Best Selling Books by Patricia MacLachlan

With a star-studded lineup of writers, there’s a stage full of drama, comedy, and great storytelling waiting behind these curtains! Sharon Creech spoofs a publishing office in The Raven, and the environment fights back against overdevelopment in Susan Cooper’s The Dollop. Patricia MacLachlan puts a twist on detention in The Bad Room, and Katherine Paterson revives a classic fairy tale in The Billionaire and the Bird. Richard Peck has schoolboys doing their best to trick a spooky substitute in Effigy in the Outhouse, and Avi’s Not Seeing Is Believing has words playing tricks on everybody. There’s something for everyone in this all-star lineup.

Minna wishes for many things. She wishes she understood the quote taped above her mother''s typewriter:Fact and fiction are different truths. She wishes her mother would stop writing long enough to really listen to her. She wishes her house were peaceful and orderly like her friend Lucas''s. Most of all, she wishes she could find a vibrato on her cello and play Mozart the way he deserves to be played. Minna soon discovers that some things can''t be found-they just have to happen. And as she waits for her vibrato to happen, Minna begins to understand some facts and fictions about herself.

Fiona explores the nighttime wonders of the outdoors, from the sounds of the owl and mockingbird to flowers that bloom only in the dark.

Before they were the Boxcar Children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden lived with their parents at Fair Meadow Farm. Newbery-Award winning author Patricia MacLachlan pays loving tribute to the classic novel by Gertrude Chandler Warner in this s

After her grandfather''s death, Cassie longs for an orderliness to life -'' a pattern -'' that doesn''t exist among her raucous, loving family. But during an eventful summer by the sea, she begins to learn that some things do not stay the same forever. Colorful characters [and] Cassie''s continuing and believable growth in understanding herself and others [make] this novel so distinctive." ''C.

In this charming picture book by Newbery winner Patricia MacLachlan, Little Robot is lonely—until he has an inventive and creative solution. Little Robot’s life is peaceful—yet maybe it’s a little too peaceful. But wait! He has an idea. With a little hard work, perseverance, and resourceful thinking, can Little Robot build his way to the perfect cure for loneliness?

Newbery Medal-winning author Patricia MacLachlan has written a magical and funny tale about the joy found in using words, sharing stories, and loving a wondrous dog: Rex. Grace''s aunt is a writer. She works with words every day and teaches Grace interesting words like "melancholy" and "delirious." But Lily is often "flummoxed" by her writing. Her stories don''t go anywhere, her desk is a mess, and her writer''s group can''t help. So Lily posts an ad for an assistant: A writer of books needs an assistant, a coach, a helper, for inspiration and some magic! The next day, Grace opens the door, and there is Rex: a Labrador retriever who will change Grace''s life, and Lily''s. The word "amazing" is an everyday word for Rex, who inspires Lily, and helps Grace find the words to write her own story.

Tomorrow''s Wizard, his unorthodox apprentice, Murdoch, and a wise horse make five important wishes come true in ways that surprise the wishers.

A mother relates the events of a peaceful day along the banks of Lake Tanganyika to her baby, wrapped up and ready for sleep.

This beloved Newbery Medal–winning book is the first of five books in Patricia MacLachlan''s chapter book series about the Witting family. Set in the late nineteenth century and told from young Anna''s point of view, Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of how Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton comes from Maine to the prairie to answer Papa''s advertisement for a wife and mother. Before Sarah arrives, Anna and her younger brother Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she sing? Will she stay? This children''s literature classic is perfect for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder''s Little House on the Prairie books, historical fiction, and timeless stories using rich and beautiful language, and it''s a strong choice for independent reading. Sarah, Plain and Tall gently explores themes of abandonment, loss, and love. This anniversary edition includes author Patricia MacLachlan''s Newbery speech, a discussion guide, and a reading list. Read the rest of the Sarah books by Patricia MacLachlan: Skylark, Caleb’s Story, More Perfect than the Moon, and Grandfather’s Dance.

Barkus is back in this third installment of the warm and funny early chapter book series from the Newbery Medal–winning author, Patricia MacLachlan. The lovable dog Barkus and his lucky young owner romp through the pages of this colorful and heartwarming book that''s just right for emerging readers and fans of series like Henry and Mudge and Juana and Lucas. PERFECT FOR NEW READERS: The simple text and engaging pictures are just right for readers ready to take their first steps toward reading on their own. CRITCALLY ACCLAIMED SERIES: The New York Times said, "The charm is infectious." and The Horn Book proclaimed, "Fans will be begging for more." BUDDY BOOKS ARE PERENNIAL: Friendships are an integral part of every child''s life. Barkus and his owner have lots of adventures together, but they also care about each other''s feelings and they love one another unconditionally. AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR: Patricia MacLachlan has written dozens of books which have received many awards including the prestigious Newbery Medal. From picture books to chapter books to novels, her characters always linger in the minds of readers long after the books are closed. INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ARTIST: Marc Boutavant is a star illustrator in France and has a rising profile throughout the world. Perfect for: parents and grandparents, educators, librarians

It''s not fair, Emma thinks, for her parents to go away (for five whole days) and leave her with an aunt and uncle she hardly knows. What if they don''t like children? But Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Eliot like Emma and her brother, Zachary, just fine. They also like rules. Rules about: Eating. Sleeping. Cleaning up. Messing up. Emma doesn''t believe in rules. Not unless they''re hers: Eating no broccoli, dead or alive. Sleeping: No sleeping in a room where night rumbles hide. Cleaning up: Don''t. Messing up: Do. Emma can see that Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Elliot have a lot to learn about being parents. But that''s okay---because Emma has five whole days in which to teach them.

While in North Dakota helping her Aunt Frankie prepare for a possible flood, Lucy finds her voice as a poet with the help of her two-year-old brother Teddy, the rest of their family, and a few cows.

Before they were the Boxcar Children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden lived with their parents at Fair Meadow Farm. Although times are hard, they''re happy—"the best family of all," Mama likes to say. One day, a blizzard hits the countryside, and a car is stranded on the road near their farm. The family in the car needs shelter, and when the Aldens take them in, the strangers soon become friends. But things never stay the same at Fair Meadow Farm, and the spring and summer bring events that will forever change the lives of the Alden children. Newbery-Award winning author Patricia MacLachlan pays loving tribute to the classic novel by Gertrude Chandler Warner in this story of the Alden children''s origins and the challenges they faced before their boxcar adventures.

If you were a boy named Henri Matisse who lived in a dreary town in northern France, what would your life be like? Would it be full of color and art? Full of lines and dancing figures? Find out in this beautiful, unusual picture book about one of the world''s most famous and influential artists by acclaimed author and Newbery Medal-winning Patricia MacLachlan and innovative illustrator Hadley Hooper. A Neal Porter Book

Taking care of a baby left with them at the end of the tourist season helps a family come to terms with the death of their own infant son.

What makes a puppy''s day complete? Swimming and then shaking water all over you. Catching "presents" for you and then bringing them inside the house. Rolling in your nice wool sweater. Snuggling in your lap. In their second ode to canine companions, Patricia MacLachlan, Emily MacLachlan Charest, and Katy Schneider once again offer an irresistible glimpse into the mischievous canine mind. Captured here are adorable confessions and spirited accounts of the things that puppies do—and don''t do—while in search of love, adventure, and treats from the table.