King and Kayla are on the case, and newly independent readers are in for a mystery-filled treat!

Dive into your summer reading list with King & Kayla and the Case of the Unhappy Neighbor! The sixth installment in the lovable beginning reader series featuring everyone’s favorite dog-and-human duo, this new adventure is sure to keep any young bookworm on the edge of their seat as they work to solve the case alongside lovable King and his human Kayla.

Someone is digging up Mr. Gary’s garden and getting into his trash, and—uh-oh! Jillian’s dog, Thor, is the lead suspect. King and Kayla quickly put their detective skills to work to clear Thor’s name, gathering clues at the scene of the crime. Kayla notices the mess in Mr. Gary’s yard looks way too big for a tiny dog like Thor to make, and King learns from Cat with No Name that the culprit is a “new guy” and not Thor after all! Can King and Kayla find this mystery new guy, and do they have enough evidence to clear Thor’s name?

With simple, straightforward language and great verbal and visual humor, this laugh-out-loud tale from Geisel Honor Award-winning team Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers is perfect for younger readers transitioning from easy readers to beginning chapter books. Great for introducing mysteries and the important concepts of fact gathering, list making, clues, and analytical thinking, explore the whole King & Kayla series today!

Download a free King & Kayla poster so you can always have this adorable duo by your side. Plus, check out the series activity kit and teacher’s guide for more mystery-filled fun!

“Meyers invests all her characters with lots of personality… Beginning readers will like the spacious typeset and thought bubbles that clue readers in to King’s thinking. This is a great story to help emerging readers strengthen their comprehension skills, and caregivers can easily discuss what young readers already know and what they are discovering along the way to piece together for a final conclusion… Entertaining reading for the newest generation of detectives.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Meyers’s illustrations invite opportunities for the developing reader to investigate alongside King and Kayla, and provide support and intrigue as the case progresses. The text also invites playful read-alouds… This newest addition to the Kayla and King series continues the good work of the sleuthing duo, offering readers an opportunity to test their mystery-solving skills and laugh along the way.” —The Horn Book Magazine

Order your copy of King & Kayla and the Case of the Unhappy Neighbor today from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or IndieBound!

King & Kayla and the Case of the Gold Ring
by Dori Hillestad Butler
illustrated by Nancy Meyers

Everyone’s favorite golden retriever King and his resourceful human Kayla are back in a brand new  mystery perfect for newly independent readers!

In this seventh addition to the acclaimed King & Kayla series, King, Kayla, and their friends Mason and Asia spend a fun day playing in the snow, and Asia shows off her new gold ring passed down from her grandma. Later, as everyone warms up indoors, King has a hankering for a liver treat and Asia notices her special ring is missing! King and Kayla take the case—in their own unique ways—and retrace Asia’s steps, gather clues, and figure out what they know and don’t know. But when King’s enthusiasm is misinterpreted as bad-dog behavior, he finds himself on the list of suspects…will they get to the bottom of this mystery in time to clear King’s name?

Told through King’s energetic and distracted perspective, this laugh-out-loud easy reader will delight animal- and mystery-lovers as the lovable dog-and-human duo work through mishaps and misunderstandings. Geisel Honor Award-winning team Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers have created yet another engaging mystery in simple, straightforward language for newly independent readers. King’s animated facial expressions and dog-specific predicaments add another level of visual humor that’ll keep readers hooked to the end. With added opportunities to practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills, King & Kayla and the Case of the Gold Ring is a natural pick for budding detectives craving a liver treat—I mean, sidesplitting read.

Don’t miss the rest of the King & Kayla series, including Geisel Honor Award winners King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats and King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth!

Meet the detective duo and their friends Mason and Asia in this excerpt!

Be a problem-solver like King and Kayla! Find classroom and at-home activities, games, and DIYs in our series activity kit!

Also, learn more from Peachtree’s Vice President Kathy Landwehr, editor of the King & Kayla series, about the world of early readers, and the gap in book selection that King & Kayla fills, in this post.

