Mary Amato

Tripp, who plays guitar only for himself, and Lyla, a cellist whose talent has already made her famous but not happy, form an unlikely friendship when they are forced to share a practice room at their high school.

Guitar Notes

Sixteen-year-old Lacy Brink, surprised to find herself dead and buried at Baltimore's Westminster Cemetery, recruits fellow poets Sam and Edgar Allan Poe in resisting tyrannical Mrs. Steele's rules by having an open mic night.

Open Mic Night at Westminster Cemetery

"On her birthday, Minerva, a seventeen-year-old singer/songwriter, hears from the father she has never known and her placid life is turned upside down"--

Get Happy

When she discovers that her father is involved in a long-distance relationship with a zookeeper in another state, jealous and overprotective Frankie decides to send emails to her to sabotage the relationship, but the responses she gets suddenly make Frankie realize that her father's friend is more kind and special than she had ever imagined her to be.

The Naked Mole-rat Letters

Life is miserable for sixth grader Lerner Chanse at her new shool, where the MPOOE (Most Powerful Ones On Earth) Club ruthlessly rules over the SLUGs (Sorry Losers Under Ground). It looks as if Lerner is destined to be a SLUG, until she finds a magical worm that eats printed words instead of dirt. If Fip eats a word, that item simply disappears from the world -- forever.

The Word Eater

When someone takes a pet goldfish, then other items from Ms. Herschel's classroom, each time leaving a clue in the form of a poem, student Edgar Allan competes with a classmate to be first to solve the mystery.

Edgar Allan's Official Crime Investigation Notebook

Mrs. Penrose has a secret, and Alexander H. Gory, Jr., thinks he knows just what it is. To spread the word, Alexander passes around his notebook, in which he details his proof that their mild-mannered teacher has become a blood-sucking creature of the night. The news spreads like wildfire, and soon the whole class is speculating. Will the librarian be her next victim? Can they protect themselves with garlic necklaces? But when Mrs. Penrose confiscates the notebook, she admits to the class that she does have a secret. She isn't turning into a bat, though—she's going to have a baby. To encourage her students to write, she lets them keep the notebook, which becomes a chronicle of jokes, stories, and—when Mrs. Penrose's baby comes earlier than anyone expected—their fears, frustrations, and hopes for her and her child. Told in the varying voices of an elementary class, with all their unique observations, quirks, and spelling mistakes, Our Teacher Is a Vampire is a celebration of collaboration. Through their shared storytelling, Mrs. Penrose's students support one another through difficult times, improve as writers, and become fast friends. Ideal for aspiring writers, this (not) true story of classroom intrigue will keep readers turning pages, from the first wild rumor to the last, heartfelt letter.

Our Teacher Is a Vampire and Other (Not) True Stories

When Ms. Wurtz leaves a blank book in the Writer's Corner with a note encouraging those who find it to "talk to each other" in its pages, the student's entries spark a classroom-wide battle.

Please Write in this Book

Coming from a poor, single-parent family, seventh-grader Trevor Musgrove must rely on his intelligence, artistic ability, quick wit, and soccer prowess to win friends at his new Washington, D.C. school, but popular and rich Xander Pierce seems determined to cause him trouble.

Invisible Lines

Riot Brother Rule #1: Make something exciting happen every day It's no easy task, but Wilbur and Orville Riot are up to the challenge. Whether it's catching a bank robber, finding hidden treasure while cleaning the house, or overthrowing a wicked king, the Riot brothers are clever, resourceful, and just plain funny. They sing songs, make up games, and always come out on top in the end—in spite of a few bumps along the way. The inventive, energetic brothers have a warm sibling relationship (even when they're trying to make each other snarf milk out of their noses), and though they get called into the Principal's office now and then, the trouble they make is always in good fun. Plus, she's their mom, so she always gives them a ride home. Not a bad end to an exciting day. The short chapters make great bedtime reads—though beware! You might be tempted to stay up all night playing Underfoodle or the Frying-Pan Game. And with lots of puns and just the right amount of gross-out humor, this updated edition contains three stories about the Riot Brothers, plus lists, lists, and more lists—including the Riot Brother Rules, all their games, and the extra-special Riot Brother Top Ten List of Important Things To Be Able To Do With Your Face . . . plus, a preview of the Riot Brothers sequel, Drooling and Dangerous.

The Riot Brothers Tell All

Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life

Are you bored? Do you like exciting and dangerous adventures? Then it's your lucky day! Orville and Wilbur Riot are back with all-new escapades—because, you know, you can't do the same mission twice. (That's Rule #15!) As the brothers say, a bad day is like bad breath . . . it just gets worse unless you do something about it. So Wilbur and Orville are determined to never be bored, even if that means they have to figure out how to become movie stars or foil a diamond heist. This time even Mom gets in on the fun when the brothers announce a switch day—sorry, a dwitch say—and take over the house and their school. This new edition features an updated cover, a list of the Riot Brothers' new games, and a sneak peak of Riot Brothers #3: Stinky and Successful.

