Instead of spending free time with Emma and her family, Annie the nanny chooses to spend it with Bo. They have signed up for Irish dance class on Sunday nights, and Bo seems to show up whenever Annie has an evening off. To make matters worse, Emma’s mother has invited "The boyfriend" to come along on a family camping trip. Emma has another problem, too. Her best friend, Luisa, has been spending time with her worst friend, Kate. No wonder Emma is feeling a bit lonely. Betrayed, even.How is Emma going to solve both dilemmas? Will she come out on top and a little wiser, as she always has before?

This laugh-out-loud children's book is aligned with the Standard Course of Study for elementary school language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. It's an exciting story that teaches and references second through fifth grade skills, and even though it's 100% correlated to the third grade North Carolina curriculum, it's designed for elementary school readers in all states! This breakthrough educational book tells the story of a struggling third-grader (Chris Robb) who desperately wants to pass the third grade End of Grade (EOG) standardized test. Chris's school is a very strange place and his teacher has the strangest name he has ever heard: Ms. Bubblebrain. Every character in the book has a unique personality trait. Smelly Sam stuffs random objects up his nose (sushi, socks, etc), the bus driver waves around his stinky shoe to get the kids to settle down, and the principal harbors an incomprehensible infatuation with strawberry milk. Meanwhile, a menacing Chicken Nugget Man appears to be sneaking into schools and causing all kinds of chaos. A task force is created to capture this mysterious creature. The country's smartest children will be chosen to join the effort because for some reason, no adult has ever seen the Chicken Nugget Man. Chris, who can barely remember his teacher's name, has the odds stacked against him when it comes to passing the North Carolina EOG test, but as the reader discovers, he might have a little help, and a little hope, after all. The book has built-in Bloom's Taxonomy higher-order critical thinking questions that are written in kid-friendly language. A strong emphasis is placed on character education in the book and every time a character makes a poor choice, the narrator reminds readers of the consequences, encouraging them to suggest more responsible choices. This delightful comedy makes learning fun and helps students in all states prepare for standardized tests.Key educational features in the book: NEW! Silly fill in the bubble questions at the end of most chapters to prepare students for standardized tests in a fun way!Built-in comprehension questions Math, science, social studies, language arts and reading concepts taught through a fun, fictional plot Educational illustrations Tricky words are labeled with images for ELLs and struggling readers Officially leveled text Full list of referenced educational standards/concepts in the back of the book EOG question stems to help with standardized test prep Math word problems "Knowledge Nugget" educational fact boxes Math skills, including: probability, fractions, geometry, graphing, decimals, and elapsed time Social Studies skills, including: history, citizenship, leadership, and economics Science skills, including: plant science, life cycles, pollination, astronomy, and life science

Claire has moved to the country, where her parents have opened an organic bakery. Although Claire says she'd rather move to Mars, she soon falls in love with her pretty bedroom and their big creaky house. Claire hardly thinks about the city any more after she and her dog, Bongo, discover the natural wonders in the surrounding woods. And Claire has made a "best friend forever" -- the brave and headstrong Jet. To make things just about perfect, the bakery is a success ? so why are her parents always arguing? ("Why do they want a bakery when all they do is argue about it? They should open a bickery instead," writes Claire in her diary.) When Mom suddenly leaves with the Artificial Flavoring Salesman, Claire can't believe it -- why would she run off with that creepy guy? "Operation: Rescue Mom" takes Claire back to the big city with Jet and Bongo. The excitement bubbles over when the friends stumble into a quick-rising plan for global domination through artificial baking. Claire and the Bakery Thief is an irresistible treat for middle readers. And don't miss the recipes in the back!

It’s the first day of fifth grade, and Ally is psyched. She and her best friend, Betsy, are in the same class, and have already planned on singing in the annual talent show together. But it’s not long before she sees that Betsy has made a new best friend, and Ally is no longer on her radar screen. Not to mention that the weird new kid, Tina, has glommed on to Ally. In this phenomenally accurate and readable portrayal of the trials and tribulations of fifth grade, readers will watch a quirky, sensitive, and extraordinarily likeable girl try to survive. Narrated in Ally’s distinctive first person voice, Thank You, Lucky Stars beautifully illustrates that it is possible to be unpopular, individualistic, nice, and still have fun.