Kara LaReau – författare

Welcome to the most magical bakery -- Witchycakes! Little Blue, a witch-in-training, delivers baked goods all over their town, and helps their neighbors with a touch of magic. Cozy up with this sweet chapter book with irresisitible full-color art on every page!In a magical bakery called Witchycakes there's a young witch-to-be named Blue. Blue's Mama bakes with magic and Blue makes the deliveries! They ride their bike all over town with their basket filled with magical scones, tartes, and pies to deliver. There's always something going on in Shelville and Blue loves to help their neighbors -- especially if helping them means they get to use a little bit of magic.Cook up some love with Blue as they use magic and problem-solving to be the best helper they can be in their whimsical little town. And there's a special magical recipe at the end of the book!Fresh from the oven. . . another WITCHYCAKES book! Don't miss Witchycakes #2: Changing Magic

Welcome to the most magical bakery -- Witchycakes! Little Blue, a witch-in-training, delivers baked goods all over their town, and finds things are magically changing allaround them, whether they like it or not. Cozy up with this sweet chapter book perfect for early elementary school readers!In a magical bakery called Witchycakes there's a young witch-to-be named Blue. It's Fallnow but Blue doesn't want to let go of the sunshine from summer. Does everything have tochange? Then, Blue discovers they aren't the only one who's not ready for change. Asthey deliver magical baked goods all over town, Blue helps their neighbors get used to newthings. . . and in the process finds the magic of change! Cook up some love with Blue as they use magic and problem-solving to be the besthelper they can be in their whimsical little townFresh from the oven. . . another WITCHYCAKES book! Don't miss Witchycakes #1: Sweet Magic!

An award-winning author and a Caldecott Medalist introduce an adorable new circus star – who won’t stop crying!When Frieda and Boffo Clown have a baby, everyone in the circus is over the moon. But there is just one problem: Baby Clown won’t stop crying! Frieda and Boffo try everything: putting on their silliest faces, driving him around in their tiny car. They even try taking off his red nose and big shoes. But that just makes Baby Clown cry more. Can Frieda and Boffo turn his little clown frown upside down in time for the sold-out show? Kara LaReau juggles wit and warmth in this hilarious nod to being a new parent, while Matthew Cordell’s big-top-bright illustrations bring Baby Clown and his circus family to funny, frazzled life. Older siblings, in particular, will step right up to this applause-worthy picture book, joining Baby Clown in many a heartfelt “WAAAAH!”

A tail of the fursome undead!While helping her best friend Danny film his latest horror flick, Mellie discovers a scraggly cat behind a dumpster outside the YummCo Foods factory. Mellie names the stray Bert and hides him in her room, knowing her parents won’t let her keep him. But soon Bert has decapitated all her stuffed animals, and before long he is leaving the headless corpses of birds and mice as gifts for her. Danny is convinced the cat is a zombie, living on the brains of its victims. But is that what's really going on?Award-winning author Kara LaReau lets loose a fresh and sharply funny new mystery, with an irresistible touch of the macabre. Fans of creepy stories and animal lovers alike will devour this fast-moving adventure in one heady gulp.

In the spirit of A Series of Unfortunate Events and the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters will captivate middle-grade readers looking for humor, hijinks, and a swashbuckling good time. Meet Jaundice and Kale Bland, two sisters who avoid excitement at any cost. Together, they patiently await the return of their parents, who left on an errand years ago and have never returned. One day, the Bland sisters are kidnapped by an all-female band of pirates. They’re unwillingly swept into a high-seas romp that might just lead to solving the mystery of what happened to their parents. With whimsical illustrations and Roald Dahl–esque wit, The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters is the visually stunning, laugh-out-loud funny start to a new series for readers who are looking for an anything-but-bland adventure.

In the spirit of A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters stars Jaundice and Kale Bland—two sisters who avoid excitement at any cost. Instead, they eat tasteless oatmeal, rarely venture into bright sunlight, and read only Dr. Snoote’s Dictionary, because storybooks are just too thrilling. Together, they await the return of their parents, who left for an errand years ago and have never come back.One day, a knock on the door leads to the Bland sisters’ kidnapping by an all-female band of pirates—but this is only the beginning of their escapades. Filled with Roald Dahl–esque humor, hilarious high jinks, and swashbuckling, The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters: The Jolly Regina will appeal to middle-grade readers looking for an anything-but-bland adventure.

Fasten your seat belts for some unexpected turbulence ahead, as Jaundice and Kale Bland are back for their final unintentional adventure! Now that they’ve returned from the Uncanny Valley to find their home in Dullsville in absolute shambles, the sisters are rescued by high-flying aviatrix Beatrix Airdale. This time, they’re jetting off (literally) to Egypt to uncover the mysteries of a magical scarab.  By way of Casablanca and after foiling multiple attacks along the way (thanks to Jaundice’s nautical knot-tying skills and Kale’s super-sleuth powers of observation), the Bland Sisters are reunited with their parents. But it turns out that Mom and Dad aren’t as bland—or as “Bland”—as Jaundice and Kale remember. Thanks to their mother’s old archeology notebook, the Bland Sisters uncover their parents’ real identities and help them achieve victory in one final, family-filled adventure.

