Eleven-year-old John Hale has already survived one brutal Dakota winter, and now he's about to experience one of the deadliest blizzards in American history. The storm of 1888 was a monster, a frozen hurricane that slammed into America's midwest without warning. Within hours, America's prairie would be buried under ten feet of snow. Hundreds would be dead, thousands terrified and lost and freezing. John never wanted to move to the wide-open prairie. He's a city kid, not a tough pioneer! And his inner strength is seriously tested when he finds himself trapped in the blinding snow, the wind like a giant crushing hammer, pounding him over and over again. Will John ever find his way home?

A loud clap of thunder booms, and rattles the windows of Grandma's old farmhouse. "This is Thunder Cake baking weather," calls Grandma, as she and her granddaughter hurry to gather the ingredients around the farm. A real Thunder Cake must reach the oven before the storm arrives. But the list of ingredients is long and not easy to find . . . and the storm is coming closer all the time! Reaching once again into her rich childhood experience, Patricia Polacco tells the memorable story of how her grandma--her Babushka--helped her overcome her fear of thunder when she was a little girl. Ms. Polacco's vivid memories of her grandmother's endearing answer to a child's fear, accompanied by her bright folk-art illustrations, turn a frightening thunderstorm into an adventure and ultimately . . . a celebration! Whether the first clap of thunder finds you buried under the bedcovers or happily anticipating the coming storm, Thunder Cake is a story that will bring new meaning and possibility to the excitement of a thunderstorm.

There are millions of things for Jillian to do in the snow with her sister and her friends. So what if her hat doesn't want to stay on her head? It's a wonderful winter morning and Jillian can't wait to get outside and play! Soon she and her friends are busy making a snowy masterpiece. But then Jillian loses her scarf...and her mittens...and her hat. Oh no! What will her mother say? Sledding, snowmen and wild flights of imagination abound in this book featuring rhythmic text, a simple plot, and wonderfully humorous illustrations.Young readers will also enjoy locating where Jillian's missing articles disappear to in the pictures. Jillian Jiggs and the Great Big Snow Awards: Canadian Children's Book Centre, Our Choice, 2003. Shortlist, Shining Willow Award, 2003 and OLA Blue Spruce Award, 2004.

This wordless picture book captures the beauty and wonder of a brother and sister's joyous experiences in the rain. Come along as they explore their neighborhood, splash through puddles, see where the animals hide, and make footprints in the mud. From the first small drops of rain to the clear blue sky of a bright new morning, Peter Spier's Rain will delight parents and children again and again.

Possessing a craving for adventure that is uncommon among raindrops, Drippy sets out to see the world, with having fun as his most important goal, and learns an important lesson from a variety of friends