New Releases by Marion Dane Bauer

During the catastrophic tsunami of 2004, a family of hippos was swept out to sea from their home on Sabaki River, in Eastern Kenya. The sole survivor of the disastor was a baby hippo who was rescued and given the name Owen. Motherless and alone, Owen is befriended by Mzee, a giant male tortoise at a local nature reserve. This moving and charming tale is the story of their friendship.

Christmas is twinkling through the town from candles on tables to lights on the trees. Let the real blinking lights on each page of this merry little book shine holiday cheer in your heart that you can share with the world!

Liz is staying with her grandmother in her old house in the woods of northern Minnesota when one night a noise awakens her. It is someone calling her name, calling for Elizabeth. Liz opens her eyes. There is a blue ghost in her room! What does the ghost want from her? This exciting mystery by Newbery Honor writer Marion Dane Bauer is perfect for first chapter-book readers.

A boy welcomes scary trick-or-treaters at his door until a group of costumes becomes too scary for him.

Ten-year-old Jonathan practically lives at the Anchorage Zoo, where his father is a keeper. He loves animals, and even imagines himself inside their bodies, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel. Meanwhile, a young brown bear is wandering through the woods near Anchorage, alone and hungry. One night, while searching for food, the bear crosses paths with Jonathan, who eagerly follows him onto the zoo grounds. But when the bear accidentally kills Mama Goose, Jonathan’s favorite zoo creature, the boy loses the empathy he had felt earlier. He wishes that the bear—now nicknamed Trouble—would meet the same fate as his beloved goose, and he impulsively takes steps to make sure that happens. Based on an actual incident, and told in alternating chapters from the bear’s and Jonathan’s points of view, this is both an involving animal story and a thought-provoking investigation into the consequences of one’s actions.

The text and illustrations in this story explain what rain is and how it is used by plants, birds, and people. Ready-to-Read Level 1.

Simple text and illustrations explore the wonders of snow.

Inside my boots I''ve got toes, and beneath my scarf is a... Baby is bundled in a mountain of clothes! Peek under the flaps of clothing to find out what''s underneath, and play this fun peekaboo book again and again!

Fourteen-year-old Polly Rodgers keeps a diary of her 1873 journey from England to Minnesota as part of a colony of eighty people seeking religious freedom, and of their first year struggling to make a life there, led by her father, a Baptist minister.

As the sun sets, a father puts his child to bed. Weaving images of mice, of birds, and of polar bears, he tells her that sleep nibbles the last crumb of day; sleep gathers her beneath its feathery wings; and that sleep holds her tight in the furry dark. And as the images of sleep grow larger and larger, the father hopes that sleep will come to his child very soon. In this glorious companion to If You Were Born a Kitten, Marion Dane Bauer and JoEllen McAllister Stammen have created a classic lullaby, as warm and loving as any child and parent at bedtime.

A little girl goes through a normal day tripping, dropping things, spilling milk, and waking the baby--uh-oh! A bestselling author showcases childhood clumsiness with compassion and humor in this lift-the-flap book. Petrone''s quirky illustrations perfectly capture a toddler who knows that her mommy and daddy love her--no matter how many uh-oh''s she has. Full-color illustrations. 9 gatefolds.

Runt, the smallest wolf pup, desperately trying to please his father, the leader of the wolf pack, stumbles into the forbidden human territory and learns a valuable lesson in self-worth, in a powerful novel of courage.

Readers are reassured that being themselves has its advantages.Animal anatomy and the myriad differences between humans and animals are the focus of this imaginative picture book. Each page (or spread) is devoted to some aspect of animal anatomy, such as elephant trunks, mosquito mouths, or monkey tails and what a child might do with such an appendage. Winter''s playful watercolor illustrations show a young girl trying out each scenario with an animal companion.

Jason''s enthusiasm for bears is dampened when his big brother tells him that they are going to eat him up. Illustrations.

Tim is distressed to learn that his mom, new stepfather, and grandmother are sure Granddad has Alzheimer''s disease. Refusing to accept the possibility that they may be right, Tim persuades Granddad to run away with him on a fishing trip, convinced this will prove that Granddad is still capable of taking care of himself. But on the way to the lake, Granddad keeps forgetting things: their equipment, the soft drinks, even how to make change at the roadside store. When Granddad can''t get them out of a dangerous situation on the water but instead makes the problem worse, Tim finally realizes his grandfather has changed . . . but his awareness may have come too late. Well-developed characters and page-turning suspense ensure that this riveting yet poignant novel will hold readers captive.

