Best Selling Books by Kate Klimo

Born in a puppy mill, Ginger the golden retriever looks back on her life and the various people who have "owned" her. Abruptly separated from her mother, littermates, and the wire cage that was her whole world, Ginger is shuttled from one harrowing situation to another until she finally escapes, living as an outlaw with a pack of wild dogs. But freedom doesn''t feel so good once she becomes hungry and cold and sick. Will Ginger ever find a furever family to call her own? With realistic black-and-white illustrations by renowned illustrator Tim Jessel, and an appendix featuring information about puppy mills, breed rescue groups, animal shelters, choosing a pet, and the history of golden retrievers, dog-crazy early middle-grade readers will beg for more!

A Step 3 Biography Reader about Theodor Geisel and his transformation from a doodler into the beloved Dr. Seuss. Little Ted Geisel always had a sketchpad and pencil in hand. He was a Boy Scout with a penchant for creating zany creatures. He grew up with a love of books and words from his mother, and his inventor father spawned a wildly imaginative and perfectionist side. It’s no wonder that these qualities led to the beloved work of Dr. Seuss, the Great Doodler. Follow his career as an ad man, political cartoonist, creator of forty-five indelible children’s books, and Pulitzer Prize winner. Not bad for a lifelong doodler! Includes fun facts and several of Dr. Seuss’s original sketches and artwork! Selected as one of the Best Children’s Books of the Year-2017, by the Bank Street College of Education and Children’s Book Committee! Step 3 Readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics. For children who are ready to read on their own.

A German shepherd—the first dog trained at Dorothy Eustis''s famous Seeing Eye guide-dog school for the blind—looks back at her life. Chosen for her intelligence, obedience, and willingness to learn, Kiss knows there is more to life than chasing balls and chewing bones. She is a Noble Creature and Great Things await her. But after spending months learing to take care of her beloved trainer Jack, why does he suddenly want her to take care of Morris—a strange, clumsy man who wants to wants to change her name to Buddy? Could it be that Morris needs Kiss to take care of him even more than Jack did? Based on a true story, and featuring realistic black-and-white illustrations by Tim Jessell (plus an appendix with information about German shepherds, the history and training of guide dogs, hosting guide-dog puppies, and much more), this canine confessional is pitch-perfect for smart, dog-crazy, early middle-grade readers!

The Dragon Keeper series bridges the gap between Magic Tree House Merlin Missions and Harry Potter. An original short story (only available electronically!) adds background information to the newest book in this magical middle grade adventure series. It''s an exciting adventure featuring Emmy''s parents and the origins of the second dragon egg that appears in The Dragon in the Sea (Dragon Keepers #5). Praise for The Dragon in the Sock Drawer: "Funny and wonderfully written--a tall-tale adventure sure to grab young readers."--Mary Pope Osborne "This novel, with its unique and modern twists, is a great addition to the dragon genre for younger readers."--School Library Journal

The world treats Twinky like a dinky dog. The only problem is that Twinky doesn''t feel dinky. What can a little dog do to prove the age-old adage that size doesn''t matter? With engaging characters, easy-to-follow plots, and popular topics, Twinky The Dinky Dog is an ideal Step 3 reader for children who are ready to begin reading on their own.

Alone after her village is destroyed by Leatherwings, young Melora and her father''s horse, Sky, survive on their own with a herd of wild horses until she finds a new home with a civilization of centaurs.

Fans of dog stories and the RMS Titanic, take note! This new entry in the Dog Diaries series—based on a true story—is narrated by a pampered Peke that survived the fateful voyage! Sun Yat-Sen—aka Sunny—enjoys the finer things in life. Noble canine companion to globe-trotters Henry and Myra Harper, Sunny doesn''t even like to walk, preferring instead to be carried! Sunny and the Harpers are traveling on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic—the biggest, finest ship in the world. So imagine Sunny''s horror when he learns he must stay in the Titanic''s kennel with eleven other dogs, not in the Harpers'' luxurious stateroom! It''s . . . unthinkable! But only four days into the voyage, Sunny learns the true meaning of tragedy when, hidden inside Myra''s fur coat, he escapes the sinking ship in a lifeboat. Based on a true story, with realistic black-and-white illustrations throughout and a fact-filled appendix that includes information about the RMS Titanic, Pekingese dogs, and more, this is historical fiction for middle graders who don''t realize they like historical fiction!

