New Releases by Mary Quattlebaum

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN! Visit castles, meet princes and princesses, attend a royal wedding, and travel the world through the story of Queen Elizabeth II of England. This Level 3 Reader tells the true story of a girl who never thought she would be queen. Readers meet Princess Elizabeth as a child playing with her favorite corgis and pony and follow the young woman who assumes the throne at age 25 and becomes one of the most famous, and longest reigning, queens in history. National Geographic Readers have been a hit in the leveled reader category, and this book follows upon that success with the same combination of careful text, brilliant photographs, and fun approach to the high-interest biographies that has proved to be a winning formula with kids. The level 3 text provides accessible yet wide-ranging information for independent readers. In this real-life fairy tale, explore the early life, coronation, and years of service and achievements of one of the world's most loved and respected monarchs. Key features include: Expert-vetted text appropriate for ages 7 to 9 Beautiful and engaging photos Fun approach to high-interest biographies Praise for National Geographic Readers: "Reliable in format and solid in execution, this series works well to introduce children of varying levels of reading comfort to nonfiction and research formats." — Maggie Reagan, Booklist Explore more National Geographic Readers Biographies: National Geographic Readers: Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Level 3) National Geographic Readers: Buzz Aldrin (Level 3) National Geographic Readers: Alexander Hamilton (Level 3) National Geographic Readers: Cleopatra (Level 3)

Travel around the world to meet the cutest animals on Earth! Learn all about fennec foxes, owls, wombats, monkeys, frogs, penguins, wild cats and more in this wide-ranging Level 2 reader from the National Geographic Kids leveled reader series, now with more than 200 books, from Pre-reader to Level 3. Explore deserts, grasslands, rainforests, the ocean, and even your own backyard to discover the most aww-inducing creatures on the planet. Dance with little fairy penguins, bob with bobtail squids, waddle with wombats, and so much more. Learn about their habitats, their behaviors, and just what makes these animals so absolutely adorable. National Geographic Readers' combination of expert-vetted text, brilliant images, and a fun approach to reading have proved to be a winning formula with kids, parents, and educators. This Level 2 text provides accessible information for animal-loving kids beginning to read independently, perfect to encourage the scientists and explorers of tomorrow! About the series: This high-interest, educationally vetted readers series features magnificent National Geographic images accompanied by text written by experienced, skilled children's book authors. Each reader includes a glossary and interactive features in which kids get to use what they've learned in the book. Level 1 readers reinforce the content of the book with a kinesthetic learning activity. Level 2 readers feature slightly higher-level text and additional vocabulary words. Level 3 readers have more layers of information to challenge more proficient readers. For emerging readers, the Pre-reader level introduces vocabulary and concepts, and the Co-reader level provides a collaborative reading experience. Praise for National Geographic Readers:"Reliable in format and solid in execution, this series works well to introduce children of varying levels of reading comfort to nonfiction and research formats."

"From the pika to fennec fox, blue morpho butterfly to baby seal, meet tons of adorable animals from all around the world in this Level 2 reader"--

Learn all about hedgehogs in this engaging Level 1 reader from National Geographic Kids, now with more than 150 books from Pre-reader to Level 3 in the series. Packed with beautiful and engaging photos, kids will learn all about these adorable animals--their fascinating features, behavior, and habitat. This reader is carefully leveled for an early independent reading or read aloud experience, perfect to encourage the scientists and explorers of tomorrow!

"Little ones will delight in the similarities lion, turtle, and even bee siblings have with human brothers and sisters in this charming read-aloud book. It opens with 10 kinds of animal siblings and segues naturally into young human brothers and sisters. The children reprise the animal actions, from leaping and pouncing to splashing and bouncing, and finally snuggling down to sleep. Interesting facts about each featured animal are provided for further learning"--

Calling all dog lovers! Join the adventure as National Geographic Kids Chapters presents a trio of true stories about incredible acts of canine heroism. From Glory the bloodhound, who saves lost pets, to terriers who help raise orphaned hippos, these

Bad Bart is the biggest, burliest boy pirate in the Atlantic. Mean Mo is the maddest, mightiest girl pirate in the Pacific. When they meet in the middle, it's a no-holds-barred contest to see who is the best pirate in the world. They test who is brave enough to swim with sharks, who is strong enough to throw a cannonball, who can eat the most hard tack, and who has collected the most treasure. Again and again their respective crews proclaim, "Tie!" Bad Bart and Mean Mo stare each other down and . . . fall head over heads in love! This epic tale of the union of two pirate captains is told in seadog lingo and illustrated with of knockout oceanic battles.

