As he turns eleven years old, Max continues to exchange letters with his favorite author, from whom he receives some advice about writing a play and about coping with his mother's new boyfriend.
Sent by her parents to find food, Mahalia Mouse finds herself trapped in a backpack and transported to a physics classroom at Harvard University, where she discovers an aptitude for science; and includes an audio CD.
Based upon true events, tells the story of a devoted cow who followed her owner from 1862 to 1865 when he joined the Union Army, and stayed with him and his regiment until the end of the fighting.