In this Horse Diaries–meets–Dog Diaries Special Crossover Edition, a horse with a bad reputation meets his match in a no-nonsense fire dog and the biggest, hottest flames Chicago has ever seen! In the 1800s, firefighters needed horses to pull the fire trucks. But horses spook easily and run away from fire—so they needed fire dogs. Cinders is a dappled gray horse with a bad reputation. When he first arrives at the firehouse, he refuses to even enter his stall. But a kind man, his daughter, and a smart dalmatian named Sparky convince him he’s made to be a firehouse horse. Will he learn to brave the flames in time to stand up to the biggest, fiercest, most frightening fire the city has ever faced? Get the dog’s side of the story! Read Dog Diaries Special Edition: Sparky.

When best friends Kate Klimo and Buffy Shutt turned 50, these successful women (best friends since their first day of college) realized that, like it or not, a few things were about to change. Their kids were leaving the nest ?but their elderly parents now needed them more than ever. They were saving as much as they could ? but were they really going to be prepared for retirement one day? They tried to eat right and exercise ? but were they doing everything they could to stay healthy? This book is that Boomer Bible. From hot flashes to healthy living, from ailing parents to clinging kids, from reinventing your career to reinvigorating your relationships ? Coming of Age is the comprehensive midlife guide readers have been looking for. Topics covered include: keeping fit, dealing with your aging parents, parenting your growing kids, maintaining your important relationships, and determining how you want to spend the next chapter of your life. Kate and Buffy have asked the experts, found the answers, and collected all the best information here to help you prepare for anything that life after 50 might throw at you.

George Washington’s transformation from farmer to Father of Our Country—as told by his dog Sweetlips! Sweetie was the finest foxhound in George Washington’s kennel. But Sweetie’s idyllic days at Mount Vernon were cut short when her master was chosen to represent Virginia at the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia—which he attended with Sweetlips by his side. Follow their journey from the hunt country of Virginia to the battlefields of the Revolutionary War in this meticulously researched, unique historical novel. With realistic black-and-white illustrations by Tim Jessell, an appendix including information about George Washington and the history and breeding of American foxhounds, plus links to the primary source material on which the book is based, this is the kind of historical fiction that dog-loving middle graders—and educators—sit up and beg for!

A dachshund loses a leg and finds his life''s calling—as a therapy dog! Scrappy dachshund Rolf von Noodle may be missing a hind leg, but he''s got attitude and can-do spirit to spare! If anything, his tripod status gives him something special: real empathy for people overcoming physical challenges. And as his owner Mindy discovers, it makes him an ideal choice to become a therapy dog. With realistic black-and-white illustrations and an appendix that includes photographs and information about the American Kennel Club''s Canine Good Citizen program, therapy dog training, tripod dogs, and more, this is the kind of fact-based fiction reluctant middle grade readers sit up and beg for!

A stray dog''s moving tale about life with Abraham Lincoln—our sixteenth American president and a true animal lover! Meet Fido—a "yaller" mutt who was Abraham Lincoln''s constant companion and pampered family pet at the time he was elected President. Smart, friendly, and frightened of loud noises, Fido was uniquely positioned to witness American history . . . when he wasn''t trying to hide under a piece of furniture! Young readers will hear from Fido about Abraham Lincoln''s love for all creatures (great and small), his unique methods of child-rearing, his most famous speeches—including the Emancipation Proclamation—and the tragedy that cut short his life. With realistic black-and-white illustrations throughout and a fact-filled appendix including information about Abraham Lincoln the animal lover, animal cruelty laws, and more, this is historical fiction for middle graders who don''t realize they like historical fiction!

