New & Coming Soon Books for Developing Readers

Zilbo gets angry. . .a lot. The only thing that makes him feel better is biting the cause of this feeling, no matter what it is--a chair, a TV, a clock. One day, the sun's heat makes Zilbo angry, but try as he might, he can't figure out how to bite it. After some creative thinking and help from friends, Zilbo discovers that maybe biting isn't the only thing that makes his overwhelming feelings go away.

Everyone's favorite super-powered manatee is back in an aquatic adventure from Ben Clanton, New York Times bestselling author of Narwhal and Jelly! Marlow the manatee still sleeps a lot, eats a lot, and toots a lot, but now he's super-powered! That's right, his super-smelly toots have even saved the day! Ever since venturing out of his safe saltwater bay with his bestie, Goldie the goldfish, and his favorite superhero Aquaman, Marlow the manatee has had to put his new powers to the test. But when Aquaman's former sidekicks return and are out for revenge, Marlow and Goldie will be faced with a challenge even super toots might not be able solve.

For as long as Penelope can remember, her grandma has had a super-secret pen pal. After years of wondering, Penelope and her sister Pearl are determined to find out who their grandma has been writing to all this time. Could it be Quinn, the glamorous tailor? Could it be Mr. Lee, the kind man who runs the grocery store? Penelope can't wait to investigate this mystery with her sister, but the longer they look for the secret pen pal, the less excited Pearl seems. Can Penelope solve the mystery before Pearl loses interest, or has her sister outgrown their adventures together?Featuring vibrant full-color illustrations on every page and a gentle, engaging mystery, Penelope Positano is ideal for emergent readers taking their first steps into chapter books.

Cora has to perform the Fancy Shawl Dance in front of her whole school, but is she brave enough? 

When finicky homebody Croc loses a bet to his adventure-loving best friend, Mac, he must do the thing he's been refusing to do - set sail with him on the open ocean on a quest to find a lost city. Unfortunately, once they're on the water, things don't go according to plan. Or, rather, Mac never made a plan, so things go wrong pretty quickly. And when Mac is swept overboard, Croc has to act decisively to help his friend. Will Croc surprise himself by ignoring his fears and enjoying the experience of a lifetime with his best pal?

A delightful early-reader graphic novel that captures adventures in imagination and creativity at comics camp.

Based on the original animated series and inspired by a true story, this Trash Truck early reader is perfect for little fans of big trucks.

A little robot makes merry mischief by copying everything his friends do in this laugh-out-loud Ready-to-Go Ready-to-Read by Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor-winning author-illustrator Vikram Madan. 

Two dogs dance the day away in this charming Pre-Level 1 Ready-to-Read with rhyming, repetitive text by bestselling and Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor-winning author-illustrator Michael Rex. Step by step, spin by spin, a grown-up pooch shows a young pup how to dance. They slide and glide, shimmy and hop. Can the pup keep up with all the new fancy steps and become a dancing doggy with this own smooth moves?

Come along with young Violet as she accompanies her parents as they go to vote in this Step 2 leveled reader, perfect for kids ages 4-6! Violet is excited to go on a big adventure with her parents. They are walking to her school to vote and make their voices heard. On the walk there, they see friends and neighbors from their community. Violet learns more about Black History and Civil Rights. She is proud when the time comes for her parents to vote, and she gets to come in the voting booth for the very first time! Violet can't wait to vote one day, too. Step 2 readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories. They are perfect for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help.

Friendship is sweet--and awfully funny--in five giggle-worthy short comics for emerging readers starring an adorable squirrel and bunny. Bitty and Bub go camping! But oh no, Bub has used up the flashlight battery playing with the fireflies. Don't worry! Bub's firefly friends help light up the night. Find out what other new friends they make in the woods! Bitty and Bub turn friendship's ups and downs into playful comedy in this sweet early reader comic by an award-winning artist. Split into short comics with spare text and charming art, each adventure (or misadventure) they go on has a funny happy ending. The duo accidentally steals a crocodile's stew pot, helps Raccoon find their bear (who is NOT a teddy bear), and confuses a rock for a turtle--again! Emerging readers will love the silly punchlines and feel confident reading this simple, decodable text on their own.

Bear's track record when it comes to putting on a show hasn't been exactly stellar. His puppet show was a flop (anyone could get tangled in those strings, right?). His baking show had some, er, unexpected developments. But Bear is confident that his magic show will be a success! Can Bear ace the tricks on his program for his eager friend Fox and pull a rabbit out of a hat, guess a card, and . . . well, there's always the disappearing act! With a funny narrative told in bold visual jokes and simple language, this latest act from the award-winning Mike Wohnoutka will have newly confident readers lining up for an encore.