New to the Royals baseball team, Chico Romez is accepted by all the players except one, String Becker, the most popular player on the team, who finds fault with and snubs Chico.

When his father is accused of causing a fire through faulty wiring, Dana tries to get to the bottom of the allegations. But when he discovers the shocking truth, he must decide whether to keep quiet or ruin a reputation by going public.

Stan Martin believes his chances for playing second base are next to zero because his rival for the position looks too tough to beat.

When he learns why his best friend taught him an unbeatable pitch instead of using it himself, Bernie learns a sad lesson about friendship.

Griffin is a very special little groundhog Mother Nature chooses for an extraordinary responsibility--awakening the other animals to welcome spring. His friends are awed by Griffin's courage and some of them warn him about the wolves and weasels that may be waiting for him when he tries to complete his task. So when Griffin ventures out of his burrow one sunny day in late winter, he encounters a horrible image in the snow and scurries back inside. Though he's frightened, Griffin is also worried about letting Mother Nature down. He finally gets up his nerve, faces the outside, and runs right...

Rosie, a little girl with a curiosity as big as all outdoors, discovers the magic of the garden in this delightfully illustrated book for children from three to eight. Her world disrupted by a move to a new place, Rosie learns about choosing seeds, planting, fertilizing, and nurturing flowers and vegetables. After the seeds have sprouted, she plays wonderful games using her imagination to turn the plants into her a oebabies" or her "loyal subjects." Picture book-ages 0-6.

The book describes the region's four central counties (Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's), including wildlife, plants, and history. It also details what is unique about each county, such as, government, growth, major towns, natural resources, and places of interest. Especially interesting to young readers will be the details on "fascinating folks" who live in each county. Parents and grandparents will find it an appealing educational gift. Middle grades-ages 10-13.

This second book in the Our Maryland Counties series for elementary school students covers Baltimore, Frederick, Harford, and Carroll counties. The book includes a description of the region's geography, climate, plants and animals, and history. The uniqueness of each county is celebrated with absorbing stories about its founding, growth, county government, major towns, prominent churches, education, business, agriculture, natural resources, and places of interest. Clever line drawings and asides called "Fun Facts" and "Not-so-fun Facts" keep the students involved in the subject. Middle...

The American Revolution brought years of turmoil to Maryland and its capital city. This story of a family who lived in Annapolis during that period of the nation's history shows the times that turned their world upside down. From the burning of the ship Peggy Stewart during the Annapolis "tea party," to the war's end, the five Sands children and their parents were a part of events that created a new nation. Their story takes readers into the world of 1776 to experience something of what life was like during the Revolutionary War. Ordinary Marylanders played a vital role in winning...

The story of Maryland's three southern counties is really the story of the beginnings of the state itself. On March 25, 1634, the first European settlers came to the area in hopes of finding religious freedom and economic opportunities, led by Leonard Calvert. Counties of Southern Maryland describes the early settlement and traces the region's history through the end of the twentieth century in the area that now comprises St. Mary's, Calvert, and Charles counties. This is the third book in a series about Maryland's counties that is designed for elementary school children studying their state....