Early Chapter Books: Great Finds at the Valley Cottage Library

What would you do if a shark followed you home? Mr. Fitzgerald said sharks like to circle their food while they decide if it looks tasty. I must have left my scooter in the yard. The shark started riding it around our house. And around. And around. On his third time around, I knew. He was circling me....

From husband-and-wife team Tom Angleberger, creator of the New York Times bestselling Origami Yoda series, and Cece Bell, author/illustrator of the Newbery Honor graphic novel El Deafo, comes the start to a funny and clever illustrated chapter-book s

Meet Didi Dodo. She's a dodo and a spy. Or she will be, once she's hired!   Meet Koko Dodo. He's a dodo and a baker. He gives Didi Dodo her first case!   Someone has stolen Koko Dodo's Super Secret Fudge Sauce for the Royal Cookie Contest! But don't worry. Didi Dodo has a daring plan to catch the culprit.   Read all the hilarious chapter book series in the Flytrap Files universe: Inspector Flytrap Didi Dodo, Future Spy DJ Funkyfoot

Doggo is used to things being a certain way in his family. He likes routine. Cat says he's become boring. That is, until Pupper shows up! Pupper is playful and messy, and turns the house upside down. Soon, the humans realize that Pupper needs some training, and off he goes to puppy school. When Pupper comes back, he's well-behaved. He's not playful. He's not messy. But Doggo soon realizes that Pupper also isn't happy. So Doggo steps in to help, and rediscovers what it means to have fun!!

Dino-Mike and his best friend, Shannon, discover that the nefarious Mr. Bones has gone underground down under! Mike and Shannon track the dino-reviving villain to a secret cove in Australia that contains a cache of dinosaur bones! Mr. Bones plans to create an army of reanimated dinos--and only Mike and Shannon can stop him before an army is awakened!

Warren is a seven-year-old boy. Dragon is a seven-hundred-year-old dragon. Not that most people believe that. Most people are sure that Dragon is a stuffed animal. People such as Warren's twin sister, Ellie, who challenges Warren to a contest at their new school- making 100 new friends. Warren isn't so good at making friends, but he doesn't like losing to Ellie, and Dragon will help him. But the first day of school doesn't exactly turn out the way he'd hoped, and even worse, Dragon disappears! By the time Warren gets home, he's not only not made any friends, he's lost his best friend. First day of school jitters are entertainingly explored in this laugh-out-loud chapter book.

Humphrey, the pet hamster of Classroom 26, is helping Richie with a science project, but Richie's feisty puppy gets in the way.

Jack is ready for another adventure, but what could be as exciting as tricking the giant and stealing the golden goose? A trip to the local forest superstore gives him some food for thought. Jack has a new plan, but he needs his mother's stamp of approval.

Flat Stanley is taking over the world, one city at a time! In this very first installment in the renowned Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures chapter book series, Stanley Lambchop and his family visit one of America's most famous monuments, Mount Rushmore! Ever since Stanley Lambchop was flattened by a bulletin board, every trip is an adventure! The whole Lambchop family is off to see Mount Rushmore. But when Flat Stanley and his brother, Arthur, team up with a scrappy cowgirl named Calamity Jasper, their vacation turns into the Wild West experience of a lifetime!!

This fun, laugh-out-loud early chapter book series follows lovable dog King and his human girl Kayla as they solve mysteries. When King and Kayla find a lost dog, they begin gathering clues to help the little pup find his human family. Kayla learns that the pup has no collar and obeys commands, but no one in their neighborhood has seen him before. Then King discovers a big clue. Can he use this clue to help Kayla find the lost puppy?s family?

Simon has taken care of his owner, Andy, for many years. He's a good cat. Clean, responsible, and loyal. What more could a boy want? Even when Andy's dad moves out, Simon is certain that Andy doesn't need another pet. So why would Andy's dad adopt a DOG?! To make matters worse, the animal is a rude, rowdy troublemaker. Simon's job is clear- the beast has got to go!!!

