Showing results by author "Blake Hoena" in All Categories

Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton tried and failed to cross the coldest and windiest continent on Earth.

Think campfire cooking stops at s'mores? Think again! This handy guidebook provides tips and tricks to cooking up memorable meals in the great outdoors, including DIY dinners, satisfying snacks, and open-fire desserts.

Secret identity: Sam DeVenoe, star shortstop for the Emerson Eagles. One night while Sam is biking home after a game, he has a mysterious encounter and is granted an unusual, slightly odd, maybe even a little bizarre “super” power. As Sam tries to discover the limits of his strange new ability, his best friend Gavin is determined to transform him into crimefighter. But donning a mask and patrolling the street on their bikes leads to unexpected trouble. A fire breaks and Sam’s superpower is put to the test when spots someone in danger.

Mina is a vibrant, veggie-eating vampire who hates blood. As you can imagine, this is a problem. Mina's parents invite humans to dinner to test Mina's vampire skills. Find out if Mina is able to keep her secret in this early chapter book.

A headless horseman haunts Sleepy Hollow! At least that’s the legend in the tiny village of Tarrytown. But scary stories won’t stop the town’s new schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, from crossing the hollow, especially when the beautiful Katrina lives on the other side.

To fulfill his quest and erase a sorrowful past, the half-man, half-god Hercules was ordered to complete 12 difficult labors. From wrestling the Nemean Lion to capturing the Erymanthian boar, Hercules achieved the impossible and became a legendary hero of ancient mythology. Follow Hercules' exciting adventure!

When you have a problem, where can you go for answers? The library! When Codie and her friends join Ms. Gillian, the Specialist, on another Adventure in Makerspace, they find themselves face-to-face with dinosaurs! Are they stuck in a prehistoric world? Join them to complete A Stop-Motion Animation Mission!

Most zombies are not very smart. However, Brian is different. He is a smart, book-loving zombie. When a zombie horde gathers, Brian knows nobody is safe. Can Brian stop the dangerous zombie horde? Better yet, can he stop them by using meatballs? Follow Brian through this crazy adventure in this funny early chapter book.

Mention "Medieval knights" and people may think of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. But these warriors weren't just heroes from fables and legend. They were real men who strapped themselves into heavy armor and bravely charged into battle. Learn what life was like as an elite armored-warrior in Medieval Europe.

Theseus wanders through a yucky, gunky maze in this epically gross Greek myth retelling! Will the legendary hero survive the disgusting labyrinth, or will he get stuck in the muck?

For decades, the blasts and howls of the electric guitar have been some of the defining sounds of popular music. But more than a century of effort and innovation had to happen before this instrument went electric. Learn about the master craftspeople who created the guitar as we know it, the inventors who figured out how to send guitar notes through amplifiers and give the guitar a bigger sound, and the musicians whose legendary playing put it at the center of rock 'n' roll.

Sneakers grew out of efforts to make more durable, more comfortable shoes—and became a major link between sports and fashion. Their sales rose with the popularity of tennis and exploded along with basketball, leading to celebrity endorsements, big-name brands, and continued technological breakthroughs. In the twenty-first century, sneakers are still evolving, along with "sneaker influencer" social media, smart tech, and other hot new trends.

Cell phones allowed people to connect on the go, and smartphones have transformed the way we share information. From the earliest landlines to the minicomputers that link people across the world, discover the shifts in phone technology that shaped modern communication—and the people who made them happen. This history also shows the big changes in design, size, and battery life that took place before mobile phones hit the center of popular culture.

While zipping through space in their rocket-powered washing machine, Eek and Ack get sucked into a black hole. Moments later, they're spit out on the other side of space. The new universe has its own planet Earth, but it's a weird pink color. Of course, that won't stop this terrible twosome from trying to conquer it.

What's the best day for an alien invasion? Halloween, of course. When Eek and Ack visit Earth during the ghoulish holiday, they fit right in with the other trick-or-treaters. Unfortunately, so does Wolfy the Wolfman! Now, the terrible twosome must fight off this frightful furball or fail to conquer Earth once again.

When you have a problem, where can you go for answers? The library! When Cyrus and his friends join Ms. Gillian, the Specialist, on another Adventure in Makerspace, they find themselves on Mars. Can they build a Mars rover of their own? Join them to complete A Robotics Mission!

Linda is a good witch. Sadly, most witches aren't like Linda, including her scheming sisters. They have created a new evil potion and are ready to use it on innocent pets. Can Linda and her friends stop her evil sisters? Find out in this bewitching early chapter book.

During World War II, U.S. forces had to keep battle plans and other top secret information out of the enemy's hands. Coded messages were often used, but secret codes could be broken. To solve this problem, the U.S. military turned to an unexpected source to create an unbreakable code. The Navajo people spoke a complex language that few outsiders knew how to speak. Several Navajo soldiers were recruited to develop a code based on the Navajo language.

When you have a problem, where can you go for answers? The library! When Matt has an assignment that he can't figure out, he and his friends join Ms. Gillian, the Specialist, on another Adventure in Makerspace. Will the famous artist Picasso help them make art out of junk? Join them to complete A Recycled-Art Mission!

When you have a problem, where can you go for answers? The library! When Eliza and her friends join Ms. Gillian, the Specialist, on another Adventure in Makerspace, they find themselves in ancient Scythia. Can they help Alexander the Great win the Battle of Jaxartes in 329 BCE? Join them to complete Mission: Low Tech!