Most Popular Books by John Bemelmans Marciano

The first book in an exciting new chapter book series by John Bemelmans Marciano and Caldecott medalist Sophie Blackall. Welcome to Benevento, an ancient town famous for its witches! The children of Benevento have to be careful and clever to evade the clutches of such witches as the Manalonga, the Janara, and the Clopper, who hide in wells and under bridges, fly at midnight, and play tricks during Mischief Season. Five cousins – Primo, Emilio, Rosa, Maria Beppina, and Sergio – share adventures and narrow escapes, and discover astonishing secrets as they outwit the witches in each exciting story. Book #1 Mischief Season: a Twins Story The Janara are wrecking the farm with their nightly mischiefs. Father blames Rosa for everything that goes wrong, and it’s up to the Twins and their friends to find a way to stop the Janara. Will some mysterious advice from an unexpected source be the solution to their problems?

The third book in an exciting new chapter book series by John Bemelmans Marciano and Caldecott medalist Sophie Blackall. Welcome to Benevento, an ancient town famous for its witches! The children of Benevento have to be careful and clever to evade the clutches of such witches as the Manalonga, the Janara, and the Clopper, who hide in wells and under bridges, fly at midnight, and play tricks during Mischief Season. Five cousins – Primo, Emilio, Rosa, Maria Beppina, and Sergio – share adventures and narrow escapes, and discover astonishing secrets as they outwit the witches in each exciting story. Book #3 Beware the Clopper!: a Maria Beppina Story Maria Beppina, the timid tag-along cousin, is always afraid that the Clopper, the old witch who chases the children, will catch her. And then one day she decides to stop—just stop—and see what the Clopper will do.

The intriguing tale of why the United States has never adopted the metric system, and what that says about us. The American standard system of measurement is a unique and odd thing to behold with its esoteric, inconsistent standards: twelve inches in a foot, three feet in a yard, sixteen ounces in a pound, one hundred pennies to the dollar. For something as elemental as counting and estimating the world around us, it seems like a confusing tool to use. So how did we end up with it? Most of the rest of the world is on the metric system, and for a time in the 1970s America appeared ready to make the switch. Yet it never happened, and the reasons for that get to the root of who we think we are, just as the measurements are woven into the ways we think. John Marciano chronicles the origins of measurement systems, the kaleidoscopic array of standards throughout Europe and the thirteen American colonies, the combination of intellect and circumstance that resulted in the metric system''s creation in France in the wake of the French Revolution, and America''s stubborn adherence to the hybrid United States Customary System ever since. As much as it is a tale of quarters and tenths, it is a human drama, replete with great inventors, visionary presidents, obsessive activists, and science-loving technocrats. Anyone who reads this inquisitive, engaging story will never read Robert Frost''s line “miles to go before I sleep” or eat a foot-long sub again without wondering, Whatever happened to the metric system?

Madeline of Paris continues her adventures in this story of manners-now in Step into Reading, the premier leveled reader line. Madeline is hosting a fabulously dainty tea party. The girls are neatly dressed and on time. Then her naughty friend Pepito arrives late, and havoc ensues! A good friend like Madeline helps Pepito realize the power of an apology--a great conversation started for children. This easy-to-read book is written in rhyme, and there are full-color illustrations throughout in the same charming style as the classic Madeline books. Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories, for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help. Rhyme and rhythmic text paired with picture clues help children decode the story.

The second book in an exciting new chapter book series by John Bemelmans Marciano and Caldecott medalist Sophie Blackall. Welcome to Benevento, an ancient town famous for its witches! The children of Benevento have to be careful and clever to evade the clutches of such witches as the Manalonga, the Janara, and the Clopper, who hide in wells and under bridges, fly at midnight, and play tricks during Mischief Season. Five cousins – Primo, Emilio, Rosa, Maria Beppina, and Sergio – share adventures and narrow escapes, and discover astonishing secrets as they outwit the witches in each exciting story. Book #2 The All-Powerful Ring: a Primo Story Wanting to stop the springtime mischiefs—and overcome his own fear of Manalonga—Primo seeks an advantage. He finds one when he discovers a mysterious ring in the belly of a fish. Is the ring just a pretty trinket or is it magic?

An encyclopedia of linguistic biographies: the witty, illustrated stories of the Earl of Sandwich, Charles Boycott, and other historical figures better known as words than people.

The Benevento cousins return for more adventures in the ancient town that''s famous for its witches! The Benevento children are excitedly preparing for the annual Boar Hunt, where the prize of the Golden Tusk is given to the ten-year old who catches the boar. No girl has ever competed, but Rosa is determined to take part -- and win! She refuses to stay home and help take care of the new baby and cook and clean. She will just have to run away. Life was very different in Benevento of the 1800s, and John Marciano''s clever story and Sophie Blackall''s charming illustrations bring the town, its people, and its past to vivid life.

From the beloved author of Anonyponymous, a fascinating compendium of familiar words that come from surprising locations.

