Dez is unusually neat. Her mom and dad are unusually messy. They like Cheez Whiz and swamps. Dez likes elegant food and grand pianos. How can she even be related to them? And how can Dez help her best friend, Jil, who's adopted and who will stop at nothing in order to meet her birth mom? What is it, exactly, that makes a parent "real," anyway? Get Real is about wanting a parent who is very different from the one you have. It's about discovering, "Who am I?"

You've heard of Horse Whisperers and Dog Whisperers, but Ellis thinks he might be a Worm Whisperer!Ellis Coffey loves animals. He spends so much time outdoors that sometimes he thinks he can talk with them. When he discovers a caterpillar that seems to follow his directions, he knows he has a chance to win the annual Woolly Worm race. The prize money is $1,000--exactly the amount of the deductible for his dad's back surgery. If Ellis is right and he can train his woolly worm to be t...

UNBEATABLE TEAM--MAYBE. UNBEATABLE READING--FOR SURE! The first novel in Betty Hick's Gym Shorts series is a slam-dunk for newly-independent readers.Henry and his friends on Rockford Road are a basketball team unstoppable on their driveway court. But without team t-shirts or an official name can they take on The Tigers, a team that plays at the huge YWCA and has a player old enough to shave? Young readers will cheer as The Bats take on a name and stick together to beat the odds.

Jazz loves being on the track team! And her dad is her biggest fan -- maybe too big a fan. He argues with the coach, yells at the ref, and screams his head off at every meet. Jazz loves her dad, but can she keep him from having a full blown track attack? The latest book in the GYM SHORTS series finishes ahead of the pack and will keep early readers cheering.

DOES RITA HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO SWIM WITH THE SHARKS?Rita's times aren't good enough to swim with the Sharks—the team where all her friends compete. At first she's determined to improve, but is Rita ready to attempt complicated flip turns? Or is there another way for Rita to join the Sharks? Early readers will eagerly dive into this latest book in the GYM SHORTS series—sure to make a splash with new readers.Swimming with Sharks is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's...

The latest book in the Gym Shorts series is a grand slam with new readers.Rocky was the best catcher in the league until an out-of-control runner broke his arm. Now his arm is healed, but he's developed a reflex that keeps him from tagging out the runner. Young readers will root for Rocky as he and his friends--and even his dog, Chops--set out to prove that he's no scaredy-cat.

DOUBLE THE TROUBLE, DOUBLE THE FUN. Is it a game, set, match for Henry?Henry wants to win the doubles tennis trophy more than anything. He knows he'd good enough, but he's not sure his partner Rocky is. The advantage goes to new readers as they follow Henry as he helps Rocky train and, at the same time, works on his history project. Can Henry serve up an ace on and off the court?

SOCCER DREAMS AND PLENTY OF ACTION this second book in the Gym Shorts series scores high with new readers.There's nothing Goose wants more than to play goalie for his soccer team. It looks like such fun – and so easy! – on TV. But to say Goose has a little trouble focusing is a bit of an understatement. Luckily, his friend Henry agrees to train him. Just as Goose starts to improve, Henry gets grounded for slipping grades. Can Goose make it to goalie? Can he help Henry who h...

One million American children become part of blended family every year. What happens to stepsiblings when the oldest child suddenly becomes the middle child, and the youngest even younger? Out of Order delivers four electric points of view from stepsiblings, ages nine to fifteen, in a super-unsettled, scrambled-up family. An unforgettable Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament, plus 120 hazardous bug snacks, equals humor, insight, and serious indigestion. Betty Hicks gives us her most entertaini...

Basketball BatsHenry and his four friends on Rockford Road are an unbeatable basketball team—on their driveway court. But without team T-shirts or an official name, can they take on the Tigers, a team that plays at the huge YWCA and has a player old enough to shave? Henry feels sure he can lead his friends to victory, but is he really a team player? Or is he a ball hog?Goof-Off GoalieThere's nothing Goose wants more than to play goalie for his soccer ...

Swimming with SharksRita's times aren't fast enough to swim for the Sharks with her friends. To improve she must learn flip turns, but every time she tries, she gets water up her nose! Jazz has an idea that might be the key to Rita's success, but what if Rita comes in first on a slower team? Would she rather win or be with her friends? Or is there another way for Rita to swim with the Sharks?Track AttackJazz loves being on a track team where she spri...

"Winner of the North Carolina Society of Historians Award Jane Hicks Gentry lived her entire life in the remote, mountainous northwest corner of North Carolina and was descended from old Appalachian families in which singing and storytelling were part of everyday life. Gentry took this tradition to heart, and her legacy includes ballads, songs, stories, and riddles. Smith provides a full biography of this vibrant woman and the tradition into which she was born, presenting seventy of Gentry...