Loren Long

In Blastin' the Blues, still fearing they are being followed and even more worried they have a traitor in their midst, the team travels to New Orleans, where the magic of their ball and the music of the city create one memorable game. But like always, trouble is right around the corner and the hits keep on coming for the Payne family and all of the Travelin' Nine In Home of the Brave, after the rousing success in New Orleans, Griffith, Ruby, and Graham are determined to beat the Chancellor at his own game and save their family as well as the game of baseball. Pulling into their hometown of Baltimore, the Paynes are reunited with a familiar face, and the Travelin' Nine are tested on the field once again. Can they win without the help of their baseball? Prepare for fireworks in this final inning to the grand slam series, Sluggers

In over their heads? THE YEAR IS 1899, and the Travelin' Nine are barnstorming their way across the good ol' U.S. of A., trying to raise money to pay off the Payne family's big-league debt. Griffith has a run-in with the Chancellor and learns that the baseball isn't the only item the infamous industrialist is after. Even more mysteriously, the Chancellor claims to have something that the Paynes want. And Ruby. Where in the world has she vanished to? Does her disappearance have anything to do with the Chancellor's threats? Or is there some other plan in play? And finally, Graham makes a heartfelt birthday wish and somehow gets exactly what he asks for. But questions still remain: Was it real? Can it possibly be true? Or is it all just a dream? If they don't watch out, Griffith, Ruby, Graham, and the Travelin' Nine may find themselves in deep water in the Land of 10,000 Lakes

The year is 1899, and the Travelin' Nine are crisscrossing the good ol' U.S. of A., raising money to pay off the Payne family's big-league debt As the team heads into the River City, Griffith is beginning to realize that there's more at risk than meets the eye, something beyond the need to raise money -- something involving the ball that could put his entire family in danger. Ruby is eager to help solve the mystery of the ball and plans on keeping her eyes and ears wide open and writing everything down. She knows the answer is out there. All she has to do is see the things that others don't. And figure out what those things mean. Then there's Graham, who usually only thinks about how to get more time on the baseball field. Even he's beginning to notice that there are strange and shady characters at just about every turn. Finally there's the Chancellor, one of the wealthiest and greediest businessmen in the entire world. And it looks like he's got his eye on the ball

Sail away on a whimsical and heartfelt adventure of unexpected friendship from Loren Long, the #1 New York Times-bestselling author-illustrator of The Yellow Bus. Long ago, there was a small seaside village. Just offshore, there was an island. Wary of the island, the villagers trade stories warning of its dangers. It's haunted, they say. And full of skulls and bones and snakes. But something about the island calls to the new boy in town . . . One day, the boy rows his little boat to the island and finds no danger. Just the whirling wind and the steady lapping of the ocean's waves. The island seems peaceful to the boy. And lonely, like him. So he visits again and again. And soon discovers that he and the island are even more the same than he could have ever imagined. Featuring a breathtaking gatefold reveal, this beautifully illustrated, imaginative new picture book from Loren Long is a captivating read-aloud perfect for fans of Where the Wild Things Are and What Do You Do With an Idea?

There is a bright yellow bus who spends her days driving. She loves carrying children from one important place to another. Every morning they climb in... Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, giggle, giggle-patter. And they fill her with joy. As time passes, things change. The Yellow Bus gets a new driver, a new route, and new passengers, young and old. Until one day the driving stops for good, and the Yellow Bus is left on her own. And yet, no matter where she is, the Yellow Bus still finds joy and discovery in the world around her.

Join Otis and his farmyard friends for all kinds of fun. Now available in Step into Reading, the premier early reader line. Otis is a very busy tractor. He loves working on the farm and playing with his friends. But at the end of a long day, Otis is happy to go home and rest This is the perfect complement to Loren Long's New York Times bestselling picture books featuring Otis, and a great book with which to learn to read Step 1 Readers feature big type and easy words for children who know the alphabet and are eager to begin reading. Rhyme and rhythmic text paired picture clues help children decode the story.

Join Otis and his farmyard friends for all kinds of fun. Now available in Step into Reading, the premier early reader line. Otis is a very busy tractor. He loves working on the farm and playing with his friends. But at the end of a long day, Otis is happy to go home and rest This is the perfect complement to Loren Long's New York Times bestselling picture books featuring Otis, and a great book with which to learn to read Step 1 Readers feature big type and easy words for children who know the alphabet and are eager to begin reading. Rhyme and rhythmic text paired picture clues help children decode the story.

It's Christmas Eve on the farm where Otis and all of his friends live. The farmer has given Otis his first real Christmas present - a shiny new horn! A tree has been decorated, a big snowstorm is on its way, and all of the animals are excited. Best of all, one of the horses on the farm is about to give birth to a foal! Yet in the middle of the night the horse begins neighing in pain and when the farmer says, "We'd better get Doc Baker out here or we'll lose 'em both," Otis knows the horse is in trouble. Snow has been falling hard for hours and the roads are unpassable. Otis to the rescue! He knows a shortcut through the woods and he arrives at the doc's house flashing his headlights and revving his engine. When Doc fails to awake, Otis uses his new horn. Then, with Doc in tow, he races back to the farm just in time for a Christmas miracle...and the arrival of a new friend to play with. A warm, feel good Christmas story featuring everyone's favourite tractor, Otis.

Where there's smoke... The year is 1899 and the Travelin' Nine are barnstorming their way across the good ol' U. S. of A., trying to raise money to pay off the Payne family's big-league debt. Pulling into Chicago, Griffith has a run-in with an enormous thug and is more convinced than ever that the nefarious robber baron called "The Chancellor" knows about their magic baseball. Ruby also has an encounter with a mysterious stranger, and even though she doesn't know why, she knows that he will change the Travelin' Nine. And Graham launches a towering shot out of the park when he thinks no one is looking. Unfortunately, the wrong eyes may have seen what the youngest Payne can do with a baseball. Chicago is a hot town, so the Paynes better keep their cool. The Travelin' Nine still have more money to make #1 New York Times bestseller Loren Long and Texas Bluebonnet winner Phil Bildner create a memorable modern-day parable where three siblings embark on the adventure of a lifetime and discover the strength in family, the power of faith, and the true magic of baseball. New York Times bestselling series

Griffith, Graham, and Ruby's father passed away in the war. And now they must join their mother and their father's wartime traveling baseball team, The Travelin' Nine, on a tour of America to raise money. No one will tell the kids why the team needs money so badly. Their only clue is a baseball with a hole the size of an acorn in it that their Uncle Owen gave to them the night of their father's funeral. They know very little about its significance except that their father made it with his own two hands and carried it with him throughout the war. And when all three kids hold the ball, strange things begin to happen...