Can you solve the mystery? Help King and Kayla crack the case in King & Kayla and the Case of the Gold Ring this February at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, and be sure to check out the rest of our brand-new picture books and middle grade and YA titles coming to Peachtree this season!

Stanley’s Numbers
by William Bee

It’s another busy day for Stanley and his friends! Stanley and Little Woo are planning a party, but they need your help counting the items they need for their guests!

Everyone’s favorite hamster is back, and he is ready to help his youngest fans! Check out the rest of the Stanley series from author William Bee for more great books focused on early childhood learning.

Visit the Stanley Fan Page and sign up for the newsletter for exclusive Stanley content year-round!

One Fox
A Counting Book Thriller
by Kate Read

One hungry fox with two sly eyes is on the prowl…three plump hens had better watch out! Rich and colorful illustrations plunge the reader into a dramatic and exciting story set in a moonlit farmyard. With something different to count on each page, learning to count from one to ten has never been so thrilling!

This stunningly gorgeous and surprisingly simple counting book—great for early education and read-alouds—has a hugely satisfying ending that’s sure to delight generations.

Check out the trailer, and look for One Fox at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble this October!

Bedtime in the Jungle
by John Butler

As nighttime approaches, mother animals and their babies are settling down. A monkey makes a bed for her two babies, and a leopard tucks in her three little ones. By the time readers arrive at the stunning gatefold illustration at the end of the story, a herd of ten elephant babies is nodding off, and silence finally settles over the jungle.

Readers of all ages will enjoy this richly illustrated bedtime counting story from acclaimed author-illustrator John Butler. New in paperback!

Ten in the Meadow
by John Butler

Out in the meadow, ten cuddly friends play a game of hide-and-seek. But it’s almost time for bed. Bear finds all his playmates in their hiding places in the meadow except for one—Mouse. It is getting late and soon it will be bedtime. Where can Mouse have gone?

John Butler’s charming story features a playful, rhyming text and pastel-colored illustrations of adorable baby animals. Readers will be delighted each time an animal friend is found in this irresistible read-aloud story perfect for sharing at bedtime or anytime.

Ten in the Den
by John Butler

Deep in the den, ten sleepy, cuddly animals snuggle up together for the night. But as the animal friends roll over to make more room, one animal after another gently tumbles out of the cozy den until Little Mouse is left all alone. But Little Mouse misses his friends, so he comes up with the perfect solution to his problem.

John Butler’s irresistible read-aloud story features a simple but playful text and soft, pastel-colored illustrations of bright-eyed baby animals that will surely delight young children.

I’ve Got an Elephant
Written by Anne Ginkel
Illustrated by Janie Bynum

Every time a busy little girl goes out―to school or to the movies or to the mall—her elephant friend gets lonely. He invites more elephants over, and as the number of elephants increases, so do their antics. Finally, the resourceful little girl finds her companions a new home where she can visit them…and make a few new friends too.

Young readers will be highly amused by the exuberant characters and mounting silliness in author Anne Ginkel’s unique counting tale. Janie Bynum’s brightly colored illustrations and affectionately drawn, expressive characters capture the story’s good-natured fun.

For young children being exposed to books for the first time, Stanley and the cast of adorable characters in their little community provide a great example of how friends help each other. Whether Myrtle needs help fixing her car in Stanley’s Garage, or Stanley needs Little Woo’s help to prepare a picnic party in Stanley’s Numbers, you can’t go wrong with any book in the Stanley series.

When an accidental encounter throws Mole and Wolf together, they learn one is afraid of the light, and the other is afraid of the dark. With each other’s help, they both learn that friends are all they need to conquer their fears.

A newly hatched duck immediately attaches itself to the first thing it sees—a warmhearted young boy. Soon the two are inseparable, but the duckling is growing up and the boy realizes with a great pang of sorrow that his friend will have to return to live among its own kind. This deceptively simple story poignantly and humorously dramatizes the special tale of friendship and demonstrates the importance of learning to let go of something you love.

