Fandom for Families: Share Your Nerdiness with Your Kids!

In the series opener, Jack and the Geniuses: At The Bottom of The World, readers meet Jack and his foster siblings, Ava and Matt, who are orphans. But they’re not your typical kind of orphans—they’re geniuses. Well, Ava and Matt are, which sometimes makes life difficult for 1twelve-year-old Jack. Ava speaks multiple languages and builds robots for fun, and Matt is into astronomy and a whiz at math. As for Jack, it’s hard to stand out when he’s surrounded by geniuses all the time. When the kids try to spy on Dr. Hank Witherspoon, one of the world’s leading scientists, they end up working for him in his incredible laboratory. Soon, Hank and the kids travel to Antarctica for a prestigious science competition, but they find that all is not as it seems: A fellow scientist has gone missing, and so has any trace of her research. Could someone be trying to use her findings to win the contest? It’s up to Jack, Ava, and Matt to find the missing scientist and discover who’s behind it all—before it’s too late. Integrating real science facts with humor and suspense, and featuring an ensemble cast of loveable boy and girl characters, this uniquely engaging series is an irresistible chemical reaction for middle-grade readers. With easy-to-read language presented in a fun, motivating, and accessible way, this series opener is a great book for both inquisitive kids and reluctant readers. The book also includes information about the science discussed and used to solve the mystery, as well as a cool science project about density that kids can do at home or in the classroom.

In the second installment, In the Deep Blue Sea, Jack, his genius siblings Ava and Matt, and inventor Dr. Hank Witherspoon travel to the Hawaiian island home of Ashley Hawking, a technology billionaire. Hawking and engineer Rosa Morris have built a revolutionary electricity plant that harvests energy from the deep ocean, but someone has been sabotaging the project. In their search for the culprit, Jack and crew navigate an unusual world of characters and suspects, including Hawking and her obnoxiously intelligent son, Steven; a family of surfers who accuse the billionaire of trespassing on sacred land; an ex–Navy SEAL with a fondness for cat photos; and a cigar-chomping man who calls himself the Air-Conditioning King of Hawaii. Readers will learn about the mysteries of the deep ocean, the scientific process, and the potential of green energy as Jack and his brilliant siblings use all their brainpower to survive. Integrating real science facts with humor and suspense and featuring a multiethnic cast of boy and girl characters, this engaging series is an irresistible combination for middle-grade readers.

Wonder Woman isn’t like most high school students—but Super Hero High isn’t like most high schools! Wonder Woman is an Amazon Warrior and Princess. She has never left her home on Paradise Island. But she wants to be a super hero—the very best super hero she can be. In order to train at the most elite school in the galaxy, she has to juggle acing her classes, forging new friendships, trying to make the team for the Super Hero Super Triathlon, and her insane suite-mate sharing her every embarrassing moment on social media. Not to mention . . . Wonder Woman has never seen a boy before. High school is going to be harder than she thought.

Supergirl is the new girl in school—and she just also happens to be the most powerful teenager in the galaxy! After losing her home planet of Krypton and everyone she knows, Supergirl has made a new home on Earth, but she’s isn’t so sure that Super Hero High School is the right place for her. Wonder Woman, other new friends, and a kindly librarian make her feel welcome, but breached inter-dimensional portals, invading alien armies, and bad dreams shake her confidence. It’s not easy being a super hero and a high school student all at once!

Batgirl has always hidden in the shadows—but does she have what it takes to stand in the spotlight at Super Hero High? Barbara Gordon has always been an off-the-charts, just-forget-about-the-test super-genius and tech whiz, and then she gets the offer of a lifetime when Supergirl recognizes that Barbara’s talents make her an ideal candidate for Super Hero High. Donning the cape and cowl, Barbara Gordon becomes Batgirl, ready to train at the most elite school on the planet, next to some of the most powerful teenagers in the galaxy. She’s always had the heart of a hero . . . but now she’ll have to prove that she can be one. Good thing she loves a challenge!

