The second book in a humorous and heartfelt new chapter book series about a second-grade class where each kid turns into an animal for a day When Mrs. Norrell invites her students to bring something they love from home for show and tell, David Dixon sneaks in his new dachshund puppy, Bandit. But during the presentation, the puppy escapes. By the time David rushes into the hallway, his mischievous puppy has vanished. Mrs. Norrell launches a formal search, but David is an “act first, worry about the consequences later” kind of kid. Without stopping to think or tell anyone what he’s doing, David races off into the school building by himself to find Bandit. As he runs away from Mrs. Norrell’s classroom, David turns into a dachshund! At first, he’s delighted by the transformation and even tracks down Bandit. He and Bandit are able to do whatever they want as dogs—eat the day’s lunch, jump in the suds-filled sink, and run around on the playground. But he doesn’t want to be a dog forever! In this new chapter book series, Mrs. Norrell’s second-grade classroom has magic that allows kids to transform into animals to learn important life lessons. Each book will follow a different kid and their animal transformation, and will include fun natural science facts about the featured animal in the back matter.

A struggle with body dysmorphia forces one girl to decide if letting go of her insecurity also means turning her back on her dreams. Sam has always known she’d be a professional dancer—but that was before her body betrayed her, developing unmanageable curves in all the wrong places. Lately, the girl staring back at Sam in the mirror is unrecognizable. Dieting doesn’t work, ignoring the whispers is pointless, and her overbearing mother just makes it worse. Following a series of crippling anxiety attacks, Sam is sent to a treatment camp for teens struggling with mental and emotional obstacles. Forced to open up to complete strangers, Sam must get through the program if she wants to attend a crucial ballet intensive later in the summer. It seems hopeless until she starts confiding in a camp counselor who sparks a confidence she was sure she’d never feel again. But when she’s faced with disappointing setbacks, will Sam succumb to the insecurity that imprisons her? This compelling story from Kathryn Holmes examines one girl’s efforts to overcome her worst enemy: herself.

Ghoulia lives in Crumbling Manor with her Auntie Departed and spends most of her time playing with Tragedy, her beloved albino greyhound. But things aren’t as easy as they seem for this little zombie girl—all she wants is a real friend. She tries to venture past the manor’s walls, but she can’t hide her pale green skin or the deep purple circles under her eyes. The other children will be afraid of her, and no one will want to be her friend. But when Halloween rolls around, Ghoulia hatches a brilliant plan. All the other, ordinary children will be dressed up like monsters, so Ghoulia can go out into the town and be entirely herself. In the end, all the kids realize that Ghoulia is (almost) just like them and learn that friendship can come in many forms.

Blending elements of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak and Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, this gripping story from Kathryn Holmes was deemed “a page turner” by author Richard Peck and “an intense story of survival” by ALA Booklist in its starred review. Sophomore Hallie Calhoun has just endured the most excruciating six months of her life. Once the rumors about her and the preacher’s son, Luke, made their way around school, her friends abandoned her, and as a result, Hallie has completely withdrawn. Now on a hiking trip in the Smoky Mountains with the same people who have relentlessly taunted her, Hallie is pushed to her limit. Then Hallie, outgoing newcomer Rachel, and Jonah—Hallie’s former friend—get separated from the rest of the group. As days go by without rescue, their struggle for survival turns deadly. Stranded in the wilderness, the three have no choice but to trust one another in order to stay alive…and for Hallie, that means opening up about what really happened that night with Luke. From the catty atmosphere of high school to the unpredictable terrain of the mountains, this novel is a poignant, raw journey about finding yourself after having been lost for so long.

In this hilariously sweet story about an opposites-attract friendship, chock-full of Yiddish humor, a girl and her best bird friend’s perfect day turns into a perfect opportunity to see things differently. Gitty and her feathered-friend Kvetch couldn’t be more different: Gitty always sees the bright side of life, while her curmudgeonly friend Kvetch is always complaining and, well, kvetching about the trouble they get into. One perfect day, Gitty ropes Kvetch into shlepping off on a new adventure to their perfect purple treehouse. Even when Kvetch sees signs of impending doom everywhere, Gitty finds silver linings and holds onto her super special surprise reason for completing their mission. But when her perfect plan goes awry, oy vey, suddenly it’s Gitty who’s down in the dumps. Can Kvetch come out of his funk to lift Gitty’s spirits back up?

This sweet true story stars a tiny, orphaned elephant who was given another chance. When Chhouk, an Asian elephant calf, was found, he was alone, underweight, and had a severe foot injury. Conservationist Nick Marx of Wildlife Alliance rescued the baby elephant. With help from the Cambodian Forestry Administration, the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics, and an elephant named Lucky, Nick nursed Chhouk back to health and made him an artificial foot. One of the first animals to ever be fitted with a prosthetic, Chhouk helped pioneer the technology -- and most importantly, was able to walk again!This true animal rescue story will satisfy animal lovers and capture the hearts of both young readers and their parents.

The third book in a humorous and heartfelt chapter book series about a second grade class where each kid turns into an animal for a day Madison tries her best to spread joy and be helpful, even when people like her Great-Aunt Joelle seem to think that she can't do or say anything right. Still, she goes into Mrs. Norrell's class with her head held high, ready to brainstorm ideas for her group project on activism. But after her Great-Aunt Joelle shoots down her ideas, she starts to wonder if maybe she isn't really cut out to be a leader or change-maker. Then, something strange happens: Madison turns into a mouse! Her voice is high-pitched and squeaky, her heart beats furiously in her body, and she's so so small. Luckily, one of her kindhearted classmates, Tally Tuttle, helps to get her to safety so no one squishes her by accident. Will Madison be able to navigate her own insecurities and the unexpected dangers of being a mouse—and turn back into herself before the end of the day? Or will she be stuck eating cheese and hiding from cats for the rest of her life? In this new chapter book series, Mrs. Norrell’s second grade classroom has magic that allows kids to transform into animals to learn important life lessons. Each book follows a different kid and their animal transformation and includes fun natural science facts about the featured animal in the back matter.