Family Reader

In this heartwarming sequel to Laurel Snyder's beginning chapter book Charlie & Mouse, the two brothers enjoy a special visit from their grandpa, Grumpy. Follow along as they discuss being medium, pounce each other, sing the wrong songs, build blanket forts, and more. This touching, funny celebration of imagination and bonding will enchant listeners young and old.

When Posey's grandpa announces that he's marrying Posey's neighbor, Mrs. Romero, Posey is thrilled! She loves Mrs. Romero and she's going to be the flower girl! But then she learns that Mrs. Romero will be moving away, and her dog Hero, too. That is just about the worst news ever and Posey wants nothing to do with the wedding. Now no one is happy. Then Mrs. Romero has an idea - what if Hero stays with Posey? Posey jumps at the idea, but it turns out that makes Hero even more miserable than she was.

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.

What does a little bear wear as he dances and plays his way through a sunny summer day? Young listeners will be fascinated as John McDonough's upbeat narration perfectly delivers this book's lilting, musical rhyme and joyful, exuberant rhythm that make Jesse Bear's day a pleasure for everyone.

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.

This story is a gem representing the delightful stories from the Indian subcontinent which capture the simple essence of everyday life in India. The simple pleasures of life indicate a time gone by before the advent of cellphones and Facebook, a time which almost stood still, a time when children could revel in the rain, make paper boats and race them down a drain, play marbles and generally pass time.

Cam Jansen and her friend Eric are spending the day at the amusement park. They take Cam’s aunt and uncle with them through the scary haunted house. Plastic skeletons hang from the ceiling. A large black form jumps out of the shadows of a dark room. Everyone has a wonderful time until they get hungry and thirsty. When Cam’s aunt tries to pay for some snacks, she discovers her wallet is no longer in her purse. Will Cam be able to solve the mystery of the missing wallet with her amazing photographic memory?

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.

This is the charming story of a small girl and the family members she lives with, as she playfully charts them just the way a child learning to count might do.

This story is a gem representing the delightful stories from the Indian subcontinent which capture the simple essence of everyday life in India. The simple pleasures of life indicate a time gone by before the advent of cellphones and Facebook, a time which almost stood still, a time when children could revel in the rain, make paper boats and race them down a drain, play marbles and generally pass time.

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.

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 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?

Brandon and his brother Riley want to surprise their mom on her birthday. They bake a cake and even make a piñata! They also make a mess. What will Brandon pick for his mom's present? Find out the many ways people celebrate their birthdays.

One beautiful autumn day, Art sets out with his mother and grandfather for a fishing trip. Fishing days are Art’s favorite. He loves learning the ropes from Grandpa - the different kinds of flies and tackle and the trout that frequent their favorite river. Art especially appreciates Grandpa’s stories. But, this time, hearing the story about Mom’s big catch on her first cast ever makes Art feel insecure about his own fishing skills. But, as Art hooks a beautiful brown trout, he finds reassurance in Grandpa’s stories and marvels in the sport and a day spent with family.

Part-inventor, part-dentist, robot builder, and scientist, nine-year-old Matty Bratty just might be a misunderstood genius. Matty Bratty Robots is the hilarious, clever tale of a boy who flunked third grade but is confident enough to think that he can be a scientist. After all, Albert Einstein is his pen pal, although Albert never writes back to Matty. When Matty builds some robots in his bedroom closet science lab, chaos happens.

Grandpa's trees can grow all sorts of fun things! With easy-to-understand text, emergent listeners will learn about different kinds of trees. Pairs with nonfiction title Parts of a Tree.

Newbery Medal winner Cynthia Rylant pens the enchanting tale of Whistler and Lila’s adventures during the low tide of the full moon. The mice children set off to meet new creatures before the tide comes back in and washes the creatures back to sea. Suddenly, a young octopus named Cleo startles the children, but the three soon become good friends. Yet as the tide comes back in, Lila discovers her feet are stuck in the mud. Will Cleo be able to help her in time and save the day?