Central Kansas Library System

"Clay has had his fill of home life. A global plague has brought the world to a screeching halt, and with little to look forward to but a summer of video-calling friends, vying with annoying sisters for the family computer, and tuning out his parents’ financial worries, he’s only too happy to retreat to the woods. From the moment the elegant little dog with the ornate collar appears like an apparition among the trees, Clay sees something uncanny...

After years of abuse and neglect, Parker is found chained in a junk-filled backyard after a drug bust. The little guy’s terrified of people. Officer Ned Barringer brings him to a nearby shelter for medical care. When Ned learns how hard it is for dogs like Parker to get adopted, he must do more. He’s also instantly taken with Kim Harper, one of the shelter managers. She offers to train Parker for free. Ned instantly accepts. That same day, he...

Lady Philippa Marbury is . . . odd The brilliant, bespectacled daughter of a double marquess cares more for books than balls, for science than the season, and for laboratories than love. She's looking forward to marrying her simple fiancé and living out her days quietly with her dogs and her scientific experiments. But before that, Pippa has two weeks to experience all the rest - fourteen days to research the exciting parts of life. It's not much...

"Maggie Messina knows that knitting is not only enjoyable, it also calms both the mind and soul. She's happy to visit two sisters, Holly and Rose Piper, and teach them some simple stitches, while the rest of the Black Sheep knitters tag along. Dana Haeger has known the young women since they were children and is the closest thing to family the Pipers now have. Dana is especially concerned about Rose, who has been easily overwhelmed ever since a car...

Jimmy Bishop likes crime fighters, vampires, and dogs, and he does not care for his new babysitter, so he is delighted when his new dog, Abby--who sleeps during the day, and grows huge fangs at night--turns out to be a crime-fighting, vampire dog, who also does not like the babysitter.

"School is out for the summer, and Charlotte is doing her best to keep the kids occupied and out of trouble. After much prodding, Sam gets a job at a day care, but it's his part-time gig at the airport that captures his interest--and has his grandparents worried. Christopher is hard at work trying to teach an old dog new tricks, and Emily and her friend Ashley get roped into visiting an elderly woman in town who needs a little help around the house....

"When two-year-old tabby, Molly, loses her beloved owner, her world falls apart. Re-homed with three cat-hating dogs, she decides to take matters into her own paws and embarks on a grueling journey to the nearest town. As Molly walks the cobbled streets of Stourton, she begins to lose all hope of finding a home ... Until one day she is welcomed into the warmth by caring caf�e owner, Debbie. Like Molly, Debbie is also an outsider and, with a daughter...

"Madeleine Altimari is a smart-mouthed, rebellious nine-year-old who also happens to be an aspiring jazz singer. Still mourning the recent death of her mother, and caring for her grief-stricken father, she doesn't realize that on the eve of Christmas Eve she is about to have the most extraordinary day--and night--of her life. After bravely facing down mean-spirited classmates and rejection at school, Madeleine doggedly searches for Philadelphia's...

Skeezie Tookis navigates a pivotal summer of first crushes and tough choices in this conclusion to the bestselling and acclaimed quartet that began with The Misfits. Skeezie Tookis, also known as Elvis, isn't looking forward to this summer in Paintbrush Falls. While his best friends Bobby, Joe, and Addie are off on exciting adventures, he's stuck at home, taking care of his sisters and working five days a week to help out his mom. True, he gets to...

The Blythes are a big, warm, rambunctious family who live on a small farm and sometimes foster children. Now Prez has come to live with them. But, though he seems cheerful and helpful, he never says a word. Then one day Prez answers the door to someone claiming to be his relative. This small, loud stranger carries a backpack, walks with a swagger and goes by the name of Sputnik. As Prez dithers on the doorstep, Sputnik strolls right past him and introduces...