Judith Viorst is known and loved by readers of all ages, for children's books such as "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day;" nonfiction titles, including the bestseller "Necessary Losses;" and her collections of humorous poetry, which make perfect gifts for birthdays, Mother's Day, graduation, Christmas, Chanukah, or at any time of year.
Whatever became of Alexander after that famously bad day? And did you know that Judith Viorst is his mother? And what happens to her passion for household neatness and orderliness, her deep devotion to schedules, her compulsive yearning to offer helpful advice when Alexander-- now grown up, married, and the father of three--moves his family into his parents' house? What happens is controlled, and sometimes not so controlled, chaos, as lives and routines are turned upside down and the house is overrun with scattered toys, pacifiers, baby bottles, sippy cups, pink-sequined flip-flops, jigsaw puzzles, and fishy crackers. With her characteristic sparkle and wit, Viorst relates her efforts to (graciously) share space, to become (if only a little bit) more flexible, to (sort of) keep her opinions to herself, and even to eventually figure out how to unlock the safety locks of the baby's (expletives deleted) bouncy seat. She describes how she and her husband, while sometimes longing for the former peace and tranquility of unravished rooms and quiet dinners for two unaccompanied by cries of "Oh, yuck " survived and relished the extended visit of the Alexander Five. She also opens our eyes to the joys of multigenerational family living and to the unexpected opportunities to grow that life presents--even under the most unlikely circumstances. Several generations of readers surely will relate to this funny and loving book, enhanced throughout by Laura Gibson's delightful two-color drawings.

Read the inspiration behind the new major film starring Steve Carrell, Jennifer Garner and Bella Thorne. He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day... He went to sleep with gum in his mouth and woke up with gum in his hair... When he got out of bed, he tripped over his skateboard and by mistake dropped his sweater in the sink while the water was running... What do you do on a day like that? Well, you may think about going to Australia. You may also be glad to find that some days are like that for other people too. This funny and endearing story has delighted readers for more than forty years and is the inspiration behind the upcoming film, starring Jennifer Garner and Steve Carrell.

Although Alexander and his money are quickly parted, he comes to realize all the things that can be done with a dollar.

A little brother imagines how great life will be once he's bigger than his older brother in this saucy classic on sibling rivalry keenly captured by master storyteller Judith Viorst.

Mother says deep down in his heart Anthony loves me. Anthony says deep down in his heart he thinks I stink

Anthony's younger brother puts up with a lot. Anthony won't read to him. Anthony is always threating to clobber him. Anthony thinks he stinks. There's nothing he can do now...but just wait until he's six! Then he'll fix Anthony! Judith Viorst's funny, classic sibling rivalry story is as timeless as ever.

Eeny meeny miney mo, That babysitter's got to go. Lulu has put her tantrum-throwing days behind her. That is, until her parents announce that they are going on vacation-WITHOUT LULU. Not only that, but they are leaving her with the formidable Ms. Sonia Sofia Solinsky, who says hello by bellowing, "The Eagle has landed," and smiles at you with the kind of smile that an alligator might give you before eating you for dinner. The second her parents are out of the house, Lulu tries out several elaborate schemes to bring them straight back. But just when she seems to finally be making some headway, her babysitter reveals an astonishing secret...one that has Lulu crossing her fingers that her parents will go on vacation all the time-without her!

Now in paperback for the first time, the story of Charlie, a kid who knows how to be ready for any situation.... "Just in Case" . If a downpour turns into a flash flood or the grocery store should close indefinitely, Charlie knows exactly what he'll do. But as Charlie is about to discover, sometimes not being ready is even better than being prepared for everything.
She wants them. She needs them. She loves them. "Earrings " What won't a girl do to finally get her ears pierced? Find out in this delightful tale that perfectly captures the yearnings of a young girl in desperate need of beautiful, glorious earrings
According to Olivia--who is practically perfect--her younger sister Sophie isn't very neat. But she's not just messy, either.... "She's Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest " Olivia's family tries to show her that Sophie is plenty of things besides a slob, but Olivia is unconvinced. Pictures from Robin Preiss Glasser, illustrator of "Fancy Nancy," make this book super-completely and totally fun

On a day when everything goes wrong for him, Alexander is consoled by the thought that other people have bad days too.

If you've ever had trouble apologizing or keeping a secret, had a crush or a broken heart, there's a poem here for you! Written with humor and understanding, Judith Viorst's poems are certain to delight children and adults alike -- and be read again and again.

Last Sunday, Alexander's grandparents gave him a dollar -- and he was rich. There were so many things that he could do with all of that money!

He could buy as much gum as he wanted, or even a walkie-talkie, if he saved enough. But somehow the money began to disappear...

