A child imagines that he is in a story where he encounters a tiger at every turn.

When Little Red Chicken comes home excited about what she learned in school, she explains to Papa that every story has "an elephant of surprise."

Along with stories, Keri Cleary records in her diary the strange and terrifying events surrounding the disappearance of Fiona Loomis and Alistair Cleary's efforts to find her in Aquavania, a world where wishes can nearly come true, as well as the repercussions of the shooting of Kyle Dwyer.

"When the children discover a bear at the librarian's desk at story time, they think he's the new librarian. He's not!"--

Sara Stanley is only fourteen, but she can weave tales that are impossible to resist. In the charming town of Carlisle, children and grown-ups alike flock from miles around to hear her spellbinding tales. And when Bev King and his younger brother Felix arrive for the summer, they, too, are captivated by the Story Girl. Whether she's leading them on exciting misadventure or narrating timeless stories--from the scary "Tale of the Family Ghost" to the...

"Shut up in a trunk by a taciturn old sea captain with a secret, five friends--a king, a wolf, a girl, a boy, and an owl--bicker, boast, and comfort one another in the dark. Individually, they dream of song and light, freedom and flight, purpose and glory, but they all agree they are part of a larger story, bound each to each by chance, bonded by the heart's mysteries. When at last their shared fate arrives, landing them on a mantel in a blue room...

While Gwin, a Fetcher, and her family defy the Devouts by sharing song and story, the Oyster's crew and the Sunkers continue fighting to bring light back to the dark world

While two monsters argue over how the story they are telling should go, Dennis, a very hungry dragon, is listening nearby--and he has very definite ideas about how this story should end.

When Max cuts out words from magazines and newspapers, collecting them the way his brothers collect stamps and coins, they all learn about words, sentences, and storytelling.

"Marcus's joy over a new pair of shoes prompts his grandfather to tell him a story about Ariba, who has an unusual relationship with a persistent pair of shoes."--Provided by publisher.