Two young orphans, Lucy Wolcott and her little sister Glory, have no one in the world but each other. Every day, they labor from dawn to dusk in the bleak, cold shelter of a public workhouse in old London Town where there is little to eat and the nights are cold and damp. The only light in their lives comes from the stories that Lucy invents-stories about a family she barely remembers-and a doll named Morning Glory, who, Lucy promises, is destined to return to them some day.
Then one day, Lucy finds an old, discarded doll, which Glory is certain is the long-lost Morning Glory. Morning Glory is no ordinary doll, however, and how she leads the girls to the most surprising turns of fortune makes for a heartwarming story that brims with love, hope, and the truest spirit of Christmas.
"[A] magical story....A 'dollightful' surprise for Santa to tuck under the Christmas tree...."-Kirkus Reviews
What do you do when it seems like everyone in your family has done something magnificent-everyone, that is, except you? That's Andy's problem. So when his class visits an Egyptian exhibit, he figures it'll be just another field trip. But he's wrong, because somehow a mummy's spirit seems to have given him a weird magic power. Suddenly, Andy's magnificent-all he has to do is wish for whatever he wants! But Andy soon learns to be very, very careful of what he wishes for...
Dominic Cantori is ashamed that he is an orphan, afraid to expose his terrible secret. But one day, accidentally locked in a deserted museum on Ellis Island, the voice of an old Italian immigrant speaks to him from a display, transporting him to Italy in 1908, where he will unlock the secrets of his past.
In London in 1735, eleven-year-old Forrest Harper is living with his family at the Tower of London where he helps his father tend the ravens and guard the prisoners. Still, life is lonely. When vicious Scottish Rebels are captured, Forrest is delighted, even though the Harpers are only given custody of Maddy, a Scottish Rebel's daughter. Soon a friendship grows between them. But when she is slated for execution, Forrest is faced with a horrifying choice: to commit treason and help her escape or obey the law and allow his innocent friend to be executed.
The richly expressive prose of Kenneth Grahame continues to delight. . . full of warm colors and busy activities."--Language Arts
