School is a nightmare for Joey in Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos. But that’s only because everyone at school thinks he’s the nightmare! Poor guy. It’s not his fault his meds are duds, but accidents keep happening (especially after eating shoofly pie).

Some kids set up lemonade stands. Others hold bake sales or car washes. But the hero of Gordon Korman’s Swindle decides to sell a valuable baseball card for some quick cash. The only problem? He sells it to a cheat.

People say you have to suffer for fashion, but withstanding hair-pulling for hours? That’s just unnecessary… Unfortunately, that’s what happens to the heroine in Beverly Cleary’s Ramona and Her Father! After she wears a homemade crown of burs, it’s up to her dad to save the day.

PS – We’ve got a special guest actor for this video. Can you guess who it is? Here’s a hint: he recorded with us when he was in town for Father’s Day. Got an idea of his identity? Listen to our podcast to see if you’re right!

We all know that Charlotte made Wilbur famous for being “some pig.” But the porcine hero of Dick King-Smith’s Babe: The Gallant Pig gets famous for another reason: he’s a sheep-pig! (That means he’s a pig who herds sheep, NOT a weird half-sheep-half-pig creature. Gross…) Watch our video to meet this extraordinary pig!

Imagine you’re just a regular old farmboy, minding your own business when — bam! — all of a sudden you find yourself in posession of a dragon egg. Not to mention all the adventure that comes along with it… That’s exactly what happens to the hero in Christopher Paolini’s Eragon. Watch our video to see where it leads!

We’ve all been there. Your teacher assigns you to write a poem, and you’re like, “Say what?” That’s exactly what happens to the poor guy in Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog — and he is NOT happy about it. Watch our video to see how he deals…

, check out our “ROFL, LOL, ” podcast.

“Can you hear me now?” If your only problem is a bad phone connection, then you’ve got it easy! Try being a guy with a bad phone connection AND a penguin he needs a license for. That’s the situation in Richard and Florence Atwater’s Mr. Popper’s Penguins! Watch our video to meet the man in question!

A road trip with your siblings? Not always the most fun in the world. But add magical powers, the preacher’s kids, and a desperate family emergency to the mix — and what do you get? Savvy by Ingrid Law! Watch our video to meet some special siblings…

What do you call the face of pure evil, a foul creature bent on terrorizing you and destroying your life? Well, the heroine in Rachel Renee Russell’s Dork Diaries series calls it “MacKenzie” — aka the most popular girl at school. Watch our video to meet them both!

Usually field trips are a nice break from everyday school life. But what if you’re on a field trip — and you’re suddenly attacked by magical spirits? Then you’re transferred to a camp for the children of Greek gods… and guess what, you’re one of them! That’s how the story starts for three different but connected teens in Heroes of Olympus Book 1: The Lost Hero. Watch our video to meet them!