Book Buddies Roger Takes A Chance

Longing for independence and adventure brings Roger the chick more than he bargained for in a Book Buddies episode offering plenty of charm. Roger the chick almost never gets the chance to do things on his own--he's always attached by Velcro to his mother, Olive the hen, who prefers a quiet nap to any excitement. The two Book Buddies even come as a pair when they're borrowed from the library, so Roger doesn't go on many solo adventures. One day, a boy named Liam is persuaded by his little sister to borrow Roger and Olive before picking up Grandpa from the airport. While Liam is preoccupied with showing Grandpa how grown-up he is, however, Roger the chick wriggles free, only to be accidentally left behind. Could this be the chance that Roger's been waiting for, or will his airport adventure--complete with a too-playful dog and a looming top of the escalator--prove too exciting even for him? If Liam admits his mistake, will he have a chance to show how grown-up he is--and help Roger get back from the Lost and Found?

Longing for independence and adventure brings Roger the chick more than he bargained for in a Book Buddies episode offering plenty of charm. Roger the chick almost never gets the chance to do things on his own—he’s always attached by Velcro to his mother, Olive the hen, who prefers a quiet nap to any excitement. The two Book Buddies even come as a pair when they’re borrowed from the library, so Roger doesn’t go on many solo adventures. One day, a boy named Liam is persuaded by his little sister to borrow Roger and Olive before picking up Grandpa from the airport. While Liam is preoccupied with showing Grandpa how grown-up he is, however, Roger the chick wriggles free, only to be accidentally left behind. Could this be the chance that Roger’s been waiting for, or will his airport adventure—complete with a too-playful dog and a looming top of the escalator—prove too exciting even for him? If Liam admits his mistake, will he have a chance to show how grown-up he is—and help Roger get back from the Lost and Found?

A 2015 Whitney Award Nominee! A powerful story of loss, second chances, and first love, reminiscent of Sarah Dessen and John Green. When Oakley Nelson loses her older brother, Lucas, to cancer, she thinks she’ll never recover. Between her parents’ arguing and the battle she’s fighting with depression, she feels nothing inside but a hollow emptiness. When Mom suggests they spend a few months in California with Aunt Jo, Oakley isn’t sure a change of scenery will alter anything, but she’s willing to give it a try. In California, Oakley discovers a sort of safety and freedom in Aunt Jo’s beach house. Once they’re settled, Mom hands her a notebook full of letters addressed to her—from Lucas. As Oakley reads one each day, she realizes how much he loved her, and each letter challenges her to be better and to continue to enjoy her life. He wants her to move on. If only it were that easy. But then a surfer named Carson comes into her life, and Oakley is blindsided. He makes her feel again. As she lets him in, she is surprised by how much she cares for him, and that’s when things get complicated. How can she fall in love and be happy when Lucas never got the chance to do those very same things? With her brother’s dying words as guidance, Oakley knows she must learn to listen and trust again. But will she have to leave the past behind to find happiness in the future? Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David the rules from a peach is not a funny-looking apple to keep your pants on in public---in order to head off David's embarrassing behaviors. But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a surprising, new sort-of friend, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?

An exquisite second novel from the Newbery Honor author of RULES! TOUCH BLUE, sure as certain, will touch your heart.The state of Maine plans to shut down her island's schoolhouse, which would force Tess's family to move to the mainland--and Tess to leave the only home she has ever known. Fortunately, the islanders have a plan too: increase the numbers of students by having several families take in foster children. So now Tess and her family are taking a chance on Aaron, a thirteen-year-old trumpet player who has been bounced from home to home. And Tess needs a plan of her own--and all the luck she can muster. Will Tess's wish come true or will her luck run out?Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord offers a warm-hearted, humorous, and thoughtful look at what it means to belong--and how lucky we feel when we do. Touch Blue, sure as certain, will touch your heart.

