A series of linked essays in praise of reading and writing, with subjects running from ghost stories to comic books, Sherlock Holmes to Cormac McCarthy. Throughout, Chabon energetically argues for a return to the thrilling, chilling origins of storytelling, rejecting the false walls around "serious" literature in favor of a wide-ranging affection.

Tacky the penguin does not fit in with his sleek and graceful companions, but his odd behavior comes in handy when hunters come with maps and traps.

In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion, with just one bite.

"Set in England's Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this tale of adventure, courage and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home."--Cover, p. [4].

Dixie the puppy plays with Emma every day after school until Emma starts memorizing her lines for the school play.

A dollhouse filled with a ghostly light in the middle of the night and dolls that have moved from where she last left them lead Amy and her retarded sister to unravel the mystery surrounding grisly murders that took place years ago.

Drawings and verse point out the many things that are wrong one wacky Wednesday. "Desde el momento en que el protagonista de Miércoles alocado se despierta, algo es evidente: hoy no es un día cualquiera. Hay un zapato en el techo, una palmera en el inodoro, un gusano que persigue a un pájaro ¡y mucho, mucho más! Desde un hueco en la mesa de la cocina hasta un sol verde en el cielo, a los niños les encantará encontrar y contar los disparates...

Timid and small for her age, nine-year-old Elizabeth Ann discovers her own abilities and gains a new perception of the world around her when she goes to live with relatives on a farm in Vermont.

When Buzz captures a fly to enter in The Amazing Pet Show, his parents and the judges tell him that a fly cannot be a pet, but Fly Guy proves them wrong.

A nine-year-old boy receives a plastic Indian, a cupboard, and a little key for his birthday and finds himself involved in adventure when the Indian comes to life in the cupboard and befriends him.