• Millie's garden does a lot more than just grow vegetables. - 09/01/2011

    Millie Matthews loved her neighborhood, but she didn’t love the way it looked. Bottles, papers, and tires were scattered everywhere. An old sofa squatted sadly in the vacant lot on the corner. She decided to do something about the mess. Millie had lots of friends. But when she asked them to help...

  • Lisa knows just how to keep Michael from missing her while she's at school. - 09/01/2011

    Michael stared at his cereal. He was so busy looking at his dish that he almost didn’t hear Mom say, “What’s wrong with you, Michael? You haven’t touched your breakfast.” Michael sighed. “Lisa is starting third grade today. Now I won’t have anyone to play with.” Just then Lisa came into the kitchen. “Lisa,...

  • A girl hopes and hopes that her father will take her fishing. - 09/01/2011

    My father never takes me fishing. Three months ago, when Grandpa went on a fishing trip to Alaska, my dad said he would take me fishing. “Maybe Monday night when I get home,” he said. But Monday night he had a meeting and didn’t get home until late. By then I couldn’t even care about fish. “Saturday,...

  • Can anyone save Matthew's Bunny Brown? Maybe Mr. Taylor can. - 09/01/2011

    Mr. Oliver had been a tailor all his life. Nothing pleased him more than to make just the right pants or vest or dress for someone. But then Mr. Oliver retired. Now that he stayed home every day, he couldn’t think of anything to do. One morning he stood by the front window and looked at his watch....

  • At her first recital, Michelle thinks she sees some friends in the audience--her stuffed animals! - 09/01/2011

    Michelle finished playing the last few bars of her minuet, then bowed to the stuffed animals on her bed. “There, three times in a row with no mistakes,” she said. “I just hope I can play it that well at the recital.” In just an hour she would be playing her first solo, and the thought was giving...

  • Emily gets a special birthday present from her family. - 09/01/2011

    “Emily, what would you like for your birthday?” Mom and Dad asked. “A baby doll!” yelled her sister Jill. “Roller skates!” cried her sister Beth. “A puppy dog!” shouted her brother, Sam. “A day,” Emily said to Mom and Dad. “A day for only me to be with you.” She loved her sisters and brother dearly,...

  • Tony is accident prone and his mother isn't laughing. - 09/01/2011

    The ball sailed up into the air, heading straight for the living-room window. Crash! “Oh no!” I groaned. “Tony!” Mom came running out of the house. “What happened?” “Well … I was kicking the ball around in the yard. I just wanted to see how far I could make it go, so I kicked it as hard as I could....

  • They came all the way from Russia. - 09/01/2011

    Sonya’s mama and papa came to America from Russia before she was born. When Sonya was a little girl, she loved to hear the story. “Papa’s brother was living in America,” her mama would tell her. “He wrote that it was easier to make a living in America. So we made up our minds to come here, too. “Your...

  • Despite disasters, Sarah builds a bird feeder for her grandfather. - 09/01/2011

    November Dear Grandpa, It’s awful that you broke your leg. Mom says you should move away from all that ice and snow, no matter how much you like Alaska. I sure don’t want you to break any more legs, but I hope you stay there till we come up to see you at Christmas. You said you wanted a bird feeder...

  • Lady Bird Johnson worked hard to beautify America's busy highways. - 09/01/2011

    Wildflowers in a mountain meadow are a gift of nature. But what about those wildflowers blooming along busy highways? Well, nature had a helper. As the wife of our thirty-sixth President, Lyndon B. Johnson, Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson wanted beauty to be a national priority. “Americans spend...

  • A change of plans changes Caroline's position in an important line. - 09/01/2011

    Caroline was eating her scrambled eggs too fast. “Don’t gobble, Caroline,” her mother said. “You have plenty of time. The movie doesn’t begin until ten o’clock.” It was Saturday morning, and Pinocchio was going to be shown at school. “But I have to be first in line,” said Caroline. “If I’m first,...

  • It's better to focus on the things you can do, instead of the things you can't do. - 09/01/2011

    Catherine sat on her bed with her chin in her hands. “Why aren’t you getting ready for Grandma’s birthday party?” asked Mother. “I can’t bake like Sylvia or knit like Anne,” Catherine grumbled. “They made good presents. All I made for her is a dumb card.” “It’s a lovely card. And no one can be...

  • Diana has a plan to make Christmas in Florida feel more like Christmas. - 09/01/2011

    Diana had to admit it. Wearing shorts and a summer shirt to shop for a Christmas tree was weird. Back in Minnesota everyone would be bundled up in winter coats and mittens. Christmas-tree lots would smell like Christmas, not like the beach. And there would be real snow on the trees, not this fake...

  • Elaine learns who her friends are when she moves. - 09/01/2011

    Elaine is sad. Elaine is going to move. “We’ll have a party for Elaine in school.” “We’ll have cake and ice cream.” “Everyone will bring Elaine a present.” “You’ll like your new home, Elaine.” “You’ll like your new school, Elaine.” “You’ll like all your new friends.” “And we will write...

  • The renowned poet Henry Wadworth Longfellow was respected by celebrities and scholars, but he was es - 09/01/2011

    A large chestnut tree once shaded a blacksmith forge on busy Brattle Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Every day as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow walked to work he passed that tree. Longfellow taught French, Italian, Spanish, and German at Harvard University, but he preferred writing poetry. One day...

  • Terry learns the secret of Hide and Seek. - 09/01/2011

    “Let’s play Hide and Seek,” Terry said to his big sister and brother one rainy afternoon. “Not It!” shouted Amy. “Not It!” shouted Spence. Terry sighed. “I’m always the first one to be It,” he said as he followed Amy and Spence down to the basement. Terry counted to twenty. He found Amy first,...

  • Jenny finds solace in an unlikely friend. - 09/01/2011

    “Hey, Jenny Foster! Hey, Butterfly Face.” “Looks more like an ugly moth.” “No, no, it’s an old crow.” The taunts of the village children echoed in Jenny’s ears as she swung herself up into her favorite apple tree, fighting back tears and tugging her long skirts out of the way. She felt safe, alone...

  • Benjy learns a colorful lesson from a box of crayons. - 09/01/2011

    Benjy stomped up the back steps. His lunch box clunked as he set it on the kitchen table. “Hi, Benjy,” Mom said. “How was school today?” “Awful!” Benjy said, pulling off his jacket. “Oh? What happened?” “Dexter dumped my crayons on my desk, and they fell on the floor. The tips broke off two of...

  • Ben thinks his sneakers are the secret to making new friends. - 09/01/2011

    Ben sat on an empty packing carton and watched his dad unpack pots and pans. “How will I make new friends?” he asked his dad. “What if my teacher doesn’t like me?” “You’ll have to put your best foot forward.” His dad’s voice echoed as he bent inside the carton. Ben stared down at the hole in the...

  • A long, long, short story to help you fall asleep. - 09/01/2011

    Once upon a time there was a child. The child was very, very tired, but she couldn’t fall asleep, even though her bed was warm, the lights were off, and her dad sat in the rocking chair in her room to keep her company. Finally the child asked, “Dad, will you tell me a long, long story?” Her dad said,...