Picture Book, Penguin, 1995, 32 Pages

When baseball season starts, Ryder finds it's hard to get his grandmother to pay attention to anything else. This affectionate book shows you don't have to be bats about baseball to appreciate our national pastime, or the special bond between a boy and his baseball-crazy grandmother. Full-color illustrations.

Novel, Orca, 2002, 154 Pages

One minute she was not there and the next she had dashed in among them, her dangling leash sailing through the air after her. Her silky coat rippled in the breeze and she had incredible ears, black and tall, shaped like butterfly wings. Her feathery tail curled up over her back one minute, streamed out behind her the next and, a second later, tucked itself out of sight between her legs.

To Dickon, that tail shouted, "I want to be friends I'm running away I'm afraid."

He understood the little dog completely. He, too, had felt confused and desperate.

Dickon wasn't happy in his old home or his old school. He hopes that in his new neighborhood he will meet children who never knew his old, hyper self, who will like him for who he is now. And he hopes for a dog of his own. Dickon's mother calls him Birdie. She feeds him milk from a teddy bear mug. She worries if he's out of her sight for a moment and she knows how filthy and vicious dogs can be. Dickon is delighted to discover that the Humane Society is right on the other side of the fence behind the new house, but only by disobeying his mother will he ever get close to a real dog.

Dear Canada Series, Scholastic, 2003, 235 Pages

It has been two long years since Eliza's beloved older brother, Hugo, went away to war. Caught up in his enthusiasm, she couldn't understand her parents' less-than-enthusiastic reaction. Now that her other brother, Jack, has also enlisted, she yearns for the safe return of both brothers. If only she had a friend that she could talk to about her feelings...

Novel, Scholastic, 2007, 239 Pages 

Ten-year-old Min has had a long history of foster care since being abandoned in a public washroom at age three. When Min is dumped by her latest foster mother just before Christmas, Jess Hart, a former Children’s Aid doctor who knows min and sees past her hardened shell, decides to take her home for a couple of weeks to see how the two of them get along. Jess has long had thoughts of a becoming Min’s official foster mother, or even adopting her. On their way to find a Christmas tree, Min finds a young dog that’s near death and brings it home. As the dog’s timidness and distrust of people begins to lesson, Min realizes how much she has herself been “walling” people out. Min starts to open up, makes some new friends and event stands up to her old nemesis, the bullying and taunting Laird. This is a story of and abandoned dog helping and abandoned girl open her heart and let in a new family. Jean Little’s incredible gift for portraying emotion and creating real people shines in this touching novel.

Novel, Penguin, 1986, 123 Pages 

Ben is apprehensive about staying over at his aunt roses house while his parents are away. but with the promise of a big surprise, ben reluctantly agrees to at least give it a try. only, when the surprise arrives, it is not what ben expects at all. At the door is a labrador retriever named gully. the only problem is that ben is afraid of dogs. Dogs jump at people, bite people, and even kill people! And even though gully seems friendly, ben decides he will never be friends with a dog. but when ben finds himself alone with gully in a scary situation, he starts to rethink his fear. perhaps he will be able to survive the whole weekend at Aunt roses with gully running around after all.

I Can Read Books Series, Harper, 1998, 64 Pages

When Sally moves into the house next door, Emma's mom thinks it will be easy for the two girls to become friends. But Emma is so shy, she can barelyeven read out loud in school. Will Emma ever make friends with her newneighbor?Emma is so shy she can barely read out loud in school, and when a new girl moves in next door, Emma isn't sure she can make friends. But a happy coincidence leads the two to share a winter of magical make-believe. And with the help of her new best friend, Emma discovers she can overcome her shynesseven at school. Beginning readers will treasure the perfect blend of engaging text and appealing pictures that celebrates of the magic of friendship.

I Can Read Books Series, Harper, 2004, 64 Pages

"All good pets have fur.
Only strange pets have no fur."
Emma's brother, Max, wants a dog. But he can't have one because Emma is allergic to furry animals. With her birthday just a few days away, Emma decides that she would like a pet for a present. After a trip to the store, Emma finds the perfect nonfurry animal. Will Max like his sister's strange pet too?

Jean Little's heartening and subtly insightful tale about the ever-evolving relationship between siblings is underscored by Jennifer Plecas's captivating artwork.

I Can Read Books Series, Harper, 2001, 64 Pages

Poor Emma! She has it all planned. Her parents are adopting a four year old boy named Max. Emma is convinced he'll be little and sweet, and it will be wonderful having a brother. When she tells her friend Sally that Max is coming to visit, Sally warns her that little brothers can be pests. Emma won't listen.
Her expectations take a blow from reality when Max comes to visit. He isn't little and he isn't friendly. Max tells Emma the cookies she made him are "yucky." When Emma's friend Sally comes over, Max plays with Sally and her little brother, Josh. When Max leaves, he doesn't even say good-bye to Emma.

In spite of reassurance from her parents, Emma feels hurt; Max doesn't like her or her cookies and likes Sally best. In fact, Emma is mad, shouting, "...I don't need a brother. Brothers are nothing but pests!" Things do not improve when Max comes for the weekend. He wants to play with Sally and calls Emma "Yucky Emma." Max misses his foster mother, Jane, and cries for her.

As Emma sees how unhappy Max is, she begins to soften towards him. Reassurance from her parents as to their love for her helps. However, when Max moves in, he is still belligerent towards Emma and keeps calling her "Yucky Emma." Emma realizes that Sally was right; sometimes a brother can be a pest. When Max runs away after accidentally breaking her doll, Emma realizes how much she cares for him. When Emma finally finds Max, her little brother realizes he can depend on her when he needs help. When Sally congratulates "Yucky Emma" for finding Max, Max corrects her, saying, "Emma isn't yucky. She's my sister."

Novel, Orca, 2005, 144 Pages

Seeing-eye pup, Shakespeare, conquered many fears in Rescue Pup. Now he is back, about to be matched up with a blind boy, ready to begin his working life. Tim is enraged by his blindness and wants nothing to do with a guide dog. But he is no match for Shakespeare.

Jean Little is one of Canada's most beloved writers for children. She is also blind and currently living with her third Seeing Eye dog. Three times, she has traveled to the Seeing Eye headquarters in New Jersey to train with a dog, first Zephyr, then Ritz and now Pippa. For years she has thought about writing a book about the training of a Seeing Eye dog. Now she has done it, but Shakespeare is not just any dog.

Forward, Shakespeare! is the second of two books in a series.
Book one is Rescue Pup.

Novel, Harper, 1972, 201 Pages 

Anna has always been the clumsy one in the family. Somehow she can never do anything right! She bumps into tables, and she can't read the blackboard at her school. Her perfect brothers and sisters call her "Awkward Anna." When Papa announces that the family is moving from Germany to Canada, Anna's heart sinks. How can she learn English when she can't even read German? Nothing could be worse than this!

But when the Soldens arrive in Canada, Anna learns that there is a reason for her clumsiness. And suddenly, wonderfully, her whole world begins to change.