A unique principal named Mr. Bundy runs PS 88 in this silly, fun-to-read Aladdin QUIX chapter book that's perfect for emerging readers! Acclaimed author Stephanie Calmenson turns fairy tales on their ears with silly adventures featuring Principal Bundy. In this Mr. Bundy (mis)adventure, Mr. Bundy gets caught up in a magical, messy spell cast by one of his silly students! Will the students of PS 88 be able to undo the muddled magic?

A terrible darkness is spreading across Perodia. Thorn, a powerful vulture, is using dark magic (and his dark army of spies!) to destroy the magical land. A young owl named Tag may be the only one who can save it! Tag dreams of one day becoming a brave warrior, but he is small . . . In this first book, Tag and his best friend -- a squirrel named Skyla -- meet the last firehawk. Together, the three friends learn about a magical stone. Could this stone be powerful enough to defeat Thorn?

Smart cat. Messy puppy. Here comes trouble... Meet Jasper and Scruff, an unlikely pair as they learn about friendship, determination, and working together.

There's a headless bear on the loose and the Chicken Squad's beloved Barbara has gone missing! Once again, it's up to our favorite plucky poultry to save the day, or, perhaps, turn it into a disaster.

For Lolo, every day's a new adventure. Whether it's earning gold stars at school or returning a lost ring, she's ready for anything. Follow along with Lolo as she learns lessons about sharing, being brave, and being a good friend. In these easy-to-read stories, we meet the curious, fun-loving, adventurous Lolo, a girl living in South Africa with her mother and grandmother, Gogo.

Bayport Elementary is throwing a fundraiser so they can go on an end-of-the-year trip. Ellie Freeman's parents have volunteered their house for the event, and neighbors have donated all sorts of prizes to be raffled off. But the best prize of all is a brand-new ZCross50000, a video game system that every kid has been drooling over. But then, the ZCross goes missing. Can Frank and Jo figure out who took the prize before it's too late to save the big school trip?

Eva Wingdale gets in over her head when she offers to organize a spring festival at school. Even with her best friend Lucy's help, there is NO way she will get everything done in time. Will Eva have to ask Sue (a.k.a. Meanie McMeanerson) for help? Or will the festival have to be cancelled?

Bo Tinseltail loves going to Sparklegrove School with the other unicorns. Every unicorn has a magical power. Bo is a Wish Unicorn with the power to grant wishes. Bo has lots of friends, but one thing Bo wants more than anything is a best friend. When a new unicorn named Sunny Huckleberry pops into the forest, will Bo's big wish finally come true?

In this charming new chapter book series, eight-year-old Piper Morgan is adjusting to a new home and all the new places and faces she meets along the way, as she and her mom look for the perfect place to plant their feet.

Meet Yasmin! Yasmin is a spirited second-grader who's always on the lookout for those "aha" moments to help her solve life's little problems. Taking inspiration from her surroundings and her big imagination, she boldly faces any situation, assuming her imagination doesn't get too big, of course! A creative thinker and curious explorer, Yasmin and her multi-generational Pakistani American family will delight and inspire readers.

Super Rabbit Boy is the strongest, bravest, fastest animal in all the land. . .and he's also the star in a video game! What will happen when Sunny, the boy playing the game, loses each level? Will it be game over for Super Rabbit Boy and all his friends?

In this first of a charming series about a little mouse and her forest friends, Sophie Mouse must convince her classmates--and herself--that a new student is nothing to fear. Even if he is a snake!

Who says princesses don't wear black? When trouble raises its blue monster head, Princess Magnolia ditches her flouncy dresses and becomes the Princess in Black! Princess Magnolia is having hot chocolate and scones with Duchess Wigtower when . . . Brring! Brring! The monster alarm! A big blue monster is threatening the goats! Stopping monsters is no job for dainty Princess Magnolia. But luckily Princess Magnolia has a secret --she's also the Princess in Black, and stopping monsters is the perfect job for her! Can the princess sneak away, transform into her alter ego, and defeat the monster before the nosy duchess discovers her secret?

