Florence Parry Heide

Dillweed's parents go on adventures and leave him behind with Umblud the butler and Perfidia the maid, who treat him like their slave. Neither Umblud or Perfidia or the parents appreciate Dillweed's cherished pet, a creature named Skorped. When they threaten Skorped's life and well-being, Dillweed opens his black box and casts the runes, which releases smoky monsters, who do the dirty deeds. And then it's Dillweed turn to go on adventures. Filled with nasty characters, beautiful details, and subtle humor, this stylish book follows in the tradition of the deliciously dark work of Edward Gorey, so Dillweed's happy ending undoubtedly means the end for someone else.

Princess Hyacinth is bored and unhappy sitting in her palace every day because, unless she is weighed down by specially-made clothes, she will float away, but her days are made brighter when kite-flying Boy stops to say hello.

Relates the misadventures of Marigold, who does not agree with anyone, as she shops with her mother for a coat, becomes interested in a new hobby, finds a way to "bug" her best friend, Maxine, and imaginatively copes with finding the right outfit for the first day of school.

Collects the stories of Treehorn, a boy to whom very strange things keep happening which adults, from his parents to the meter reader, do not seem to think are noteworthy.

A list of scary things includes "roller skating down hill when you haven't learned how to stop, getting hugged by somebody you don't like, and finding out your best friend has a best friend who isn't you."

Ishaq, the son of the chief translator to the Caliph of ancient Baghdad, travels the world in search of precious books and manuscripts and brings them back to the great library known as the House of Wisdom.

Vignettes of children whose less than desirable behavior is masked in insidious but acceptable ways.

When Lucita's great-uncle Armando comes to live with them, he teaches her many truths about life.

A collection of poems about surviving daily life presented from a child's point of view.

A young hippopotamus worries that he is too big to be good at anything, but with the help of Aunt Emerald he learns that "You can always find something to be good at, you just have to find out what it is."

Timothy Twinge, a fearful worrier, discovers his own bravery after meeting an unusual visitor.

A ten-year-old Lebanese boy goes to school, helps his mother with chores, plays with his friends, and lives with his family in a basement shelter when bombings occur and fighting begins on his street.

A collection of twenty-one humorous poems, about monsters and their ilk.

A young Egyptian boy describes the city of Cairo as he goes about his daily work and waits for the evening to share a special surprise with his family.

"If you want to pretend you're shrinking, that's all right," said Treehorn's mother, "as long as you don't do it at the table." But Treehorn wasn't pretending. He really was shrinking. Hilarious complications result as he becomes more minuscule by the moment. Treehorn is a bit downhearted when his teacher says, "we don't shrink in this class," and sends him to the principal. Poor Treehorn spends an unhappy day and night until he discovers a magical game that restores him to his natural size. This is a great relief to Treehorn before he notices that he is turning faintly green. . . .

On his birthday Treehorn finds a genie in a bottle and is granted the standard number of wishes.

When his mother goes to the hospital to have a baby, Noah's worst fears about a baby around the house are realized when he goes to stay with Bib and her family.

Television and candy bar addict Jonah, arriving at Fairlee School, thinks his problems will be over if he can just win the prize offered by the American Banana Institute for watching its commercials.

In this adventure of the Spotlight Club, a loyal dog helps Cindy escape from a root cellar where she's been trapped by an armored car robber who thinks she knows too much.