Toole's lunatic and sage novel introduces one of the most memorable characters in American literature, Ignatius Reilly, whom Walker Percy dubs "slob extraordinaire, a mad Oliver Hardy, a fat Don Quixote, a perverse Thomas Aquinas rolled into one." Set in New Orleans, A Confederacy of Dunces outswifts Swift, one of whose essays gives the book its title. As its characters burst into life, they leave the region and literature forever changed by their...

Although his mother is a little worried, a young boy is delighted to discover that every shop in town is giving away real dinosaurs to their customers.

Ken Callahan stops to help single mom Chris Nelson with her car not realizing his life is about to take a drastic change, with broken bones, a bruised heart, a Zamboni, and a meddlesome Aunt Edna all in the mix.

When Alcatraz and Grandpa Smedry make a pilgrimage to the Free Kingdom city of Crystallia, they are shocked to find the city under seige by the Evil Librarians--led by Alcatraz's own mother.

"Finlay Donovan is--once again--struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two. On the bright side, she has her live-in nanny and confidante Vero to rely on, and the only dead body she's dealt with lately is that of her daughter's pet goldfish. On the not-so-bright side, someone out there wants her ex-husband, Steven, out of the picture. Permanently. Whatever else Steven may be, he's a good father, but...

"The hilarious, irreverent Jen Dixon is class mom--again--for her son's fifth grade year, and a class bully, spin-teacher training, and her irresistible granddaughter keep her on her toes and perpetually in yoga pants"-- "Jen Dixon of Overland Park, Kansas is a fearless mother of a fifth-grade boy and two thirty-something daughters. She's used to juggling a lot, from her mission to become a spin instructor, to stepping in as the most acerbic class...

Rebecca Brandon returns with willful two-year-old Minnie, who has taken after her mother in her fierce determination and her addiction to luxury brands. When the financial crisis finally hits the Brandon family, Rebecca vows to stop shopping until she's worn everything in her closet at least three times; Luke scrambles for new business directions; and Minnie remains exceptionally difficult. Still, Rebecca wants to throw Luke a surprise birthday bash,...

Second grade graduation turns into a full-blown spectacle when an overzealous PTA president pulls out all the stops for A.J. and his classmates on the last day of school.

In a reversal of the classic bedtime story, a child helps her mommy get ready for bed, enduring pleas for one more book, five more minutes of play time, and a glass of water before the lights go out.

"Some people greet the day with open arms. Sheriff Sunshine Vicram would rather give it a hearty shove and get back into bed, because there's just too much going on right now. There's a series of women going missing, and Sunny feels powerless to stop it. There's her persistent and awesomely-rebellious daughter Auri, who's out to singlehandedly become Del Sol's youngest and fiercest investigator. And then there's drama with Levi Ravinder-the guy she's...