become a shoe-store spy as she joins her crusty old employer for an eye-opening adventure that will teach them both the rules of the road...and the rules of life. Joan Bauer lives in Darien, CT.

Tree, a six-foot-three-inch twelve-year-old, copes with his parents'' recent divorce and his failure as an athlete by helping his grandfather, a Vietnam vet and recent amputee, and Sophie, a new girl at school.

With the help of his grandmother, his dead father''s best friend, and his own best friend—a math whiz—Mickey prepares to compete in the most important pool championship of his life, despite his mother''s reservations.

Ivy doesn''t want to be a lawyer. Who cares? Well, her father, for starters, who expects his daughter to take up the Breedlove family profession with dedication and enthusiasm. But Ivy wants to be a historian, a vocation that''s getting quite a workout as she prepares a family history in honor of her beloved great-aunt Tib''s eightieth birthday. This undertaking takes Ivy on a great journey, as she hikes into the wilds of the Adirondacks to find her reclusive aunt Jo -- and her own destiny.

Humor, agriculture and young love all come together in Joan Bauer''s first novel, set in rural Iowa. Sixteen-year-old Ellie Morgan''s life would be almost perfect if she could just get her potentially prize-winning pumpkin to put on about 200 more pounds--and if she could take off 20 herself...in hopes of attracting Wes, the new boy in town. Ninth Annual Delacorte Press Prize for an Outstanding First Young Adult Novel.