Animal Friendships

Homing pigeon Homer and his parrot friend Lulu learn something is afoul when they witness four-legged criminals stealing valuables from both the animal and human communities. Lulu and Homer track down the bandits, but need human help to stop them for good. Can they lead their human keepers to the culprits’ hideout and stop the thieves? Award-winning author-illustrator Henry Cole offers a fun, action-packed middle grade mystery that will keep listeners guessing if the crime-solving pigeon will get his guy

Twelve-year-old Epic McDade isn't ready for middle school. He'd rather help out at his family's dog-friendly bed-and-breakfast all summer or return to his alternative elementary school in the fall, where learning feels safe. But change comes in all shapes and fur colors. When Carmelito, California, is named America's number one dog-friendly town, all the top dogs and their owners pour into Epic's sleepy seaside neighborhood for a week of celebration.

Ellie is the rudest, most spoilt child her grandma has ever met and it's time that she learnt a lesson! So with a little bit of magic and some help from Jolly the cat, Grandma's going to make sure that Ellie changes her ways. Can Ellie work hard to prove that she can be good? Or is she destined to spend the rest of her days trapped in the body of a mean old cat?

Nell is not happy about spending her school vacation with relatives she doesn't know. Expecting nothing more than silly little cousins and boring farm life, she sneaks along a special suitcase that once belonged to her father. In it, she knows, are the parts of a music box and 16 miniature painted horses, and she thinks maybe she can fit them all back together. But the countryside has unexpected surprises. When a half-wild and mysterious girl named Angel steals Nell's suitcase, the two girls are united in an adventure of Angel's devising.

An abandoned calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the achingly lonely howl of a chained up, abused hound dog deep in the bayou. She dares to find him in the forest and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this feline, this creature he is supposed to hate. They are an unlikely pair, about to become an unlikely family.

Welcome to the Puppy Place! Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. Their family fosters these young dogs, giving them love and proper care, until they can find the perfect forever home. Barkley takes Lizzies breath away... literally! Barkley, the Great Pyrenees, is a ball of energy, and far too big for the apartment he has been living in. Lizzie does her best to teach him manners, but she can't make him smaller! Then Lizzie stumbles on what just might be the perfect place for this protective, patient pup. Can Lizzie help Barkley get settled in his dream home?

When Agent Meow (also known as Pete the Cat) discovers an empty alien spaceship and accidentally launches into space, what else will he find? Early learners will love blasting off with Agent Meow in this otherworldly adventure!

Stick Dog and his team of strays are off on another outrageous canine caper. To snatch some breakfast treats for his hungry pals, Stick Dog will need to stop a moving truck, outfox a man on a telephone pole, and calm down a very caffeinated Karen. But that's not all. He'll also need to manage the greatest confrontation in history when his good friend, Poo-Poo, comes face to face with the ultimate enemy - a squirrel.

Traditional values abound in these hilarious stories from Appalachia: friendship, family, orderliness, humor, and delight in an especially inventive practical joke. In "Rainy Weather", a hound dog with more heart than sense wins everyone's admiration. "Uncle Frank Learns to Speak Polish" finds Davis' famous Uncle Frank making the most of a little foreign language. And, in "Uncle Frank Clean Up the Post Office", cleanliness is next to godliness, and it's also next to hilarity.

She was a perfect baby, and she had a perfect name. Chrysanthemum. When she was old enough to appreciate it, Chrysanthemum loved her name. And then she started school. "I'm named after my grandmother," said Victoria. "You're named after a flower." Chrysanthemum wilted. Life at school didn't improve. In fact, it got worse. Then the students were introduced to their music teacher, Mrs. Twinkle. Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle. And suddenly, Chrysanthemum blossomed...

A hilarious and satisfying tale of literacy, dental hygiene, and friendship from David Elliott that is sure to have listeners in stitches from start to finish. Baabwaa is a sheep who loves to knit. Wooliam is a sheep who loves to read. It sounds a bit boring, but they like it. Then, quite unexpectedly, a third sheep shows up - a funny-looking sheep who wears a tattered wool coat and has long, dreadfully decaying teeth.

