DIVDIVWhile in foster care, Toby and her sister learn what “family” really means/divDIV When Toby’s father dies in a car accident, her mother gets a new job and a cheaper apartment. At first it seems as if everything might be all right, but soon the pressure gets to be too much. Toby’s mother stops cooking, stops talking, and starts crying or laughing at random times. When she is committed to a rest home, Toby and her sister, Anne, are placed in foster care against their will../divDIV /divDIVThe Selwyns are a kind couple, but nothing about their house feels like home. The artwork is tacky, the music is lame, and the kitchen table is depressing yellow Formica. But in her simple little bedroom, Toby finds a haven. As she and her sister struggle to adjust to their scary new life, she learns that family is what you make it, and home can be anywhere you feel at peace./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Hilma Wolitzer, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection./div/div

Joe Manning owned a good-size ranch outside of a small town in Virginia, and he was plowing one day close to his house. He was getting ready to plant a garden patch for the family to use for their livelihood. Three men came along the road. All three had sidearms and one man had a rifle. He shot Joe in the back while Joe was trying to get to the house to get his rifle and defend his family. Then they killed his wife and young daughter, burned the house down around them, and left Joe in his yard bleeding to death. Joe, who cared deeply about people, was the first person in the community to volunteer to help everyone who was in need. Joe, with his wife at one time or another, had entertained in their home all the people in the area. Who could have shot poor Joe Manning in the back twice and destroyed his family and house? What is going on around here? This has always been a nice area of the country. I wonder who is behind all this killing. Why would they kill his wife and daughter, and why would they have burned down his nice house? This is really a mystery. I wonder if Joe will survive. The doctor does not think so. I wonder what the sheriff is doing about it. He does not seem to have a clue. Will anyone else have to die before we find out who the culprits are?

Kumiko saw it first. A heart � a human heart � slithering down outside the window of a train travelling between London Bridge and Blackfriars. Someone must have thrown it out from a carriage in front. Kumiko is determined to find out who � and why. But Skelton was sitting next to Kumiko on the train and he saw it too, so he also wants to get to the bottom of the mystery. Or he says he does, but really he just wants Kumiko back, because she�s walked out on him, just like that, and left him heartbroken. Each for their own reasons, Kumiko and Skelton set out � separately � on a bizarre trail of discovery. Darting between dingy student pubs, the roofs of Borough Market and the corridors and car-parks of Guy�s Hospital, they become embroiled in the seedy world of young medical students, until eventually the gossip and the stories lead them both to the hospital�s infamous dissection lecturer � known behind his back as �King Death� �

A heartwarming story about the growing bond between a child and a new pet—inspired by the author’s experience with a rescue dog of the same name. When a young boy and his father move from one house to another, they decide to adopt a dog from the local rescue shelter. But their chosen dog, Toby, is having a tough time adjusting to his new life outside the shelter—howling all night, hiding fearfully from his new humans, forgetting where to go to the bathroom, and chasing a ball through the flower bed. The boy has promised to train his new companion, and he’s trying his best, but Dad is starting to get exasperated. Will Toby ever feel comfortable with his new family and settle into his forever home, or will Dad decide he’s not the right dog for them after all?

"Toby's father was pulling on his arms to hold him in place. 'Let me go, Father! I want my mother!' His father turned Toby around and held him with both arms. 'No, my son. You must learn to live life on your own. Promise me you will go forth and master your environment. Do as I say.'"-Toby's dream from the first night in the garden. Toby Bell is a curious, young mouse who becomes separated from his family during a cat attack and finds refuge in a neighborhood backyard garden that is filled with a community of small animals. They adopt the scared little mouse and teach him the importance of group cooperation. As Toby grows, he becomes a natural born leader of the group and even helps establish the garden's military security force to capture the thief who is stealing possessions from its residents. Toby finds himself the hero of the garden and is ready to conquer life and master his environment!

A guide designed to enhance the reader's understanding.