Readers of all ages will be delighted by this attractive new edition of Judith Viorst's beloved picture book.

He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He went to sleep with gum in his mouth and woke up with gum in his hair. When he got out of bed, he tripped over his skateboard and by mistake dropped his sweater in the sink while the water was running. He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Nothing at all was right. Everything went wrong, right down to lima beans for supper and kissing on TV.

What do you do on a day like that? Well, you may think about going to Australia. You may also be glad to find that some days are like that for other people too.

My cat Barney died this Friday. I was very sad. My mother said we could have a funeral for him, and I should think of ten good things about Barney so I could tell them...

But the small boy who loved Barney can only think of nine. Later, while talking with his father, he discovers the tenth -- and begins to understand.

In Necessary Losses, Judith Viorst turns her considerable talents to a serious and far-reaching subject: how we grow and change through the losses that are an inevitable and necessary part of life. She argues persuasively that through the loss of our mothers' protection, the loss of the impossible expectations we bring to relationships, the loss of our younger selves, and the loss of our loved ones through separation and death, we gain deeper perspective, true maturity, and fuller wisdom about life. She has written a book that is both life affirming and life changing.

The honeymoon is overAnd he has left for workWhistling something obvious from La BohemeAnd carrying a brown calfskin attache caseI never dreamed he was capable of owning,Having started the dayWith ten pushups and a cold showerFollowed by a hearty breakfast.(What do we actually have in common?)The honeymoon is overAnd I am dry-mopping the floorIn a green Dacron dry-mopping outfit from Saks,Wondering why I'm not dancing in the dark,Or rejecting princes,Or hearing people gasp at my one-man show,My god, so beautiful and so gifted!(The trouble is I never knew a prince.)

Feisty Lulu sets out to make some dough in this illustrated chapter book with "plenty of appeal" ("Kirkus Reviews") from children's book legends Judith Viorst and Lane Smith.
The stubbornly hilarious Lulu has decided it's time to buckle down and earn some cash. How else can she save up enough money to buy the very special thing that she is ALWAYS and FOREVER going to want? After some failed attempts at lucrative gigs (baking cookies, spying, reading to old people), dog walking seems like a sensible choice. But Brutus, Pookie, and Cordelia are not interested in making the job easy, and the infuriatingly helpful neighborhood goody-goody, Fleischman, has Lulu at the end of her rope. And with three wild dogs at the other end, Lulu's patience is severely tested. Will she ever make a friend--or the money she needs?
In this standalone sequel to "Lulu and the Brontosaurus," children's book legends Judith Viorst and Lane Smith once again prove that even the loudest, rudest, and most obstinate of girls can win us over.

Alexander is not going to leave his best friend Paul. Or Rachel, the best babysitter in the world. Or the Baldwins, who have a terrific dog named Swoozie. Or Mr. and Mrs. Oberdorfer, who always give great treats on Halloween. Who cares if his father has a new job a thousand miles away? Alexander is not -- Do you hear him? He Means it! -- going to move.

Alexander's back, facing another of childhood's trials and tribulations with Judith Viorst's trademark humor and keen sense of what's important to kids.

This irresistible illustrated chapter book starring Judith Viorst's Lulu is full of hilarious hijinks, delightful twists, and a top-secret mission!

This hilarious collection includes:

• Lulu and the Brontosaurus
• Lulu Walks the Dogs
• Lulu's Mysterious Mission
• Lulu Is Getting a Sister

The beloved bestselling author of "Forever Fifty" and "Suddenly Sixty" now tackles the ins and outs of becoming a septuagenarian with her usual wry good humor.

Fans of Judith Viorst's funny, touching, and wise poems about turning thirty, forty, fifty, and sixty will love this new volume for the woman who deeply believes she is too young to be seventy, "too young in my heart and my soul, if not in my thighs."

Viorst explores, among the many other issues of this stage of life, the state of our sex lives and teeth, how we can stay married though thermostatically incompatible, and the joys of grandparenthood and shopping. Readers will nod with rueful recognition when she asks, "Am I required to think of myself as a basically shallow woman because I feel better when my hair looks good?," when she presses a few helpful suggestions on her kids because "they may be middle aged, but they're still my children," and when she graciously -- but not too graciously -- selects her husband's next mate in a poem deliciously subtitled "If I Should Die Before I Wake, Here's the Wife You Next Should Take." Though Viorst acknowledges she is definitely not a good sport about the fact that she is mortal, her poems are full of the pleasures of life right now, helping us come to terms with the passage of time, encouraging us to keep trying to fix the world, and inviting us to consider "drinking wine, making love, laughing hard, caring hard, and learning a new trick or two as part of our job description at seventy."

"I'm Too Young to Be Seventy" is a joy to read and makes a heartwarming gift for anyone who has reached or is soon to reach that -- it's not so bad after all -- seventh decade.

