Allison Gutknecht – författare

Eight-year-old Mandy Berr learns life lessons with patriotic pizazz in the first adventure of a new chapter book series.Eight-year-old Mandy Berr has a lot going on. She has to share her parents’ attention with her newborn twin siblings, who are always crying, and her little brother, Timmy, who is constantly in her way. And she also has to find a way to deal with her nemesis, Dennis, who has a knack for getting under her skin. At least Mandy has the upcoming Presidential Pageant to look forward to at school. She is determined to be President George Washington—she is perfect for the lead part, after all. But when Mandy’s teacher makes a surprising choice, it looks like Mandy will have to keep sharing the spotlight. Can she find her own way to shine? Mandy has some valuable life lessons to learns in this adorable chapter book—including the fact that white pants and polka dot underwear are never a good combination.

Eight-year-old Mandy Berr is spirited, sassy, and determined to shine—even if she’s not the center of attention!After learning the hard way that polka dot underwear and white pants are not the best combination, Mandy Berr has gotten over that fashion faux pas, and has (almost) recovered from not being named George Washington in the recent Presidential Pageant. But just when things seem like they might be back in her favor, her former nemesis, Natalie, manages to steal Mandy’s spotlight—again. A broken wrist for Natalie means a cool cast and the attention of Mandy’s classmates…even from Anya, Mandy’s BFF. Can Mandy figure out a way to get back into the center of attention, win back her best friend, AND snag a pair of fancy-dancy periwinkle sunglasses?

The spirited and sassy eight-year-old Mandy Berr strives to look—and behave!—her best in this sweet and funny tale.Class Picture Day is fast approaching, and Mandy Berr is looking for the perfect accessory that will complete her special outfit. Her fancy-dancy sunglasses, sparkly scarf, and pink handbag are all up for consideration—but Mandy isn’t sure those will be good enough. As if picking out an appropriate look for her class picture wasn’t enough to worry about, the principal announces a contest for the entire school: whoever exhibits the best behavior in the lunchroom for two weeks gets to have a lunch with him in the mythical teacher’s lounge! Mandy is determined to win…but will her nemesis, Dennis, get in her way?

When a visit from Mandy’s cousin turns out to be more frustrating than fun, the girls discover that they just might cook up a solution in the kitchen in this sweet and spirited story.Mandy Berr is super excited that her favorite cousin in the whole world, Paige, is coming to visit. After all, Mandy is usually stuck at home with the twins and annoying little brother, Timmy, so the chance for some fun girl time is definitely worthy of many “wahoos!” But when Paige arrives, she is not the fun cousin that Mandy remembers. To start, Paige wants to call her “Manda,” with no “y.” She no longer likes Rainbow Sparkle, their favorite TV show. She doesn’t want to bounce on the bed or play dress-up. And, in the ultimate betrayal, Paige actually likes hanging out with the twins and Timmy. Mandy does not like these changes one bit. To try and help bring the girls together, their grandma suggests the girls make some recipes out of a special cookbook—if they can work together, she will take them to a carnival at the end of the week. But having two bosses in the kitchen isn’t working out, and it looks like Mandy''s visit with Paige is about to go up in smoke. Can the two cousins clear the air and whip up a fancy meal for the family?

A tween jewelry designer finds herself competing for an online fashion blog spot in this funny and sparkly M!X novel.Twelve-year-old Tess loves fashion, but she has a soft spot for accessories. In fact, Tess runs her own consulting firm for the kids at her school. If you need the finishing touch for middle school dances, special occasions like a thirteenth birthday or bat/bar mitzvah, Tess can make it happen. She loves reading The Miscellaneous Moxie, THE online fashion blog that’s as crazy about accessories as Tess is. So when the blog opens up a contest, calling all of their faithful readers to enter to win a chance at designing an accessory of their very own, Tess jumps at the chance to create something that will wow the judges. But things get more complicated when her former BFF turned frenemy, Kayte (who added the y to be “unique”), a self-proclaimed fashion plate, tries to encroach on Tess’s turf—and submits her own entries for the blog contest. In the midst of the Bling War, Tess discovers that a precious locket from her beloved grandmother, Mimi, is missing. Can Tess solve the mystery behind the missing necklace and get crowned the Bling Queen, too?

A tween is forced to use her photography skills to track down a missing classmate during a class trip in New York City in this M!X novel from the author of The Bling Queen.After years of suffering through the most boring spring vacations ever, Avalon Kelly is ready for a week of adventure. On a hash-tagged whim, she entered the PhotoReady app’s spring break getaway contest to NYC—and won! But right away, this trip of a lifetime isn’t turning out as planned. Avalon’s best friend isn’t one of the PhotoReady winners, which means that not only will Avalon have to venture to the Big Apple by herself, but she’ll be assigned a stranger as a roommate. The perky and talkative Sofia seems pleasant enough, but snooty Kensington—who was placed in Room 609 at the last moment due to a mix-up—is a whole other story. Just when Avalon is about ready to abandon the trip entirely, one of the fellow contest winners, the cute and mysterious Tate, disappears from the group, and the Room 609 girls must band together, using the clues within their photographs, if they have any hope of tracking him down. Will the hunt for Tate and the view of New York City through her camera lens be enough to convince Avalon to stick it out for the full week?

In the tradition of Pitch Perfect, two best friends battle it out for a capella group supremacy in this hilarious M!X novel.Wylie Tennyson and Jada Emmett have been best friends forever. They have done everything together for so long that when Jada decides to try out for their middle school’s spring musical production, it was only natural for Wylie to audition as well. After all, how fun would it be to be in the chorus together? The only problem is that Jada has her sights set on much more than the chorus—she’s going after one of the lead parts, and wants Wylie to step aside to give her a better shot. Taking a cue from her new favorite television show, Non-Instrumental, Wylie decides to start her middle school’s very first a cappella group. She wants to show Jada that it’s much better to be part of a team’s success than it is to stand under the spotlight alone. This is a great idea, in theory, until Wylie has trouble actually recruiting anyone to join her group. And it doesn’t help when Jada decides to form her own… Can Jada and Wylie find a way to fix things before their battle for vocal supremacy destroys their forever friendship for good?

The Critter Club meets Animal Planet’s Amanda to the Rescue in this tale of three furry friends living at an animal shelter in this sweet, fun-to-read Aladdin QUIX chapter book that’s perfect for emerging readers!Mitzy is so excited to have a weekend away from Whiskers Down the Lane Animal Shelter! That is, until she leaves her purple ball behind, and her three best buddies, Luna, Gus, and Buttons, make it their mission to reunite Mitzy with her favorite toy. Will the pet pals succeed in bringing Mitzy and her ball—and their friend group—together again?

A shelter cat gets a little help from her feline friends in this brand-new QUIX series that’s perfect for fans of the Critter Club series and Animal Planet’s Amanda to the Rescue.Luna is the top cat at Whiskers Down the Lane animal shelter, but lately, her behavior has been less than paw-some. She just isn’t acting like herself. What could be going on? With some encouragement from her fellow pet pals, can Luna figure out how to be her purr-fect self again?

Buttons tries to impress potential adopters in this third book in the QUIX series that’s perfect for fans of the Critter Club series and Animal Planet’s Amanda to the Rescue.Buttons the kitten has always been a little shy. After a little training from Ted, the shelter manager, Buttons learns a few fun tricks and wonders if they will help him find a loving new home. On adoption day, Buttons is eager to show off his spins, high-paws, and fetching skills. But when it’s time for his big moment, he gets a little stage-fright! Can Buttons learn that just being himself, without the fancy tricks, will always be good enough?