"There were ten in the bed and the little one said, 'Roll over, roll over!'
So they all rolled over and Hedgehog fell out. . . ."

One by one, nine friends roll over and fall out of a boy's bed with a bang, a thump, or a plop until . . . "I'm cold! I miss you!" the boy says, and back in the bed they all go. In a sturdy board book begging many repeat readings, Penny Dale’s popular rendition of this childhood song is as warm and toasty as a feather bed.

PreSchool-Grade 2—In a mansion by the sea, a lonely boy finds a mysterious key under a chair. Curious to discover what it opens, he tries each lock until finally he succeeds in opening a large trunk with a ladder inside. As he climbs down the ladder, he finds himself in a passageway beneath the sea that eventually leads him to a lighthouse where a group of children and their dog become his instant friends. They have lunch, play ball, fly kites, and play on the beach until it is time for him to retrace his steps. This wordless story is straightforward but not predictable. The mystery of the key, the discovery of the passageway, and the obvious enjoyment of the children at play are all pleasantly depicted in brightly colored, simple watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations that combine full-page images, spreads, and pages of sequential panels. There are nicely done details such as the elaborate dinner service placed on the table at the mansion and the spiral stairway at the lighthouse. This appealing rainy-day tale will stir the imagination of those who have ever looked for something to do on a gloomy day.

Pooh and all of his friends as they explore the world of nature in this set of 30 beautifully illustrated flash cards! The cards feature real-life photos and exciting facts for curious minds. What are clouds made of? How do plants eat? Where does sand come from? Children will learn the answers to these and other questions as they explore, with Pooh, the seasons, water, the sky, land, and plants.

Meet Linny the guinea pig, Tuck the turtle, and Ming-Ming the baby duckling! The Wonder Pets are always ready to help an animal in trouble.

Grade 5–8—This trilogy ends with a bang. Having stumbled upon a way to travel through time, Johnny knows exactly when a German bomb will be dropped on his English village. Time travel turns out to be tricky, however, as it takes Johnny and his friends several trips to alter history just enough to save their town, but also to ensure that everything stays the same when they return home. Adding to the suspense is the imaginative vehicle of a crazy bag lady's squeaky cart to time travel, often with unpredictable results. The climax is reached at rocket speed as Johnny becomes increasingly aware of the many dimensions of time and ultimately relies on this ability to save the townsfolk. Pratchett deftly weaves alternate realities together to form a satisfying conclusion, keeping confusion at bay by treating the weightier issues of time travel with his trademark humor. Alternating between 1990s Britain and World War II, he offers plenty for thoughtful readers to mull over even as he pokes fun at the genre. While there is little connection to the other books in the series, Johnny's quirky sidekicks are back, each sidesplittingly portrayed and effectively advancing the plot. It is Johnny who cares most about the effect the war will have on his sleepy town, and up until the very last page, readers will, too.

Read-It-Yourself is a series of graded fact books to give young children a confident and successful start to reading. Level 1 is suitable for children who are making their first attempts at reading. Level 2 is for children who are familiar with some simple words and can read short sentences. The books are written in a very simple way using a small number of frequently repeated words that help children read more fluently. The sentences on each page are supported by illustrations, with lively details to talk about and aid understanding of the text.

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-7-Finding himself in London when he fully expected to spend all of his days in Framlingham where he worked, or more precisely slaved, for Sebastian and Henrietta Slope, young Tom Falconer hardly knows what to make of the startling turn of events in his life. Taken from the Slopes' inn by a gentleman who is then murdered by the highwayman, Ratsey, Tom is now on his own. Befriended by a pickpocket, Moll Cutpurse, he decides he wants to be an actor. As luck would have it, no appropriate parts are available for him in Will Shakespeare's new play at the Rose Theatre, so he accepts work with the mysterious Dr. Mobius, whose play The Devil and His Boy is to be presented before Queen Elizabeth. The fast-paced plot quickly thickens. Tom finds himself pursued by Ratsey, warned of danger by a fellow actor, and caught up in political intrigue. Needless to say, when he lands in the lap of the queen while trying to save her life, Tom finds himself in more trouble than he ever thought possible. Horowitz paints his characters, or in some cases, caricatures, with broad strokes and keeps the melodramatic story moving at a rapid clip. There's no subtlety here, but it's a rollicking good tale that is mostly based on historical fact, or at least historical rumor.

From Booklist
Mixing history with adventure, Horowitz offers a rousing story set in Elizabethan England. Young Tom Falconer has had a miserable existence working at The Pig's Head Inn. When a mysterious gentleman appears to take Tom to a new life, it seems like a miracle. Then the gentleman is murdered, and Tom is left to find his way around London. Characterizations are thin, but Horowitz provides plenty of action and, to his credit, does not try to pretty up Elizabethan life for his audience: Tom's legs are almost cut off by a Faginlike character who wants to make him into a beggar boy; other dirty and disfigured characters are described in detail. When Tom gets involved with a group of players putting on the show The Devil and His Boy, he doesn't suspect it's a ruse to overthrow the queen or that he'll wind up saving her. A pleasant surprise is the afterword, which details the parts of the story that are true. Even the story's secret (the queen has a grandson) has some basis in fact. Pair this with Susan Cooper's King of Shadows (1999), in which William Shakespeare also makes an appearance. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

An evil creature called the Sponge appears to be an ordinary kitchen sponge, but thrives on human bad luck, which it deliberately causes and then sucks up while refusing to do the dishes.

Grade 8 Up–Twelve short stories and one novella are stitched together with the popular Australian author's commentary on his writing life. Nix includes one choose-your-own-adventure type story, Down to the Scum Quarter. A spoof on the genre, it takes place primarily in a bordello and is rife with literary and role-play allusions, but lacks a satisfying story arc. Other selections, more traditional in format, include a disturbingly gory and unforgettable Hansel and Gretel set in a dark cityscape, two spin-offs from Arthurian legend, and a Western fantasy that owes more to the movies than to history. In the novella, Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case, the scion of a political family wants nothing more than to cross the forbidden Wall and be reunited with his friends in the Old Kingdom, where magic is practiced and understood. To that end, Nicholas agrees to engage in espionage for his powerful uncle, only to be swept up in a terrifying scenario as a mummified monster is brought to life with his blood. Readers of the author's bestselling Abhorsen trilogy (Morrow/Avon) will find themselves right at home in this horror/fantasy/mystery but those new to this world will find the first pages slow going as they try to piece together the nature of the alternative reality and to identify offstage characters and events. At times self-indulgent (the text of the author's first book, written at age six, is included in his notes), this collection will nonetheless delight true fans.