vivid characters
— During the Civil War, young Tom struggles to support his mother while his father and brother fight, until a Confederate raid brings an unexpected reunion.
— A girl runs away after her father's sled dogs die in the Iditarod, gets lost in a blizzard, and is saved by her dogs, leading to reconciliation with her father.
— Two cousins exploring a Florida ranch forest encounter wildlife and flee in panic from an alligator sunning on a canal bank, later laughing at their overreaction.
— A self-conscious girl travels to Ireland to stay with relatives and discovers her pink-haired cousin Bridget is a talented artist dealing with her father's recent departure.
— Carmen wins a coveted violin solo over popular classmate Gabriella, but when she finds Gabriella crying, they discover they both wanted to be friends all along.
— A wolf-dog named Shannon saves her musher from drowning in an icy lake but sacrifices herself in the process, appearing later as a ghostly figure in the mist.
— Carmen auditions for a violin solo against the popular new girl Gabriella, wins the part, then discovers Gabriella wanted to be friends all along.
— A boy in 1903 Kitty Hawk befriends the Wright brothers, shares their struggles and setbacks, and becomes the first passenger to fly with them on December 17th.
— A half-Japanese, half-Chinese girl struggles to fit in at her new Japanese school until her kindness toward a cruel classmate transforms their relationship during a school musical.
— A homesick Hawaiian girl meets an exuberant neighbor in an Oregon meadow who shows her a secret grove of cherry blossoms, where she glimpses their future friendship in a frozen...