It is the summer of 1961, and eleven-year-old Arno Creelman wants nothing more than to be an astronomer. Fortunately, his struggle with claustrophobia has little impact on his one true passion. Unlike his annoying friend Buddy, who wants to become an astronaut and is not at all bothered by the idea of flying in a cramped space capsule, Arno dreams of exploring the galaxies with powerful telescopes back on Earth.
 But first he has to enter a local radio contest and win a visit to the new observatory that is about to open near his town. The ribbon will be cut by Arno's idol, Jean Slayter-Appleton, a renowned astronomer whose weekly columns he clips for his own notebooks. When he finally manages to phone in and correctly answer the skill-testing astronomy question, which earns him an invitation to the opening, Arno is thrilled.
 Then a new boy moves to the neighborhood, and he seems to challenge Arno in every way. Robert even believes in...

Join Martin Bridge as he reaches for the sky with two new stories and some activities to help kids explore the universe.

While tracking clues from a secret code penciled in the margins of mystery novels at a public library, Derek Knowles-Collier discovers a time capsule, an unpublished author and a gravestone that may finally put his haunting past to rest.At Queensview Elementary, grade-six students are required to complete a community service unit as part of their school curriculum. Derek Knowles-Collier was sick when groups were assigned, so he is stuck with what's leftover: landscape and repair duty at the local cemetery.Derek is not happy about his assignment. When he was very young, his friend Dennis was killed by a car after running into the road to catch a ball. Ever since, Derek has had recurring nightmares, and he is afraid that spending time in a cemetery will make it even harder for him to sleep through the night.It's a relief, therefore, when his group's lessons on all aspects of cemetery care are so interesting and strange that Derek just doesn't have time to dwell on his...

Eight-year-old Martin Bridge returns in two out-of-this-world adventures.

Martin Bridge faces the music and learns the ropes in this installment in the widely acclaimed chapter-book series.

Martin Bridge returns with a third book of slice-of-life adventures in the daily life of an eight-year-old boy.

Owen has always done well, even without trying that hard. He gets As in school, is an avid photographer and knows he can count on his family's support. But then Owen makes a mistake. A big one. And now he must face his fear of disappointing his entire family.A last-minute trip to Iceland, just Owen and his granddad, seems like the perfect way out. For Owen's granddad, the trip is about paying tribute to a friend with Icelandic roots. But Owen has a more urgent reason for going: he must get back the notebook his granddad accidentally sent to the Iceland archive. He can't let anyone read the things he wrote in it!The pair gets on a plane, excited to leave their prairie town for a country of lava fields, glaciers and geysers. However, as they explore Iceland, the plan to recover Owen's notebook starts to spiral out of control. Why does Owen's granddad seem so confused and forgetful? And can Owen really hide the truth of what's in his notebook?

Join the freewheeling Martin Bridge as he gears up and down but always rides to a satisfying ending.

The first book in the Martin Bridge chapter-book series about a boy whose well-meant plans sometimes go awry.

Martin Bridge: On the Lookout! features three more illustrated stories about Martin's well-laid plans unravelling, with funny and touching results.

Join Martin Bridge as he faces his greatest fear, puts a flashlight to good use, gets a new babysitter and discovers that knowing a few dance moves pays off in more ways than one!

Trevor Tower doesn't worry about being short until he is assigned dog-walking duty with Loyola Louden, the tallest person in his class. But the dogs are a wonderful distraction, and even before Trevor and Loyola vow to solve the mystery of a missing spotted dog, they are becoming good friends.