Elise Primavera

A small dog named Baked Potato is lost and searching for his lady owner, but neither the grumpy dog or the fox are helpful, and his strange name creates confusion--until owl explains that, whatever he is called, he is really a dog,

Louise is determined to earn straight A's in second grade, but her teacher, Mrs. Pearl, is known for not giving out that special grade.

There's nothing like a pair of sparkly, shiny, and pretty la-di-da shoes to bring out the Big Cheese in a girl. But Louise's mother doesn't quite see it that way. Instead Louise has to wear the dull and drab brown tie shoes she has worn for years. They are practical, Louise's mother says. They are better in the rain, the shoe salesman says. It doesn't matter that Louise doesn't see it that way. Then Louise's best friend Fern comes to school with shiny...

Louise's mother will not allow her to get shiny black shoes with sparkles on them, but when her friend Fern gets a pair, Louise finds out just how impractical fancy shoes really are.

When Chris expresses doubt about the existence of Santa Claus, his older sister Sophie reveals that their aunt is really Santa's sister and helper and then sends him on a strange journey.