Melanie Demmer

Truman the black lab might be an older rescue dog, but he has plenty enough mischief beneath his collar to keep eight-year-old Kaita Takano and her animal-fostering family on their toes from morning until night.

"Introducing an ingenious book that encourages kids to overcome their fears, discover their creativity and passion, and understand and manage their emotions. How, in other words, to be a dragon and recognize their own special magic. Written for readers ages eight and up, Be the Dragon promotes social and emotional learning through the wild fun of dragons, creatures that embody enchantment, power, and individuality. It's a novel way to help build kids'...

When graffiti starts appearing on buildings all over Aquamarina, Violet and Wally follow the clues to find the culprit! In Book 3 of the series, join the Undersea Mystery Club as they explore the ocean to help their aquatic friends! It's the first day of school, and Violet can't wait to see all of her friends. But after a mysterious blob of paint appears on the school building, Violet and her best friend Wally get to work looking for clues. Soon,...

After Violet and Wally find an old treasure chest hidden in a cavern, they manage to open the rusty lock and discover little-known facts about the history of the nearby town.

All of Razor's playful, super-friendly littermates are being adopted, one right after the other. But not Razor. How do you find THE shyest kitten in the world his forever home? That's the big question eight-year-old Kaita Takano and her animal-fostering family need to answer in this illustrated, sweet-natured, tabby-filled chapter book narrated by Kaita herself.

Eight-year-old Kaita Takano and her family are old pros at fostering rescued dogs and cats from the local animal shelter. But they've got their work cut out for them when a beautiful bearded dragon with plenty of attitude arrives at their doorstep. Even though Kaita narrates the rollicking adventure, this charmingly illustrated chapter book is all about Betty!

Tiki the cockatoo is the Takano family's newest foster pet and thanks to her ear-splitting screeching, the entire neighborhood knows it! Eight-year-old Kaita has to pull out all the tricks to keep the feathered squawker calm and content and find Tiki a forever home before everyone goes crazy! Giggle-inducing illustrations and 1st-person narration bring this noisy early chapter-book adventure to life.

What do you do with a gentle Great Dane who's the size of a cow but acts like he's no bigger than a mini dachshund? If you're eight-year-old Kaita Takano and her animal-fostering family, you shower the dog with love and do everything you can to find him a forever home. Sweet-natured illustrations and Kaita's first-person narration pair up for plenty of chapter book fun.