Pam Muñoz Ryan

A fictionalized biography of the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who grew up a painfully shy child, ridiculed by his overbearing father, but who became one of the most widely-read poets in the world. Includes author's note about the poet.

"Middle-grade fans of Pam Muñoz Ryan's Esperanza Rising, will find a new Mexican heroine to love in Solimar and a fresh, magical story! On the brink of her Quinceañera, and her official coronation, Solimar visits the oyamel forest to sit among the monarch butterflies. There, the sun pierces through a sword-shaped crevice in a boulder, which shines on her and sends the butterflies humming and swirling around her. After the magical frenzy, she realizes...

When Naomi's absent mother resurfaces to claim her, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of her father.

It is the first day of school for Tony Baloney, the macaroni penguin, and he wants to follow all the class rules, but Tony has a way of finding trouble.

A very rare pitacohi bird falls in love with a swallow and plucks his colorful feathers to transform dry, barren San Juan Capistrano into a haven of flowers and flowing water, which the swallows can easily find when returning from their annual migration.

Halloween is coming! This year, Tony Baloney wants to stand out in the crowd at the school Halloween parade. But can he keep his costume intact until the day of the parade?

"Tony Baloney and his school are celebrating pen pal month! Big Sister Baloney says her pen pal is always a friend for life. Tony Baloney hopes his pen pal will be a friend for life, too!"--Page [4] of cover.

Tony and his big sister can go to the indoor camping event, Books and Buddies, if they are good--but being polite and helping each other for a whole day is difficult for this brother and sister.

Describes how the weather was on the first Christmas many years ago.