It's all in a days work for man's best friend! Hero Dogs! presents three heartwarming stories of courageous canines. You'll meet Glory, the bloodhound who helps track down lost pets, friendly terriers who play with orphaned hippos, and one amazing firehouse pup. Follow along on their adventures as they save lives and change the world.

True stories of animals and the people who love them.

Fred the ghost is perfectly happy haunting his ramshackle New Orleans house until Pierre and his daughter Marie move in and turn the house into a restaurant.

Nothing but a big mess of trouble and weeds.. That's what Jackson Jones thinks of the garden plot his mother gives him for his tenth birthday. What happened to the basketball he's hoped and prayed for all year? When Jackson comes up with a moneymaking scheme for the garden, it doesn't seem so bad after all. He even cuts his friends in on the action. But before long, Jackson finds out that friends and business don't always mix. When the neighborhood bully calls him "Bouquet Jones," Jackson is ready to give up. Maybe gardens don't belong in cities after all.... Winner of the first annual Marguerite de Angeli Prize.

Ben Watson has been shuffled from foster home to foster home since he was 5 years old. Seven homes in six years. He’s gotten used to blanking folks out, leaving them behind, and waiting for the day when he can leave foster care forever. Now, at the age of 11, Ben’s just arrived at home number eight. But he’s finding it hard to blank out the Torgles, his new foster parents, and their house full of strays: the 7-year-old twins, Kate and Jango, and the baby, Grover G. Graham. Grover’s just over a year old and always getting into trouble, but Ben can’t help liking the little guy — especially since Grover was abandoned by his teenage mother, just like Ben was. The only difference is that Grover’s mother, Tracey, is still trying to get custody of her child. But Ben is convinced Tracey will abandon Grover again. So when he gets the chance to escape from the system, Ben takes it. And he takes Grover with him.

Jackson Jones can't get away from roses. First his mother got him a plot at Rooter's, a community garden, where Jackson planted a rosebush of thorns and no blooms. Now Mr. K., a fellow gardener, enlists Jackson's help to rustle up some hardier, prettier, sweeter-smelling old-time roses. The kind that grow in cemeteries! But no sooner do Jackson and his good friend, Reuben, take the rose cutting home than Reuben's gloom-and-doom talk of curses seems real. Broken bones. Poison ivy. Stinging bees. Jackson doesn't want to believe that anyone who comes in contact with the cemetery roses or cut twig suffers any of these consequences. But could it be that by taking the cutting, Jackson places his friends, Rooter's, and even himself--gulp!--under the curse of the outlaw rose?

Basketball-loving Jackson Jones never wanted any part of Rooter’s, the community garden where his mother got him his very own plot for his 10th birthday. But he made the best of it, even planting a thorny rosebush. Now, after months of watering, weeding, and waiting, red roses have finally bloomed. So when Jackson learns that big city developers want to bulldoze Rooter’s, he can’t believe it. The garden means something to him, and he likes hanging out with the neighbors who tend their own plots. But what can Jackson do? With unasked-for help from well-meaning friends—and going to great lengths to avoid a fearsome bully who loves to taunt him—Jackson sets out to save Rooter’s. But coming up with a winning strategy isn’t so easy.

In this jaunty, read-aloud journey, readers can follow the route of the train underground, as well as what's going on above ground. Illustrations.

Nine-year-old Calvin’s dream of having a pet of his own is partially fulfilled when his neighbor Jenny gets a hamster named Pizzazz for her magic act.

Sixteen delightful read-aloud poems capture the flavor of a neighborhood as the narrator observes the happenings through the seasons. Mary Quattlebaum is the award-winning author of Jackson Jones and the Puddle of Thorns and Jazz, Pizzazz, and the Silver Threads. Full color.