From children's book legend Judith Viorst comes the perennially popular tale of Alexander's worst day. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a story that belongs on every child's bookshelf. Alexander could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He went to sleep with gum in his mouth and woke up with gum in his hair. When he got out of bed, he tripped over his skateboard and by mistake dropped his sweater in the sink while the water was running. He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Nothing at all was right. Everything went wrong, right down to lima beans for supper and kissing on TV. What do you do on a day like that? Well, you may think about going to Australia. You may also be glad to find that some days are like that for other people too.

I want them.
I need them.
I love them.
Beautiful earrings.
Glorious earrings.
What will a young girl do to get her ears pierced?
Will she walk the dog for a year?
YES!
Will she clean her room every day for a year?
YES!
Will she be nice to her brother for a year?
YES! Well, maybe for six months...

The perennially popular tale of Alexander's worst day is now a board book that belongs on every child's bookshelf.
Alexander is not having a great day. He has to endure gum in his hair, sitting in the middle of the backseat, third-best-friend status, no dessert at lunch, lima beans, railroad pajamas, and kissing on TV--all in one day Maybe he'll just move to Australia.
This funny and endearing story has delighted readers for more than forty years, and now it's available as Classic Board Book with artwork that showcases Alexander--and only Alexander--in full color, underscoring the misery (and comedy) of his awful day.

From the bestselling author of Forever Fifty comes a new collection of poems that tickle, console, and offer the pleasure of instant recognition -- the perfect book for any woman anywhere in the vicinity of sixty.

Judith Viorst's "decade" books of verse -- including It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty, How Did I Get to Be Forty, and Forever Fifty -- have delighted millions of readers worldwide who relish her wit, warmth, and wisdom. Now here she is with Suddenly Sixty, a funny and touching book that speaks directly to the sixty-ish woman, inviting her to laugh about, sigh over, and come to hopeful terms with the complex issues of this decade of life.

Among the poems in this charmingly illustrated collection are those exploring the joys -- and strains -- of children and grandchildren, and the intimacy of old friends who've "known each other so long/We knew each other back when we were virgins." There are poems that tip their hat to mortality, wrestle with a husband's retirement -- "He's coming with me when I shop at the supermarket/So I won't have to shop alone. I like alone." -- and acknowledge the fact that at this stage of life we'd "give up a night of wild rapture with Denzel Washington for a nice report on my next bone density test." Offering plenty of laughs, a few tears, and cover-to-cover truths, these are poems for everyone who would "rather say never say die than enough is enough." Every woman who has reached this decade will -- rueful and smiling -- find herself in the pages of this book.

The beloved and perennially popular tale of Alexander's worst day is now available in a lap-friendly, oversize board book edition.
Alexander is not having a great day. He has to endure gum in his hair, sitting in the middle of the backseat, third-best-friend status, no dessert at lunch, lima beans, railroad pajamas, and kissing on TV--all in one day Maybe he'll just move to Australia.
Now available as an oversize board book edition--the perfect size for a lap--this funny and endearing story that has delighted readers for more than forty years includes artwork that showcases Alexander (and only Alexander) in full color, underscoring the comic misery of his awful day.

Now in paperback, an illustrated chapter book from industry legends Judith Viorst and Lane Smith
"I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, gonna, get "
"a bronto-bronto-bronto-bronto-saurus for a pet
"Lulu is so accustomed to getting what she wants that when her parents deny her birthday request for a brontosaurus, she throws a four-day temper tantrum and then storms off into the forest in search of the dinosaur she clearly deserves. Lulu isn't particularly impressed with the snake, tiger, and bear she encounters, but then she finds him--a beautiful, long-necked, graceful brontosaurus. Mr. B completely agrees with Lulu that having a pet would be a wonderful thing, and Lulu thinks she's gotten her birthday wish at last. Until she realizes that Mr. Brontosaurus thinks that "she" would make an ideal pet for "him"
How will Lulu ever get out of this sticky situation without throwing a fit (Mr. B does not respond well to those), or using force (Mr. B is much too tall to bonk on the head with her suitcase), or smushing her pickle sandwich? Beloved children's author Judith Viorst and Caldecott-winning illustrator Lane Smith offer a fresh and funny tale with several surprise endings

Angry Alexander refuses to move away if it means having to leave his favorite friends and special places.

Barney was a cat. He died last Friday. And everyone was sad.
They did what most people do when a cat they like dies. They had a funeral. And then they tried to think of good things about him. They wanted to remember him as he was; and they thought about some other things, too.
Whenever a cat dies, or a dog, or a bird, or any friend, it can be a little like this story about Barney. since dying is as usual as living, it's good to know about him.