Aalfred and Aalbert

Aalfred and Aalbert lead solitary lives―so how will they ever meet? This adorable story about two aardvarks and an unlikely matchmaker will appeal to families with LGBTQ parents and family members as author-illustrator Morag Hood keeps children laughing with funny situations and entertaining teachable moments about relationships.

Duck & Penguin are NOT Friends

Duck and Penguin are not friends, despite what Betty and Maud might have you think. This laugh out loud tale about the secret world of toys from author-illustrator Julia Woolf makes the perfect read-aloud with a relatable topic and hilarious illustrations that will have children begging for multiple reads.

Lula and the Sea Monster

Lula loves living by the beach. But soon, her family must leave their home to make way for a new highway. Before moving day, Lula makes friends with a small sea monster that she names Bean. Each day Lula returns to the beach to feed him. And each day Bean grows bigger and bigger. But what will happen to Lula’s new friend once she moves away?

Izzy Gizmo

Izzy Gizmo loves to invent things, but they don’t always work. When she finds a crow with a broken wing, she just has to help! She tries to build him a new pair of wings, but nothing is working! Can Izzy overcome her failure to help her crow friend fly again? This feisty tale of determination, ingenuity, and friendship is sure to capture the imaginations of young inventors.

When Edgar Met Cecil

When Edgar and his family move to a new town, everything seems so different and scary. But as Edgar soon learns, sometimes you have to rise above your fears to make a new friend, and sometimes that friend may be the last person—or alien—you’d expect.

Kalinka and Grakkle 

Kalinka is a showy little bird with an eye for neatness, but her grumpy neighbor Grakkle doesn’t care one bit about cleaning. Can an unfortunate accident plus a little humor and empathy help an odd couple like this see eye to eye? Highlighting themes of friendship and compromise, this fun and whimsical picture book shows readers that even the most paradoxical of pairs can overcome their problems and still be friends. 

The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas

This quirky and modern twist on the classic fairy tale proves that real friendship surpasses appearances and titles. As Prince Henrik starts on a mission to find the perfect princess for his camping and hockey adventures, he learns that sometimes the best person for you is your friend.

The Copy Crocs

Crocodile has a big imagination. But he has a big problem too. He’s always thinking up fun, new things to do, but no matter what he does, all the other crocs follow him and copy him—every time! When Crocodile finally manages to escape his fellow crocs, he learns being by himself is not nearly as much fun as being with his friends.

Pig and Small

Pig and Bug just want to be friends, but their size is a BIG problem. This enchanting tale of friendship despite differences—and sizes—reminds us about the importance of compromise, patience and respect. Because, at the end of the day, we ALL want to join in on the fun!

Raymond and Nelda

Raymond and Nelda are the best of friends, but one day when Nelda twirls for Raymond and falls down, Raymond laughs at her. Now the two aren’t speaking, but life isn’t nearly as much fun without a best friend. What will it take for these two to make up and be best friends again? This quirky story negotiates the highs and lows of relationships.

King & Kayla series

King is a happy and adorable golden retriever who loves just about everything, including his human Kayla. As a new mystery presents itself in each book in this early reader series, King tries to help Kayla figure out what they know, what they don’t know, and how to solve the case. If only Kayla could understand his barks!

Claude series

Claude and his best friend Sir Bobblysock love to go exploring, but they always seem to get themselves into trouble. Join this endearing duo as they go on fun adventures at the beach, in the country, on the big screen, and more in this delightfully odd series perfect for transitioning readers looking for a laugh-out-loud story.

Charlie Bumpers series

Nina Soni, Former Best Friend

Crossing Jordan

When African-American Jemmie moves in next door to white Cassie, both of their parents don’t want them socializing with each other. As they find they share more similarities than differences and begin to build a friendship, the two girls must learn how to address their parents’ deeply held prejudices. With unforgettable characters, author Adrian Fogelin addresses the complex issues of bigotry and tolerance with sensitivity and intelligence, poignantly reminding readers of fences that too often separate us from one another.

