Karen Lynn Williams

When his father tells him not to leave the lion he is drawing on the beach, a little boy starts making a very, very long tail--and a trail to follow back.

"Bear loves playing in the leaves in autumn; after winter hibernation the leaves are gone, and Bear learns they will return when autumn comes again. Includes author's note on ecology and the importance of leaf decomposition"-- Baby Bear loves playing in the leaves in the autumn, but after his winter hibernation the piles of leaves are gone, and his mother explains that the forest needs time to do the work of decomposition--but the piles of leaves...

Julie, a middle child, feels overwhelmed by problems with her schoolwork, her teenage sister's moodiness, and her father's recent heart attack, all of which make her feel dumb and useless.

Because her Haitian family is too poor to be able to buy paints for her, eight-year-old Ti Marie finds her own way to create pictures that make the heart sing.

As a refugee from Sudan to the United States, Sangoel is frustrated that no one can pronounce his name correctly until he finds a clever way to solve the problem.

Twelve-year-old Megan's efforts to provide a real Christmas for her multiply handicapped brother and the rest of the family cause problems with her best friend and some other schoolmates.

When his best friend Robbie starts acting strange and hanging around older boys, ten-year-old Jeremy spends more and more time next door with old Mr. Applebaum, whose ability to fix anything has filled his garage and yard with amazing junk.

"Newly arrived from Colombia, Isabella's first day of school in the United States is cancelled because of snow and when Isabella notices a girl playing outside she makes a new friend, despite the language barrier."--

Walking through his village, a young African boy finds the materials to make a special toy.