New Releases by Patricia Maclachlan

Jake is part of an extraordinary family. He leads a life filled with art, music and hours and days and months of baseball. But the most important person in his life is his brother, Edward. From the moment he was born, Edward had the ability to make anyone laugh and everyone think. During one special year he was the only kid in the neighbourhood who could throw a perfect knuckleball - a pitch you just could not hit. But that same year, Jake learns that there are some things you just can''t hold on to.

People may drift apart, but love can hold them together. A touching tale of pets and family told in the “venerable spare and moving style” of Newbery Medalist Patricia MacLachlan, author of Sarah, Plain and Tall (Booklist). When William’s father leaves, his mother promptly goes out and adds four dogs and a cat to their lives. William’s sure that nothing can fill the hole left by his father, but the new additions to the family are determined to help. With his sister, Elinor, and his mother, William will learn that “family” can come in all shapes and sizes, because sometimes we find love through magic, and sometimes that magic is all around us.

For many children who live far away from their grandparents, it can be hard to understand why they can''t always be together. Patricia MacLachlan has created a bridge to close the distance by finding connections in memories and the moon they share. A beautiful, lyrical poem coupled with Bryan Collier''s rich collages, Here and There celebrates the importance of staying close to your family, even across thousands of miles.

A mother relates the events of a peaceful day along the banks of Lake Tanganyika to her baby, wrapped up and ready for sleep.

What makes a puppy''s day complete? Swimming and then shaking water all over you. Catching "presents" for you and then bringing them inside the house. Rolling in your nice wool sweater. Snuggling in your lap. In their second ode to canine companions, Patricia MacLachlan, Emily MacLachlan Charest, and Katy Schneider once again offer an irresistible glimpse into the mischievous canine mind. Captured here are adorable confessions and spirited accounts of the things that puppies do—and don''t do—while in search of love, adventure, and treats from the table.

A visiting author teaches five friends about the power of words and writing.

Larkin''s family welcomes Sophie into their home, caring for her and teaching her games and new words. They come to love this baby as their own, all the while knowing that eventually Sophie''s mother will return one day to take her from them.

Experience the magic of authentic giving in this holiday classic from the Newbery Award–winning author of Sarah, Plain and Tall. All year long Lily and Liam look forward to the holidays at their grandparents’ farm. It’s always the perfect trip: walking to the lilac library, trimming the tree, giving gifts. But this year, thanks to a white cow alone in the meadow, things will be different. This holiday, Lily and Liam will find out the meaning of a special gift. This holiday classic from a beloved author rings in the season by celebrating the joys of family, community, and true giving.

The Newbery Medal-winning author of Sarah, Plain and Tall and an award-winning artist present the story of a little girl who finds a way to bring along a little bit of the prairie home she must leave behind. Reprint.

Journey is eleven the summer his mother leaves him and his sister, Cat, with their grandparents. He is sad and angry, and spends the summer looking for the clues that will explain why she left. Journey searches photographs for answers. He hunts family resemblances in Grandma''s albums. Looking for happier times, he tries to put together the torn pieces of the pictures his mother shredded before her departure. And he also searches the photographs his grandfather takes as the older man attempts to provide Journey with a past. In the process, the boy learns to look and finds that, for him, the camera is a means of finding things his naked eye has missed--things like inevitability of his mother''s departure and the love that still binds his family.

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

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.

A prairie wedding and then a funeral bring together extended family and friends of the Witting family.

Gus herds his people like sheep. Abby loves borrowing slippers. And once, Mr. Beefy ate a pie. It''s a dog''s life. Filled with squeaky toys, mischief, and plenty of naps. Every dog has a tail to wag and a tale to tell. Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest asked this collection of canines to speak up with their own words, barks, and yips.

Everybody has good days and bad days. Today Emily is having a sick day. Her stomach aches and her throat feels sore. Fortunately Father is home to take care of her. He puts Emily to bed and tucks her in with her stuffed animals. But Emily wants more. She needs her blanket, and her favorite doll, and she wants her hair in ponytails. Father can barely keep up! And before either of them knows it, Emily and Father find they''ve turned this sick day into a special day together. From the Hardcover edition.

Gathers selections from stories by Judy Blume, Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, James Howe, Ann M. Martin, Patricia MacLachlan, Betty Horvath, Johanna Hurwitz, Suzy Kline, Susan Wojciechowski, Dick King-Smith, and Miriam Cohen.

In this stunning sequel to Newbery Medal winner Sarah, Plain and Tall, Anna and Caleb travel with their new mother, Sarah, to Maine to take refuge from the prairie drought, a journey that teaches them the power of family to transcend distances. Ages 8 - 10

Tomorrow''s Wizard, his unorthodox apprentice, Murdoch, and a wise horse make five important wishes come true in ways that surprise the wishers.

After her grandfather''s death, Cassie longs for an orderliness to life -'' a pattern -'' that doesn''t exist among her raucous, loving family. But during an eventful summer by the sea, she begins to learn that some things do not stay the same forever. Colorful characters [and] Cassie''s continuing and believable growth in understanding herself and others [make] this novel so distinctive." ''C.

Within the sanctuary of a loving family, baby Eli is born and, as he grows, "learns to cherish the people and places around him, eventualy passing on what he has discovered to his new baby sister, Sylvie: ''All the places to love are here . . . no matter where you may live.'' This loving book will be something to treasure."''BL."The quiet narrative is so intensely felt it commands attention. . . . a lyrical celebration."''K.

A child''s great-grandfather reminisces about the times he and his dog Three Names went to school on prairie roads in a wagon pulled by horses.

Arthur Rasby is ten years old and having the worst summer of his life. His parents don''t listen to him, so he writes everything down -- everything that''s real -- in his journal. But when he goes to stay with his Great-Aunt Elda and Great-Uncle Wrisby on their farm, his world is turned upside down. For the first time Arthur wonders what''s real and what''s not. His aunt and uncle do things Arthur''s parents would never do -- like climbing out windows to sit in trees, singing to their pet pig, and speaking French to a pet chicken. Life on the farm happens much too fast to write down -- sometimes wonderful, sometimes terrible. Arthur begins to understand there is more than one way of seeing and doing and loving. And he realizes there''s a whole world just waiting to be discovered.

Minna wishes for many things. She wishes she understood the quote taped above her mother''s typewriter:Fact and fiction are different truths. She wishes her mother would stop writing long enough to really listen to her. She wishes her house were peaceful and orderly like her friend Lucas''s. Most of all, she wishes she could find a vibrato on her cello and play Mozart the way he deserves to be played. Minna soon discovers that some things can''t be found-they just have to happen. And as she waits for her vibrato to happen, Minna begins to understand some facts and fictions about herself.

When their father invites a mail-order bride to visit them, Caleb and Anna hope that she will stay.

On John''s visits to Grandpa''s house, his blind grandfather shares with him the special way he sees and moves in the world.