The Cheshire Cheese Cat

In this playful homage to Charles Dickens, unlikely allies learn the lessons of a great friendship. Skilley, an alley cat with an embarrassing secret, hope to trade his street-cat life in London’s damp alleyways for the warmth of ye olde Cheshire Cheese Inn. Striking a bargain with Pip, an erudite mouse, Skilley agrees to protect the mice who live at the inn, and in turn, the mice will provide Skilley with the thing he desires most. But when Skilley and Pip are drawn into a crisis of monumental proportions, their new friendship is pushed to its limits.

The Secret Science of Magic

Sophia, a former child prodigy and seventeen-year-old mastermind, is feeling a lot of pressure about figuring out her future, so she doesn’t have the patience for games right now, and especially doesn’t have the patience to figure out why all these mysterious playing cards keep turning up inside her textbooks. Meanwhile Joshua, a cheerfully unambitious amateur magician, has admired Sophia from afar for as long as he can remember, and has finally mustered up the courage to tell her how he really feels. He just doesn’t know how off his timing really is… This heartwarming tale of unconventional romance and finding your own magic is perfect for anyone who believes in making friends with the freaks.

Find these books and more at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble. 

Get ready to celebrate the wonder of colorful autumn days and chilly winter nights with the most fun-loving babies in our brand-new series of board books! From award-winning author Kathryn O. Galbraith and illustrator Adela Pons (our very own in-house graphic designer!) come two new books that feature a set of energetic characters who love to play in the park all year long.

Both Autumn Babies and Winter Babies celebrate their respective seasons with a bright, inviting color palate and talk of typical seasonal activities that are sure to excite readers. Spirited, rhyming text coupled with colorful, graphic art help to introduce early concepts such as shapes, numbers, and repetition to young readers in an inviting way. Each board book makes for a great stand-alone read, but when the books are looked at side-by-side, readers can see the familiar park landscape change according to each season.

While each season has characteristics that make it special, so does each baby in our diverse cast of enthusiastic nature-lovers. Meet Sai, Simón, Jayden, and Emma! These four adorable babies appear in all of the Babies in the Park board books, so young children can follow along with each character as they engage in outdoor play during each season.

The upbeat stories of our playful babies are sure to encourage an appreciation for the outdoors and imaginative play no matter what the time of year. But the fun doesn’t end when the book does; we’ve created a list of seasonal activities for young readers do outside! And, the best part, summer and spring are still to come! So get ready for more lively play and adorable babies celebrating the warmer seasons debuting in Spring 2019.

Find Autumn Babies and Winter Babies on Amazon or at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble!

As adults, being outside in the rain is not often an enjoyable experience. But imagine a child experiencing this weather phenomenon for the first time—the awe, excitement, and joy that emerges. With In the Rain, Elizabeth Spurr and Manelle Oliphant’s third and final board book in the In the Weather series, readers can revisit all of the emotions and fun that comes with a rainy day.

In this gently rhyming board book full of simple, evocative language and charming illustrations, a girl makes a paper boat, splashes in puddles, makes mud pies, and has other springtime fun with her pet dog by her side. While encouraging outdoor exploration and play for young children, the protagonist’s fun adventures will introduce the earliest readers to all of the sensory experiences and emotions that come with the wet weather of spring.  In the Rain also makes for a perfect sit-in-your-lap reading experience for toddlers, regardless of the conditions outside.

We love giveaways! They’re our favorite thing! We’re channeling our inner King enthusiasm for this week’s giveaway, King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse from Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers.

