Lillian lives in a big house with her mother and father, her aunt and uncle, and her seven brothers. It’s tradition in her big family for each child to receive a pet on their sixth birthday, so when Lillian turns six, she gets a fish! This is no ordinary fish. This particular fish ripples and shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow. Lillian loves her birthday gift until one day, the little fish disappears!

Lillian is devastated, so she and her brothers begin to work together to solve the mystery. Meanwhile, the other family pets―the horse, the goat, the dog, the cat, the turtle, the spider, and the bird―secretly band together to crack the case of the missing birthday fish. They soon discover a trail of clues leading them along the river, deep into the woods, and on a fantastic adventure filled with new places and strange creatures!

Now available in paperback, author James Menk’s delightful, lively tale of discovery and friendship will enchant readers of all ages. Louisa Bauer’s captivating drawings bring this charming story of children and their pets to life for an immersive summer middle grade read aloud.

Dive into this thrilling middle grade tale in this excerpt, and lead a summer book club with this free discussion guide!

Order your copy of Lillian’s Fish today from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, or IndieBound!

Your animal-filled summer reading adventure continues with an action-packed tale loaded with plenty of mystery, adventure, and… pigeons? Homer the crime-solving homing pigeon is on the case!

Homing pigeon Homer spends his days in the sky, getting a bird’s-eye view of his neighborhood, and testing his homing abilities with his human Otto. Living in a cozy cage on top of Otto’s building, all Homer knows of crime and mystery comes from the detectives stories on the newspaper clippings lining his cage. That is, until he spies some four-legged criminals stealing from both animals and humans in the neighborhood’s usually peaceful park. Homer can’t wait for the chance to solve the mystery and enlists the help of his parrot friend Lulu to stop these fowl thieves. Can Homer and Lulu lead their human keepers to the culprits’ hideout and stop the thieves for good?

From award-winning author-illustrator Henry Cole comes a page-turning middle grade mystery that will keep readers guessing if the crime-solving pigeon will get his guy and wishing they could join in this suspenseful hunt. Perfect for summer book clubs and middle grade read alouds!

Lead a mystery-filled summer book club with the downloadable discussion guide!

Learn to draw Homer with author-illustrator Henry Cole in this video, and learn more about Henry’s inspiration for the book in this Q&A!

“Cole’s gentle animal fantasies can always be depended upon, and this light mystery is just right for young readers…. Cole mixes humor with intrigue to keep the narrative bouncing along, and readers will get a kick out of the unusual detective team… Hand this to fans of Chris Riddell’s Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (2008) and A. B. Greenfield’s Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective (2018).” —Booklist

“Engaging… The birds’ exploits are surprisingly believable and enjoyable to follow in Homer’s first-person narration…. Who doesn’t love smart, friendly birds on a secret mission?” —Kirkus Reviews

“Chirpy… Cole (Brambleheart) richly imbues the narrative with sensory details… The expressive b&w pencil illustrations, rendered in panels evoking newspaper comics, heighten drama, tension, and humor.” —Publishers Weekly

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 Unhappy Neighbor
by Dori Hillestad Butler
illustrated by Nancy Meyers

When Jillian’s dog, Thor, is accused of digging up Mr. Gary’s garden, King and Kayla put their detective skills to work to clear his name. A witness to the crime tells King that the culprit is a “new guy” who likes to fight. But who could that be? And can they track down this new guy and clear Thor’s name? The King & Kayla series from Geisel Honor Award-winning team Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers is perfect for readers transitioning from easy readers to beginning chapter books and great for introducing important concepts of fact gathering, list making, clues, and analytical thinking.

Explore more King & Kayla with the series teacher’s guide and activity kit, and download a free poster!

Lillian’s Fish
by James Menk
illustrated by Louisa Bauer

When Lillian turns six, her favorite gift is an extraordinary, shimmery, and colorful fish. But when the brand-new birthday fish disappears, the other family pets secretly band together to help unravel the mystery. A trail of clues soon leads the animals on a fantastic adventure along the river and deep into the woods, where they encounter new places and strange creatures. James Menk’s delightful, lively tale of discovery and friendship will enchant readers of all ages. Louisa Bauer’s captivating drawings bring this charming story of children and their pets to life.

Dive deeper into Lillian’s Fish with a free discussion guide.

Homer on the Case
by Henry Cole

Homing pigeon Homer and his parrot friend Lulu learn something is afoul when they witness a four-legged crime-spree in their neighborhood. Can Lulu and Homer track down the bandits and lead their human keepers to the culprits’ hideout to stop the thieves? Award-winning author-illustrator Henry Cole delivers a fun, action-packed middle grade mystery that will keep readers guessing if the crime-solving pigeon will get his guy. A supporting cast of animals and humans forms a community that will have every reader wishing they could join in the hunt.