When Penny, a sweet and curious mouse, gets a new sled, she can't wait to use it. But there's one big problem--there's no snow! Patiently, Penny waits and watches for the snow to appear. She puts on her scarf and hat. She sleeps with her mittens. Maybe if she's ready, the snow will finally come. But day after day, the snow does not arrive. Finally, Penny decides she will use her sled for other things--it's too wonderful not to!

Aphrodite is excited to be on an adventure to Sparkle City with her new friends, Athena, Persephone, and Artemis. After being rescued from her magical sea shell, Aphrodite hopes the super-duper powerful Zeus can give her the gift of likeability. Aphrodite knows that will make her be a better friend, especially to the girls she met on the Hello Brick Road. But when she finds a magical, gold apple along the way, something makes her keep it a big secret from the others. Will those magical powers help Aphrodite with her big ask for Zeus? Or will Aphrodite discover a very different kind of magic--the magic of friendship--is most important of all?

Talk about a sticky situation! When Dr. Gillman saves Wendy's life she feels forever indebted to him. Actually, all he did was remove gum from her ponytail but she is super grateful nonetheless. Wendy's selfless nature plus the Blob family's code of honor compels her to be by his side 24/7 until she finds a way to save his life.

Injured in a flood, a young boy recovers in the hospital and then at home with the help of a working dog trained to comfort victims of natural disasters.

When Milton Worthy learns his classroom's pet ferret is the evil mastermind behind a dastardly plot for world domination, it's more than just about any kid could handle. But then not every kid is the son of a member of the super-secret, super-awesome Society of Substitutes!

When Molly Mac loses her first tooth, talk of the Tooth Fairy makes her head spin! What does the Tooth Fairy do with all of those teeth anyway? Molly and her best friend, Kayley, decide to investigate. When Molly figures out what happens to her lost tooth, will she approve?

Dragon twins Ella and Owen are always at odds. Owen wants to stay in bed and read, but adventurous Ella convinces him to go with her to search for a cure for his fiery cold. Then the journey quickly becomes scarier than either twin could have imagined! Can Ella and Owen escape an ogre, outsmart the evil vegetable wizard, and cure Owen's cold?

When Jada Jones's best friend moves away, school feels like the last place she wants to be. She'd much rather wander outside looking for cool rocks to add to her collection, since finding rocks is much easier than finding friends. So when Jada's teacher announces a class project on rocks and minerals, Jada finally feels like she's in her element. The only problem: one of her teammates doesn't seem to like any of Jada's ideas. She doesn't seem to like Jada all that much, either. Can Jada figure out a way to make a winning science project and a new friend?

Nine-year-old crime reporter Hilde Lysiak is starring in her very own early chapter book series -- inspired by news stories Hilde wrote in real life! In this first book, there's been a break-in on Orange Street! Cupcakes have been stolen, and soon a pie goes missing, too. Hilde and her sister/photographer, Izzy, must interview witnesses and follow the clues. Can Hilde crack the case in time to post her news story online?

Chase and Ava find an old suitcase filled with strange objects. One of the objects looks like a dragon-headed doorknob... Suddenly Chase and Ava find themselves jumping back in time to King Arthur's castle! They meet the king's wizard Merlin and soon discover what the dragon-headed doorknob really is. It turns out they have an important job to do: They must save the king! But a bad guy is after them... How will Chase and Ava get back home?

Mighty righty Judy Moody is out of her element in this righty-to-lefty switcheroo just right for newly independent readers. Left-handers are creative. Left-handers are geniuses. Half of all cats are lefties! (Or so says Stink.) But Judy is a righty . . . and Judy is feeling left out. Tomorrow is Left Handers Day, and Stink and Dad, the southpaws in the Moody family, are celebrating at the pretzel factory. Judy is allowed to come along on one condition: she has to be left-handed -- the whole entire day. It's on!

Princess Mini is worried about starting a new school and making new friends--even with a little troll named Gobo by her side. It's not always easy being a princess! Will she come to learn that her new school and new friends could lead to more adventures than she could possibly imagine?