Sword-wielding Katana isn’t like most high school students—but with classmates like Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Supergirl, Super Hero High isn’t like most high schools! In addition to training to be a super hero, Katana also follows the noble warrior traditions of the Samurai. Now a mysterious presence has given her the responsibility of guarding a hundred ancient Samurai swords—but why her, and for what purpose? With the help of Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Ms. Martian, and some of her other super friends, she intends to find out. But she just made captain of the fencing team, she has a huge school project due, and a villain with ties to her family’s past seems to be amassing an army. Maintaining her inner peace isn’t going to be easy . . .but Katana has the steel to save the day!

MERCHANIKAT and DOGWOOD team up to rain four-legged fury upon Earth. Only one foal can foil their evil plans . . . COMET the Super-Horse! This Stallion of Steel won't stop until he's corralled the crazy critters and protected the planet.

After being released from ARKHAM ASYLUM, the DARK KNIGHT'S most frightful foe, the SCARECROW, sets out to cure his one and only fear - birds! With a new and improved fear toxin, he's going after ROBIN, BATMAN'S powerful partner.

otham City, the home of Batman, is filled with dark corners, sinister characters, and mysterious goings on. This illustrated chapter book is a collection of scary short stories featuring some of Batman's strange adventures that end with wild twist and turns--some funny, some spooky, and some deathly frightening! So curl up under the sheets and find out all about the ancient curses, ghostly racer car drivers, and sinister witches haunting Gotham City along with the World's Greatest Detective . . . and don't forget your flashlight! Boys and girls ages 6 to 9 will love this illustrated chapter book of strange tales featuring Batman.

Eleven-year-old Shelly Anderson just wants to be popular. Her parents have split and she has to start over at a new school with different classes, a brand new swim team and an unfamiliar social scene. So what if she just wants the cool kids to like her? Is that really too much to ask? So when Shelly finds a mysterious nautilus shell that summons the infamous sea witch, Ursula, she jumps at her chance to make a deal that will solidify her as one of the coolest girls in school. But when Shelly's wish quickly goes belly-up, she must figure out how to back out of the witch's deal before it forever binds her fate.

Twelve-year-old Jamal has always lived in his twin brother, Malik’s, shadow. All he wants in the world is to know, just for one day, what it’s like to be his more popular, more talented, and more confident brother. So when a mysterious man named Dr. Facilier appears and offers Jamal the opportunity to do just that, Jamal jumps at the chance. But when he wakes up the next morning to find his dream has come true, he learns it comes at a terrible cost. There’s a reason people say “Never make a deal with the Shadow Man.” And Jamal is about to find out why.

Second Star to the Fright, Book 3 of the all-new Disney Chills chapter book series, tells the tale of a kid who finds he’s hooked far more than he can handle when Captain Hook creeps out of Neverland and into our world.

Thirteen-year-old Delia loves fashion. She loves beauty products. She spends hours in her room attempting to take the perfect selfie. All she wants is to be as cool and trendy as the other girls in her school. Unfortunately, Delia’s family is not exactly flush with cash, so keeping up with the latest styles is next to impossible. But when Delia finds a near flawless faux fur coat at her local thrift store, she discovers that when she wears it, she’s transformed. Literally. Delia becomes prettier, more confident, and—as a result—more popular, whenever she wears the coat. She’s racking up the likes both virtually and IRL. Finally, everything is perfect. That is until the original owner of the coat decides that she wants it back. Enter Cruella De Vil—a woman who will stop at nothing to reclaim her most prized possession. And when Delia tries to make a deal with the De Vil, she’ll learn that beauty is not worth the price.

On the outside, twelve-year-old Hector seems like he’s got it all. He’s strong, fast, and rumored to be the favorite to win this year’s Zeus Cup at the Mt. Olympus Spartan Race, the highest honor in his small Midwestern town. Hector’s parents and his five siblings trained to win gold in their twelfth year, but all fell short. Now Hector is their last chance to bring glory to the family, and he’s starting to feel the pressure. After a mysterious (and extremely talented) girl named Mae obliterates him at the practice run, Hector is desperate to do whatever it takes to win and make his family proud. Cue a certain god of the Underworld who has a mighty proposition for Hector: Hades will give him godlike strength and speed in exchange for the trophy at the end of the race. Seems like a pretty good trade-off. But as Hector soon discovers, no deal with Hades is as straightforward as it seems, and he’s going to have to go the distance or risk going from hero to zero.

