Pat Zietlow Miller

Stella Wells, fledgling scientist, has a new baby brother, Drake, and she is seriously considering the possibility that he is a duck--but further research is required to test that hypothesis.

When Tanisha spills grape juice all over her dress, her classmate wants to make her feel better and ponders the different ways in which they can be kind.

Not strong enough to ascend the climbing wall at school, a discouraged child returns home and learns that there are other ways to be strong, from not giving up when working for a good cause or learning a new skill to making sure that no one sits alone in the lunchroom.

On a trip to the farmers' market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. From then on, Sophie brings Bernice everywhere, despite her parents' gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot. As winter nears, Sophie does start to notice changes.... What's a girl to do when the squash she loves is in trouble?

On her very first day of school, Sophie is reluctant to make friends with the other children, preferring to play with two squash she grew in her garden--but when a particularly persistent boy named Steven gives her a packet of seeds as an apology for accidentally ripping her picture, she realizes that it just takes time to grow a friend.

With all the endless, creative fun a child can have with a rock, the best thing one can do with one is to share it with a friend. Includes facts about rocks and rock collecting.