Nikki Loftin

In this gentle read-aloud--a modern day Velveteen Rabbit--a stuffed bunny comes to life after getting lost on a family's camping trip, then finds its way back to its child. "If you get lost, and you might get lost...." In simple language that speaks directly to us, a magical and soothing story unfolds. A little girl accidentally drops her stuffed bunny out the car window, and the bunny--which has quietly come alive-- feels scared. Searching up, down, in, out, and between, it soon finds itself among a group of friendly forest animals, who accompany it on its journey. Together they frolic through the woods and over a stream until the bunny finds itself safely back where it belongs, in the little girl's arms.

Be afraid, be very afraid of Terrifying Tales, the sixth volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading. Eleven masters of suspense-Kelly Barnhill, Michael Buckley, Adam Gidwitz, Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown, Claire Legrand, Nikki Loftin, Daniel Jose Older, Dav Pilkey, R. L. Stine, and Rita Williams-Garcia-have come together to bring you a bone-chilling collection of original ghost stories with illustrations by Gris Grimly, perfect for sharing around the campfire, reading under the covers with a flashlight, and scaring your friends' pants off. Compiled and edited by kid-lit madman Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Terrifying Tales is a creepy-fun read (if you're brave enough, that is).

Twelve-year-old Little John is clearing brush for Mr. King, the wealthy owner of a chain of local dollar stores, when he finds a young girl perched in the branches of a tall sycamore tree. The girl, Gayle, is being fostered by a spiteful family, and she and Little John quickly become friends. But then Mr. King offers Little John an impossible choice, and either outcome puts Gayle's or Little John's family's future in jeopardy. Inspired by a Hans Christian Andersen story, Nightingale's Nest is an unforgettable novel about a boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders and a girl with the gift of healing in her voice.