Lois Lenski

Birdie Boyer and her hard working family raise strawberries in rural Florida, but must face the dislike of their neighbors.

Engineer Small takes the little train on its run from Tinytown to the big city, passing farms, traveling over a bridge, and going though a tunnel along the way.

The saga of the discovery of oil in Oklahoma is told in terms of the Robinson family, especially, Granpa and ten-year-old Orvie.

Policeman Small has many responsibilites as a corner traffic cop, dealing with cars, delivery trucks, school children, a fire engine, and even a circus parade.

Judy lives in a tent with her family. Will they ever be able to afford a farm with a real house? Ten-year-old Judy and her family are migrants, moving from farm to farm with each new season. Starting in Alabama, they travel to Florida and up the East Coast all the way to New Jersey, always looking for steady work. Every time Judy feels as if they're beginning to put down roots, they have to move on. It's hard for her to catch up in school; it's hard...

A young girl grows up in the sooty shadow of the coal mines of West Virginia. When the whistle blows, Christina knows her father is coming home. Every day he emerges from the pit with his skin caked in coal dust. He's 50 now and he's been working in the mines since he was 12 years old. It's dangerous, backbreaking labor, but he does it because he loves his family. As far as Christina is concerned, there is no job in the world more honorable than digging...

A Cajun girl tries to keep her family together on the Louisiana bayou. It's been almost 2 years since Suzette's father caught 2 bullets in his back. Since then, he's been bed-ridden, too sick to hunt or fish or do any of the things a bayou man must do to keep his family fed. While he heals, Suzette scours the swamps around her house for fish, gators, or anything she can sell to put food on the table. It's hard, but Suzette is a proud Cajun, and work...

The entire ranch is thirsty-will the rains ever come? Tomboy Charlie loves the ranch and the outdoors, especially now that she has a horse of her own and can ride like a true cowboy. She doesn't understand why her mother keeps after her to help out in the house, too. But ranch life is hard, especially when there's a drought. There isn't enough water for the crops or cattle, and horrible dust storms sweep away the soil. If it doesn't rain soon, her...

A young boy growing up in the Oregon wilderness dreams of becoming a logger. Little Joe has been sawing trees since he was 5 years old. A child of the Oregon hills, he spends his days scampering through the forest around his family's cabin. Ever since he was old enough to hold an ax, he's wanted to be a logger like his daddy. He wants to wear boots with nails on them, saw down the mightiest trees in the forest, and holler "Timber!" as they come crashing...

After Tib Muller moves into the town where Betsy Ray and Tacy Kelly live, the eight-year-olds never quarrel, even when learning to fly--from the limb of a tree.