Seven-year-old Leland has trouble writing, but he loves drawing. He so dislikes his teacher that he conjures up Delilah, an imaginary seeing-eye dog to help him into class each day. When a neighborhood painter recognizes Leland's gifts as an artist, Leland grows more confident about the world as he uniquely sees it. And when his family's cat goes missing, it is Leland's keen observation skills that lead to finding him. Leland's newfound confidence helps him both confront and sympathize with his teacher, who only wishes Leland could be a bit more focused.
Inventors invent inventions! That's what Ben and his best friend Jack like to say. So when Ben discovers that Jack's family is planning to move to another city, he decides they should put their inventions to work. The boys figure that if no one buys Jack's house, Jack won't have to move away, so all they need is a plan to scare off potential buyers! Inventors are good at coming up with plans. But when Plans A, B and C fail to bring the results the boys had hoped for, Ben discovers that not everything in life stays the same-and that while change can be hard, sometimes it isn't all bad.
Jake, Tommy and Lexie are on a ski trip. In an attempt to squeeze one last run in for the day, the kids head out on their own to ski down Easy Street. But Lexie and Jake convince Tommy to try Wildcat Run instead. Wildcat Run presents the young skiers with more than they expect, including a cougar sighting. When Lexie has a bad fall, the kids are left stranded on the hill in the fading daylight. Will they be rescued or will they have to spend the night alone on the mountain with a cougar?
Shelley arrives at her aunt and uncle's cottage on Grey Rocks Lake and is excited to see her cousin Kyle. Her excitement quickly turns to disappointed when she discovers Kyle's friend Marcus is staying at the cottage too. Shelley feels left out of the boys' games. Then the fossil she found at the beach goes missing, and she thinks Marcus took it. But when Topper, Kyle's dog, loses her ball, Shelley and Marcus are given an opportunity to become friends.
Lawrence hates being teased about his dimples, but nothing he does seems to make any difference. Joe goes right on teasing him, and the teasing gets meaner and meaner. Finally, Lawrence notices something about his friend Stewart that may provide the tool he needs to tease-proof himself once and for all.
Googol and Googolplex are on a mission to learn about Earth by collecting a number of items including a blackbird's song, snowballs and a chocolate bar. Pippa and Troy are happy to help, especially when they get to ride to the North Pole in a spaceship. But when they return, Martin, the bully next-door, sees something that he shouldn't.
Kate and Jake have always been best friends; always, that is, until Jake's cousin, Lionel, moves nearby and Jake starts spending time with him instead. Kate struggles with his abandonment and her own loneliness as she seeks new friends that share her likes and dislikes. And, perhaps there is a place in her life for her old best friend after all.
Cheetah is the small spotted frog Amelia brings home in a macaroni container. Amelia longs to keep Cheetah forever, but over the course of a week, she comes to understand that his place is back in the wild. Cheetah is based on a true story, and all the characters are real.
Matthew lives in an orphanage. He wanted a dog. He received other gifts and things through the years - stuffed animals, toys, snails, even lice - but never a dog. One day Matthew was finally getting new parents, and what did the parents have for him - a dog.
Jake loves to hunt for treasure, so when the famous pirate Captain Kidd asks him to be his cabin boy, he can't refuse. But Jake soon learns that bringing home an invisible pirate can be a real disaster, particularly when the pirate is mortally terrified of his teenage sister. There are many rules of the sea, and Captain Kidd's own cabin boy, Richard Barleycorn, teaches Jake how to face his biggest fear, Boris Baxter, the meanest boy in the whole school.
Mommy, Daddy, and Dorothy's brother, Martin, all wear glasses. But not Dorothy. She knows that glasses make people see better, and she wants to see better, too. Never mind that she can see perfectly without them. She feels like an outsider in her own family, and so she draws glasses on her face and on all her toys. But when she tries on her Daddy's glasses, she gets a big surprise!
Nell makes two wishes on her birthday, but the next day they show little sign of coming true. Everyone in her household is busy and wants her out from underfoot and no one is willing to help her find her lost cat. In the end she finds more than a cat and she makes her own wishes come true with the help of a row of tall, bright, smiling sunflowers.
Kate is determined to win her spelling club's spelling bee, but the competition is fierce. She can almost put up with Violet's relentless claims of superior spelling ability, but when Kate and Jake begin to fight with each other, Kate is miserable. She wants to win the contest, but she doesn't want to lose her best friend.
Times are hard for Mommy, Daddy, and Ivan. They live in a tiny apartment and only have room for an imaginary dog, Ronny, who behaves badly--especially at night. They love him, anyway. One day they are able to move to a larger apartment and have room for The Real Ronny! A real dog! He's wonderful, of course. And they love him. But sometimes you can't help missing the things you left behind.
Michael Maxwell McCallum lives in a world just like ours, but peopled by superheroes. When Michael's hero, Perfect Man, quits his job without warning, Michael isn't worried. He knows that Perfect Man will come back. He always does. So that September, when a new teacher shows up in his classroom, a teacher with a number of special powers, Michael figures it out right away. Mr. Clark is Perfect Man. Mr. Clark doesn't say yes and he doesn't say no to Michael's endless questions, but he does encourage Michael to find his own super powers.
Her best friend has moved far away to another country. She is still her best friend. They call, write letters, think about each other, remember each other's favorite food and plan one day to visit.
Mary wants to play with her friends Clara and Ana, but they're playing with their dolls, and Mary doesn't have a doll. Her mother suggests that she make one using wool and cotton and other things that they have around the house. So Mary makes a beautiful doll, but then she realizes: Her doll has to breathe, and how will it sneeze? What can she use for her lovely doll's nose?
Her really good friend has moved far away to another country. What to do now? How can they stay friends without seeing each other? They learn that there is friendship in thinking about each other, in writing to each other, in remembering each others' favorite things, but most of all: it is in the heart.
Matthew wanted only one thing on Earth: a dog. He lived in a children's home, and they weren't allowed to have a real dog. The toy dog he got for Christmas was broken; the other animals he tried out as pets didn't live up to his expectations. He never ever thought about wanting a Mother or a Father, but one day when a couple comes to adopt him - he decides to keep an open mind!
Zulaa is her best friend. Everyday after kindergarten she plays with Zulaa and her wonderful collection of dolls. Her favorite doll is named Bat and one day she brings Bat home with her and wants to keep it. But Zulaa is sad and misses Bat terribly. Will Bat be returned to Zulaa and will the importance of friendship be learned?
Moush is having a bad day. His sister yelled at him and his mother scolded him, so he hides in the closet and decides to run away from home. He begins to prepare by collecting things to take with him: his favorite coat, his schoolbag. But can he take from his home everything he would like to have with him?
A young narrator wonders what his parents do at work all day, and why they come home too tired to play or read stories. When they tell him, he decides that he will work, too, reminding his parents of the importance of fun.
Moush is having a bad day, so while hiding in the closet he decides to run away. During his preparations he remembers all the good things in his world and how important a place he has in it.
Mommy, Daddy, and Dorothy's brother, Martin, all wear glasses. But not Dorothy. She knows that glasses make people see better, and she wants to see better, too. Never mind that she can see perfectly without them. She feels like an outsider in her own family, and so she draws glasses on her face and on all her toys. But when she tries on her Daddy's glasses, she gets a big surprise!
Zulaa is her best friend. Everyday after kindergarten she plays with Zulaa and her wonderful collection of dolls. Her favorite doll is named Bat and one day she brings Bat home with her and wants to keep it. But Zulaa is sad and misses Bat terribly. Will she return Bat to Zulaa and learn the importance of friendship?