What do you do when your dragon becomes a ''tween? Worry! And that''s exactly what Dragon Keepers Jesse and Daisy do when their dragon, Emmy, outgrows their garage and starts disappearing. Luckily, when she really disappears, she also leaves them a trail of socks, which leads them headlong into a . . . volcano? Yep! And it only gets crazier from there! In this fourth title, author Kate Klimo introduces readers to a whole new world—the Fiery Realm, where dragons can be felled by a squirt of water and fire fairies have started mysteriously disappearing. As always, readers get a full dose of action and imagination in this expanding tale of two kids and a dragon, growing up together. A great boy-girl adventure for readers of How to Train Your Dragon!

In this Dog Diaries–meets–Horse Diaries Special Crossover Edition, a no-nonsense fire dog meets her match in the biggest, hottest flames Chicago has ever seen—and a rescue horse with an attitude! In the 1800s, firefighters used horses to pull fire trucks. But horses spook easily and run away from fire—so they needed fire dogs. And there’s no better fire dog than Sparky. Sparky is so good at her job, she knows when the alarm is going to ring before it even rings! But today is no ordinary day. There’s no choice but to put Cinders—a rescue horse with an attitude—to work at her very first fire, one destined to become one of the greatest disasters of the nineteenth century! With realistic black-and-white illustrations and an appendix including information about dalmatians, the Great Chicago Fire, and more, this is historical fiction for kids who don’t like historical fiction, and a perfect choice for supporting Common Core State Standards. Get the horse’s side of the story! Read Horse Diaries Special Edition: Cinders.

Jesse and Daisy and their dragon friend, Emmy, try to recover a Thunder Egg from merpeople who stole it from Daisy near the Inn of the Barking Seal, where the cousins are visiting their grandmother Polly.

A dog''s-eye view of the Mayflower voyage and the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth Colony! English springer spaniel Dash and his furry friend Mercy--a mastiff--travel with their master, John Goodman, in search of the New World. Taken from the pages of history, this Dog Diary follows the story of the colonists whom we now call Pilgrims, from their sixty-six-day voyage at sea to the celebration of their first harvest with the Wampanoag Indians who become their friends and advisors. With realistic black-and-white illustrations by Tim Jessell and an appendix including information about the Mayflower, Plymouth Colony, springer spaniels, and the primary sources on which the book is based, this is historical fiction that dog-loving middle graders--and educators--can be truly thankful for!

Dragon keepers Jesse and Daisy need help! Emmy, their rapidly growing dragon, has become a real grouch, saying she''s missing "something," and the cousins don''t have a clue what that something is. Jesse and Daisy go online to ask Professor Andersson, their favorite dragon expert, for help and end up seeing him being kidnapped! The kidnapper is none other than Sadie Huffington, the girlfriend of their enemy, St. George the Dragon Slayer. She has hatched a wicked scheme to use the professor to both find St. George and capture Emmy. Now the dragon keepers and their dragon must storm Sadie''s castle and rescue the professor from the witch and her pack of vicious dog-men! In this third fantasy book in the Dragon Keepers series, Kate Klimo introduces readers to a magical library filled with shelf elves and reveals the secrets of the gigantic red book that Jesse and Daisy discovered in The Dragon in the Sock Drawer. She keeps the action and adventure flying while bringing both heart and imagination to this tale of two kids and a dragon, growing up together. The Dragon Keepers series is perfect for kids who crave books about dragons and magic but are caught betwixt and between—too old for Magic Tree House and not yet ready for Eragon and the Inheritance cycle. Visit www.foundadragon.org.

This excellent series is solidly middle grade, accessible, and adventure-filled. In The Dragon in the Sea, Dragon Keepers Jesse and Daisy, help their dragon, Emmy, as she tries to protect an egg which holds her baby brother. Their adventures take them into the Watery Realms, a world filled with mer-people, selkies, and water zombies. Magic, mayhem, and an unusual cast of charaters make the reading fun, and the wonderful relationship between the dragon keeper cousins and their dragon add both depth and dimension.

