The sound of Sam's life was like the best piece of music you have ever heard. Everyone liked Sam, and Sam liked himself. But then one day the mud words begin and they get inside his head - and Sam can't hear the music anymore. Mud Boy is an illustrated book for ages 5-11, showing how children can go from being joyfully buoyant to totally deflated when being bullied and teased, and offering advice to get them back to their best. Mud, music and a family cat are used to conjure up the story to children in a very new and real way, showing that recovery happens through talking to others about our problems. The book also includes a guide for further talking points by Dr Pooky Knightsmith on how to discuss the topic, and the emotions that come up on reading the book, with children.

To avoid taking a bath, Fister Farnello runs away from home and is befriended by Dirt Man, a filthy giant who lives in the woods. Watercolor paintings are accompanied by hilarious text.

From the author of the acclaimed bestseller Holes, winner of the Newbery Award and the National Book Award, comes a New York Times bestselling adventure about the impact we have—both good and bad—on the world we live in. Be careful. Your next step may be your last. Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Hilligas challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya, unaware of the reason for the detour, reluctantly follows. They soon get lost. And then they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined. In the days and weeks that follow, the authorities and the U.S. Senate become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world. "Sachar blends elements of mystery, suspense, and school-day life into a taut environmental cautionary tale."--Publishers Weekly

Alex Pheby's Mordew launches an astonishingly inventive epic fantasy trilogy. God is dead, his corpse hidden in the catacombs beneath Mordew. In the slums of the sea-battered city, a young boy called Nathan Treeves lives with his parents, eking out a meagre existence by picking treasures from the Living Mud and the half-formed, short-lived creatures it spawns. Until one day his desperate mother sells him to the mysterious Master of Mordew. The Master derives his magical power from feeding on the corpse of God. But Nathan, despite his fear and lowly station, has his own strength—and it is greater than the Master has ever known. Great enough to destroy everything the Master has built. If only Nathan can discover how to use it. So it is that the Master begins to scheme against him—and Nathan has to fight his way through the betrayals, secrets, and vendettas of the city where God was murdered, and darkness reigns. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

"Muddy Max takes that eternal struggle between kids and parents---whether to play in or stay out of mud puddles---and turns it into an epic tale full of secrets and superpowers and one very important lesson: Don't eat mud. It's earthworm poop." --Matthew Holm, co-creator of Babymouse and Squish "What happens when genius-writer Elizabeth Rusch and super-artist Mike Lawrence get together? A book you won't be able to put down---or wash off! Not only does Muddy Max ooze adventure, it can also teach all of us something about bravery, science, and earthworm poop." --Bart King, author of The Big Book of Superheroes and The Big Book of Gross Stuff Max may be the cleanest middle-school kid in the world--his neat-freak parents make certain of that. But what's behind their mysterious fear of mud? When Max finds himself face-down in a murky puddle, muddy from head to toe, he discovers something amazing: Mud gives him super powers. But there's more going on in Marsh Creek--and in his family--than he could ever imagine. Follow Muddy Max and his friends as they dig through the dirt to solve the mystery of Marsh Creek.