New Releases by Laurie Friedman

It's summertime and the Wish Pond Road gang is getting ready to go to Camp Blue Lake. Mallory's not so sure she wants to go. What if she gets homesick or none of the other kids like her? Her best friends, Mary Ann and Joey, convince her how fun it will be to go swimming, boating, and roast marshmallows over a campfire. But when Mallory arrives at camp, nothing goes as planned. Will Mallory ever find a way to be a happy camper?

Bon Voyage! Mallory and her family and friends are setting sail on a cruise. But poor Mallory feels like she's sunk and she hasn't even set sail yet. Her two best friends' parents are getting married and even though Mallory is trying her best to be happy for Mary Ann and Joey, she can't help feeling left out. Can Mallory find a way to be happy for her friends and not feel like a third wheel?

Mallory can't wait to play in her town's new girls' basketball league! What could be more fun than trying something new and being on a team? But Mallory's basketball career gets off to a rocky start. None of her friends are on her team. And no matter how much she tries, she can't make a basket. Mallory works as hard as she can to improve. But as her team heads to the playoffs, she still feels like the weakest player. Will she let her teammates down? Or is there more to being part of a team than just winning the game?

Mallory's new neighbors, the Goldmans, have twin five-year-old boys who need babysitters. Mrs. Goldman hires Mallory and her friend Chloe Jennifer to watch the boys while she works from home. Mallory can't wait! The boys are adorable, so this job will be tons of fun . . . right? Actually, the boys turn out to be a handful. Plus, Mallory has trouble balancing her babysitting duties with her schoolwork, friends, and preparation for an upcoming school poetry slam. Will she figure out how to prioritize the things that matter the most before her new career ruins her life?

Mallory McDonald has her eye on the perfect purse, but it's too expensive and Mallory's mom is not buying! So Mallory comes up with the perfect plan to get the perfect purse. She'll just start a business! Yet starting a business isn't as easy as it seems. Mallory finally earns enough to buy what she wants. But if her business is such as success, why does Mallory feel like such a failure?

Deep in the heart of Heartland lives Ruby Valentine and her trusty parrot Lovebird. Ruby's favorite day of the year is Valentine's Day—she loves to say "I love you" and make cards and treats to deliver to everyone in her town. But Ruby is so exhausted that she sleeps right through the holiday. Although Ruby is worried that she'll have to wait a whole year to tell everyone that she loves them, Lovebird convinces her to deliver her treats and messages of love even though they're a day late. To Ruby's surprise, no one minds.

Everyone seems to know what they want to be for Career Day at school—that is, everyone except Mallory. She can't seem to find anything she's good at. When she finally decides to be a fashion designer, some of her classmates laugh at her. And then, before she can stop it, out pops a lie—Mallory tells everyone that she's won the Fashion Fran fashion design contest. Mallory's lie grows and grows until she must face the truth and make amends with her class, friends, teachers, and parents.

Mallory is excited about the six-week arts electives program at Fern Falls Elementary—until she gets stuck in her last-choice class, band. To make matters worse, she is assigned to the tuba, and when she plays, it sounds more like passing gas than music. She dreads the showcase at the end of the program. But with some good guidance from her mom and her band teacher, Mallory learns the meaning of "practice makes perfect" and that, in fact, making music can be lots of fun!

Ling loves the balance beam and she's great on it, but she has a mental block when it comes to the vault. With some good advice from her older sister, who is also a gymnast, and the encouragement of her SUPER STARZ teammates, Ling is able to overcome her fears.

Homesick campers at Camp Creepy Lake go see Maude for help. But suddenly, they're all missing and no one knows where they have gone. Will, Chase, and Nelly work together to find them. But can they figure out what's going on in the Haunted Woods at Camp Creepy Lake?

Homesick campers at Camp Creepy Lake go see Maude for help. But suddenly, they're all missing and no one knows where they have gone. Will, Chase, and Nelly work together to find them. But can they figure out what's going on in the Haunted Woods at Camp Creepy Lake?

Will and Chase are assigned to Bunk Five. Their counselor is a creepy skeleton named Bones, and their cabin is filled with his pet attack bats. With a little help from their friend Nelly, Will and Chase find a way to deal with the bats. But Bones has more in store for them!

"Diners are lined up outside of Chef Kate's restaurant on a cold day. ... Chef Kate is busy making her special Campfire Stew. When it's ready, Kate invites everyone to join her around the campfire for a warm bowl of stew and some fireside fun"--

The Bean family is going camping! But they have a problem. There are so many noises outside their tent, no one can sleep. Baby Bean suggests they sing a soothing song that will help them fall asleep. But the rest of this illogical bunch comes up with their own zany solution.