King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse is the third book in the adorable new King & Kayla series! This easy-to-read mystery series is the perfect transitional book for children learning to apply analytical and critical thinking skills. Find out more about this title, and check out some additional resources, here.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse

by Dori Hillestad Butler

Giveaway ends September 01, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Prince Ribbit

Little Red

The big bad wolf has a plan…but so does Little Red! In this updated fairy tale with a mischievous twist, talented newcomer Bethan Woollvin uses sly humor, striking visuals, and dark irreverence to turn a familiar tale on its head.

Tiger in My Soup

The Boy Who Cried Ninja 

 

Captain Small Pig

Illustrated Chapter Books

King & Kayla and the Case of Found Fred

A lovable dog helps his human girl solve a mystery. King, Kayla, and Grandma find a dog who has lost his human family. What does Kayla know? ―This dog doesn’t have a collar or any tags. He can sit, lie down, and shake hands. No one around here knows who he is. What does King know? ―The dog’s family is staying at a campground. Can they figure out who he is and where his family is?

Claude at the Beach

Claude and his best friend, Sir Bobblysock (who is both a sock and very bobbly), pack their bags and go on vacation to the beach. Quirky, delightfully odd, and positively surreal, Alex T. Smith’s illustrated early chapter book series promises giggle-filled bedtime reading and a laugh-out-loud option for readers transitioning from picture books to chapter books.

Also check out:

Claude at the Circus 

 

King & Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code 

Middle Grade

Leo, Dog of the Sea

 

After three ocean voyages, Leo, a hardened old sea dog, knows not to trust anyone but himself. But when he sets sail with Magellan on a journey to find a westward route to the Spice Islands, he develops new friendships with Magellan’s scribe, Pigafetta, and Marco, his page. In the fourth book of their Dog Chronicles series, Alison Hart and Michael Montgomery bring readers an exciting tale of friendship and loyalty through the eyes of a dog.

 

The Golden Glove

Without his lucky glove, Jamie doesn’t believe in his ability to lead his baseball team to victory. Jamie lovingly oiled his glove all winter and, as the season approaches, he—and his glove—are in top form. When he carelessly loses his glove, he also loses his faith in himself and it shows in his playing. Author Fred Bowen continues his Sports Story series with play-by-play action that’s sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats! An afterword provides the real story behind baseball gloves.

Charlie Bumpers vs. the Puny Pirates

Charlie Bumpers is finally on the same soccer team as his two best friends, and they’re sure the Pirates will be the best team ever! But their high hopes are crushed on the first day of practice. Grammy Award-winner Bill Harley continues his fun series for young readers, using humor to illuminate important values such as working together as a team and making the best of a bad situation. For more on this series, visit the Charlie Bumpers website here.

Also check out:

Finder, Coal Mine Dog

 

Charlie Bumpers vs. the Perfect Little Turkey 

 

Outside Shot 

Young Adult

Believarexic

Jennifer can’t go on like this—binging, purging, starving, and all while trying to appear like she’s got it all together. But when she finally confesses her secret to her parents and is hospitalized at the Samuel Tuke Center, her journey is only beginning.Using her trademark dark humor and powerful emotion, J. J. Johnson tells an inspiring story based on her own experience when she was hospitalized for an eating disorder as a teenager. The innovative format using blank verse and prose, changes in tense and voice, and forms, workbooks, and journal entries mirror Jennifer’s progress toward a healthy body.

Life in Outer Space

Sam Kinnison is a geek, and he’s totally fine with that. He has his horror movies, his nerdy friends, World of Warcraft—and until Princess Leia turns up in his bedroom, worry about girls he won’t. Then Camilla Carter arrives on the scene. She’s beautiful, friendly and completely irrelevant to his plan. Sam is determined to ignore her, except that Camilla has a plan of her own—and he seems to be a part of it! Author Melissa Keil will have readers falling in love with these relatable characters. Sam’s exceptional voice gives a hilarious and painfully accurate take on high school life.

Also check out:

The Theory of Everything 

 

This Girl is Different

 

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl 

 

 

You can find these books and more at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble.