New Releases by Martha Freeman

"After Arthur finds a chipped teacup on a shelf at his family's store, he embarks on an adventure involving stolen jewels, a treacherous friendship, prairie dogs, and even the ghost of a pet mouse"--OCLC.

After their director breaks her leg, the cast of a sixth-grade play is delighted with volunteer director Mike, but eleven-year-old Noah McNichol has reason to believe Mike is a ghost.

It's not the big bad wolf that stops Little Red Hoodie from getting to grandma's house in this rollicking take on the fairy tale--Red can't follow directions! "Follow Magic Wand Lane to Glass Slipper Boulevard, right on Beanstalk, left on Breadcrumb, down the Garden Path, and you're there," said Little Red Hoodie's mom, but Red wasn't exactly paying attention. Before she knows it, she's hopelessly lost in the forest-- and to make matters worse, someone has stolen her basket of goodies. It'll take the whole forest to undercover the thief and get the directionally challenged Little Red Hoodie back on track to Grandma's house. A companion to the delightfully irreverent Goldilocks, Go Home!, this latest from Martha Freeman features all the wit and charm of the first book as well as cameos by Bobby (Baby) Bear, the Pig Brothers from HoGTV, Chicken Little, and many more. Marta Sevilla's clever drawings effortlessly capture the spirited banter among characters as Little Red Hoodie and Bobby Bear take turns narrating the story.

“An inspiring look at women who realized curiosity plus tenacity equals success.” —Kirkus Reviews “[A] captivating compendium.” —Publishers Weekly Discover the histories of twenty incredible female scientists in this inspiring biography collection from beloved author Martha Freeman and Google Doodler Katy Wu. Why do galaxies spin the way they do? What’s the best kind of house for a Komodo dragon? Can you cure malaria with medicine made from a plant? The scientists and mathematicians in Born Curious sought answers to these and many other fascinating questions. And it’s lucky for us they did. Without their vision, insight, and hard work, the world would be a sicker, dirtier, and more dangerous place. The twenty groundbreaking women—including Rosalind Franklin, Marie Tharp, Shirley Anne Jackson, and more—came from all kinds of backgrounds and had all kinds of life experiences. Some grew up rich. Some grew up poor. Some were always the smartest kid in class. Some struggled to do well in school. But all had one thing in common: They were born curious. Are you curious, too? Read on.

Prepare to laugh out loud at the antics of Goldilocks and The Three Bears in this illustrated chapter book for lovers of snarky humor and fractured fairy tales. "So I ate some porridge and broke a chair--get over it!" Goldilocks snipes at Bobby Bear, as Baby Bear is now calling himself. Tensions are high at the Three Bears cottage where Goldilocks--an overdramatic tween who has deluded herself into believing she's a princess--is stranded until the Big Bad Wolf vacates the area. A hungry troll, three pigs with a home improvement show on HoGTV, and of course the Big Bad Wolf all figure into the story in this hilarious mash-up of folk and fairy tales from around the world. In chapters full of quirky and clever drawings, Bobby and Goldilocks alternate narrating the story of their hair-raising adventures. Goldilocks aka "Furless" and Bobby are constantly at one another's throats and can't stop interrupting each other. But despite their mutual animosity, a kind of affection develops between Bobby and Goldilocks, and they become something like friends. As Bobby explains, "I mean, annoying as she was, I didn't want her to end up wolf kibble." Over 80 illustrations are included.

Eleven-year-olds Luis and Maura investigate the cause of a long-term, city-wide power outage in Hampton, New Jersey. Includes facts about electric power and instructions for assembling an emergency kit.

The girls from Flowerpot Cabin learn that there are two things they can count on in life—friendship and cookies—in Martha Freeman’s third novel in the Secret Cookie Club series, which was called “a younger version of Ann Brashares’s The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” by School Library Journal. It’s not all sugar and spice for the girls of Flowerpot Cabin after they leave summer camp. Grace learns she isn’t good at everything when she gets volunteered to dogsit, Emma’s mom has a hard time when her beloved grandmother dies, Olivia’s brother makes a big announcement that starts a family feud, and Lucy isn’t sure how she feels when her dad pops back into her life. Meanwhile, beloved counselor Hannah continues to deal with the fallout from a summer romance. But no matter what tough stuff comes their way, there are two things the members of the Secret Cookie Club can count on: friendship and cookies.

