"In 1938, a dead whale washes up on the shores of remote Welsh island. For Manod, who has spent her whole life on the island, it feels like both a portent of doom and a symbol of what may lie beyond the island's shores. A young woman living with her father and her sister (to whom she has reluctantly but devotedly become a mother following the death of their own mother years prior), Manod can't shake her welling desire to explore life beyond the beautiful...

After winning the lead role in a play, acing a spelling test, and finding money, second-grader Ellie wonders if the Critter Club animal shelter's newest animal--a little pink pig--is bringing her good luck.

Poverty-stricken Joseph bravely rides out all the storms life keeps throwing at him.

Karen is having her first sleepover! She and her friends are going to tell spooky stories, bake cookies, and raid the refrigerator. But then Karen and Nancy get into a big fight, and Karen doesn't want Nancy to come to her party. A new girl, Pamela, comes instead and she isn't any fun. What is Karen going to do?