For centuries humankind has fantasized about life on Mars, whether it’s intelligent Martian life invading our planet (immortalized in H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds) or humanity colonizing Mars (the late Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles). The Red Planet’s proximity and likeness to Earth make it a magnet for our collective imagination. Yet the question of whether life exists on Mars—or has ever existed there—remains an open one. Science has not caught up to science fiction—at least not yet. This summer we will be one step closer to finding the answer. On August 5th, Curiosity—a one-ton, Mini Cooper-sized nuclear-powered rover—is scheduled to land on Mars, with the primary mission of determining whether the red planet has ever been physically capable of supporting life. In Getting to Mars, Roger Wiens, the principal investigator for the ChemCam instrument on the rover—the main tool for measuring Mars’s past habitability—will tell the unlikely story of the development of this payload and rover now blasting towards a planet 354 million miles from Earth. ChemCam (short for Chemistry and Camera) is an instrument onboard the Curiosity designed to vaporize and measure the chemical makeup of Martian rocks. Different elements give off uniquely colored light when zapped with a laser; the light is then read by the instrument’s spectrometer and identified. The idea is to use ChemCam to detect life-supporting elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen to evaluate whether conditions on Mars have ever been favorable for microbial life. This is not only an inside story about sending fantastic lasers to Mars, however. It’s the story of a new era in space exploration. Starting with NASA’s introduction of the Discovery Program in 1992, smaller, scrappier, more nimble missions won out as behemoth manned projects went extinct. This strategic shift presented huge opportunities—but also presented huge risks for shutdown and failure. And as Wiens recounts, his project came close to being closed down on numerous occasions. Getting to Mars is the inspiring account of how Wiens and his team overcame incredible challenges—logistical, financial, and political—to successfully launch a rover in an effort to answer the eternal question: is there life on Mars?

Learn the secrets of communication that win elections, promotions, and customers, from Roger Ailes, media consultant to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and the founder of Fox News. When you communicate with others, everything that makes you unique comes into play. From your appearance to your voice, from your beliefs to your life experience, you're constantly sending signals about the kind of person you are. All of these signals, such as your facial expressions, your body movements, your vocal pitch, and more, are powerful and important in convincing others of your message. In You Are the Message, Roger Ailes argues that each and every one of us has the tools within us to persuade and influence others. And in this practical, sensible and entertaining book, you'll learn how to present a message so compelling that even your most stubborn detractor will see the merit of your ideas.

The authors of the cultural phenomenon Bar Mitzvah Disco pick up the story of their generation's coming of age where that tome left off, painstakingly retelling tall tales of golden summers from the 1970s to the early 1990s. Full-color photos throughout.

"Marco Polo is a retired Christmas ornament, but in his mind he is a great mouse explorer. Because he's tiny and likely to be lost, he is the least-borrowed of the Book Buddies--toys that children can check out of the library just like a book--and he almost never leaves the library. But the little mouse finally meets the right match in Seth, a boy who is about to attend his first sleepover. If Seth were to bring the stuffed bunny he usually sleeps with, he'd risk being teased, but Marco Polo is the perfect size to hide away in his sleeping bag. Are both boy and mouse in for an unexpected adventure? Charmingly illustrated and offering a window into the secret life of toys (including a suspenseful glimpse at where all the household's lost toys go), Marco Polo Brave Explorer explores common fears and quiet bravery and will leave readers eager for the next episode in the Book Buddies series"--

A moving and eloquent novel about love, grief, renewal—and the powerful language of flowers. Ruby Jewell knows flowers. In her twenty years as a florist she has stood behind the counter at the Flower Shoppe with her faithful dog, Clementine, resting at her feet. A customer can walk in, and with just a glance or a few words, Ruby can throw together the perfect arrangement for any occasion. Whether intended to rekindle a romance, mark a celebration, offer sympathy, or heal a broken heart, her expressive floral designs mark the moments and milestones in the lives of her neighbors. It’s as though she knows just what they want to say, just what they need. Yet Ruby’s own heart’s desires have gone ignored since the death of her beloved sister. It will take an invitation from a man who’s flown to the moon, the arrival of a unique little boy, and concern from a charming veterinarian to reawaken her wounded spirit. Any life can be derailed, but the healing power of community can put it right again. READERS GUIDE INSIDE