Lois Lenski

A Chinese boy struggles to adapt to life in the big city. In Chinatown, the streets are crowded and the air is filled with delicious smells. Felix Fong and his family just moved to San Francisco from a town in the countryside, and they have never seen so many people. Felix's siblings are thrilled by the constant hustle and bustle, but he misses their old house. He liked having grass to play in and a pond to swim in. The city is overwhelming, and it...

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 boy dreams of music and sunshine in the Great Smoky Mountains. As far as Billy is concerned, there's no sight more beautiful than the sun setting over the Blue Ridge Mountains. When the day is done, he sneaks away from his work to watch the sun go down. If his father knew, he would call Billy lazy, but Mama would understand. She knows life in the mountains is hard and that there's no point in living if a person can't take time to appreciate...

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...

An Iowa farm boy longs to quit school and join his dad working the land. Dick comes home from school early and tells his mother he was sent home with a stomachache. She puts him to bed and tells him to get some sleep, but Dick can't shut his eyes for a second. All his life he's wanted to be a farmer - to quit school and join his father and brother driving tractors across their sprawling property - and today is his chance. His father is getting a 2nd...

A fictional retelling of the experiences of twelve-year-old Mary Jemison, who after being captured by a Shawnee war party during the French and Indian War, is rescued and subsequently adopted by two Seneca sisters with whom she ultimately chooses to stay.

Regional story of Tina and her family who live in a coal mining town in West Virginia. A mining accident brings everyone together.

Rhyming text and illustrations depict children welcoming the arrival of spring.

Describes the many daily duties of a corner traffic cop.

The further adventures of 12-year-old Betsy, Tacy, and Tib as they explore the world beyond their neighborhood and discover the public library, see a real play, and make friends with the owners of the downtown hotel.