Blanche Sims

It is the middle of summertime, and it is hot enough to fry an egg right on the sidewalk. Richard Beast Best and his good friend Matthew Jackson are sweating and cannot wait to dive into the cool, refreshing water of Emily Arrow's pool. But when they arrive, they get a rude awakening: Emily is not there because she is busy attending summer school. Suddenly, Beast and Matthew realize with a panic that they are supposed to be in summer school, too! How could they have possibly forgotten? While Beast tries to stay positive, figuring they can just swim in the afternoon after class, Matthew delivers some truly bad news that changes everything. Now, it is entirely up to Beast to come up with a brilliant plan to help his friend fast, before their entire summer vacation is totally ruined. Dive into this warm and funny adventure about loyalty, responsibility, and the messy fun of being a kid.

Returning to school after winter vacation is usually tough, and Richard Best is already off to a terrible start. It is the middle of January with no snow in sight, and he has completely forgotten to bring a ruler for the highly anticipated dinosaur day. Just when things look bleak, Richard discovers a strange, mysterious ruler inside his desk. It features a set of dinosaur initials, and Richard quickly realizes this is no ordinary school supply. This ruler has actual magic powers. Suddenly, every single wish Richard makes begins to come true. Snow starts falling from the sky, he magically remembers all his homework, and the classroom bully even gets sick. But when the bully stays sick in bed for too long, Richard starts to feel guilty and worried. His only hope to reverse the spell is the magic ruler, but it has suddenly vanished. You will be captivated by this magical school story as Richard races against time to fix his mistakes.

Emily Arrow loves being the fastest runner in class and a whiz at math, even if reading is a struggle. When a new student named Dawn arrives from Florida and takes the seat right next to her, Emily is thrilled. She is ready to share secrets and pull her famous fish face to make Dawn laugh. But things quickly get complicated. Dawn is not only a fantastic reader, but she is also faster at running than Emily. Trying to be a good sport, Emily pushes her jealousy aside. Then, the unthinkable happens. Emily discovers that her new friend might actually be a thief. The worst part is that when Emily tries to tell the truth, nobody in the classroom believes her. You will be on the edge of your seat as Emily tries to figure out how to handle a tricky situation, solve the classroom mystery, and learn what it really takes to be a good friend.

A beautiful blue ring has suddenly vanished from the classroom, and everyone is pointing fingers at the wrong person. When Emily Arrow realizes her prized possession is missing, a nasty rumor quickly spreads that Dawn Bosco is the thief. Just because Dawn borrowed a toy unicorn a few weeks ago, her classmates are convinced she took the jewelry. Dawn is completely innocent, and she is not about to let anyone ruin her reputation without a fight. Armed with the ultimate detective kit from her grandmother, complete with a polka-dot hat and glasses with furry eyebrows, Dawn sets out to uncover the truth. She must follow the clues, interrogate her classmates, and keep her eyes peeled for suspicious behavior. Can this clever young sleuth track down the real crook before the whole school turns against her? You will love following along with this fast-paced mystery as Dawn races against the clock to clear her name, catch the true culprit, and save the day.

Packing up and moving to a completely different state is incredibly tough, and Matthew Jackson is definitely not having a good time. Leaving behind his beloved friends and the familiar sights of New York to start over in Ohio feels like an impossible challenge. Just when Matthew thinks things cannot possibly get any worse, his precious family cat mysteriously disappears into the unfamiliar neighborhood. To add to his growing list of anxieties, he keeps hearing terrifying rumors about a kid who lives right next door. The neighbor is supposedly so big and tough that all the local kids simply call him the Wall. Now, Matthew is constantly looking over his shoulder, terrified of bumping into this infamous bully. You will be cheering for Matthew every step of the way as he navigates the scary realities of being the new kid in town, searches for his missing pet, and figures out how to face his fears.

It is officially invention month in Ms. Rooney's classroom, and all the students are bubbling with creative energy. The class is split up to work on group projects, but Emily Arrow is feeling completely frustrated. She desperately wishes she had been chosen to be the group leader. Instead, that role went to Linda Lorca, who is being so bossy that absolutely no one in the group wants to cooperate. With time running out, Emily is terrified that their team is going to fail the assignment entirely. To make matters even more complicated, Emily is distracted by another huge problem. Her favorite student teacher is getting married in just a few days, and Emily still needs to find the absolute perfect wedding present. You will be totally engaged by this charming school adventure as Emily figures out how to handle a bossy classmate, balance her responsibilities, and discover the true meaning of working together as a team.

Spring is in the air, and Richard Best is about to celebrate his birthday. He suspects his sister Holly is throwing him a surprise party, but there is a major problem. He accidentally squashed her precious egg carton jewelry box, and she is going to be furious when she finds out! As if that is not enough trouble, Richard and his best friend Matthew have an even bigger disaster on their hands. They were supposed to help move a giant wheeled rabbit onto the stage for the school assembly. Instead, the monster rabbit rolled completely out of control and crashed right off the stage. Now the boys are in a race against time to put the giant rabbit back together before the big show on Thursday. You will laugh out loud as Richard tries to fix his messy mistakes, save his birthday, and survive the wildest spring assembly ever.

When her friend Jiwon points out that she never helps anyone, Stacy realizes with a shock that it is completely true. She honestly cannot remember the last time she went out of her way to lend a hand! This is bad timing, because her teacher, Mrs. Zachary, has just announced that the whole class needs to become people helpers. Together, they are going to prepare a massive, Spectacular Stone Soup for everyone to share. Determined to prove Jiwon wrong, Stacy sets out to be the most helpful kid in the room. She tries her hardest to assist her classmates, but no matter what she does, her efforts seem to go completely unnoticed or end up causing more trouble. Time is running out before the big soup is ready, and Stacy is feeling totally discouraged. Can a moment of quick thinking and a pungent bunch of onions finally turn her into the spectacular helper she wants to be? Join Stacy on a funny and heartfelt classroom adventure about friendship, teamwork, and learning that genuine kindness does not always need a spotlight.

Summer vacation is in full swing, and Emily has a brilliant plan for the month of August. She is determined to spend her days at the local library, reading as many books as possible so she can tack a special paper fish next to her name for every single one. But her rival, Dawn Bosco, proudly announces that she can read even faster. The competition heats up when the two girls discover an adorable stray cat they name Pickle Puss. They make a strict deal that whoever reads the most books gets to keep the sweet feline forever. Desperate to win, Emily secretly tacks up a paper fish for a story she actually read a long time ago. Suddenly, she is in the lead, but her guilt is growing heavier by the minute. You will be captivated by this classic summer tale as Emily realizes that cheating is never the right answer, and that true friendship is worth more than any prize.