11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Amanda and Leo were born on the same day, at the same hospital. This happens a lot all around the world every day, so why are these two babies special? You could ask the elderly woman with the duck-shaped birth mark on her cheek who is looking at the two babies through the nursery window and later spies on the two sets of parents as they look through the nursery window OR you could read the story 11 Birthdays and find out.

Amanda and Leo are destined to spend every birthday celebrating together. It starts with their birth, and again on their 1st birthday. So every year their families give them a birthday party - together. At their 10th birthday party Amanda overhears something Leo says that will change their friendship and birthday forever.

One year later Amanda and Leo plan separate parties for the first time ever! Amanda does not like the way her birthday turns out, she misses Leo, but the next day is Saturday and she won’t have to face anyone at school until Monday. When Amanda wakes up the next morning it is her birthday AGAIN! The whole day plays out exactly like it did, including the party that she did not like. Amanda is totally confused, is she dreaming? What is going on? She goes to bed and wakes up on her birthday AGAIN! What? This cannot be happening. Read 11 Birthdays and see how Amanda gets out of this insane loop. Can anyone help her? Does anyone else realize that the day keeps repeating? And what does the mysterious woman with the duck-shaped birth mark on her cheek know? So many questions ... that is why I could not put down the book until I finished it!

Visit the author's web site for more titles by Wendy Mass

Swimming Sal by Carol Molski

Every dog at Hilltop Farm was a winner --
every dog except Sal.

Sal couldn't jump hurdles.
Her legs were too short.
She couldn't herd sheep.
It gave her a woolly mouth.
And her nose was too flat
to win Best of Show.

Poor Sal!

Sal was good at only one thing -- swimming!

Sal had to learn how to swim so she could win medals like all the other dogs at Hilltop Farm, but how? Sal had a perfect idea! She would join the swim team with Annie. She hid in Annie's gym bag and went to the local pool. Sal was swimming until Coach Mary spotted her in the pool and kicked her out. Coach Mary even put a sign up on the fence that said, NO DOGS ALLOWED. Sal tried to figure out how she would learn to swim and win her medal, but she could not come up with a plan. She figured it was a lost cause UNTIL she went to the pool to watch the relay race and became the hero. Read Swimming Sal to find out if Sal ever wins her medal. Does she become the Swimmingest Dog in the World?