New Releases by Laurie Friedman

"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"--

"Trainer Tom works with the animals at the zoo. Today, he''s working with the penguins to show them some good ways to be polite. But the penguins would rather swim. With Trainer Tom''s help, the penguins learn their manners while still having fun. And Trainer Tom has fun too!"--

Friendships are like flowers. If you take care of them, they grow and bloom until you have a beautiful garden! The Little Book of Friendship shows young readers what they need to know to make a friend and to be one too.

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?

A few months into freshman year, April thought her rocky friendship with her childhood BFF, Brynn, was improving. But then Brynn blames April for the breakup with her boyfriend, Billy, and soon other girls on the dance team do too. Meanwhile, April''s cousin Sophie seems to like Billy—and vice versa—putting April awkwardly in the middle. On top of it all, April can''t figure out what to make of being maybe-friends-maybe-more with sixteen-year-old genius Leo, now that he''s leaving for college a few hours away. As a new calendar year kicks off, April just wants a clean start—but high school is messy business.

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?

At first, high school is off to a surprisingly good start for April. She and Brynn are on the dance team. April''s almost-cousin Sophie has moved to Faraway. Running into Matt hasn''t been as weird as April thought it might be. And then there''s her new friendship with cute, quirky Leo. But just as April settles in, her life begins to unravel. Brynn doesn''t want anything to do with Sophie. April''s mom is busy opening a boutique, and she and Dad are constantly fighting. When events at a party catch April off guard, she feels like life has hit a new low. Is it possible that things can turn around when you least expect it?

There''s a new baby on Wish Pond Road, and Mallory has had all the baby talk she can take! Mallory wants to be excited about Mary Ann and Joey''s new brother, Charlie. But she can''t help wondering what life will be like now that there''s a baby around. Whether it''s painting the nursery, taking family photos, or attending a baby shower, her friends are so caught up in the excitement of having a new baby brother that Mallory feels like they''ve forgotten about her. Is there a bright side to the changes that baby Charlie brings?

April has a New Year''s resolution to start the year off right—get back together with sweet, funny Billy. They''ve been friends forever, her family loves him, and he''s even class president this year. But she keeps getting stuck on several questions: What does Billy think about her? What''s going on between Billy and their friend Brynn? And why does she feel she needs to keep her friendship with Matt Parker, her hot neighbor, a secret? When Cupid throws April a curve ball, she''s faced with a new problem: how does a girl follow her heart when old friendships, new friendships, and her family''s trust are on the line?

Some simple math: one + one + one = one too many! From the day they were born, Mary Ann and Mallory have been best friends. They''ve always been a two-some. But now, there''s a new girl in town, and what used to be just the two of them has turned into three. If you ask Mallory, things just don''t add up!

April Sinclair just wants what any normal thirteen-year-old would want: to disown her parents and obnoxious little sisters; to escape to summer camp ASAP with her two best friends, Billy and Brynn; and to make a good impression on Matt Parker, the hot new boy next door. Unfortunately, Matt witnesses April''s utter humiliation at her birthday party. Then Billy kisses her. Just as April is trying to figure things out, her parents cancel her camp plans in lieu of a family RV trip. A summer of babysitting her sisters and "re-bonding" with her family isn''t how she imagined life as a teenager. And it certainly won’t help her straighten out her feelings about Billy or Matt. Is there any silver lining to a road trip in The Clunker with her family of misfits?

When eight-and-a-half-year-old Mallory McDonald''s parents tell her that they are moving, she''s mad—really mad! It''s not fair! How can they make her move away from Mary Ann, her best friend in the whole wide world? Who will she paint her toenails with, tell secrets to, and make scrapbooks with? When Mallory arrives at her new house on Wish Pond Road, things are terrible. Her room is too small and the girl next door is mean. But Joey lives next door, too. Even though he doesn''t paint his toes, he tells jokes, helps teach her cat to do tricks, and shows her how to skateboard. Mallory''s having so much fun she forgets the pact she made with Mary Ann never to make friends with a boy next door. But, when Mary Ann comes to visit, what will Mallory do? Will she have to choose between her best friend and her new friend?

"Mallory is excited about the six-week arts electives program at Fern Falls Elementary--until she gets stuck in her last-choice elective, band. To make matters worse, she is assigned to the tuba, and when she plays, it sound 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"--

Mallory is turning 10, and she''s planning a super sleepover! To celebrate her tenth birthday, Mallory wants to have the most super sleepover celebration ever! Mallory plans out everything to the last detail. As long as she promises not to let the fun get out of control, her parents agree to letting her friends sleep over. But Mallory’s best friend, Mary Ann, has her own ideas about what a super sleepover party should include. Before Mallory can put a stop to things, uninvited guests show up, a water balloon fight gets out of hand, and a good friend has her feelings hurt. How did a super sleepover turn into such a super mess?

Mallory has a new diary, and big news to write in it: a cute fifth-grade boy LIKES her! The only problem: Mallory''s friends are more excited about it than she is. Mallory''s not sure what to do, what to say on the phone, or even how she feels. Her best friend, Mary Ann, however, issure about what Mallory should feel and do. But when Mallory follows Mary Ann''s advice, she winds up hurting another friend-and gets in BIG trouble. Can Mallory make things right and learn to follow her own heart?

After moving, eight-year-old Mallory struggles with being new at school, especially because her mother is now the music teacher and director of the third grade play.

Valentine''s Day is approaching and everyone seems to be crazed with love--except for Mallory. She''s been invited to a Valentine''s party next door and rumor has it that her next-door neighbor''s dad is going to propose to her best friend''s mom. What will it mean if her two best friends become brother and sister? Where will she fit in? And to make matters even more confusing, Mallory is receiving presents from a secret admirer. Who could it be? Mallory feels like everything is changing and she has lots of questions about life, love, and friendship. Since her two best friends are preoccupied, Mallory turns to her diary to find the answers.

Isabelle Ashley Parker McBride has a style all her own. She wears special outfits for every event, from going to the dentist to having tea, and everyone admires her unique sense of style. Everything is perfect, until her cousin Dora asks her to be a flower girl in her wedding. Isabelle Ashley is thrilled – but then she sees the plain, pink dress she is supposed to wear. It’s boring and looks exactly the same as everyone else’s. How could a girl with such style possibly be seen in such a drab dress?