MacLachlan, Patricia

"[Barkus] and Baby the kitten star in a parade, visit a farm, and give everyone a suprise"--OCLC.

"Barkus is a large and very smart dog who comes to live with seven-year-old Nicky when Nicky's Uncle Everton goes traveling--and soon he is a family and school favorite"--Provided by publisher.

"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.

"Grace's aunt Lily is a writer. She works with words every day and teaches Grace interesting words like 'melancholy' and 'delirious.' But Lily is often 'flummoxed' by her writing. Her stories don't go anywhere, her desk is a mess, and her writer's group can't help. So Lily posts an ad: A writer of books needs an assistant, a coach, a helper, for inspiration and some magic! The next day, Grace opens the door, and there is Rex: a Labrador retriever who will change Grace's life, and Lily's. The word 'amazing' is an everyday word for Rex, who inspires Lily, and helps Grace find the words to write her own story"--Provided by publisher.

As Emma grieves the loss of her grandfather, she reflects on their shared love of birdwatching.

Willa,who want to feel extraordinary, thinks that she's in love with the father of the boy next door until she realizes that her "ordinary" true love is the boy himself.

Taking care of a baby left with them at the end of the tourist season helps a family come to terms with the death of their own infant son.