Patricia Polacco

During the Depression, a young Memphis boy trains his pet duck to do tricks in the fountain of a grand hotel and ends up becoming the Duck Master of the Peabody Hotel.

Frankie and his eight brothers and sisters learn lessons about giving, family, and tradition during a snowy Michigan Christmas long ago. The Stowell family is abuzz with holiday excitement, and Frankie, the youngest boy, is the most excited of all. But there's a cloud over the joyous season: Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and Pa hasn't returned yet from his trip to Lansing . He promised to bring back the oranges for the mantelpiece. Every year there are...

At first, Trisha loves school, but her difficulty learning to read makes her feel dumb, until, in the fifth grade, a new teacher helps her understand and overcome her problem.

Three goats visit a fair but run home after they seem to encounter a troll.

To teach his daughter the value of books, a father leads a growing crowd in search of the tree where the bees keep all their honey.

Emma Kate and her best friend, a toy elephant, share many activities, such as homework and soccer practice, and even have their tonsils out at the same time!

To thank Miss Eula for her wonderful Sunday chicken dinners, three children sell decorated eggs to buy her a beautiful Easter hat.

After a fellow slave is beaten to death, Sadie and her family flee the plantation for freedom through the Underground Railroad.

A long-lasting friendship develops between Larnel, a young African-American, and Mrs. Katz, a lonely, Jewish widow, when Larnel presents Mrs. Katz with a scrawny kitten without a tail.

After losing running, climbing, throwing, and burping competitions to her obnoxious older brother, a young girl makes a wish on a falling star.