A young child goes to school at night and discovers after-dark learning is different--and a lot of fun! But did it really happen? Or was it all just a crazy dream?

With the help of her teammates, Grace finds the courage to speak up for herself when the stress of her father's expectations becomes too much. Includes support for caregivers and teachers.

In this charming tale of two princess sisters, Charlotte is a perfect princess and Olive is, well, just Olive. She tries to be more like her older sister, but despite Olive's best efforts, she always seems to fall short. Will Olive ever shine like Charlotte? Readers will root for loveable Olive on her journey toward self-acceptance.

The Bean family builds a house, but the roof keeps them from seeing the stars, so each member suggests a zany solution except Baby Bean.

"With some good advice from her older sister and the encouragement of her Super Starz teammates, Ling is able to overcome her fears and tackle the vault"--

"Diners are lined up outside of Chef Kate's restaurant on a cold day. They don't know what she'll be serving, but can't wait to try it! Chef Kate is busy making her special Campfire Stew. When it's ready, Kate invites everyone to join her around the campfire for a warm bowl of stew and some fireside fun!"--

"It's Christmas! Ms. Green, Spots, and Stripes are at home opening presents. But when Spots and Stripes both give Ms. Green the same gift, they think Christmas is ruined. Will this dog and cat duo find a way to have a very merry holiday together?"--

Trainer Tom works with the animals at the zoo. Today, he's working with the flamingos and the ducks, who don't want to be friends! They tell Trainer Tom they're just too different. But Trainer Tom shows these two breeds of birds that making friends with those who are different can be lots of fun.

"Trainer Tom works with the animals at the zoo. Today, he's working with the flamingos and the ducks, who don't want to be friends! They tell Trainer Tom they're just too different. But Trainer Tom shows these two breeds of birds that making friends with those who are different can be lots of fun"--

"Moose is no ordinary dog! When his owner, Frank, leaves for the day, Moose gets busy in the kitchen cooking soup. Moose loves cooking for Frank, but not as much as he likes curling up on the couch with him at the end of a long day!"--

"Milly loves to be silly! But it's picture day and Mom isn't happy when she and Jack have a bad case of the sillies. Milly loves to be silly, but recognizes there are times to be silly and times to be serious"--

School's in session! When it comes to surviving school, Percy's at the head of the class. If you can follow his ten simple rules, making the grade will be a piece of cake (and school will be a lot of fun). But there's more to school than showing up on time and staying awake in class. If you have any doubts, Percy also shows exactly what not to do. No spitballs! No running in the halls! No bouncing off the ceiling! No crazy scheming! See what other trouble—and tips—Percy has in mind!

April is stunned when her grandma announces she has cancer. And rather than undergo difficult treatment, Gaga wants to cross an item off her bucket list: going skiing in the mountains. So she's taking the whole family to Utah! Despite their matching ski outfits, April is looking forward to time with her grandma and cousins. But tension builds as Sophie mysteriously shuts April out, Harry swoons over another skier, the aunts tiptoe around Gaga's feelings, and April faces peer pressure on the slopes. When disaster strikes, April has to try to embrace Gaga's approach: that life is what you make of it.

Every year, the Christmas family puts up the biggest Christmas tree. They hang up the most lights. And their dog, Rudy, barks "Jingle Bells" for the entire neighborhood to hear. The Christmas family LOVES Christmas! That is, all except for seven-year-old Mary Christmas. Mary wants to love it. But how do you make a Christmas celebration better when it's already as big as can be? With some help from her family—and Rudy—Mary just may find a way to make this year's celebration the merriest yet. With oversized humor and heart, this story of spreading Christmas cheer is sure to become a holiday classic. "Friedman makes the case that the best thing to do with abundance is to share it."—Publishers Weekly "The message that one person can bring about positive change, no matter the situation, is triumphant, and the idea that the holidays are for sharing is beautifully presented. . . . A merry selection, just perfect for storytimes highlighting the true meaning of Christmas."—School Library Journal

Mallory is excited to start fifth grade. She just got a cell phone, and Mary Ann's in her class. What could go wrong? For one thing, she gets off on the wrong foot with her new teacher. For another, Mary Ann seems to be avoiding her and spending all her time with their classmate Zoe. And then there's Mallory's book report assignment. Instead of Mary Ann, her partner is the new kid, Devon. Is fifth grade going to be a disaster, a fun adventure, or a little of both?