Farm Life Fiction

J.J. Tully is a former search-and rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing daring missions saving lives. So he's not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar (who look like popcorn on legs) and their chicken mom show up demanding his help to track down their missing siblings. But driven by the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. begins to track down clues.

After the death of her father, sixteen-year-old Iris Wight is uprooted from her hometown in Maine and sent to live on a farm with her hard-bitten aunt Sue and her hulking, monosyllabic cousin, Book. Immediately, Iris, a vegetarian and animal lover, clashes with Aunt Sue, who mistreats her livestock, fritters away Iris' small inheritance, and thinks nothing of striking Iris for the smallest offense. Grief-stricken and alone, Iris finds solace in her aunt’s herd of goats. But when Iris sets two of the young goats free to save them from slaughter, the tensions between her and Aunt Sue come to a frightening and violent head.

On the farm where Otis the tractor lives, it hasn't rained in a long time, and farmers all over the valley have grown anxious, with water in such short supply. One hot afternoon, when Otis and his friends are resting beneath the shade of the apple tree, Otis spots something moving down in the valley: an orange tabby cat headed straight for the old barn. But then Otis sees something else that causes his engine to sputter...a swirl of smoke coming from the same barn. A fire!

Jo-Jo is a very unhappy donkey who carries melons to the markets of Venice, Italy, every day, until his friendship with the daughter of the Doge leads him to become a hero.

Fans love Erica Silverman’s touching series featuring an industrious young cowgirl and her mischievous horse. Spring is bringing about many changes on the ranch. New little critters are popping up all over the place and they’re going to need someone to take care of them. Kate’s just the girl for the job, but Cocoa isn’t sure he wants any new friends. So Kate teaches her best buddy a few lessons about playing nice and doing what’s right.

Life was good. Muy bien. Life was perfect. Until when.... Craaack.... the Chickies have a new brother!

Grampa Bender couldn’t run the Bed and Biscuit animal boardinghouse without the help of Ernest the mini-pig, Gabby the Vietnamese mynah bird, and his young cat, Milly. These three animals think of themselves as Grampa’s family, and they have always assumed he felt the same way.

Ever since Unicorn moved into the neighborhood, Goat has been feeling out of sorts. Goat thought his bike was cool--until he saw that Unicorn could "fly" to school! Goat made marshmallow squares that almost came out right, but Unicorn made it rain cupcakes! Unicorn is such a show-off, how can Goat compete? When Goat and Unicorn share a piece of pizza, Goat learns that being a unicorn might not be all it's cracked up to be. And when Unicorn shows his admiration for Goat, it looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Charlie the Ranch Dog may have met his match in Mr. Rabbit, a sneaky ranch animal that steals from Mama's garden. Charlie tries to think up ways to stop the rabbit from eating up all the yummy carrots, but Mr. Rabbit always seems to be one step ahead!

Award-winning author Janice N. Harrington presents a book about a spunky girl with a bad habit. Meet the Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County. Almost the first thing she thinks about every morning is chasing the farm’s chickens. She sneaks up on them real slow, then...SQUAWK! But the Chicken-Chasing Queen is about to learn why the prettiest hen on the farm doesn’t want to get caught.

There's more trouble on the farm, but Duck has nothing to do with it, for once. This time the trouble is a four-ounce puff of fluff who just won't go to sleep, and whose play-with-me peeps are keeping the whole barnyard awake with him. How do you get a baby duck to hit the hay? Poor Farmer Brown will find out - and Duck might just find himself in trouble after all.

Billy and Goat are best friends, but they have different styles. Billy likes to smell the roses - Goat likes to eat them! So it's no surprise that they have different ideas of how to enjoy the state fair. For Billy the crowds and the noise are pretty intimidating. He's happy to wait in the livestock pens until the best goat contest begins. But Goat's not one to sit when he could run. Faster than you can say butter sculpture, Goat's out of the pen and leading Billy on a merry chase. When Billy finally catches up to him, he's relieved but also amazed. The fair is awesome!

It sure is nice to be King of the Ranch. Just ask Charlie! His days are filled with belly rubs, bacon, and Mama's special tender loving care. But then his daily routine is interrupted when a new baby shows up! All of a sudden, everyone's attention is on her, and not on Charlie. They tuck her in, feed her dinner, and give her their tender loving care. What is a ranch dog to do?

The Bed and Biscuit animal boardinghouse has gone wild! Grampa Bender is temporarily caring for a wounded Canada goose, a cranky old muskrat, and two starving fox kits. Luckily Ernest, Grampa’s capable mini-pig, is there to encourage the other animals to be good hosts. But the visiting creatures are wild, not tame, and they all just want to go home! Despite the chaos, Ernest also takes on the training of Sir Walter the Scottie, the newest addition to Grampa’s blended animal family.

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!

In a story of perseverance and determination told with warmth and sparkling with humor, a short winter day finds Samuel and Papa walking a long road on Samuel's first trading trip. Meeting strangers, practicing good manners, and proud to be in Papa's company, Samuel watches and learns as Papa trades up from almost nothing to the milk cow Mama is yearning for. Simple text combines with vivid illustrations for a satisfying tale that will resonate with readers who enjoy an adventure with dad.

Amy suggests they take all of the good and shiny parts off Boris and put them on Hoss. They work all night, doing so. Hoss is ready for the parade. Boris sits in the barn and cries. He wishes he had worked as hard as Hoss. Everybody is excited to see Hoss pulling the apple cart in the parade.

Somewhere a bee makes a bed in a rose, because the bee knows day has come to a close. Nighttime blankets a little farm. An owl who-hoots. A bear curls up in a log. A mother fox calls her pups home to the den. But animals aren't the only ones preparing to rest.

Each of the Maguire brothers has his own driving, single-minded obsession. For Jonathan it is his magnificent, talented, and desirable wife, Harriet. For Roger it is the elaborate universe he has constructed in a shed in their parents' garden, populated by millions of tiny insects. While Jonathan's pursuit of Harriet leads him to feelings of jealousy and anguish, Roger's immersion in the world he has created reveals a capability and talent that are absent from his everyday life.

May Amelia lives in pioneer Washingon State in 1900, and she just can't act the part of a proper young lady. Working a farm on the rainy Nasel River isn't easy - especially when you have seven brothers and a Pappa who proclaims that Girls Are Useless. May Amelia thinks she may have finally earned her father's respect when he asks her to translate for a gentleman who's interested in buying their land and making them rich. But when the deal turns out to be a scam, Pappa places all the blame on May. It's going to take a lot of sisu - that's Finnish for guts - to make things right.