Animal Friendships

When Willa's upside-down magic rains, it pours. Clouds form under ceilings. Classrooms get flooded. Umbrellas must always be nearby, just in case Willa has an outburst. Willa hates being the source of such sogginess. Even worse, the more she rains, the worse she feels.... and the worse she feels, the more she rains. All the storminess is threatening to drown her good grades and flood all her friendships. Is there any way to use magic to make the clouds disappear? Or is the storm of the century on its way?

After Arthur calls Francine a marshmallow, she refuses to speak to him. Then Mr. Ratburn pairs them up for a homework project. They reluctantly go to the library for research and, when the library closes, find themselves locked in. Will Arthur and Francine set aside their differences and work together to find a way out?

This collection includes Hannah Honeypaw's Forgetful Day, Freya Snufflenose's Lost Laugh, Lottie Littlestripe's Midnight Plan, Matilda Fluffywing Helps Out and Maisie Dappletrot Saves the Day.

Lucy Callahan was struck by lightning. She doesn't remember it, but it changed her life forever. The zap gave her genius-level math skills, and ever since, Lucy has been homeschooled. Now, at 12 years old, she's technically ready for college. She just has to pass one more test: middle school! Lucy's grandma insists: Go to middle school for one year. Make one friend. Join one activity. And read one book (that's not a math textbook!). Lucy's not sure what a girl who does calculus homework for fun can possibly learn in seventh grade.

Ricky Ricotta loves his mighty robot. They do everything together, but it's sometimes hard for a small mouse to have such a big buddy! If only the mighty robot could find someone his own size to play with, Ricky might finally have some fun by himself. Little does Ricky know, his wish is about to come true. Evil Uncle Unicorn has a top-secret plan to trap the mighty robot so that he can take over Earth, and he's got a giant surprise in store. Once again, it's up to Ricky to save the planet - and his best friend!

Understanding someone who belongs to another species can be transformative. No one knows this better than author, naturalist, and adventurer Sy Montgomery. To research her books, Sy has traveled the world and encountered some of the planet's rarest and most beautiful animals. From tarantulas to tigers, Sy's life continually intersects with and is informed by the creatures she meets. This restorative memoir reflects on the personalities and quirks of 13 animals - Sy's friends - and the truths revealed by their grace.

Cecilia Murray has been wishing for a dog for as long as she can remember. And when a cute pug named Potato is brought in to Orphan Paws, the shelter where she volunteers, she knows he is the dog she's been waiting for. There's just one problem: Eric Chung - a popular, arrogant boy from school - adopts Potato first. What's worse, he hopes to train the little tater to become a show-dog superstar.

To some kids, Amelia's life sounds like the ultimate fantasy. She and her brothers are homeschooled by their adventurous parents, and the family travels around the country in an RV, scaling mountains, rappelling down canyons, and skiing down double black diamond slopes.There's just one problem - Amelia didn't inherit the family's daredevil gene. She's terrified of heights and would give anything to be reading instead of careening down a mountain. She's also desperate for the chance to attend a regular school and make real friends.

At last, Henry Huggins's father has promised to take him fishing, on one condition. Henry's dog, Ribsy, has been in all sorts of trouble lately, from running off with the neighbor's barbecue roast to stealing a policeman's lunch. To go on the fishing trip, Henry must keep Ribsy out of trouble -- no chasing cats, no digging up lawns...and no getting anywhere near little Ramona Quimby, the pest of Klickitat Street.

Good ol' Ribsy's ever-curious mind has always gotten him into trouble, but this time he may have gone too far. After a comical turn of events, Ribsy finds himself in the wrong station wagon with the wrong children. Ribsy will do anything to find Henry, but there's plenty of excitement to be had along the way - and scoring a touchdown for a local high school team is only part of the fun!

After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy was a rare jellyfish sting. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory - even if it means traveling the globe alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door.

When their whale-watching trip goes horribly wrong, Skylar, Gabby, and Miles find themselves on an inflatable raft in the middle of the ocean. With no food, a small amount of water, and only a small first-aid kit to help them, they must spend three treacherous days on the waves, hoping desperately for help to arrive.

Meet one funny dog - Enzo, the lovable mutt who tells this story. Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: most dogs love to chase cars, but Enzo longs to race them. He learns about racing and the world around him by watching TV and by listening to the words of his best friend, Denny, an up-and-coming race car driver, and his daughter, Zo; his constant companion. Enzo finds that life is just like being on the racetrack - it isn't simply about going fast. And, applying the rules of racing to his world, Enzo takes on his family's challenges and emerges a hero.

Frog and Toad are always together. Here are five wonderful stories about flowers, cookies, bravery, dreams, and, most of all, friendship.

In this second book, Stick Dog is at it again - and he's hungrier than ever. He and his four friends, Poo-Poo, Mutt, Stripes, and Karen, must execute a master plan to steal some hot dogs. But the closer they get to the hot-dog vendor, the more obstacles they meet...

Leroy Ninker has a hat, a lasso, and boots. What he doesn't have is a horse - until he meets Maybelline, that is, and then it's love at first sight. Maybelline loves spaghetti and sweet nothings, and she loves Leroy, too. But when Leroy forgets the third and final rule of caring for Maybelline, disaster ensues. Can Leroy wrestle fate to the ground, rescue the horse of his heart, and lasso loneliness for good?

Dogs keep us company, provide unconditional love, and share in the ups and downs of our lives. They see every day as an adventure. You'll love these 101 dog tales of family, friendship, and fun. How do dogs do it? Even non-"dog people" fall under their spell. Our dogs make us better people. If we rescued them, they rescue us back. If we're sad, they comfort us. If we need to have more fun, they show us how. They are our therapists, our role models, and our best friends.

Victoria Secord, a 14-year-old Alaskan dogsled racer, loses her way on a routine outing with her dogs. With food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods is entirely up to her. The author Terry Lynn Johnson is a musher herself, and her crackling writing puts listeners at the reins as Victoria and Chris experience setbacks, mistakes, and small triumphs in their wilderness adventure.

Springtime has arrived at Silverlake Forest! Buds are blooming on trees and the air smells of honeysuckles. Sophie Mouse can't wait to go back to school after the long winter break. But she and her friends are in for a surprise when they learn that they're getting a new classmate . . . and he's a snake! The animals have only heard about snakes in scary stories. Will Sophie overcome her fears and befriend Owen, the snake? Or are the rumors true, after all?

Meet Bear. He's exhausted. All he wants is to go to sleep. Meet Duck, Bear's persistent next-door neighbor. All he wants is to hang out...with Bear.