Jaundice and Kale are back from their adventure on the high seas, and they are settling back into a quiet life in Dullsville, just the way they like it. The tea is tepid, the oatmeal is tasteless, and the socks are ripe for darning . . . until Aunt Shallot shows up and reveals herself to be anything but the dull relation they were expecting. Instead, she tells her nieces she is Magique, Queen of Magic, and she’s on her way to a big show and in need of two willing assistants. As Magique and the Bland sisters board the Uncanny Express, they meet a cast of mystifying characters. And when Magique goes missing, it’s up to Jaundice and Kale to solve the mystery—with the help of famous detective Hugo Fromage.An inventive story in the tradition of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, TheUnintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters: The Uncanny Express has all the whimsy and humor that readers who are looking for an anything-but-bland adventure will love.

Now that they’ve returned from the Uncanny Valley to find their home in Dullsville in absolute shambles, Jaundice and Kale are rescued by high-flying aviatrix Beatrix Airdale. This time they’re jetting off (literally) to Egypt to uncover the mysteries of a magical scarab.By way of Casablanca and after foiling multiple attacks along the way (thanks to Jaundice’s nautical knot-tying skills and Kale’s super-sleuth powers of observation), the Bland Sisters are reunited with their parents. But it turns out that mom and dad aren’t as bland—or as “Bland”—as Jaundice and Kale remember. Thanks to their mother’s old archaeology notebook, the Bland Sisters uncover their parents’ real identities and help them achieve victory in one final family-filled adventure.

Heartwarming, charming and sometimes spine-tingling, thisstory by award-winning author Kara LaReau is about fitting in, standingout, overcoming fear, and finding a place called home.A young and frightened kitten is brought starry-eyed into a newhousehold. A boy named Max is trying desperately to get over theloss of his former beloved pet. But ghosts don't always enjoy beingforgotten. Sometimes they must make their presence known.In her cage at the Mount Charles Animal Shelter, Kitty feels saferthan she did in the woods. And then Max appears at the shelter.Max has adopted all sorts of pets over the years and he seemskind. When Max chooses Kitty, she is going to have a home at last.There is a scent lingering in the house on 5 Manderley Lane. Thescent rises from every chair leg, every carpet fibre, every pillow,even inside the bathtub. Everything smells like Licorice. Itis the strongest upstairs in Max's room, almost overpowering. Ifthe smell isn't enough, Duchess, the family's old parrot, won'tlet Kitty forget that she is a replacement. And soon, Kitty findsherself trapped in the long shadow of the cat that came beforeher. But is it just a shadow? Or is there something really thereon the other side of it ... haunting her...Licorice is an atmospheric and gripping story full of twists andturns and gorgeous black and white illustrations throughout byKelly Murphy.

Welcome to the most magical bakery -- Witchycakes! Little Blue, a witch-in-training, delivers baked goods all over their town, and helps their neighbors with a touch of magic. Cozy up with this sweet chapter book with irresisitible full-color art on every page!In a magical bakery called Witchycakes there's a young witch-to-be named Blue. Blue's Mama bakes with magic and Blue makes the deliveries! They ride their bike all over town with their basket filled with magical scones, tartes, and pies to deliver. There's always something going on in Shelville and Blue loves to help their neighbors -- especially if helping them means they get to use a little bit of magic.Cook up some love with Blue as they use magic and problem-solving to be the best helper they can be in their whimsical little town. And there's a special magical recipe at the end of the book!Fresh from the oven. . . another WITCHYCAKES book! Don't miss Witchycakes #2: Changing Magic

Welcome to the most magical bakery -- Witchycakes! Little Blue, a witch-in-training, delivers baked goods all over their town, and finds things are magically changing allaround them, whether they like it or not. Cozy up with this sweet chapter book perfect for early elementary school readers!In a magical bakery called Witchycakes there's a young witch-to-be named Blue. It's Fallnow but Blue doesn't want to let go of the sunshine from summer. Does everything have tochange? Then, Blue discovers they aren't the only one who's not ready for change. Asthey deliver magical baked goods all over town, Blue helps their neighbors get used to newthings. . . and in the process finds the magic of change! Cook up some love with Blue as they use magic and problem-solving to be the besthelper they can be in their whimsical little townFresh from the oven. . . another WITCHYCAKES book! Don't miss Witchycakes #1: Sweet Magic!

Welcome to the most magical bakery -- Witchycakes! Little Blue, a witch-in-training, uses magic to make everything perfect. . . well, sort of. Cozy up with this sweet chapter book with irresisitible full-color art on every page!In a magical bakery called Witchycakes there's a young witch-to-be named Blue. Blue's Mama bakes with magic and Blue makes the deliveries! Blue is good at problem-solving but they want everything to be perfect. So they "borrow" a magic potion from Mama Moon. Does everything go perfectly? Not so much. But magic makes perfect. . . right?Cook up some love with Blue as they use magic and problem-solving to be the best helper they can be in their whimsical little town. And there's a special magical recipe at the end of each book!Don't miss a single book in the most magical chapter book series! Witchycakes #1: Sweet Magic | Witchycakes #2: Changing Magic