Peter H Reynolds

Disappointed when a gift he wished for all year seems quite puny on Christmas morning, young Roland wishes for bigger and bigger gifts before learning a valuable lesson about being careful what you wish for.

Rafael has looked forward to the Going Places contest and builds his go-cart from a kit in record time, but his neighbor, Maya, has a much more interesting and creative idea for her entry and Rafael decides to help.

"When a young boy begins to play on his family's piano, reveling in the fun of plunking the keys, his father signs him up for lessons so that he can learn to play properly. With his father's encouragement, Raj learns notes, then scales, then songs, and finally classical pieces that his father can recognize and be proud of. But the more Raj practices and the more skilled he becomes, the less he enjoys playing, until he grows up and stops playing altogether....

Leo's list of things to do keeps growing, until one day he wishes, "If only there were two of me." Just as the words are out of his mouth, poof! Another Leo appears! Two Leos become three, three become four, and four become more ... but Leo can't help but notice that he has even more to do than before. As he struggles to deal with his overcomplicated life, Leo realizes that there may be a simpler solution to his overscheduling woes.

Vashti thinks she can't draw. No, Vashti KNOWS she can't draw! To prove her point, she jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti's journey of surprise and self-discovery.

A child is encouraged to find their own voice, and to say something, even though it may, at times, be difficult to speak out

Rose finds a neglected patch of earth in the middle of a bustling city where she can plant the flower seeds collected from her travels in her magical teapot

Jerome enjoys collecting and using words that he hears, reads, or sees, and then decides to share his collection with others.

As Hurricane Elmer hits, Judy, Stink, and the entire Moody clan hunker down and ride out the storm, but when the power goes out, Grandma Lou proposes some activities to pass the time in the dark.

Seven-year-old Stink Moody discovers that he can get free samples by writing letters to candy companies and plans a surprise for his best friend's birthday