New Releases by Sid Fleischman

Welcome to Humbug Mountain. Little did Wiley, the son of a traveling newspaperman, imagine that the search for his grandfather would lead him into the hands of those nasty villains of the West—Shagnasty John and the Fool Killer. Using their newspaper, The Humbug Mountain Hoorah, Wiley and his sister and mother go about outwitting the outlaws in their scheme to ambush Grandfather's new boat and its cargo of gold.

See him? That little tramp twitching a postage stamp of a mustache, politely lifting his bowler hat, and leaning on a bamboo cane with the confidence of a gentleman? A slapstick comedian, he blazed forth as the brightest movie star in the Hollywood heavens. Everyone knew Charlie—Charlie Chaplin. When he was five years old he was pulled onstage for the first time, and he didn't step off again for almost three-quarters of a century. Escaping the London slums of his tragic childhood, he took Hollywood like a conquistador with a Cockney accent. With his gift for pantomime in films that had not yet acquired vocal cords, he was soon rubbing elbows with royalty and dining on gold plates in his own Beverly Hills mansion. He was the most famous man on earth—and he was regarded as the funniest. Still is. . . . He comes to life in these pages. It's an astonishing rags-to-riches saga of an irrepressible kid whose childhood was dealt from the bottom of the deck. Abundantly illustrated.

So begin the adventures of young Oliver Finch, born at the stroke of midnight. Believing that Oliver can spy out ghosts, Captain Scratch kidnaps him, bringing him aboard the notorious pirate vessel Bloody Hand. The ship sails the high seas in pursuit of the ghost of Gentleman Jack, who paces his grave where the pirate treasure lies buried. A despicable pirate captain, a mutinous crew, a band of sly sea ghosts—Oliver is determined to outfox them all and get safely home. It's a tale of treachery, intrigue, and suspense!

Who was this man who could walk through brick walls and, with a snap of his fingers, vanish elephants? In these pages you will meet the astonishing Houdini—magician, ghost chaser, daredevil, pioneer aviator, and king of escape artists. No jail cell or straitjacket could hold him! He shucked off handcuffs as easily as gloves. In this fresh, witty biography of the most famous bamboozler since Merlin, Sid Fleischman, a former professional magician, enriches his warm homage with insider information and unmaskings. Did Houdini really pick the jailhouse lock to let a fellow circus performer escape? Were his secrets really buried with him? Was he a bum magician, as some rivals claimed? How did he manage to be born in two cities, in two countries, on two continents at the same instant? Here are the stories of how a knockabout kid named Ehrich Weiss, the son of an impoverished rabbi, presto-changoed himself into the legendary Harry Houdini. Here, too, are rare photographs never before seen by the general reader!

A swashbuckling pirate ship cuts through the early morning fog. Crouching like a tiger about to spring, her figurehead is a huge and ferocious rat with crooked teeth and gouged-out eyes. When the daring Giant Rat of Sumatra drops anchor in San Diego, twelve-year-old cabin boy Shipwreck only wants to begin his long journey home to Boston. Instead he encounters: snarling mutineers barefoot bandits hairbreadth escapes duels cunning barkeeps simmering revenge secret identities scrappy orphans betrayals lost loves old enemies new villains heroic last stands and razzle-dazzle treasure so well hidden that only someone as quick and clever as Shipwreck could keep up with it. Plucked from the sea by the most notorious pirate in the Pacific, Shipwreck discovers his adventure is only beginning.

Enemies at first sight Orphaned Bo Gamage has nowhere to go. So he ends up in the old Queen of Sheba Hotel in a ghost town in the middle of the desert. It's dry and bare and -- worst of all -- the only other kid there is his awful cousin Madeleine, who calls herself Mzzz Mad. Soon, they're caught up in a battle for a missing map, the mystery of the tattooed head, and the search for the old Pegleg Smith gold mine. Then Bo and Mzzz Mad find themselves in deadly danger and handcuffed -- together!

Tall tales about the fantastic adventures of some of the animals that live around Barefoot Mountain.

A bratty prince and his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places after becoming involved with dangerous outlaws.

Twelve-year-old Annyrose related her adventures with Joaquin Murieta and his band of outlaws in the California gold-mining region during the mid-1800s.

In the further adventures of Josh McBroom, the crops grow so fast, you'd better step out of the way when you plant corn, red barns turn blue in the cold, and words freeze still in mid-air. "As fresh as ever."--Booklist.

From the Newbery Medal-winning author of "The Whipping Boy" comes a clever tale of a young boy who outsmarts his wicked great-uncle with the help of a friendly magician who happens to be a ghost. Illustrations.

A lonely old farmer realizes the value of human friendship when a young man comes to help him and his scarecrow with their farm.

A gentleman's gentleman from Boston flees to the wilds of California during the Gold Rush and becomes a hero.

Il pleut des grenouilles. A l'intérieur de la diligence à destination de Cricklewood se tiennent un forgeron, un voleur et Touch, un orphelin. Et sur le toit, le Grand Chaffalo, un magicien autrefois acclamé pour son extraordinaire tour de cheval magique, qui consistait à transformer une botte de paille en un cheval fringant. (extrait 4e de couv.)

For fans of the I Survived series, this classic rollicking adventure about the California Gold Rush and one determined twelve-year-old has sold nearly a million copies! When Jack's aunt is forced to sell her beloved mansion but is still unable to raise enough money to pay her debts, the twelve-year-old goes to California in search of gold to help her. Joined by his trusty butler, Praiseworthy, Jack finds adventure and trouble at every turn. Will Jack strike gold in San Francisco or come home empty-handed? This new edition features illustrations by Brett Helquist.

A farmer and his family save their farm by using a popcorn machine, frozen sunlight, and jumping beans.

Entries in McBroom's almanac include farm tips, how-to's, McProverbs, nature lore, cartoons, and McBroom's Calendar of Important Dates.

McBroom, his wife, and their 11 kids pack up their homestead and head west. Adventures Of McBroom.

Members of the Bloodhound Detective Agency are called in to investigate the theft of a valuable clock.

After cracking a secret message, the Bloodhound Gang tracks down a smuggling ring.

With his one-acre farm as the prize, Josh McBroom on a giant chicken races Heck Jones on a Wyoming jackalope.

When Josh McBroom bought a farm for just ten dollars, he thought he had a marvellous bargain, until he discovered that the eighty acres were piled on top of each other like a pack of cards, and were under water too.