Showing results by author "Dan Gutman" in All Categories

Test scores are low and stress levels are high at Ella Mentry School. Wellness expert Ms. Jo-Jo has come to help A.J. and his friends relax so they can ace the upcoming Fundamental Arithmetic/Reading Test. But can turtle yoga and crystal salt lamps really help A.J. and his friends relax and focus? Or will the F.A.R.T. end up blowing them all away?

Principal Klutz has invited a special guest to Ella Mentry School. Her name is Miss Aker, and she’s going to show A.J. and his friends how to create cool things out of materials like balloons, straws, and even Popsicle sticks! But what happens when they make a robot so smart, it plans to rule the world? Can anyone stop it?!

A.J. and the gang are celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day with all the classic activities. But when A.J. spots a little man dressed head-to-toe in green sneaking around, it can only mean one thing: a real-life leprechaun! And one that’s wreaking havoc all around the school! Will the Ella Mentry School kids be able to catch the leprechaun before he causes even more trouble?

In honor of Presidents’ Day, A.J. and Andrea from Ella Mentry will compete against their Dirk School rivals in the ultimate Presidents’ Day Challenge! The winning school will get bragging rights, a free trip to an amusement park, and a top-secret prize. The only problem is that A.J. doesn’t know anything about US presidents, unless it involves their use of toilets! Will A.J. and Andrea be able to work together as a team and bring home the win?

A.J. is turning nine! So he's inviting all his family, friends, and favorite teachers over for a backyard birthday bash. His parents even hire a popular party planner, Mr. Marty. But what happens when Mr. Marty accidentally orders rival clowns, a bubble blower, and even a singing cowboy to entertain guests? This will be one weird party!

We, the members of the Get Rich Quick Club, in order to form a more perfect summer, vow we will figure out a way to make a million dollars by September. We agree that neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night will prevent us from achieving our stated goal, until death do us part.

Funny Boy, a superhero who disarms villains with his powerful sense of humor, must save the Earth from a trio of bubble-headed barbers from another planet.

At-ten-tion! The Beaver Scouts are looking for new recruits. And A.J. and his friends are the first to sign up. They can’t wait to build campfires and earn cool badges. But scout leader Miss Blake would rather prepare them for falling boulders and surprise bear attacks. When they go on an overnight camping trip, will they be prepared for a real emergency?

A.J. and the gang have been invited to attend a live taping of Uncle Fred’s Funderama, a hilarious Saturday morning kids TV show full of music, games, puppets and more. Uncle Fred sings, dances, and jokes his way into his audience’s hearts. But what will the kids do when they learn that Uncle Fred’s childlike behavior isn’t just an act? Can Uncle Fred grow up?

After noticing that A.J. and his friends’ geography knowledge could use some work, Mr. Cooper invites to class just the person to help. Globetrotter Mrs. Barr speaks seven languages and has visited nearly 200 countries! But why does she carry a suitcasfe everywhere she goes? And why does she open a window whenever she walks into a room? Perhaps Mrs. Barr has something to hide!

Everyone likes veggies, right? Wrong! When Principal Stoker decides that Ella Mentry School needs a vegetable garden, A.J. and his friends just want to plant junk food. But when gardening expert Miss Nichol comes to oversee the planting, things get totally out of control. What could possibly go wrong?

School’s out for summer! A.J. can’t wait to spend his days playing video games, watching TV, and forgetting everything he learned during the school year. But when his parents announce they’ve signed him up for sleepaway camp, his great plans slip away right before his eyes.

A special guest has arrived at Ella Mentry School! Professor Pitt is the president of a local museum and has all sorts of wacky ideas about art. A.J. thinks it’s all a total snoozefest…until the piece he turns in for an art assignment gets praised as a work of genius! Suddenly, Professor Pitt is introducing A.J. as the next big thing to happen to the art world. What could possibly go wrong?

A.J. and the gang are tired of Miss Banks and her constant pranks. They decide to get her back and, afterward, the principal, Mrs. Stoker, suggests a weeklong prank competition between the students and the teachers. If the kids manage to pull off a win, they’ll get a candy party! And so begins the most epic prank war that Ella Mentry School has ever seen! But can the kids outprank their teachers before the week is up?

The weirdest back-to-school story in the history of the world! Plus bonus content!

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.

How does the president get his job? How do people know who will win an election before everybody’s voted? Do the candidates hate each other? Dan Gutman takes on his strangest subject ever: the American political system. Reaching through history from the days of the founding fathers to today’s voting system, Gutman tackles complex subjects in a clear, easy-to-understand way. Even grown-ups will find something in here that they’ve never learned before.

Robert Edwards Stevens, nicknamed "Qwerty", likes digging in his backyard when he's in a bad mood. He doesn't dig for anything special - he just digs to get his mind off things. One day, when he's really angry and has a lot on his mind, he starts digging...and thunk! He hits something, a wooden box with a famous signature: Thomas A. Edison. Is this a phonograph created by the famous inventor himself? Or is it something even more incredible - something that could take Qwerty right to Thomas Edison's doorstep? Get ready for one remarkable time-travel adventure!

Eddie "Air" Ball wants to win the Finkle Foods poetry contest for a chance to sink a million-dollar free throw at halftime of the NBA finals. He knows he can make the shot, no problem. He's not so sure he can write a winning poem, though. Luckily, Eddie has the help of his best friend, Annie "Oakley" Stokely. Not only is Annie as good at shooting baskets as Eddie is, she also knows a lot about writing poems.

Something weird is going on! First the school bus gets a flat tire, and then Mrs. Kormel is totally lost in the middle of nowhere! Mrs. Kormel is the weirdest bus driver in the history of the world, and she's driving everyone crazy!