When Grampa's friend drops off his chicken, Malicia, at the Bed and Biscuit for a well-earned vacation, Ernest the mini-pig is determined to put aside his dislike for chickens and be a good host. But Malicia is no ordinary chicken: she's magic! And she seems determined to use her magic to make the animals miserable. Together with Gabby the mynah bird, Milly the cat, and Sir Walter the Scottish terrier, Ernest must figure out a way to get Grampa to see how awful Malicia really is - before she does something truly terrible!
Grampa Bender couldn't run the Bed and Biscuit animal boardinghouse without the help of Ernest the mini-pig, Gabby the Vietnamese mynah bird, and his young cat, Milly. These three animals think of themselves as Grampa's family, and they have always assumed he felt the same way. But when Grampa brings home a mysterious bundle and stops paying attention to his faithful friends, they start to worry. Will an earnest, loyal pig be able to soothe Milly's injured feelings, calm Gabby's ruffled feathers, and bring the family back together? "Ernest the pig is particularly fetching." - ;EW.com "Kids just past the easy-reader stage will enjoy this. Each animal has a distinct, fully rounded personality, and the story is nicely paced with a certain amount of mystery." - ;Booklist "Worth a place in most collections. . . . Kids will welcome sequels." - ;Kirkus Reviews
The Bed and Biscuit animal boardinghouse has gone wild! Grampa Bender is temporarily caring for a wounded Canada goose, a cranky old muskrat, and two starving fox kits. Luckily Ernest, Grampa's capable mini-pig, is there to encourage the other animals to be good hosts. But the visiting creatures are wild, not tame, and they all just want to go home! Despite the chaos, Ernest also takes on the training of Sir Walter the Scottie, the newest addition to Grampa's blended animal family. But, intrigued by the sassy fox kits, Sir Walter is turning a bit wild himself. Why should he obey Ernest? After all, no one tells the foxes what to do, and being wild and free is mighty appealing to the impressionable puppy. . . . "¯ From the author of Welcome to the Bed & Biscuit comes another raucous story of life in an engaging and quirky animal family.
"A screaming skull will not rest. It forces us to do its bidding," said Aunt Morbelia. BOOOOM! sounded the lightning. Thunder and heavy rain beat down on the Fearings' house and yard. Although his teenaged friends sat entranced by his spooky aunt, Todd was petrified by her stories of hellhounds and banshees. Ever since his great aunt first appeared on his family's doorstep, Todd's life has been turned upside down. His schoolwork is getting harder, and Morbelia's eerie stories are giving him nightmares. Surprisingly, it may take someone as weird as Morbelia to help Todd deal with his dyslexia-and just maybe, someone like Todd can help Morbelia learn to be less gloomy. An award-winning author of children's books and a long-time tutor of English, Joan Carris brings her own experiences to Todd's struggle with dyslexia. Cloaked with Aunt Morbelia's creepy ghostlore, this story of family interdependence is not only heartwarming and educational -but also spine-tingling fun!