A new character joins the ranks of pwerful, kick-ass heroines such as those written by Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, Esther Freisner, and Robin McKinley—Malora Ironbound. A great read also for anyone who loves horses and the Greek myths. Malora knows what she was born to be: a horse wrangler and a hunter, just like her father. But when her people are massacred by batlike monsters called Leatherwings, Malora will need her horse skills just to survive. The last living human, Malora roams the wilderness at the head of a band of magnificent horses, relying only on her own wits, strength, and courage. When she is captured by a group of centaurs and taken to their city, Malora must decide whether the comforts of her new home and family are worth the parts of herself she must sacrifice to keep them. Kate Klimo has masterfully created a new world, which at first seems to be an ancient one or perhaps another world altogether, but is in fact set on earth sometime far in the future.

Perfect for readers who’ve finished Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House series but who aren’t quite ready for Harry Potter, this accessible fantasy series is imaginative and adventure-filled! “Funny and wonderfully written. A tall-tale adventure that will grab readers!” —Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House series In The Dragon at the North Pole, Dragon Keepers Jesse and Daisy wake on Christmas morning to a winter wonderland—it snowed overnight! Knowing that their dragon, Emmy, has never seen snow before, they hurry to the barn only to discover that she’s disappeared. She’s left a note behind: “Gone to help Santa.” Santa?! Can it be true? With the help of two pairs of magic snowshoes, Jesse and Daisy visit the North Pole to find out!

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Scottie dog Fala helps run a nation! As President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s nearly constant companion, Fala the Scottish terrier was in the unique position to witness the workings of the U.S. presidency. And now for the first time, the sassy Scottie shares his story with readers—from his idyllic puppyhood spent chasing squirrels through his adulthood spent chasing dignitaries around the world with FDR! This entertaining tail (that is, tale) gives middle-graders a dog’s-eye view of the events leading up to the United States entering World War II, as well as a look at the private side of FDR’s life in a wheelchair. Based on primary source material, with realistic black-and-white illustrations and an appendix including information about President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, World War II, Scottish terriers, and more, this is the kind of historical fiction that begs to be read by reluctant readers. It’s a perfect choice for supporting Common Core State Standards.

Accompanied by her friends, Malora leaves the safety of Mount Kheiron to confront the dangers of the bush in search of Sky, the stallion who used to lead Malora''s herd of horses, and finds herself faced with making choices about her future.

The Dragon Keepers have a new mission! It''s been raining for days, and dragon keepers Jesse and Daisy have been stuck inside with their dragon, Emmy. As soon as the rain stops, they are out of the house in a flash. First on their list of things to do? To find out what the villainous Dr. St. George—a dragon slayer in disguise—is up to. But Dr. St. George isn’t in his office at the college, and all of his stuff is gone! Jesse, Daisy, and Emmy quickly discover St. George’s latest evil plan: to take over the forest and find the magic golden ax that is buried there. To make matters worse, he has also enslaved the mythical beings that are returning to Goldmine City. Can the two dragon keepers and their dragon free the hobgoblins and dryads under St. George’s power and return the forest to right?

Small, feisty Siberian husky Togo—the overlooked sled-dog hero of the 1925 serum run to Nome—sets the record straight in Dog Diaries #4! When a diptheria epidemic breaks out in isolated Nome, Alaska, in January 1925, the only way to get life-saving serum to the town is by using dog-sled relay teams. Twenty teams participate, and the dog who inevitably gets credit for saving the town is Balto, lead dog on the final team which delivered the serum. But few people have ever heard of 12-year-old Togo and his musher Leonard Seppala, who carried the serum for almost double the length of any other team, and twice violated warnings to avoid perilous Norton Sound and instead ran straight over the frozen ice! With realistic black-and-white illustrations by Tim Jessell—plus an appendix with information about Siberian huskies, sled dogs, mushers, and more—Togo''s tale is perfect for middle-grade readers who love a spunky underdog!