Download this discussion guide for middle grade summer book clubs!

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant
by Nizrana Farook

Chaya, a nobleman’s rebellious, outspoken, no-nonsense daughter, just can’t resist the shiny temptations the king’s palace has to offer. But playing Robin Hood for her impoverished community doesn’t come without risks, and after leaving her village as a thief, can she return as a hero? Or will Chaya’s sticky fingers be the beginning—or the end—of everything for her and her intrepid gang? Own Voices debut author Nizrana Farook spins a page-turning middle grade tale in a lush, fictional Sri Lankan setting. Just right for adventure fans, the book explores themes of friendship and loyalty, risk and reward, and heroism.

Continue your jungle adventure with a free discussion guide!

Q: What inspired you to write Homer on the Case?

A: I like the idea of different species communicating. For example, I wonder what the different birds on my bird feeder say to each other. “Quit shoving!” “Move over!” “You take all the peanuts!” When I thought of a homing pigeon learning to read because of the daily newspaper under his feet, and then thought of a parrot learning to speak human …one thing led to another. Imagination took over.

Q: You’ve worked on nearly 150 books for children. What makes Homer on the Case different from your past projects? What makes it similar?

A: I’ve really enjoyed working on my chapter book projects: one can really try to get into the mind and spirit of the characters. I’m lucky because I can also draw the illustrations, which add personality and expression to those characters. Homer on the Case takes place in a city, unlike my usual stories, and although humans play a big part, it’s the animal characters that move the story around.

Q: You’re an author and illustrator. When you come up with ideas for stories, do you usually think of the story in text or drawings first?

A: I’ve been asked that many times, and I think the best reply is “both”! While I’m imagining and outlining a story in my head or on paper, I can’t help but picture the setting and the characters and how they look and act during different parts of the story. I’m a constant doodler. I doodle all the time. I’ll doodle ideas for a story and those doodles can be very helpful for a book dummy.

Q: How did you choose a homing pigeon for the main character?

A: I think pigeons and doves have an expression that some other birds don’t have; they have a more sensitive and thoughtful look. And I liked the idea that homing pigeons are so skillfully able to always return home. Home is often a theme in my stories, and something very important to me.

Q: You really brought the setting of Keeler Park to life. Was Keeler Park inspired by a real place?

A: Well, yes, sort of. Years and years ago I had some time on my hands as I was waiting for an appointment with an editor. It was late summer. I sat on a bench in a small park near the publisher and watched the city go about its business, people and pigeons mostly. There was a scent to the air of sycamores, and a tranquil feel of the park, nestled among tall buildings. When I was writing about Keeler Park in the story, I was imagining myself on that bench that day.

Q: Grandad keeps a photo of Otto’s grandmother inside his gold pocket watch. Do you have a special keepsake that reminds you of a loved one?

A: Several! Many! A wooden stool my grandfather made, my 3rd grade lunchbox (my mom wrote my name on it) that looks like a barn (I grew up on a farm), a string of brass bells my aunt gave me, two little ceramic pigs that sat on the kitchen window sill of the my childhood home….many more! Don’t get me started!

Q: Communication is an important aspect to this story. How did you come up with the idea to incorporate the challenge of the birds in the story trying to communicate with their humans?

A: I wish I spoke a hundred languages. If I could start over, I’d take every language course I could. Right now I’m barely fluent in English! Years ago, I lived in Egypt for a while, and the best part of my experience there was the joy in learning to communicate with people who didn’t speak English, and the only Arabic I knew was “thank you”! I was learning to read and speak and write as an adult. It was a challenge, but with great rewards. I made so many friends that way, learning to communicate. I loved it. I was hoping to get that joy across as Homer and Lulu communicate with their human friends.

Q: If you could choose to be any animal, what would it be?

A: Probably something really useful and cared for, like a police service dog or a therapy animal. I’d like to say something wonderful like a bobcat or a chickadee, but wildlife these days have it rough: they have to contend not only with natural predators and disease, but also with human interference and reduced habitat. I don’t think I’d last long as a chickadee. I’d be in the talons of a sharp-shinned hawk within an hour!

Q: What’s your favorite type of bird, and why?

A: Really?!?! Are you asking for only ONE type of bird?? That’s tough. If I HAD to limit myself, I’d say the American robin, because the song of a male robin singing in early spring has to be one of the best sounds on the planet. And I love hole nesters (woodpeckers, nuthatches, etc.) because I love the idea of nesting in a hole in a tree while the wind gently blows. I’d say “no” to any bird that has to exist in cold water to survive (northern ducks, grebes, gannets etc.) because I hate being cold and wet.