Dawn misses the big city. Torn away from her favorite place in the world and shipped off to live with her two cooky aunts in the countryside, Dawn is miserable in her new life. While her parents see this as a chance for her to be away from the bad influences that kept getting her into trouble, Dawn sees her new dumpy town of Castletown as a sticky and smelly prison with way too many bugs. But no one seems to care what Dawn wants, so she's stuck helping her aunts in their dusty antique shop and finishing the year out in a new school filled with mean girls. One day while cleaning some of the junk in the shop, Dawn accidentally pricks her finger on a broken spinning wheel, awakening none other than Maleficent. In exchange for keeping the spinning wheel safe, Maleficent will make sure Dawn's remaining time in Moorsland is smooth sailing. But as kids from her class start coming down with a mysterious sleeping sickness, Dawn starts to realize there is more to this deal than she imagined. And it's going to take more than just a dream for Dawn to take on the Mistress of All Evil.

Welcome, foolish mortals, to Disney Press' spookiest chapter book series yet: Tales from the Haunted Mansion! Based on the attractions from the Disney Parks, each new book tells the story of one of the Haunted Mansion's 999 ghosts. With eerie illustrations throughout and a beautiful three-piece cloth cover, the books are designed to look like they came straight from the library in the Haunted Mansion. Tales from the Haunted Mansion is a fun, spooky ride, just like the attraction from the Disney Parks. And if readers are familiar with the ride, they'll see elements of it throughout the entire story, from items straight of the Mansion (are those pictures stretching?) to lyrics from the narration that is heard in each Doom Buggy. In this bone-chilling book, you will hear the terrifying tales of the Fearsome Foursome--four kids who look to out-scare each other. But just wait until they hear my spooky stories. Who am I? I am Amicus Arcane, your librarian and host. Your Ghost Host. So read on... if you dare!

When street magician Carter runs away, he never expects to find friends and magic in a sleepy New England town. But like any good trick, things change instantly as greedy B.B. Bosso and his crew of crooked carnies arrive to steal anything and everything they can get their sticky fingers on. After a fateful encounter with the local purveyor of illusion, Dante Vernon, Carter teams up with five other like-minded illusionists. Together, using both teamwork and magic, they'll set out to save the town of Mineral Wells from Bosso's villainous clutches. These six Magic Misfits will soon discover adventure, friendship, and their own self-worth in this delightful new series.

Growing up in an orphanage, Leila was bullied for being different. But she turned her hardship into skill by becoming an escape artist—a valuable trait when belonging to a group of magical best friends. When a famous psychic comes to town, however, Leila and her pals won't be able to escape the big mystery heading their way. Whether chasing mad monkeys or banishing ghosts from haunted hotels, these six friends will do their best to keep Mineral Wells safe—but can they still protect themselves in the process? Join the Magic Misfits as they discover adventure, friendship, and more than a few hidden secrets in this delightful new series. Whether you're a new fan of stage magic or a longtime expert at illusion, Magic Misfits is sure to delight even more than sawing your assistant in half!... have more questions? I thought you might. Here are some answers: WHERE? A sleepy town in New England and the magic shop there, run by the friendly but mysterious Dante Vernon—the gang's caped and top-hatted mentor. WHO? Carter, who makes cards and coins vanish. Leila, who escapes from trunks and straitjackets. Theo, who levitates with the aid of his violin bow. Ridley, who invents and transforms everyday objects. And of course twins Olly and Izzy, who make everyone laugh. WHY? Because together, these six Magical Misfits will discover adventure, friendship, and the town's long-hidden secrets.

It's been years since twelve-year-old Aramar Thorne, a clever boy who is never without his precious sketch book, has seen his father. So when Captain Greydon Thorne comes ashore and asks his son to join him at sea, it feels as if someone has redrawn Aram's entire world. At sea, Aram struggles to get along with the Wavestider's crew--especially second mate Makasa, a tough teenaged girl who has been reluctantly placed in charge of him. Just as Aram starts to get his head above water, a band of vicious pirates attack the Wavestrider, turning his world upside down once again. As Aram and Makasa try to find their way home, they encounter creatures both terrible and wondrous, and Aram will seek to understand Azeroth's denizens as he draws them in his sketchbook, forming unlikely friendships along the way. But the journey is hindered by Greydon's compass, which never points north. If the compass isn't leading Aram and Makasa home--to safety--to what destiny is it leading?