Is the end of summer getting you down? Here at Kidsreads.com, the end of summer is definitely a little sad for us --- no more long weekends spent reading outside, eating ice cream as fast as you can before it melts, going to movies to escape the heat and just hanging out and relaxing with friends. Luckily we've made this Kidreads.com update extra special, with new series features and updates to your old favorites, contests, reviews, roundups and sneak peaks at what to look for on Kidsreads.com this fall with a big update to our Coming Soon section. 

We're featuring TWO new series on Kidsreads.com --- Rotten School by R.L. Stine and Warriors: The New Prophecy by Erin Hunter. We're also spotlighting THE PALACE OF LAUGHTER, the first book in the new trilogy The Wednesday Tales by Jon Berkeley. Whether you lean more towards funny thrills and chills or fantasy and felines, Kidsreads.com is the place to find the new series to get lost in. And if that's not enough to satisfy you, we are also giving you a sneak peak at the cool new Araminta Spookie series, coming soon to Kidsreads.com.

We also have an update to the Captain Underpants series; Dav Pilkey's eighth book, CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE PREPOSTEROUS PLIGHT OF THE PURPLE POTTY PEOPLE, is reviewed by our very own Captain Underpants expert, Tom Donadio. We have a six-foot-high Captain Underpants display in our office that always gives us a few chuckles when we look at it!

Our newest Don't Miss title is CASTLE: MEDIEVAL DAYS AND KNIGHTS by the team of famed pop-up artists Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart, paper engineer Kyle Olmon and illustrator Tracy Sabin. It's an incredibly detailed, remarkable feat of cardboard, cutouts and creativity --- if you love all things Medieval then you're bound to love this book.

Our featured Book into Movies title this month is the very funny How to Eat Fried Worms --- a modern day retelling of this classic tale of bullies, dares and creepy crawlies. It's a great one to check out with your strong-stomached friends. I personally still recoil at the sight of a worm!

Be sure to go to your local library as September is Library Card Sign-up Month and answer this month's poll and question to tell us about your library habits!

Enjoy the last few weeks of summer and be sure to stay tuned to Kidsreads.com --- we have everything you need to ease into fall reading. There's no need to stop your personal reading just because school has started or is starting!

Carol Fitzgerald for Kidsreads.com

ROTTEN SCHOOL by R.L. Stine
Welcome to Rotten School! A place where Chef Baloney serves chicken with the feathers still on, where an armpit is a musical instrument, where the winning prize for art goes to the student with the best tattoo. But on this campus of losers, there's one winner who really stands out: Bernie Bridges. The king of schemers, Bernie can figure out a creative solution to any problem. Whether it's finding a way to steal --- er, win --- his hated enemy's new watch, or turning the tables on a bully by turning his dorm into a haunted house, Bernie always has a brilliant idea. Of course, things don't always turn out exactly as he plans...but then, what would be the fun in that?

WARRIORS: THE NEW PROPHECY by Erin Hunter
Have you ever looked into the dignified, intelligent eyes of your cat and wondered about her secret life? In this second series of books following the original hit series Warriors, an exciting fantasy adventure unfolds featuring cats living in Clans. These feisty felines undertake exciting quests and attend to prophecies. They seek friendship, family connections, and romance. They also suffer unbearable tragedies and ponder spiritual beliefs. In fact, although they would shudder to be compared to the dreaded "Twolegs" (my apologies, Clan cats!), the furry warriors and their kin experience feelings that are very human.

New addition to this feature:

WARRIORS: THE NEW PROPHECY #5: TWILIGHT by Erin Hunter
As the Clans settle into their new territory, they discover dangers: foxes, badgers, suspicions within Clans, heightened rivalries, forbidden love, and much worse. Even as the ultimate peril draws closer, they must struggle to find their way in this new world. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

-Click here to read a review of TWILIGHT.
-Click here to visit the official site of the Warriors: The New Prophecy series.
-Play Warriors: The New Prophecy Quest Game here.

To celebrate the release of ANOTHER NASTYbook, Kidsreads.com has teamed up with NASTYbooks series author Barry Yourgrau to create a wild, wacky and kinda nasty Summer Story String Contest. Barry will write a wacky, nasty and funny opening scene for a different story each month of summer --- there will be three stories altogether --- and YOU will have the chance to continue the story, week by week.

This week we are happy to share our winning entry from Ranni that has been added to August's story. Now it's YOUR chance to keep the story going and write its nasty conclusion! Take a look at where the story is here and think about how YOU would like it to end.