Q: Did any real or fictional detectives inspire Homer?

A: No…Homer is an original, at least in my mind.

Q: Which chapter did you enjoy writing most? Did any of your favorite scenes not make it into the final version of the book?

A: I enjoyed the last chapter the most. I love happy endings! I love the idea of Snaps being out in the sun and lounging in the warm mud. I love the idea of Otto and Charlotte getting credit for something courageous. I like having the characters coming together.

Q: What do you think happens next for Homer and his fellow detectives?

A: Hmmm. I think a dog is involved. Maybe a dog that is just a teensy weensy bit sinister…

Q: What do you hope young readers take away from this story?

A: Collaboration. Adventure. Independence. Caring.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: Currently working on four picture books. Looking forward to a post-Covid world where I can visit schools again…in person!

Homer on the Case
by Henry Cole

Meet Homer: a smart homing pigeon who has taught himself to read with the newspaper detective comic strips that line his birdcage. He spends most days testing his homing skills with his owner Otto, that is, until one day Homer witnesses sneaky cat and rat criminals stealing valuables from both the animal and human communities.

Knowing something is afoot—especially when Otto’s grandfather becomes the newest victim—Homer and his new parrot friend Lulu set out to investigate this unsettling animal crime spree. Using the sleuthing techniques Homer has learned from his favorite mystery comics, he and Lulu track down the bandits but realize they need human help to stop the crimes for good. Can they find a way to communicate with their owners and lead them to the culprits’ hideout?

Celebrated author and illustrator Henry Cole returns with a fun, action-packed middle grade mystery adventure that will keep readers turning the page to find out if the crime-solving pigeon will get his guy. A supporting cast of animal and human characters forms a community that will have every reader wishing they could join in the hunt.

Can’t wait to solve the mystery with Homer? Read an excerpt!

Learn to draw your own Homer in this video.

“Cole’s gentle animal fantasies can always be depended upon, and this light mystery is just right for young readers…. Cole mixes humor with intrigue to keep the narrative bouncing along, and readers will get a kick out of the unusual detective team… Hand this to fans of Chris Riddell’s Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (2008) and A. B. Greenfield’s Ra the Mighty: Cat Detective (2018).” —Booklist

Solve the mystery with Homer and his friends when Homer on the Case arrives April 1st at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble. And don’t forget to check out the rest of our brand-new picture books and middle grade and YA titles coming to Peachtree this season!

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!

Mr. Penguin and the Catastrophic Cruise
by Alex T. Smith

Mr. Penguin, adventurer (and penguin!), is back in another action-packed escapade, and this time he’ll have to face his worst fear—the roiling sea.

Mr. Penguin is still recovering from his latest adventures, and he could really use a vacation and a fish finger sandwich. Luckily enough, he’s been invited aboard a luxury cruise ship with Colin, his kung-fu spider sidekick; Edith, who is surprisingly resourceful with a fanny-pack; and her pigeon, Gordon, who… well, they don’t really know what he does.

Their quirky host and his severe-looking girlfriend have invited all of Cityville’s most glamorous movie stars and important politicians. As Colin prepares for his performance with the Seven Sisters Choir, Mr. Penguin treats himself to all the sandwiches and canapés he can eat and almost forgets that he’s terrified of the ocean. But when a string of fishy events leads him to a young stowaway with a mystery of her own, Mr. Penguin has the familiar feeling that a new adventure is brewing. Equipped with his dashing hat, battered satchel, and swim floaties for good measure, our hesitant hero launches into an exhilarating caper with a monstrous twist.

From Alex T. Smith, the author-illustrator who brought you the charming and hilarious Claude books, comes the third high-stakes adventure in the Mr. Penguin series. Smith’s whimsical illustrations capture the larger-than-life characters in perfect detail as they face every wacky challenge head-on. Ideal for the transition from picture books to chapter books, Mr. Penguin and the Catastrophic Cruise is a real page-turner with nonstop laughs and thrills from cover to cover.

Don’t miss Mr. Penguin’s other exciting adventures in the Mr. Penguin series, and solve a few mysteries of your own with the Series Activity Kit!

All aboard! Meet the Adventuring gang in this excerpt of the first chapter.

“Gloriously silly…illustrations reminiscent of Quentin Blake lend the story a daffy verve, and the short chapters with cliffhanger endings make for a perfect read-aloud…. Ridiculously charming.” —Kirkus Reviews

Dive into a good mystery with Mr. Penguin and gang this October at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble. And don’t forget to check out the rest of our brand-new Fall 2020 titles as well as our picture books and middle grade titles coming to Peachtree this season in paperback!

