When a busy family's activities come to a halt because of a blackout, they find they enjoy spending time together and not being too busy for once.

It's another Thanksgiving at Grandma's. Gavin expects a long day of boredom and being pestered by distantly related toddlers, but his cousin Rhonda has a different idea: make a break for it - out of the kids' room to the swing set in the backyard! Gavin isn't so sure, especially when they encounter vicious guard dogs (in homemade sweaters), a hallway full of overly affectionate aunts, and worse yet, the great wall of butts! Will they manage to avoid...

Every year, a boy and his family go camping at Mountain Pond. Usually, they see things like an eagle fishing for his dinner, a salamander with red spots on its back, and chipmunks that come to steal food while the family sits by the campfire. But this year is different. This year, the boy is going into first grade, and his mother is encouraging him to do things on his own, just like his older brother. And the most different thing of all... this year,...

"The lucky penny in Judy Moody's pocket sure does seem to be working. She can't stop winning-at bowling, spelling, the unbeatable Prize Claw, everything! For sure and absolute positive, she'll ride that wave of good fortune all the way to Washington, D.C."--

Second-grader Stink's parents tell him he must play a sport after he gets an unsatisfactory grade in physical education, and so he masters thumb wrestling, as seen on a sports channel.

"There's going to be a pet show at the Bear Town Festival this year. The Bear family makes sure all their pets -- Little Lady, Gracie, Swish, and their new bird, Keats -- look and feel their best for the big day"--P. [4] of cover.

Emily Ann learns about the meaning of Thanksgiving when her family gathers around the dinner table.

The Alden children, snowbound in a vacation cabin, discover adventure in surrounding wild life, three children they find in the snow, and a search for a lost recipe.