The Riot Brothers Return!

Drooling and Dangerous

When their parents steal a Hollywood star (a white poodle) to hold it for ransom, our young heroes leap into action. Too bad the spoiled star will not raise a paw to help. Barks and howls will be the result of anyone reading Book Two of Good Crooks. Author Mary Amato is a star of state master and children's choice lists and returns to the age category of her popular Riot Brothers chapter book series with this funny, silly new series.

Dog Gone!

When Lacy wakes up dead in Westminster Cemetery, final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe, she's confused. It's the job of Sam, a young soldier who died in 1865, to teach her the rules of the afterlife and to warn her about Suppression—a punishment worse than death. Lacy desperately wants to leave the cemetery and find out how she died, but every soul is obligated to perform a job. Given the task of providing entertainment, Lacy proposes an open mic, which becomes a chance for the cemetery's residents to express themselves. But Lacy is in for another shock when surprising and long-buried truths begin to emerge.

The twin son and daughter of criminals band together to do good in spite of an odiferous encounter with a skunk. By the award-winning author of Missing Monkey! Simultaneous and eBook.

Sniff a Skunk!

First Slurpy the goldfish gets fishnapped. Then other things begin to disappear from Ms. Herschel's classroom. Odder still, the culprit leaves poetry behind. Edgar intends to find the criminal responsible with the help of his notebook. However, he's going to have to beat his rivals, form careful alliances, and make sense of a few suprising discoveries.

Fourth grader Lucy McGee's ukulele is missing--and if she doesn't find it soon, she'll be kicked out of the Songwriting Club! Lucy McGee is determined to track down her beloved instrument, but she can't let anyone catch on--even best friend Phillip. When Lucy learns that YouTube songwriting stars Ben & Bee are playing a show on Saturday and they're giving away a free ukulele, it seems like the perfect solution. If only it wasn't the most in-demand, expensive concert ever. Soon frenemy Scarlett announces that she has an extra ticket to the show, prompting everyone in the Songwriting Club to try to win her over. Lucy McGee will have to get extra creative to find out what happened to her uke and to charm the always-scheming Scarlett in this humorous but heartfelt chapter book. The third book in Mary Amato's charming Lucy McGee series features artwork on every page as well as song lyrics for aspiring musicians to try out on their own.

Lucky Me, Lucy McGee

When her father begins a long-distance romance with a Washington, D.C. zookeeper, twelve-year-old Frankie sends fabricated email letters to the zookeeper in an attempt to end the relationship.

The Naked Mole-Rat Letters

When her father begins a long-distance romance with a Washington, D.C. zookeeper, twelve-year-old Frankie sends fabricated email letters to the zookeeper in an attempt to end the relationship, in this story about family, friendship, and growing up.

When a talent show brings out cutthroat tendencies in her classmates, aspiring singer, songwriter, and ukulele player Lucy has to fight for what's fair and avoid falling for mean girl Scarlett's ploys yet again in the second book in the generously illustrated Lucy McGee series. Feisty and gullible Lucy McGee has a lot to learn-- but'll have a blast doing it in this fun-filled chapter book with over 100 illustrations, a sequel to News From Me, Lucy McGee. Lucy and Philip are fuming when they find out that Scarlet is trying to exclude them from the songwriting club's ukulele and singing act at the talent show. Soon Lucy is in the doghouse again after her plan to get back at Scarlet backfires. So, Lucy calls a truce, but Scarlet only pretends to stop her antics. She locks Lucy and her friends in a janitor's closet during the show. It's up to Lucy to help the club members escape yet keep her own integrity. Characters dance across the pages in this heavily illustrated book. Backmatter includes lyrics to songs written by the kids of the songwriting group and ukulele chords to encourage readers to play along and improvise.

Sing With Me, Lucy McGee

Join Albert and a group of ragtag aliens as they dribble, cross, and score across the galaxy in this soccer-themed story of unlikely friendships. The day that aliens abducted 13-year-old Albert Kinney was the day he was hoping to make the school soccer team.But that's the way life works sometimes, especially for Albert. Astonishingly the Zeenods, don't want to harm Albert, they want him to play soccer. And so, Albert jumps at the chance to join the Zeenods. Yet just as he is introduced to the specifics of their game and all their high-tech gear, he faces a series of direct threats to his life. Does someone have a mysterious vendetta against Albert? Or does their first opponent, the ruthless team from Planet Tev, want to guarantee that they win? Action-packed, yet filled with humor and heart, Game On! is the first book in a series that features thrilling play-by-play soccer scenes and an intergalactic plot with far-reaching consequences for the Zeenods--and Earth.

Mary Amato

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