Twelve-year-old Grace is desperate for a puppy. All she wants is someone to love - and to love her back. Someone who’ll make her new stepfather’s house feel like home. Christmas morning, Grace springs out of bed hopeful that her dreams are about to come true. But the present that awaits her isn’t soft and furry. It’s not a puppy at all - it’s a pig.

Pete and his friends are so excited because it’s pizza day at school! But before they can enjoy their delicious meal, they notice a peculiar smell. Pete and his friends decide to investigate. They suspect it could be rotten radishes, stinky socks, or trash from the dumpsters. But after checking the salad bar, gym, and playground they still can’t find the source of the smell. Will Pete and his friends ever track down the stink?

Grownups make no sense at all. They’re nuts about babies, but they tell their 9-year-olds to be more mature. They complain constantly about how old they are, and then they tell their kids to grow up. So when Iggy’s mom and dad say he can’t have a puppy because he’s not mature and responsible, Iggy develops an excellent plan to prove them wrong. Like any great plan, it involves secrecy, strategy, and a chinchilla. There’s also some screaming, but that’s not Iggy’s fault.

Welcome back to Storm Cliff Stables! Ainsley, Cassidy, Khadija, and Ryleigh, the Four Horsekateers, can’t wait to start their next summer at horse camp. Through funny, realistic dialogue, readers get to know each of the girls’ distinct personalities and the unique horses they care for. Whether dreaming of the Olympics, sharing culture and tradition with her campmates, striving to reach personal goals at Storm Cliff, or hiding a major secret of her own, these girls bring out the best in each other as their friendships grow.

Eleven-year-old Jake’s life has just turned upside-down. His father was wounded in Afghanistan, and his mother is going to leave to care for him. That means Jake’s spending the summer on tiny Dewees Island with his grandmother. The island is a nature sanctuary - no cars or paved roads, no stores or restaurants. To make matters worse, Jake’s grandmother doesn’t believe in cable or the internet. Which means Jake has no cell phone, no video games...and no friends. This is going to be the worst summer ever!

Ever since Stella was a puppy, she was trained to use her powerful beagle nose to sniff out chemicals used in explosives and warn her human handler in order to keep people safe. But during a routine security inspection, Stella is distracted and misses the scent of an explosive chemical. The sound of the blast is loud and scary. Stella survives, but her handler is gone. Stella blames herself, certain she’s a bad dog. Scared of loud noises, especially thunder and fireworks, Stella struggles with her anxiety and must be retired from being a service animal.

With over-the-top fun and humor, this scrumptious story features Tom Watson’s trademark laughs, adventure, and hilarious stick-figure drawings, perfect for fans of the Stick Dog, Big Nate, Timmy Failure, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Stick Cat is going somewhere he’s never been before—his best friend Edith’s apartment. It’s got everything: donut crumbs in the sink, a fire escape, and a window with a great view of the big city. While admiring the view, Stick Cat sees trouble. Hazel, the bagel maker, is in serious danger in the building across the alley. Stick Cat will use his smarts—and Edith’s appetite—to devise a rescue plan. But can Hazel hang on long enough for this dynamic duo to save her? Even reluctant readers gobble up the Stick Cat and Stick Dog books!

It's a bright and beautiful spring day, and Pearl, a pig, is dawdling on her way home from school. Most unexpectedly, she strikes up an acquaintance with a small bone. Pearl and the bone immediately take a liking to each other, and before you know it she is on her way home with the bone in her purse, left open so they can continue their conversation. Won't her parents be surprised when she introduces her talking bone!

Peppa Pig is going to her very first sleepover at Zoe Zebra's house. Suzy Sheep, Rebecca Rabbit, and Emily Elephant will all be there! But with so much slumber party excitement, will Peppa and her friends be able to fall asleep?