“An excellent addition to middle grade collections.” —School Library Journal (starred review) After being shipped off to stay with her aunt and uncle in Nowheresville, Pennsylvania, city girl Effie Starr Zook stumbles upon a mystery that leads her to an old family feud in this “accessible and exciting” (School Library Journal, starred review). A rich girl from New York City, Effie Starr Zook isn’t afraid of much. When her parents go on a dangerous round-the-world adventure in a solar airplane, she’s packed off to her aunt and uncle’s farm for the summer. Expecting boredom, she runs smack dab into a family secret. Why does the neighbor kid want to avoid her? What are her aunt and uncle so worried about? And what does “bad blood” mean, anyway? Effie’s got a brand-new bicycle, time on her hands, and an unlimited capacity for asking questions. With these, she sets out to uncover whatever it is the grownups are hiding. Along the way, she’ll contend with crackpot politics, serve coffee in a bookstore café, and learn more than she bargained for about her famous great-grandfather, the inventor of the barf bag. Fast-paced and funny, this is a story about having the courage to find out who you really are. Look out, world—when Effie Starr Zook has questions, she won’t take no for an answer!

The girls from Flowerpot Cabin are back at camp in Martha Freeman’s second novel in the Secret Cookie Club series, which was called “a younger version of Ann Brashares’s The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” by School Library Journal. Recipe for Summer Drama 1 girl counselor, broken-hearted 1 boy counselor, super-cute 4 determined campers Mix all ingredients together for eight weeks at Moonlight Ranch summer camp. For best results, add cookies. The Secret Cookie Club members Grace, Emma, Olivia, and Lucy are excited to be back at Moonlight Ranch summer camp with their beloved counselor, Hannah. But when a mysterious letter arrives, Hannah is plunged into despair. Secret Cookie Club to the rescue! After puzzling out the contents of the letter, they make a plan to fix Hannah’s life—a plan that requires a magic spell, a daring mission to the boys camp, and a big batch of campfire cookies. What could possibly go wrong? With a dash of romance, a pinch of mystery, and a heaping tablespoon of fun, this camp adventure is as satisfying as a warm chocolate chip cookie.

Four very different girls meet at Moonlight Ranch camp and decide to remain friends all year by exchanging letters and home-made cookies, using recipes their counselor's grandfather passed along.

"In 1949 Philadephia, Mary Mouse and an orphan named Caro embark on an adventure when they team up to expose criminals and make the Cherry Street Orphanage a safe haven for mice."--Title page verso.

"Young Mark Kelly and his brother and friends decide to build a rocket over the summer when their constant bickering starts to annoy their grandfather in this middle-grade novel based on the NASA astronauts' real childhoods"--

Sixth-grader Alex and his friend Yasmeen are on the case when ice sculptures go missing from the local First Night festivities.

When the recipe for his grandmother's famous pumpkin pie suddenly vanishes right before Thanksgiving Day, Alex and his friend Yasmeen try to solve the mystery of its disappearance.

Alex and Yasmeen, the slueths of Chickadee Court are back in action looking for a serial catnapper.

Holly has a lot to deal with lately. Her mom has remarried and she has to get used to a new town, a new house, a new school, and a new stepdad. As if this isn’t enough, she has to share her room with four pesky cats. Or rather, they have to learn to share their room with her. Max Cat always escapes. George Cat always disappears. Wilbur Cat eats socks. And Boo Cat is always somewhere you don’t want him to be. These cats are driving Holly crazy. She can’t get her homework done, all of her socks have holes in them, and the police even pay a visit to her house all because of the cats. Can Holly and the troublesome felines ever learn to get along?

When parts of outdoor Christmas displays go missing from neighborhood yards, nine-year-old Alex and his friend Yasmeen investigate.

A perfect read for back to school--no matter what that looks like! Dexter is like a square peg in a round hole: he just can’t fit in. All the kids in his class enjoy the zany things their teacher Mr. Ditzwinkle does to make learning fun. All except Dexter, the weirdo who prefers the same routine. But when things start disappearing from school, Dexter is surprised that his teacher is suspected. Dexter thinks Mr. Ditzwinkle is odd, but he knows he’s not a crook. Can Dexter the weirdo prove it by catching the real thief?

Kate Sommers is stunned when her parents announce that their family is moving from sunny California to Belletoona, Pennsylvania. Kate can't bear leaving her friends, her cool surfer boyfriend, and the beach. But maybe, just maybe, Belletoona won't be so bad. Forget it. All it ever does is snow in Belletoona -- and Kate's already in trouble with the principal and half her class. What's worse is her younger sister, who acts like Miss Perfect. Kate's had it. Nothing will stop her from going back to California where she belongs.