Animals

Bone and his sister, Squirrel, are stray dogs born in a shed. Left mother-less as puppies, the two dogs survive together for a while, but are soon wrenched apart, and Bone must now go on, alone.

Charlie is a boy who has suffered a terrible loss. And, as he's healing with the help of his dog, another tragedy occurs.

A puzzling photograph, a box filled with faded toy horses, and a single fractured memory are all that Maya has left of her mother. In Grandmother's house in California, she lives like a captive, tethered by Grandmother's rules: no talk of her mother, no friends, no foolishness of any kind...until a shocking event changes everything.

Gary Paulsen has owned dozens of unforgettable and amazing dogs. In each chapter he tells of one special dog, among them Cookie, the sled dog who saved his life; Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Dirk, the grim protector; and his true friend Josh, a brilliant border collie.

An experienced Iditarod racer, Gary Paulsen brings his love of the sport to readers on a personal level in this intimate essay about the life of a litter of pups born to pull sleds across the snowy frontier - and the marvel he experiences as he watches them grow and learn.

This collection of wonderful stories read by John Lavelle and penned by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat will find a place on any Nate the Great fan's bookshelf. Volume 1 includes the following:

• Nate the Great
• Nate the Great Goes Undercover
• Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt
• Nate the Great and the Monster Mess

Mercy's in the pink for her fourth adventure!

Can Mercy Watson outwit...Animal Control? The porcine wonder's on the lam in her latest tongue-in-snout adventure!

Mr. and Mrs. Watson and their porcine wonder, Mercy, are off to the Bijou Drive-In. What will happen when the Lincoln Sisters, Frank, Stella, and a gaggle of familiar characters get the same idea for a night out? With the tempting scent of hot buttered popcorn wafting through the air, everyone's favorite pig leads the way in this hilarious romp featuring movies, mayhem, and Mercy!

Leroy Ninker is a small man with a big dream: he wants to be a cowboy, but for now, he's just a thief. In fact, Leroy is robbing the Watsons' kitchen right this minute! As he drags the toaster across the counter (screeeeeech) and drops it into his bag (clannngggg), little does he know that a certain large pig who loves toast with a great deal of butter is stirring from sleep.

Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit's fortunes:

George Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution is an intimate part of our contemporary culture, quoted so often that we tend to forget who wrote the original words. It is an account of the bold struggle that transforms Mr. Jones' Manor Farm into Animal Farm, a wholly democratic society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal.

Long ago, so the Storyteller claimed, the evil god Torak sought dominion and drove men and gods to war. But Belgrath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe. That was only a story, and Garion did not believe in magic dooms, even though the man without a shadow had haunted him for years.

After their last laser-beam-filled adventure, Lily, Jasper, and Katie have flown off for a restful stay at a distant mountain lodge. What a coincidence when they find the lodge teeming with characters from other middle-grade series novels, including the dashing Manley Boys and the boy-crazy Cutesy Dell twins. And when the Hooper Quints go missing, it looks like their vacation is over.