When we last saw Desmond Pucket, he was fresh from rescuing a bus full of monsters from the now defunct amusement park ride The Mountain Full of Monsters. But in all the chaos of the monster rescue, Desmond never stopped to think what he was going to do with all of these scary props. But if there's one thing Desmond always has, it's ideas for making monster magic! Join Desmond and his posse of pranksters as they create their greatest show yet: The Cloverfield Junior High Carnival of Horrors!

"Tatulli's entry into the comics/fiction--hybrid market is one of the best…The target audience will snap this up and beg for more." ---Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "This is full of ghoulish fun, and fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid probably won't want to miss it." ---School Library Journal "Desmond Pucket neatly fills a gap for our readers---it's a step more sophisticated than Diary of a Wimpy Kid but appeals to that reader. It's also so great to have a Halloween/monster/scary stuff series to offer boys that is not Goosebumps." ---Rebecca Waesch, Children's Product Manager, Joseph-Beth Booksellers Meet Desmond Pucket---professor of frightology and master of monsters. Someday Desmond will be famous for his special effects wizardry, but for now he's just trying to make it through sixth grade at Cloverfield Memorial Junior High, which means he needs to stay one step ahead of the school's disciplinary officer, Mr. Needles. The only problem is Desmond just can't stop pulling pranks---like the time he attached a shrieking rubber goblin to the toilet seat in the teachers' bathroom. Mrs. Rubin screamed so loudly her wig flew off! Or the time he put giant motorized worms into the mashed potatoes in the cafeteria. Or the time Desmond and his best friend, Ricky, arranged for a three-headed ghost to crash his sister's slumber party. Rachel still hasn't forgiven him. And now Desmond has to stay prank-free for the rest of the year, or he won't be able to go on the class trip to Crab Shell Pier, home of the Mountain Full of Monsters ride! It's going to be tough, but Desmond has to try. This book includes a section of "Desmond's Notes": instructions for making monster magic (think scary noises, or fake blood) at home!

Desmond Pucket is back, and this time he has a posse. Desmond has been waiting his whole life for this day. It is the sixth-grade field trip to Crab Shell Pier, home to the world's most awesomely fantastic ride, and Desmond has one goal: convince Tina Schimsky to ride it with him. But once inside the amusement park, Desmond finds that executing his master plan will be no simple feat. Accompanied by his best friend Ricky, Desmond must outwit both the tyrannical Mr. Needles and his nefarious mortal enemy Scott Selzer, along with anyone---or anything---else in the way. The race is on to reach Mountain Full of Monsters and win the girl of his dreams . . . Can Desmond do it?

Reaching Reluctant Young Readers features 150 middle-grade books. Each profiled title has the potential to hook the reluctant reader and lure them to read the entire book. To specifically encourage elementary and middle-school-age reluctant children to read, there is first a pitch to get the reader’s attention. That is followed by a short reading passage to “set the hook” and encourage the young person to read the rest of the book on their own. Further, the book contains several hundred additional recommended titles. The books selected for this collection were chosen following the criteria of reluctant reader books created by the Quick Picks committee sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association. While these guidelines were designed for young adult books, they also work well for middle-grade books. The criteria include: clear writing (no convoluted long sentences with sophisticated vocabulary), high interest “hook” in the first few pages, well-defined characters, interesting plot, and familiar themes.

A full-color graphic novel about growing up, growing apart, and monster hunting, perfect for fans of Real Friends and All's Faire in Middle School. Andrew and Russ are best friends obsessed with finding the legendary Jersey Devil that supposedly lives in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, right in their own backyards. They're even making a movie about their desperate search for any sign of the mythical creature. But when Russ starts spending less time on their movie, and more time with artsy, first-chair violinist Tara, Andrew feels the cracks in their friendship begin to form. Suddenly, all of Andrew's favorite things are too babyish for Russ, and Andrew is left trying to figure out where he belongs without his best friend by his side. Then a rash of Jersey Devil sightings excite their small town, and the boys are thrown back together on a fevered hunt. Can Andrew and Russ put aside their differences for one last chance to find the monster of their dreams, or will the break in their friendship be too big to mend?

Ash and Pikachu join Jackie, a Pok'emon Ranger, in his search for a fabled temple that contains a treasure called the Sea Crown, but the Phantom, a pirate, is also after the Sea Crown, which he plans to use to take over the world.

Will they never learn? “Schulz’s masterpiece remains a very particular sort of all-ages comic . . . relevant and funny for all ages generation after generation.” —Good Comics for Kids, a School Library Journal Blog Sibling rivalries. Overzealous hall monitors. Un-kicked footballs. It’s the Peanuts gang you know and love, and everyone’s at it again. Lucy is offering her trademark 5¢ psychiatric advice—and her customers are wondering if it’s actually worth the nickel. Snoopy’s dinner bowl has been thrown deep into enemy territory—and he will do anything to avoid retrieving it from the neighbor’s cat. Finally, our hero must work alongside the little red-haired girl, his secret crush, for a school project . . . can you guess how that will turn out? You’ll find old tricks and new antics in this collection of the world-renowned comics.