Animal Chapter

Ugly Cat was supposed to meet up with his brother Tamarindo so that they could go on a search for the best albondigas (meatballs) in the neighborhood, but then Tamarindo never showed up! Now Ugly Cat and his impeccably dressed mouse friend, Pablo, are on a mission to find Ugly's brother. But when all signs are pointing to the haunted Old Herrera House, can they figure out a way to sneak in, rescue Tamarindo, and make it out in one piece?

The two things that Wilson Williams likes best about third grade are drawing and taking care of the class pet, Squiggles the hamster. What he likes the least are timed multiplication tests. Why think about all those numbers when he could be drawing pictures of Squiggles? With gentle humor, Claudia Mills works through a common childhood problem to a surprising resolution.

Siblings Benjamin and Lucy are nature enthusiasts who embark on a family trip to New York City. They soon discover that the city wildlife is just as fun and diverse as the animals back home in the Florida Everglades.

A boxful of puzzles. A booby-trapped tunnel. A baby squirrel gone missing. Pibbin needs a team for this one!

Celia Willow is the baby of the family, and she’s sick of it. She's sick of being younger and smaller. She's sick of never being taken seriously. So when Celia's hamster surprises the Willows with his wish-granting powers, she blurts out her deepest desire. The problem? Celia didn't exactly wish to be furry. Her big brothers and sister can't let their parents see her like this, but they only have one night to fix things. How can Abner, Tate, and Derek reverse something as powerful as hamster magic...before breakfast?

Lollipop is no ordinary pig. According to her young owner Johnny Skinner, she's the cleverest pig in the whole kingdom. When people stare into Lollipop's eyes, it seems to change them for the better. But will Lollipop win over spoilt Princess Penelope?

When Grampa's friend drops off his chicken, Malicia, at the Bed and Biscuit for a well-earned vacation, Ernest the mini-pig is determined to put aside his dislike for chickens and be a good host. But Malicia is no ordinary chicken: she’s magic! And she seems determined to use her magic to make the animals miserable. Together with Gabby the mynah bird, Milly the cat, and Sir Walter the Scottish terrier, Ernest must figure out a way to get Grampa to see how awful Malicia really is - before she does something truly terrible!

We love Pig (we can't help it), but Pig loves Farmer, and he can't help it either. After all, Farmer gives Pig yummy slops and special back scratches, and calls him Sausage and seems to love him more, the fatter he gets. Just as well Pig doesn't speak any Farmer. But Duck does (Duck's clever like that), and he's determined his best friend should know the truth. This is tough for Pig. But Pig won't just sit there and weep (though we may do, on his behalf), because there's help from an unexpected quarter: the Evil Chickens have a plan....

They've signed the permission slips, the bus has finally arrived, and everyone has their imaginary imagination caps…but this year they'll also magically travel to France and find themselves at a famous modern art museum in Paris, the Pompidou Center to discover that an art thief has returned!

Animals keep asking for help, but Big Bear doesn't care. What will happen when Big Bear needs help? Engaging text and a reading comprehension activity makes this story perfect for emerging learners.

Dot and Dan are two mice trying to get some cheese. Will they get it? The pair go on a trip. Will there be cheese on their trip? These fun stories engage emerging listeners.

Children will love learning to read with this New York Times-bestselling picture book—adapted for audio—starring an irresistible dog named Rocket and his teacher, a little yellow bird. Follow along as Rocket masters the alphabet, sounds out words, and finally . . . learns to read all on his own!

Rocket, the beloved dog from the New York Times bestselling picture books How Rocket Learned to Read and Rocket Writes a Story, is back in a Step 1 leveled reader—adapted for audio. Rocket is ready to find new words for his word tree with his teacher, the little yellow bird. He finds a leaf, a hat, and a star . . . but when he finds a red boot, he doesn’t want to let go. What will make Rocket drop it?

A dog needs to be walked, brushed, and fed. Early listeners can explore ways to care for a pet in this easily accessible text. Pairs with the fiction book My Pet.

Pinkalicious and Peter get a big surprise when their foster cat has kittens! Caring for six rambunctious kittens is a huge challenge. Will Pinkalicious and Peter be able to convince Mommy and Daddy to let them keep them?

One day on a hike, Fenway finally convinces Hattie to take off his leash so he can run free with other dogs, and as always, keep his humans safe from any squirrels. He can’t wait to tell all his friends at home that he officially doesn’t need a leash anymore! But the next time Fenway runs free on a hike, things don't go so well. Instead of coming back when Hattie calls, Fenway chases one more squirrel and then Hattie gets lost. Of course Fenway finds her again, but he resolves to keep that leash nearby so that she won't wander off again.

Swimming is easy for Teensie. Not so much for Melinda and her father. While they discuss the difficulties they are having with their scuba lessons, he must advocate for himself to get out of the plastic baggie and into a proper travel tank. This short story is Season 1 Episode 3 of Tales from the Tank—short stories that take place within the full-size novels. Season 1 matches up with Book 1 of the Melinda series, Melinda and Her Father Go Scuba Diving.

Usually Fenway has a great time visiting Nana with his short human, Hattie. But this time is very different—a bird is living inside Nana's house. And it speaks human! Fenway doesn't know how any of this happened, but he vows to keep Hattie safe from that bird, Merlin. Except Hattie wants them to be friends. Fenway can't believe that could even be possible, but when Merlin gets upset and Fenway realizes what's wrong, it turns out that a bird and a dog can understand each other.

Stefan wants to get Avry the most perfect, most thoughtful, and most unique birthday gift—something special that you can’t find in a store, something really, truly magical. Something that can only be found in a magical forest. Stefan decides to ignore the warnings about a magical troll that lives in the woods and ends up being captured! Avry, Marshmallow the Magical Cat, and Shadow the Dog must go on a quest to help rescue him. Throughout the story, they learn that courage and fear can go hand in hand and that the power of love and friendship is strong enough to inspire action.

Meet Avry, a super-special, sensitive little girl who finds her best friend at the local animal shelter. Avry lives in a beautiful farmhouse and loves being close to nature. She’s a little quirky, with a touch of hypersensitivity, and has an incredibly active imagination with a magical view of the world. Avry’s story begins when she goes to the local animal shelter to adopt her first pet. She comes across a bright orange cat with a twinkle of magic in his vivid green eyes. Avry knew in an instant that they belonged together. This magical kitty introduced himself as Marshmallow.