Anne Wilsdorf

Bernice is not your average best friend. For one thing she is a squash. While other kids might play with dolls or action figures Sophie prefers the company of her favorite vegetable picked straight from the farmers market. The two of you will go everywhere together from the library to the playroom. But as the leaves start falling and winter approaches Sophie notices something is happening to Bernice. Her parents warn her that squash are not meant to last forever. What do you do when your very best friend in the whole world starts to get soft and spotty. You will have to read to find out how Sophie solves her squash sized problem in this funny and heartwarming story about friendship love and the changing seasons.

Ruby Lu is back for another incredible summer adventure. When her cousin Flying Duck emigrates all the way from China to live with her family, Ruby is thrilled to have a brand new friend. But things get complicated quickly. Suddenly, no one is speaking English at home, there is strange food on the dinner table, and they have to use chopsticks for every meal. Even trickier, Flying Duck is completely deaf, and Ruby does not know a single word of Chinese Sign Language. On top of everything else, Ruby has to survive the absolute terror of swimming lessons and figure out how to keep a beautiful stray dog that wanders into her yard. Can the Empress of Everything handle all these massive changes at once? Jump into this funny and heartwarming chapter book to see how Ruby tackles her wildest summer yet.

The first day of school is scary enough without having to make human friends. Sophie would much rather hang out with Bonnie and Baxter the two baby squash she grew in her very own garden. When she brings her vegetable best friends to class the other kids do not quite understand. Then there is Steven Green. He sits too close at circle time and breathes on her while she paints. Steven really wants to be friends but Sophie is just not interested. However Sophie knows her squash will not stay fresh forever. Join Sophie as she slowly realizes that making human friends is a lot like growing a garden. It takes a little bit of patience a good apology and just the right amount of time to blossom.