Family Chapter

Juana’s life is just about perfect. She lives in the beautiful city of Bogotá with her two most favorite people in the world: her mami and her dog, Lucas. Lately, though, things have become a little less perfect. Mami has a new hairdo and a new amigo named Luis with whom she has been spending a LOT of time. He is kind and teaches Juana about things like photography and jazz music, but sometimes Juana can’t help wishing things would go back to the way they were before.

Timmy is a pine tree. His one goal is to become someone's Christmas tree. Every year, he sees other trees picked, but not him. People don't seem to notice that Timmy is special, until a little girl finds Timmy and insists that he is the only Christmas tree for their family. A fun, family Christmas story.

Nick and Teresa live on the beautiful garden island of Kaua'i. One particular day, the children's parents take them to the beach for a day of fun. They build a sandcastle and Nick decides to pretend that he is a king…in fact, king of the whole beach. His little sister, Teresa, uses her imagination to help his pretending seem more real. A story of imagination and cooperation.

The award winning King of the Beach is joined in this compilation by 4 other stories by Mark Huff: The Sheltering Place, Bernard the St. Bernard, Timmy the Tiny Christmas Tree, and The Toy. Five great stories for kids in one package...stories of sharing, cooperation and imagination and family values.

Nick and Teresa from King of the Beach are back. When their father builds them a play house in the backyard and the children fight over it, Dad feels the kids need a lesson in sharing, so he tells them a story about 3 animals that live in a beautiful valley in the middle of their garden island of Kaua'i. Dad's story is about Pua'a the Pig, Kao the Goat and Moa the Rooster…and how they solved their selfishness problem. A story of sharing and the importance of friends and family.

Luke and Lucy's parents threaten to sell their golden retriever, Pistachio, since they don't take care of her as they promised. As soon as their parents' car is out of sight, Luke, Lucy and Pistachio go into the garage. Luke begins painting big white letters on a piece of dark cardboard: Parents for Sale.

Nick and Teresa's family are getting boxes out of the attic as they get ready to decorate for Christmas. They find an old, dusty box that no one remembers… until they open it and Dad remembers one of his childhood Christmases. The surprise in the box and the song that goes along with it make for very special holiday as Dad shares his favorite childhood toy with his children. A story of family and Christmas wonder.

Your life is a story, and it’s yours to write, all the way through to the end. There are numerous decisions to be made regarding aging, illness, and end-of-life issues, but many people put off those decisions until it’s too late. We may be purposeful in planning for our lives, but we often leave the last piece, the final chapter, undefined.

Enjoy over 180 mind-blowing fun facts and 200 trivia questions about animals! Both kids and adults will be entertained for hours. We have discovered over two million species of animals on Earth! Each and every animal plays a crucial part in taking care of our planet. From the spiders in our homes to the blue whales in the ocean, every species is like a puzzle piece that fits together to create our home, planet Earth. Our trivia and fun facts will teach you everything you need to know. We share our planet with so many incredible creatures, and we still have so much more to discover!

Arthur decides to make Mother and Father special Christmas cookies as a present. But when the cookies are finally finished, they are hard as rocks! Can Arthur think of a way to turn this disaster into the best Christmas present ever?

No one thinks one or two snowflakes will amount to anything. Not the man with the hat or the lady with the umbrella. Not even the television or the radio forecasters. But one boy and his dog have faith that the snow will amount to something spectacular, and when flakes start to swirl down on the city, they are also the only ones who know how to truly enjoy it.

Heidi is the story of a five-year-old orphan who goes to live with her grandfather in the mountains. Everyone in the village is afraid of him, but Heidi soon wins his heart. She loves her life and her friendship with the young goatherd, Peter. But one terrible day her aunt takes her to the city to help take care of a sickly child, Clara. Heidi can't bear to be away from her grandfather and finally, she brings Clara back to her Alpine home, where a miracle of healing occurs. Retold from the original by Sally Grindley.

Fatherhood is about loving, living, and learning alongside your kids. AND playing with them. If you don't like to play, learn! Kids are fun teachers; ask them how to play. It is important that you do not shut them down.

Whitney Wallace loves her family, but she thinks they're all soooooo boring. Then one snowy day, something happens, and Whitney is left to go off on adventures all by herself. What will she discover that wonderful snowy day combined with her active imagination?

John the farmer felt it was time to retire so he has a family reunion with a most shocking surprise.

Josh Higgins has an alien gizmo that lets him think his way to other planets - and he does not want to use it. But his sister Maggie won't stop bugging him, so he agrees to an off-world vacation. Josh dreams up a planet full of blue oceans, white beaches, and sunny weather. And he prepares for everything...well, almost. A parade of cranky creatures soon spoil Josh and Maggie's perfect getaway - including a one-horned beast, a sharp-toothed sea princess, and a two-tailed monkey.

Josh Higgins and his sister, Maggie, have vowed not to use the alien gizmo that lets them visit other worlds. But when Josh's favorite writer comes to town, the temptation is too much. Along with famous author P. L. Cuthbertson, Josh and Maggie prepare to visit the land of Cuthbertson's books: Wyrd World. As soon as the crew arrives, some of Wyrd World's thuggish locals mistake P. L. for a wizard - and that's not a good thing. Josh and Maggie begin a rescue mission, sneaking through fortresses and dungeons.

Josh Higgins loves to make up stories about other planets. At least he thought he was making them up. After Josh publishes his first book, sinister blue aliens visit Earth! Josh quickly learns that the worlds he wrote about in his stories are way too real. The outer space thugs take Josh and his kid sister, Maggie, all the way to the desert planet Yastol. And when Josh and Maggie refuse to aid the blue guys, a chase begins across Yastol's harsh landscape. Will the help of the planet's brave Prince Izor be enough to save Yastol from the bad blue aliens?

Amber Brown is in deep trouble. Lately, no matter what she does, it isn't enough. She straightens up her room - sort of. She does her homework - well, most of it. And she agrees to meet Max, her mother's new boyfriend - but she doesn't agree to like him. Now her mother is angry, her teacher wants all of her homework, and Max keeps trying to make her laugh.

Is Amber Brown ready for fourth grade? She has new sneakers, new notebooks and pencils, but she doesn't have what she really needs - a new best friend. How can Amber go fourth without one? Who will be Amber's best friend?