Books with author Susan Bonners

Having a pen pal is excitingOne September evening, Gregory ties an index card with his name and address on it to the string of a silver helium balloon and lets it go from his window, into the city sky. Three weeks later, an envelope arrives in the mail. A farmer named Pete has found his balloon! Gregory writes back, and the two become pen pals, exchanging mystery gifts with each letter. Finally, Pete sends a gift that Gregory can identify only by a trip to the antural history museum, and the object turns out to be something truly amazing. With illustrations by the author, The Silver Balloon is perfect for early chapter-book readers.

Having a pen pal is excitingOne September evening, Gregory ties an index card with his name and address on it to the string of a silver helium balloon and lets it go from his window, into the city sky. Three weeks later, an envelope arrives in the mail. A farmer named Pete has found his balloon! Gregory writes back, and the two become pen pals, exchanging mystery gifts with each letter. Finally, Pete sends a gift that Gregory can identify only by a trip to the antural history museum, and the object turns out to be something truly amazing. With illustrations by the author, The Silver Balloon is perfect for early chapter-book readers.

Why do cats rub up against furniture? Why do they like to hide in bags? What makes them purr? These are just some of the questions answered in this fascinating and informative picture book on feline behavior. Through the inventive narrative, young readers examine the instincts of the common house cat. The text works on two levels: it describes a day in the life of a pet cat named Molly, and then explains the scientific basis for all of her actions. Some of the most ordinary cat antics, like pouncing on a toy or scratching against an object, are deeply rooted in the behavior of wild ancestors. Susan Bonners expertly explains why our beloved pets act the curious way they do.

An old secret is revealed and an unusual friendship forged. Jerry has an easy time coming up with a topic for an oral report on local history -- his subject will be his favorite cousin, Charles. Jerry remembered hearing a story many years ago: Charles used his rock-climbing skills to rescue a five-year-old girl and became a celebrated hero in the community. Jerry researches the event on microfilm at the library and visits the commemorative plaque at the rescue site, but he quickly realizes that a firsthand account would be the best resource of all. He does some detective work and is able to track down the girl, now grown up and living in a town not too far away. But when Jerry hears her version of the incident, one odd detail doesn't seem to fit. As he gets closer to solving the mystery, it becomes apparent that the story coincidentally involves Danny, a classmate with whom Jerry's been forging a tentative friendship. When Jerry ultimately uncovers the truth, its impact is greater than anyone could have imagined.

A successful letter-writing campaign, with just a touch of deception.When Edwina's great-grandaunt and namesake decides to move to a nursing home, Edwina is recruited by her mom to help clean out her aunt's attic. There she discovers a cache of letters from Aunt Edwina, who had been an activist, to various public officials, all requesting improvements in public locations around town. Then Edwina notices a local playground in sorry disrepair and decides to do some letter-writing of her own. She types up her plea, copies her aunt's signature, and mails it to the mayor. Edwina doesnt feel she's being completely underhanded: after all, she is signing her own name, even if the handwriting is forged. And when the mayor responds with fast action -- he hopes for a political contribution from Aunt Edwina -- Edwina begins writing more letters. But it is only a matter of time before she must reveal her true identity, both to the mayor and to her great-grandaunt. Susan Bonners's black-and-white pictures offset a charming story of a regular girl who finds a way to make a difference in her community.

Adjusting to the new neighborhood thanks to the sound of musicIt's hard enough moving to a new place, and for Annie there are plenty of extra burdens. Her mother seems sad and worried all the time, having a baby brother makes getting settled in even harder, a box of her prized horse figurines has been lost, and to top it all off, the new house is far away from Annie's favorite uncle, who shared with her what she loves best of all: piano music. But it turns out that piano music can also be found in her new neighborhood. Each evening when Annie roller-skates, she hears beautiful melodies coming from a house down the street. It is the source of the music, the elderly Mrs. Bergstrom, that eventually provides Annie with hope that the new place may someday feel like home. Young readers will easily identify with Annie in this charming early chapter book from the Christopher Award-winning author of The Silver Balloon.