Meet the Society of Super Secret Heroes—Finch Mundy, his three best buddies, and a talking Thinking Cape that claims it can “turn ordinary mortals into extraordinary ones.” For their first “missions,” the guys hope to fend off the class bullies, and help their new teacher make friends. The Thinking Cape has some surprising ideas about how to tackle these and other challenges—which lead to escaped ferrets, flying hermit crabs, and a hilarious birthday present. But the boys' real test as superheroes comes when their magical mascot disappears. Can they save it before it's too late? “Shalant brings kids' fantasies into ordinary life...” —Hazel Rochman, Booklist A “briskly paced story for middle-grade readers...this is a nice reminder that boys have relationship troubles, too.” —Kirkus Reviews Dutton Children's Books, A division of Penguin Young Readers Group ISBN 978-0-525-47404-3 $15.99 Bartleby of the Mighty Mississippi All Bartleby has ever known is life in his plastic bowl. Then his boy chucks him into the big water place. There in the wild, Bartleby faces challenges both fearful and thrilling. He also meets another discarded pet—Seezer—an alligator whose true home is also the Mighty Mississippi. Seezer wants Bartleby to help him seek out the great river. But can a small turtle trust a gruff and growing alligator? "Tiny, tough, loyal, and canny, Bartleby is easily the most redoubtable animal character down the pike since Avi's Poppy."—Booklist Junior Library Guild Selection New York Public Library 100 Best Books, 2000 Washington Irving Children's Choice Honor Book, 2002 Golden Sower Children's Choice Book Award nominee, 2002-2003 New Edition! Paperback edition from Backinprint.com ISBN 978-0-595-44477-9 $5.99 Bartleby of the Big Bad Bayou A Junior Library Guild Selection Bartleby and Seezer finally reach the watery haven where Seezer was hatched. But where is his family? Now his sssweet ssswampland is occupied by greedy giant Old Stump and his pack of snarling guard gators. Fortunately, Bartleby has a knack for making friends, and there is soon a new crew to count on. Still, life in bayou country is full of challenges. Does Bartleby have what it takes to make this strange new world his own? Dutton Children's Books, a division of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers ISBN 0-525-47366-1 $16.99 When Pirates Came to Brooklyn Lee Bloom is drawn to the mysterious house on Ave J, where she meets Polly Burke, a girl who has indoor shipwrecks and poisoned-tea parties, and is taking flying lessons. Soon Polly recruits Lee to help fight the pirates that are coming to Brooklyn in a cloudship galleon. But pirates aren't the only menace in Brooklyn in 1960. The bigotry of the girls' mothers threatens to destroy their friendship, unless they can figure out a way around it—or above it! "Shalant draws a striking contrast between harsh realities and childhood innocence and achieves a delicate balance between heart-wrenching events and uplifting scenes that convey the girls' sense of tolerance and compassion"— Publishers Weekly "Place and time are exceptionally well defined in this perceptive story that tackles an age-old dilemma for children: Are parents always right? "—Starred review, Booklist Best Books of 2002,Bank Street College of Education Top 10 Books for Youth About Religion, Booklist Dutton Children's Books, a division of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers ISBN 0-525-46920-6 $16.99