Charles Dickens’s Havanese sheds light on the writing of A Christmas Carol in this holiday themed Dog Diaries Special Edition! Like the Spirit of Christmas Past, Timber—aka Tiny Tim—journeys from Victorian England to the present to reveal what life was like for the man who “invented” Christmas! Given as a gift to Dickens during a book tour, small, shaggy, “ridiculous” Timber became the great writer’s constant companion. And whether sitting at Dickens’s feet while the author acted out his stories before writing them down, or entertaining Dickens’s vast litter of ten children before a blazing Yule log, Tiny Tim tells a tale as lively as a holiday jig! With sixteen pages of Dickens-inspired crafts and recipes, this Dog Diaries Special Edition makes the perfect Christmas gift or stocking stuffer. With realistic black-and-white illustrations throughout and a fact-filled appendix, this is the kind of historical fiction that reluctant middle-grade readers beg for!

Queen Elizabeth II''s corgi Susan spills secrets of life in the Royal Family! Gifted to Princess Elizabeth on her 18th birthday, Susan was the cherished companion of the future monarch—even joining the princess on her honeymoon in 1947! Eight years later, she was in attendance when Elizabeth was crowned Queen. How does a Royal Corgi spend her days? What goes on in the Corgi Room in Buckingham Palace? Susan reveals all, along with details about Elizabeth''s work as a lorry driver during World War II—where she learned to take apart an engine and put it back together! With realistic back and white illustrations throughout and a fact-filled appendix, this is the kind of historical fiction that reluctant middle-grade readers will bow down to with respect!

For Magic Tree House readers who are ready for something longer, the Dragon Keepers series has the perfect length and reading level, along with the fast-paced writing, adventure, and sense of teamwork that kids love to read. TEN-YEAR-OLD COUSINS Jesse and Daisy have always wanted something magical to happen to them. So it’s a wish come true when Jesse’s newly found thunder egg hatches, and a helpless, tiny but very loud baby dragon pops out. Soon the two kids are at the dragon’s beck-and-call, trying to figure out what to feed her. An Internet search leads them to the library, which leads them back to the Internet, where they find a very strange Web site called “foundadragon.org.” It is here that the cousins discover that the dragon’s hatching has designated them “Dragon Keepers” and that not only do they have to feed her, but they have to keep her safe from the villainous Saint George who has kept himself alive over centuries by drinking dragons’ blood.

Barry der Menschenretter—a.k.a. Barry—the most famous St. Bernard dog in history, tells the story of his life for the first time. Eight-thousand feet above sea level, in the treacherous pass in the Alps between Italy and Switzerland, the monks of the hospice of St. Bernard have, since the 11th century, kept dogs to help them rescue travelers lost in the snow. In time, these dogs became a breed unto themselves, named for the hospice. They are responsible for helping over 2,000 travelers who might otherwise have frozen to death. With great modesty, Barry tells not just about his own heroic exploits (saving over 40 lives, including that of a 12-year-old boy frozen in a cave), but about his daily life in the hospice, his close relationship with the brothers who train him, and about the other hospice hounds with whom he teams up to guide lost travelers and save lives. With realistic black-and-white illustrations by Tim Jessell—plus an appendix with information about St. Bernards, the Great St. Bernard Hospice, and much, more—Barry''s tale is perfect for dog-crazy middle-grade readers!

A scrappy stray becomes one of the greatest dogs in military history! Stubby the war dog narrates the story of his life--from his days as a stray to his time on the battlefields of France! Adopted by Private John Robert Conroy in 1917 when the dog wandered into training camp, Stubby soon became the mascot for the 26th Yankee division--even learning how to salute! When the men were shipped out for France, Conroy smuggled Stubby on-board . . . and the rest is the kind of incredible true story that dog-crazy middle graders sit up and beg for! By the end of the war, Stubby had served in 17 battles, been injured by mustard gass and grenade; found and captured a German spy; shaken hands with Woodrow Willson; and become the first dog given rank in the United States Armed Forces!

Join the Halloween fun as the entire Muppet gang decides to dress as witches.

Vignettes from the lives of fifteen horses that in their service to the men who rode them contributed to the flow of history or were historical figures in their own right.