The exciting adventures of the Benevento cousins continue, as Primo discovers the identity of the secret Janara. Primo has been given a tantalizing clue about the secret Janara: the Janara lives with him! How can he discover who it is? Only that success will console him for his humiliating defeat at the boar hunt, where Rosa was the winner. Rosa!! Girls are not even supposed to compete. One night Primo finds a clue. Behind the head of the goddess Diana, the ancient statue in his kitchen, he discovers a bottle of the oil that a Janara needs to transform him or herself before flying off for a night of mischiefs. If he can stay awake one night, surely the Janara will be revealed. But what will he do with the knowledge? The Benevento children continue to encounter and outwit witches in the sixth and most suspenseful adventure yet of the Witches of Benevento series.

Madeline visits Rome! The Paris skies are gray, so Miss Clavel and the twelve little girls are leaving for brighter weather---spring in Rome. Rome has wonderful sights to see and delicious things to eat, but Madeline also finds an unexpected adventure, involving a thief, a chase, and many, many cats. The first all-new Madeline book in close to fifty years combines a lively story with luminous gouache and watercolor illustrations. Beloved Madeline returns, as brave and irrepressible as ever!

To the ghost, Madeline said "Pooh-pooh." Madeline and her favorite companion in mischief, Pepito, embark on their wildest adventure yet. When ghostly moans lead them to the attic of the old house in Paris, they discover Felix de La Morte, who has lingered there for hundreds of years, waiting for the return of a certain comet. With the comet due to return the very next day, the poor fellow’s telescope has been stolen by mean Lord Cucuface, and it is up to Madeline and Pepito to get it back. A nighttime trip across Paris, a midnight apparition, and all is happily resolved in time for the three new friends to view the comet on a starry night.

Madeline learns her manners! Madeline loves adventure and is not afraid of mice. She loves winter, snow, and ice. And she also knows the secret to being polite is simply to be kind to others. With help from her friends—Miss Clavel, the girls, and even Pepito—Madeline introduces basic ideas such as please and thank you, sharing, cleaning up, and so much more. With charming illustrations and humorous verse, this new book will be treasured by Madeline fans of all ages.

Bestselling and beloved Madeline visits the Oval Office! Readers will see Washington, D.C., as never before, when Madeline takes a midnight sightseeing tour on a magic carpet of cherry blossoms. Invited to the White House by Candle, the president''s lonely only daughter, for the annual Easter Egg hunt and roll, Madeline and the other little girls have a rollicking good time, and introduce Candle to the joys of occasionally breaking the rules. With a bouncy read-aloud text and gorgeous watercolor pictures, Madeline at the White House is in the best tradition of the beloved Madeline books.

"Level 2, guided reading level H"--p. [4] of cover.

The fourth book in an exciting new chapter book series by John Bemelmans Marciano and Caldecott medalist Sophie Blackall. Welcome to Benevento, an ancient town famous for its witches! The children of Benevento have to be careful and clever to evade the clutches of such witches as the Manalonga, the Janara, and the Clopper, who hide in wells and under bridges, fly at midnight, and play tricks during Mischief Season. Five cousins – Primo, Emilio, Rosa, Maria Beppina, and Sergio – share adventures and narrow escapes, and discover astonishing secrets as they outwit the witches in each exciting story. Book #4 Respect Your Ghosts: a Sergio Story It’s Sergio’s job to take care of Bis Bis, the ancestor spirit who lives upstairs. Unfortunately, it’s hard to satisfy all the ghost’s demands and still keep Sergio’s mother happy.

Hang on for a wild ride when you roll with the No-Good Nine! The No-Good Nine are the kids your parents warned you to stay away from. The ragtag band of misfits lie, steal, run away from home, and even burn down Santa''s toy factory. (They say it was an accident.) Anyway, Santa had it coming--he put coal in their stockings. Full of laughs and double-crosses, this tongue-in-cheek romp is for readers who like their Christmas spirit irreverent rather than sentimental.

"As Marciano is descended from Ludwig Bemelmans, so might Alexander Baddenfield be descended from Madeline''s nemesis-turned-friend Pepito ''The Bad Hat.''"* Alexander Baddenfield is a horrible boy—a really horrible boy—who is the last in a long line of lying, thieving scoundrels. One day, Alexander has an astonishing idea. Why not transplant the nine lives from his cat into himself? Suddenly, Alexander has lives to spare, and goes about using them up, attempting the most outrageous feats he can imagine. Only when his lives start running out, and he is left with only one just like everyone else, does he realize how reckless he has been. With its wickedly funny story and equally clever illustrations, this is dark humor at its most delicious. *Review from School LIbrary Journal

Harold is a squirrel living a happy if sheltered life in his park on New York City''s Upper West Side. But when a streetwise rat persuades him to take part in an experiment, Harold suddenly finds himself without his tail fur-and without a home. Mistaken for a rat and forced out on the unfamiliar streets of New York, Harold encounters a cast of unforgettable characters, including a neurotic pigeon, a vain cat, and a tribe of hostile squirrels. But it''s not until Harold discovers allies in an unusual trio of rodents that his adventures really begin. . . . By turns funny, poignant, and suspenseful, Harold''s Tail will appeal to fans of Stuart Little and The Cricket in Times Square as it celebrates the courage of an unexpected hero and the resilient power of friendship