strong opening
— A boy's beloved husky Breeze becomes a local hero by saving lives, but dies after being injured in a blizzard while seeking shelter.
— A young birder enters a contest at Sunset Park, using patience and birdseed to attract thirty-seven birds while competitors rush around, winning the grand prize.
— A boy spends his summer earning money for a BMX bike, falling just short until his best friend arrives with the final dollar he needs.
— A twelve-year-old slave named Curtis escapes via the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tubman, reaching Canada where he reunites with his father and gains the surname Freedom.
— A boy finds his rival's lost championship kite before a competition and must decide whether to return it or keep it to ensure his own victory.
— A daredevil teen jumps into a forbidden lake and is transported to a medieval world where she must save a rebel fighter from a tyrant by pulling the villain back...
— A girl shovels snow to earn money for Christmas presents, then must choose between a bracelet she wants and a gift for her sister.
— A teenage boy struggles to get his four-year-old sister to bed during a foggy night, finally outsmarting her with a clever intercom trick after she hides.
— Two sisters left home alone escalate from bickering to a kitchen accident that brings them together when the older sister rushes the younger to the hospital.
— In ancient Rome, a rebellious girl secretly learns to read from a neighbor boy who must move away, leaving her with letters that sustain their friendship and her forbidden education.