Arnold is a large black bear. His best friend, Louise, is a small chipmunk. But one day, Louise insists she is NOT Louise--she's the Great Louweezie, and she can predict the future! But when the Great Louweezie's demands begin to test Arnold's patience, the game feels much less fun. What will happen if friendship isn't in their future?

There are three things you should know about Piper Green- 1. She always says what's on her mind (even when she probably shouldn't). 2. She rides a lobster boat to school. 3. There is a Fairy Tree in her front yard. Life on an island in Maine is always interesting. But when a new teacher starts at Piper's school-and doesn't appreciate the special, um, accessory that Piper has decided to wear-there may be trouble on the horizon. Then Piper discovers the Fairy Tree in her front yard. Is the Fairy Tree really magic? And can it fix Piper's problems?

After Kym and Lizzie get the awesome opportunity to visit a bee colony, they realize all the wonderful things bees do! But how can it be that these amazing insects are disappearing? And what will happen to our food chain without the great pollinators buzzing about? If only everyone else at Clay Elementary could understand how important the bees are for the environment!

World-famous duck-tective Miss Mallard's ski vacation is a bust when she finds herself on the tail of a bundled-up bandit. When the police are baffled by an eerie robbery, Miss Mallard interrupts her ski vacation in the Alps to track down a burglar who has been stealing all the ski masks!

Billie really wants to win the school hat parade. She has made lots of amazing hats! But when Billie gets stuck in bed with a horrible cold, will her hat parade plans be ruined?

Mary's new in town. She's worried about starting classes at her new school. That's why her mom calls the Helper Hounds--and why Sparkplug, the wildly handsome, wickedly smart, card-carrying, world-famous Helper Hound is on the scene. Sparky knows a thing or two about moving. He moved four times as a puppy, and learned to make new friends along the way. Sparky knows he can teach Mary all his best tricks and help her meet new friends, too.

Astro Elementary is a school near Saturn attended by the bravest, brightest, most elite kids in the galaxy...and Bob. Bob never wanted to go to fourth grade in dark, dangerous space. Bob feels he couldn't be more misplaced at his school--until he meets Beep. Beep is an alien from the planet Orth who was kicked off his home world for being too small. Together, they make the perfect team!

Maddy's neighbors have cancelled the annual block party. Everyone is too busy to plan it, and no one wants to take the time to raise the necessary money. Maddy is super disappointed. The block party, which always takes place before Halloween, is one of her favorite days of the year! Maddy can't let this happen. She and her best friend Darcy hatch a plan to raise the funds AND bring the community back together!!

The Enchanted Kingdom is in a heat wave until the Ice Princess uses her magic mirror to make winter come -- no wonder Kara and Zed are too hot. But the magic mirror is broken! And no one else wants to help the princess. Can Kara and Zed find out how to fix the mirror and bring back winter? Or will it be summer forever? Macky Pamintuan's illustrations are on every page, welcoming readers into the adorably silly world of the Once Upon a Fairy Tale series.

The WellieWishers are raising chickens! The girls are thrilled when their hen, Queen Ruby, begins laying eggs. But when the first egg hatches, Queen Ruby doesn't seem to know what to do, so Emerson takes charge. Soon the tiny chick, Princess Peep, is following her everywhere. Caring for a chick is a bigger job than Emerson expected.

When Twitch hears that the school children are taking a field trip to the science museum, he decides he wants to join in the fun--so he stows away on the school bus and hides in a backpack to get in. But as always, not everyone is glad to see a squirrel in their midst. Pursued by security guards, Twitch turns the exhibits into his own private carnival rides--swinging on a Foucault pendulum, riding a model Mars Rover, and skittering across the Bernoulli air pressure table. Just when it seems like there's no escape, Twitch's chaotic romp turns up some surprises for the museum staff. . .

Molly gets things stuck in her head sometimes. When she sees a jar of candy on Principal Shelton's desk, she absolutely needs to know how many candies are in that jar! Luckily, her two best friends, Simon and Rosie, are ready to help her find the answer--even if it means detention for all of them!