Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap to the fireside of a hoboes' camp, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. And along the way, we are shown a true miracle, that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.

Shut up in a trunk by a taciturn old sea captain with a secret, five friends—a king, a wolf, a girl, a boy, and an owl—bicker, boast, and comfort one another in the dark. Individually, they dream of song and light, freedom and flight, purpose and glory, but they all agree they are part of a larger story, bound each to each by chance, bonded by the heart’s mysteries. When at last their shared fate arrives, landing them on a mantel in a blue room in the home of two little girls, the truth is more astonishing than any of them could have imagined.

From bestselling author Max Lucado comes a unique Christmas story called The Crippled Lamb, an inspirational children's book about being different, fitting in, and being happy with yourself. The Crippled Lamb follows the story of Joshua, a lamb with a crippled leg who feels left out because he can't run and play like the other lambs. However, God has a special plan for Joshua's life, as He does for all who feel alone.

After a daring escape from the oven, the Gingerbread Man is chased by a little boy, an old man and woman, a group of farmers, a bear, and a wolf - and he outruns them all! But will the clever fox outsmart the quick cookie?

In Mexico, the poinsettia is called flor de la Nochebuenao - flower of the Holy Night. At Christmastime, the flower blooms and flourishes, the quite exquisite red stars lighting up the countryside. This Mexican legend tells how the poinsettia came to be, through a little girl's unselfish gift to the Christ Child. Beloved Newbery honor-winning author Tomie dePaola has embraced the legend using his own special feeling for Christmas.