Winter is coming and Little Turtle must get ready, but he just does not know how. Great-great-great Grandma Turtle only adds to Little Turtle''s confusion when she tells her, "Go gather your dreams." This is a charming easy-reader chapter book. The large print text and the beautiful illustrations of the other animals that Turtle meets add visual pleasure to the story. Children will love being able to read about Turtle''s adventures and will enjoy the self-confidence that comes from being able to "read it myself."

Presents a selection of short fiction written by students in grades four through twelve followed by Bauer''s comments on each, detailing what works well and making suggestions for improvements.

Young Alison, dreaming of having her own wings, tries to find a way to fly.

The author explores the influences that led her to become a writer including the importance of inspiration.

Thirteen-year-old Caitlan looks forward to the camping trip with her older sister in the woods of northern Minnesota, but she doesn''t count on the intrusion of her sister''s boyfriend or the ghost of a boy who died in the fire that destroyed the forest a century before.

A child enjoys a camping trip with Grandma that includes hiking, canoeing, fishing, and cooking out.

Purrloom Popcorn, an exotically beautiful cat with one blue eye and one gold eye, receives his first real love from a lonely girl and an array of ghost cats.

Picked on at school by bullies, thirteen-year-old Michael confronts his fears during a trip to Colorado to see his father, who works as a white-water rafting guide and whom Michael has not seen in eight years.

The award-winning author “provides mentoring and practical and technical advice in this handy how-to book . . . as useful to teachers as to young writers” (School Library Journal, starred review). Storytelling is a universal experience. From an early age, we begin to shape our own world by crafting tales. But learning to tell—and write—a good story isn’t easy. It takes dedication and practice, just like for a musician or an athlete, and it can be just as rewarding to accomplish as winning a game or mastering an instrument. It’s the kind of work that feeds our souls and makes us glad to be alive. In What’s Your Story?, Newbery Medal-winning author Marion Dane Bauer discusses how to write fiction from beginning to end, including creating a story plan, choosing the best idea, bringing characters to life, deciding on a point of view, creating realistic dialogue, keeping readers hooked, and revising and polishing the finished product. “Her last comment is telling: ‘Knowing your craft can help you tell a story. But only by taking risks can you make art.’ After many pages of provocative information and straightforward counsel, that sentence may be the one to launch youngsters to the challenge. The book speaks directly to young writers, but many adults (teachers, librarians, reviewers, editors, would-be writers) will also find this sensible dissection of the storytelling process invaluable.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “A pragmatic, organized approach to story writing . . . the exercises and thought processes introduced as groundwork come across as stimulating rather than tedious and may serve to hone analytical skills as well as inspire even the most reluctant writers to try their hand.”—Publishers Weekly

In England with her mother for a year, dreamy Diana meets an eccentric old man and shares his frustrations and use of the royal family as a means of escape.

Jennifer is disappointed on her birthday when her father gives her a little china horse and the promise of riding lessons instead of the real horse she''s been expecting.

A Newbery Honor Book. “A gripping, compassionate portrayal of a boy’s struggle with conscience” by the bestselling author of My Mother Is Mine (Kirkus Reviews). While on a bike trip, Joel’s best friend Tony drowns while they are swimming in the forbidden, treacherous Vermilion River. Joel is terrified at having to tell of his disobedience and overwhelmed by his feelings of guilt, even though the daring act was Tony’s idea, and Joel didn’t know that Tony couldn’t swim. But Joel’s loving and protective father will help him deal with the tragic aftermath—and understand that we all must live with the choices we make. “A powerful, soul-stirring novel told simply and well.”—Booklist (starred review) “This is a devastating but beautifully written story of a boy’s all-consuming guilt over the role he plays in the death of his best friend . . . Bauer’s honest and gripping novel joins the ranks of such as Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia in its handling of these issues.”—Publishers Weekly “Descriptions are vivid, characterization and dialogue natural, and the style taut but unforced. A powerful, moving book.”—School Library Journal