If Nelle has any hope of tracking down her missing client, first she’ll have to unmask the true faces behind the smuggling ring. Can Nelle and her friends find a way to take the cake? Or will they come to a sticky end…?

We asked Lavie Tidhar about his inspiration and writing process for The Candy Mafia, an action-packed new novel about candy smuggling rings.

Q: What inspired you to write a story about a group of candy-smuggling kids?

A: It was a bunch of things all coming together, as is usually the case I think. Mostly I suspect it just sounded funny!

Q: You’ve written many books in the past. What was different about this project?

A: I wrote the book after finishing a really demanding one—A Man Lies Dreaming, which is absolutely not a children’s book! And I didn’t really know what I could do next. I really just wanted to do something for fun. And the funny thing is, it actually shares a lot of DNA with A Man Lies Dreaming. Both are parodies of hardboiled fiction, and both have these underlying themes about responsibility, about loss, about navigating through the world as best you can, of trying to make sense of it. It’s funny because of course they couldn’t be any more different, and yet they’re two of my favorites.

Q: How does your writing process change when you’re writing for both younger and older readers?

A: It really doesn’t. I never—right or wrong—think of the audience as such when I’m writing. The book always has to be for me first. I guess with The Candy Mafia, I was trying to write the sort of book I would have liked at that age, and also, ideally, that I’d like at any age.

Q: Did you have to do any research before writing this book? If so, what did it entail?

A: I was determined that when we do finally see inside the chocolate factory it would be a real one, so I ended up watching a lot of videos of chocolate-making machines! Which are strangely soothing to watch—you should try it!

Q: In this book, we’re limited to only Nelle’s perspective. If you could tell the story from another person’s point of view, whose would it be? Why?

A: Well, it’s Nelle’s story, really. I did have in mind a short story about Sweetcakes at some point from her early candy-hijacking days, which I thought would be funny, but no… This is very much Nelle Faulkner’s book.

Q: Did any famous detectives (real or fictional) inspire Nelle’s character?

A: Well, she’s sort of Philip Marlowe, obviously, if Philip Marlowe was a 12 year old girl! Which again, I thought was funny, and a good way to interrogate some of the problems with Raymond Chandler’s fiction, as much as I obviously love it too.

Q: Are there any qualities of Nelle Faulkner that remind you of yourself when you were her age?

A: I wish! No, she is way cooler than me I’m afraid.

Q: Which chapter did you enjoy writing most, and why?

A: I’m not really sure. Maybe the pie-throwing scene. I love slapstick, and it just felt in a way like the heart of the novel to me, that moment when they go back to being kids again, but also that they become friends then. In a way it’s the central scene of the book, more so than finally figuring out the mystery. You know, I don’t think mysteries are ever really that important, though I always try to play fair. But it’s more about the journey.

Q: Were there any scenes that didn’t make it into the final story? If so, which deleted scene is your favorite?

A: Quite a lot went by the wayside in editing. My favorite scene was probably considered a little too… scary? Grown up? I’m not sure! It had Nelle being spooked by a couple of really small kids who really, really wanted some chocolate… sort of like a little zombie horror scene there! I think instead of “braaaaaiiinnnns…” they kind of went “Caaaaandyyyy…”! Ha! I can probably see why my editor wanted it out but I do miss it… Oh and I really liked the librarian in the original draft. She was someone who really liked chocolate even though it was illegal! And she was nice to Nelle.

Q: Did you include any hidden details or clues readers should look out for that hint toward the answer to the mystery?

A: As I mention above, I think you have to play fair in any mystery story, so yes! I’ve been writing quite a few mystery stories recently. It’s really interesting to write— it’s like a formal challenge, where you have to make sure the reader has a chance of figuring it out before the detective. I think the more “hardboiled” stuff, like The Candy Mafia, is a little less mannered than classic Golden Age puzzle-type stories, but still! So it’s always, how do I put it in there but hopefully not make it too obvious? It’s a challenge!

Q: What do you hope young readers take away from Nelle’s experiences in the story?

A: I just really hope it’s fun. It was definitely fun for me to write it, and I hope that comes across.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: Hopefully another middle grade novel soon! And I’m really interested in doing some chapter books. But I’m also incredibly busy with the adult stuff—this year sees publication of my revisionist Arthurian fantasy, By Force Alone, and next year The Escapement comes out—my publishers describe it as “The Gunslinger meets The Phantom Tollbooth”! I actually have books contracted up to 2022. And my first graphic novel, Adler, is out soon. It’s sort of a fun team-up of all the great Victorian heroines. It’s out as a comics mini-series right now. But you know, if I could keep doing children’s books, I would be very, very happy.