A sweeping, slippery ode to a mysterious creature that has baffled scientists and philosophers for centuries—the eel—from the author of the Sibert Medal winner The Mona Lisa Vanishes and the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor book Mel Fell.★ "A springboard to a big and stimulating idea . . . that all we do know and have learned about our ‘vast, wondrous’ world can blind us to how very much remains for us to discover."—Booklist, st...

**“The tale of a stunning art heist with a contagious love of stranger-than-fiction true stories!”—Steve Sheinkin, Newbery Honor–winning author of BombThe true story of how Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece became the most famous painting in the world after being stolen from the Louvre, written as a “witty thriller” (The New York Times) and featuring black-and-white illustrations throughout.SIBERT MEDAL WINNER • BOSTON GLOBE—HORN BOOK AWARD WINNER • ONE OF T...

A hilariously charming celebration of the spirit of creativity and ingenuity that lives in the heart of every child, young and old.2019 Green Earth Book Awards - Short ListFrom leaky tires, to old wood, to pipes no longer piping, to motors no longer motoring, and a pack of gum with almost half the sticks left, Sylvia Samantha White is very good at finding junk. WHY?! ask her parents, brother, and neighbors. Sylvia doesn't know exactly what ...

From the award-winning creators of The Mona Lisa Vanishes comes a fast-paced and fascinating illustrated nonfiction narrative about a con man who took in a trusting populace and pulled off the greatest get-rich-quick scheme of all time.This is not a story about money, not really. It’s a story about confidence.In the summer of 1920, thousands of people crowded the narrow streets of Boston, desperate to hand their money to the financial geni...

A wise and tender story about the patience needed for a tree–and a friendship–to grow, from award-winning author Nicholas Day.All he wanted was a peach tree: Because when you eat a ripe peach, you get sticky and sweet, and if you don’t wash up, you stay sticky and sweet. And you feel like summer.But when the tree arrives in the spring, it isn’t a tree. It’s a stick. Nice work, the boy tells his parents. You bought a stick. Even his friend Maya agrees. It’s ...

Take a walk with Charles Darwin in this electrifying new picture book from Sibert Medalist Nicholas Day.How do you work through a complicated idea, solve a tricky problem, or make a big discovery? Charles Darwin had a lot of ways to do it. He paced in circles and hit rocks with a stick. He studied the bones of his dinner. He even rode around the world on a boat called The Beagle.These methods may sound unorthodox, but they led him to some pretty great thoug...

The true story of how a massive catastrophic eruption plunged the world into darkness, altering the global climate and inspiring the likes of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein—from the award-winning author of The Mona Lisa Vanishes and featuring black-and-white illustrations throughout.**“A tour-de-force for our times . . . At once a heart-stopping tale of climate change and a profoundly hopeful call to action.”—Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal winner...

One night in 1952, master pianist David Tudor took the stage in a barnlike concert hall called the Maverick and performed John Cage's 4'33", a controversial yet enduring piece, whose purpose is to amplify the ambient sounds of whatever venue it inhabits. This fascinating account of a music composition with no notes and the genius who created it is brilliantly presented for young listeners to "hear how much sound there is in silence."

What does nothing sound like? An offbeat history of John Cage’s 4’33”, a musical composition of blank bars, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka.One night in 1952, master pianist David Tudor took the stage in a barnlike concert hall called the Maverick. A packed audience waited with bated breath for him to start playing. Little did they know that the performance had already begun.A rain patters.A tree rustles.A...

Rocky Place is a short street in the coastal village of Wintersea. Attempting to regenerate their failing mariage Quentin and Lyn move there to live. One of their two children has become uncontrollable, further complicating their relationship. As they start life in their new house a dispute develops with their neighbours, a licentious family whose lives revolve round loud music, bumper stickers and sex. The problems that arise from this conflict start affecting other residents of Rocky Pla...

A leopard cannot change its spots, but can a man change his life? Ray Ferris' career is on the skids while his nymphomaniac wife Susan manages to escape from his alcoholism, his cruelty and his miserly nature. As Ray fights his addiction he has a fortuitous meeting with a young street busker. Other characters enter both his and Susan's lives, as well as a strange windfall of cash that affects each of them in different ways. They gather at the debut concert of a newly-formed orchestra where...

John Madden is born into a poor working class family. He has an abusive father, who acts like a puppeteer, an expert in mind control, while his mother is timid and subservient. At school he is mocked and bullied. but later, as an apprentice mechanic at TAFE, John meets Helen with whom he falls in love and marries. The question is: Will John turn out to be like his father? And if he does how will Helen react? And will she be able to escape from the marriage if she finds it necessary, for to...