Hest, Amy

Gabby has knitted mittens to give her grandfather for his birthday, and on their way to meet him, Gabby gets a new haircut and her mother gets a surprise.

On her eighth birthday Jamaica receives paints which she uses to surprise her grandmother and to brighten the subway station where Grammy works.

When Sam has a cough, Mrs. Bear tends to him all through the cold night.

Katie, a Jewish girl living in New York City during World War II, sees many dynamic changes in her world as she ages from seven to ten waiting for her father to return from the war.

Fourth grader Harry explains to his favorite cousin Sam what he can expect when he goes to spend a vacation with their grandparents in Florida.

Nell and her brother Theo love their family's new boat from the start, but their mother must make a heroic effort to conquer her fear of boating.

A girl enjoys being with her unmarried Aunt Jess, who lives in Brooklyn.

In a series of journal entries and letters to a pen pal, Katie relates her feelings about her father's death in World War II, her mother's remarriage, and the family's move from New York City to Texas.

The continuing journal story of Katie Roberts who is dealing with her mom's remarriage following her dad's death in WWII.

After concluding that each other's home life is more appealing than their own, two young friends decide to swap homes and mothers.