Send your submissions to SummerStory@Kidsreads.com by Wednesday, August 30th and Barry will choose his favorite ending. He will join in on the fun and write his own conclusion, and we'll post BOTH versions on Kidsreads.com on Friday, September 1st. On that day we will also post Barry's opening scene to the third and final story, NASTY FOLKS.

-Click here to add your own conclusion to August's story.
-Click here to read July's completed story.
-Click here to read about ANOTHER NASTYbook.
-Click here to visit NastyBook.com.
-Click here to read Barry's bio.

ARAMINTA SPOOKIE by Angie Sage
Meet Araminta! She likes everything spookie! She's not afraid of ghosts, bats, secret passageways, or haunted houses.

Join Araminta on her first two spookie adventures --- MY HAUNTED HOUSE and THE SWORD IN THE GROTTO --- and meet her Aunt Tabitha, Uncle Drac, Sir Horace, Edmund, and the Wizzard family. The Araminta Spookie books are written by Angie Sage, the celebrated author of the national bestselling Septimus Heap series.

Stay tuned to Kidsreads.com for our Araminta Spookie series feature in September.

SABUDA & REINHART PRESENT - CASTLE: MEDIEVAL DAYS AND KNIGHTS
With images of fair damsels and knights in shining armor, as well as legends like those of King Arthur and Robin Hood, it's no wonder the Middle Ages remain one of the most intriguing and enchanting periods in history. From the studio of famed pop-up artists Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart, paper engineer Kyle Olmon and illustrator Tracy Sabin bring readers back in time to the days of yore in this soon-to-be-classic pop-up book, CASTLE: MEDIEVAL DAYS AND KNIGHTS.

CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE PREPOSTEROUS PLIGHT OF THE PURPLE POTTY PEOPLE: The Eighth Epic Novel by Dav Pilkey
George Beard and Harold Hutchins have entered an absurd alternate reality where teachers are nice, kids are allowed to read banned books, and the cafeteria food doesn't smell like dirty diapers. Even worse, they've discovered alternate versions of themselves --- Evil George and Evil Harold --- who plan to unleash some preposterous plans on Piqua, Ohio. Now it's up to George and Harold to defeat the evil twins and THEIR superhero, Captain Blunderpants! Reviewed by Tom Donadio.

THE PALACE OF LAUGHTER: The Wednesday Tales No. 1 by Jon Berkeley
Eleven-year-old orphan Miles Wednesday and his companion, a Song Angel named Little, are helped by a talking tiger as they set off to find a missing Storm Angel and Miles's beloved stuffed bear, ending up in a peculiar circus where the audience cannot stop laughing. Jon Berkeley's stunning debut in this first Wednesday Tale is a richly rendered journey through a marvelously original landscape filled with peril, beauty and laughter. Reviewed by Patsy Side and excerpted.

-Click here to read a review of THE PALACE OF LAUGHTER.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE PALACE OF LAUGHTER.
-Click here to read Jon Berkeley's bio.

August's roundup of Cool New Books includes VANISHING ACT, an exciting new sports mystery from John Feinstein that takes place at the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament in New York; MERCY WATSON FIGHTS CRIME, Kate DiCamillo's third rollicking adventure featuring the irresistible pig who this time must prevent a cowboy-wannabe crook from stealing her beloved toaster; FRAMED, in which Frank Cottrell Boyce (author of the award-winning bestseller MILLIONS) tells the story of a boy who reminds an entire town of the power of art; and THE PALACE OF LAUGHTER, the first book in a trilogy by debut novelist Jon Berkeley that takes readers on a spectacular journey to a place where laughter can be dangerous.

August's roundup of New in Paperback titles includes the 2005 National Book Award Finalist EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS, a funny, poignant and very Southern coming-of-age story from Deborah Wiles; THE TIME HACKERS by Gary Paulsen, an adventure-filled book about a seventh grader and his friend who are the victims of strange --- and potentially dangerous --- practical jokes; A HOUSE OF TAILORS, Patricia Reilly Giff's novel about a 13-year-old girl who arrives in America from Germany and discovers a new life; and two picture books from Mary Pope Osborne, bestselling author of the Magic Tree House series.

HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS by Thomas Rockwell has been grossing out readers since 1973, and the film version promises to be creepy crawly fun. Starring former Pepsi-Girl Hallie Kate Eisenberg, How to Eat Fried Worms asks the all-important question: Could YOU eat 10 worms in one day? This is one totally satisfying late-summer movie treat --- although you may want to wait until after the credits roll to eat your Twizzlers.

Curious about what books will be released in the months ahead? Then be sure to check out our Coming Soon section on Kidsreads.com. We have titles for September through December listed. Please note that we have not included every book coming out, but rather some that caught our eye --- and that we thought should catch yours as well.

VANISHING ACT: Mystery at the U.S. Open by John Feinstein
After uncovering a blackmailing scheme at the Final Four in LAST SHOT, 13-year-old rookie investigative journalists Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are back with a new mystery to solve. Who kidnapped a beautiful young Russian tennis phenom, and how did tennis get to be such a racket? Reviewed by Kristi Olson.

-Click here to read an excerpt from VANISHING ACT.

MERCY WATSON FIGHTS CRIME by Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo's irresistible porcine wonder, Mercy Watson, is back to recapture our hearts --- oh, and also to capture a cowboy-wannabe crook who attempts to steal her beloved toaster. Can she do it? Never ever underestimate the power of a pig named Mercy! Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

FRAMED by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Frank Cottrell Boyce, whose debut work of fiction, MILLIONS, was adapted into a popular family film, returns with a warm-hearted second novel about finding beauty --- and even art --- in the most unexpected places. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

IN THE COMPANY OF CRAZIES by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Nora Raleigh Baskin's latest book for young readers dances around the subject of what it means for a child to be "troubled" compared to other kids, and how sometimes shuffling them off to boarding school so that other adults can "fix" them isn't always the best --- or most effective --- solution. Reviewed by Alexis Burling.

REGARDING THE BATHROOMS: A Privy to the Past written by Kate Klise and illustrated by M. Sarah Klise
The newest addition to Kate and M. Sarah Klises's Regarding the... series takes bathroom humor to new heights (or is it depths?) as a group of students must renovate their school's disgusting basement bathrooms and also try to capture two escaped convicts. Reviewed by Robert Oksner.

HERE BE MONSTERS! The Ratbridge Chronicles, Volume 1 written and illustrated by Alan Snow
When a young boy named Arthur makes a late-night visit to the town of Ratbridge --- a place unlike anything you've heard of before --- he gets more than he bargained for as he and his new friends uncover a secret plot that could mean the destruction of the entire town. Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle.

INGO by Helen Dunmore
Eleven-year-old Sapphire and her older brother Connor refuse to accept their father's death. They know he's still alive and vow to find him. Their search leads them down to the seaside cove where they discover a couple of unusual friends. These tailed ocean-dwellers invite Sapphire and Connor to visit their underwater world, with all of its beauties, secrets --- and dangers. Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman.

GOLDEN & GREY: THE NIGHTMARES THAT GHOSTS HAVE by Louise Arnold
Tom Golden's world has been turned upside down yet again when his Invisible Friend Grey Arthur decides to open a school for ghosts interested in becoming Invisible Friends. When some of their closest pals go missing, Tom, Grey and the Invisible Friends-in-training jump into action to discover what's going on. Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle.

THE BUNDLE AT BLACKTHORPE HEATH by Mark Copeland
In an old-fashioned escapade with an unusual circus setting, Mark Copeland's debut novel combines creative characters with a straightforward plot. The result is a unique adventure tale that will appeal to boys and girls alike --- and might make them feel differently about the insects they see every day. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

15 MINUTES by Steve Young
Casey has a bit of a problem when it comes to punctuality. So when he discovers a weird little time machine, he figures he'll never be late again. Unfortunately, it can only go back 15 minutes. And it seems to have a mind of its own. Still --- what could possibly go wrong? Reviewed by Joy Held.

THE MANNY FILES by Christian Burch
Keats Dalinger's sister Lulu has made a career out of getting their nannies fired. He's sick and tired of having to go through new ones, realizing what will happen to them before they do. Enter their newest babysitter, "The Manny." For once, it's someone who can relate to Keats --- and the best part is, he's a man! Reviewed by Belinda Williams.

September is Library Card Sign-up Month. Do you have a library card at your local or school library?

-Yes
-No
-No, but I plan on getting one
-I'm not sure.

How often do you use your library card?

-About once a week
-About once a month
-Several times a week
-Less than once a month
-I don't have a library card.

Name a book (okay, up to 5 books) that you've borrowed more than once from the library.