During the summer before fifth grade, Ferris Wilkey has her hands full with her little sister terrorizing the town, her Aunt Shirley moving into their basement and her grandmother seeing a ghost--one who has wild, impractical and illuminating plans.

A boy sets out to find someone to answer a question that he asks his grandmother, and eventually his quest leads him back home.

Grandma is too busy for various family activities until she's invited to put together a banjo band to entertain them

"Claudia has a sad goodbye to make. Her grandmother, Mimi, has just died. Claudia understands that Mimi was sick for a long time, but she's still mad at her grandmother for leaving her. Who will help Claudia with her homework . . . and share "special tea" with her? To keep from thinking about Mimi, Claudia spends all her free time painting and baby-sitting. She's even teaching an art class for some of the kids in the neighborhood. Claudia knows she...

While living with her Gram in Vermont, eleven-year-old Aubrey writes letters as a way of dealing with losing her father and sister in a car accident, and then being abandoned by her grief-stricken mother.

Zura is worried about how her classmates will react to her Ghanaian Nana's tattoos on Grandparents Day, but Nana finds a way to show how special and meaningful they are.

When Gertie moves in next door with fancy toys and a huge television set, Molly shares lessons she learned from her grandmother about home-made playthings and imagination.

"Every year, Haitians all over the world ring in the new year by eating a special soup, a tradition dating back to the Haitian Revolution. This year, Ti Gran is teaching Belle how to make the soup -- Freedom Soup -- just like she was taught when she was a little girl. Together, they dance and clap as they prepare the holiday feast, and Ti Gran tells Belle about the history of the soup, the history of Belle's family, and the history of Haiti, where...

During their trip to the farm, Astrid and Apollo enjoy Grandma's funny stories and Uncle Meng's magic tricks while picking vegetables to sell at the farmers' market. Includes facts about the Hmong.

"Granny thinks catsitting will be easy. She'll make her signature cupcakes, give the cat a good brushing, and together they'll share a sweet night's rest. But Kitty has other plans. After Granny loses her glasses and accidentally lets a raccoon inside, all bets are off--much to the cat's displeasure"--Inside jacket flap