Patricia MacLachlan

In the year before they become the orphans known as the Boxcar children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden live with their parents at Fair Meadow Farm, where, although times are hard, they take in a family who has been stranded in their car during a blizzard.

Excited puppies relate such new discoveries as the mailman comes every day and food tastes better eaten off a human's plate.

Fiona explores the nighttime wonders of the outdoors, from the sounds of the owl and mockingbird to flowers that bloom only in the dark.

In this illustrated poem in honor of the victims of the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, falling snowflakes celebrate the uniqueness of life, its precious, simple moments, and the strength of memory.

Describes summer days growing up on the prairie.

Dubbing his new triplet sisters "the Trips,” nine-year-old Jacob studies them for a science project by watching them grow and realizes they aren't just “the Trips” anymore, but individuals he has come to love.

Die-cut pages invite reader to explore how Earth is a friend to all creatures, watching over us as the year cycles through the seasons.

"Nora and Ben's younger sister Birdy loves to keep secrets...One day Birdy watches her mother spit into a tube, ready to send it off to find out more about herself...Birdy spits into a tube, too, when no one sees her. But when the test results come back, they are a surprise. Birdy is seemingly not related to Nora and Ben's parents. But if she is adopted, how could that have happened without the children knowing?"-- Provided by publisher.

Presents the three stories about mail-order bride Sarah and her life on the prairie with her new husband Jacob and stepchildren Anna and Caleb.

Eight-year-old Cassie Witting is upset when she finds out that her mother, Sarah, is expecting a baby, but writing in the journal that belonged to her brother Caleb helps her sort out her feelings and understand that Sarah will always love her.