Published: July 5, 2025; Aithor: Julia Sonrisa
Address: 42 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011, United States
Phone: +1 212-989-3270
Massive monoliths, neighborhood spies, and animal transformations await at an event that will have you laughing away on the edge of your seat! Come to Books of Wonder for a panel of middle grade authors and some breathtaking tales that you just can’t afford to miss. Join us in-store to hear from Dan Gutman, author of The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra’s Needle, Gordon Korman, author of Snoop, and Peter Lerangis, author of Beasties!
Want to pre-order online and pick up your books on the day of the event? Select the “Event Pick-Up” option at checkout!
*Important Note*: Due to the anticipated high turnout for this event, we are limiting 3 books per person and only permitting 1 book from home (with one book purchase) for the signing line. Time permitting, those with additional books may rejoin the signing line at the end.
The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra’s Needle by Dan Gutman
In Central Park, New York, stands Cleopatra’s Needle. But what do you know about? Did you know that thousands of people worked in 1461 BCE to build it? Then, hundreds more moved it and erected it in Alexandria, where it stood for 3,000 years. So, how did a monolith weighing over 200 tons get moved to New York City — and in the 19th Century, no less?
In this historical fiction account by bestselling author Dan Gutman, five kids who watched the Needle at each phase of its history recount the daring story of how something that seemed to be impossible —and that nearly ended in disaster — finally succeeded against all odds.
Including photos, diagrams, and illustrations, this book will leave history lovers and fans of problem-solving astounded at all that was accomplished. And best of all, it will leave middle grade readers feeling they’ve just watched a really good movie — they’ll hardly even realize they were reading.
Snoop by Gordon Korman
If Carter hadn’t been checking his phone, he might have seen his brother coming down the ski slopes in his direction. And if Carter had seen his brother in time and avoided the crash, he might not have two broken legs right now.
Oops.
Now, Carter is stuck at home for weeks, with both his legs in casts. Bored, he starts checking out the live feeds from police cams around his town. Before he knows it, he’s obsessed — watching his classmates when they don’t know he’s looking, and discovering some other VERY STRANGE things going on that no one else is noticing.
But what happens when Carter is found out... and the people he’s watching know where he lives?
Beasties by Peter Lerangis
On a field trip to Central Park, an accidental encounter with a supernatural artifact that looks a lot like a piece of poop turns Riley and his classmates into all kinds of critters. His sister’s a hawk, the school bully’s a raccoon, and Riley? He’s stuck in the body of a New York City rat.
Their once-peaceful morning quickly turns into a survival-of-the-fittest fight with one goal: stay alive long enough to turn themselves back into normal kids. But as it turns out, they’re not the only humans-turned-into-animals on the loose in Central Park.
On their wild chase to untangle the mystery of the magical poop, Riley and friends find themselves in the center of a dangerous Manhattan-wide plot. They must use all their animal abilities to stop the bad guys, find the cure, and get back home without getting eaten. It’s the adventure of a lifetime — because if they fail, these beasties will stay beasts forever.
Time: 3:00-4:00 pm EST
Free!
Detailed information and discussion of the event.