Book Buddies Series

Longing for independence and adventure brings Roger the chick more than he bargained for in a Book Buddies episode offering plenty of charm.

Roger the chick almost never gets the chance to do things on his own—he’s always attached by Velcro to his mother, Olive the hen, who prefers a quiet nap to any excitement. The two Book Buddies even come as a pair when they’re borrowed from the library, so Roger doesn’t go on many solo adventures. One day, a boy named Liam is persuaded by his little sister to borrow Roger and Olive before picking up Grandpa from the airport. While Liam is preoccupied with showing Grandpa how grown-up he is, however, Roger the chick wriggles free, only to be accidentally left behind. Could this be the chance that Roger’s been waiting for, or will his airport adventure—complete with a too-playful dog and a looming top of the escalator—prove too exciting even for him? If Liam admits his mistake, will he have a chance to show how grown-up he is—and help Roger get back from the Lost and Found?

Will lonely Maya’s wish for a friend come true when she borrows Dazzle, a toy unicorn, from the library? What about Dazzle’s wish for a place to belong? The heartwarming series continues with a third adventure.

Dazzle is a snow-white unicorn with a twisty horn, a sparkly pink tail, and a tag that says unicorns can grant wishes. He isn’t sure whether he can make a wish for himself, but he does so anyway, hoping for a child and a home of his own. Instead, Dazzle gets sold at a yard sale and becomes one of the Book Buddies, friendly toys that children can check out of the library just like books. Meanwhile, Maya has just moved to town and decides to borrow Dazzle, hoping he can grant her a wish for a new friend. But when a girl named Isabelle comes over for a playdate that doesn’t go as well as Maya had expected, she’s worried that they won’t become friends after all. Maybe Dazzle and Maya can help each other make their wishes come true? With a gentle tale of empathy and growth, Newbery Honor winner Cynthia Lord and celebrated artist Stephanie Graegin offer another endearing story in the Book Buddies series.

Can an intrepid toy mouse help a child venture out of his comfort zone?

Marco Polo is a retired Christmas ornament, but in his mind he is a great mouse explorer. Because he’s tiny and likely to be lost, he is the least-borrowed of the Book Buddies—toys that children can check out of the library just like a book—and he almost never gets to leave the library. But the little mouse finally meets the right match in Seth, a boy who is about to attend his first sleepover. If Seth were to bring the stuffed bunny he usually sleeps with, he’d risk being teased, but Marco Polo is the perfect size to hide away in his sleeping bag. Are both boy and mouse in for an unexpected adventure? Charmingly illustrated and offering a window into the secret life of toys (including a suspenseful glimpse at where all the household’s lost toys go), this title in the endearing Book Buddies series explores common fears and quiet bravery.

A lonely doll helps a child adjust to a blended family in the first of a charming series about library toys and the children who borrow them, written by Newbery Honoree Cynthia Lord.

Ivy was Anne the librarian’s doll when she was a young girl. But now she has moved to Anne’s library to be its newest Book Buddy—a toy that can be checked out just like a book. Ivy isn’t sure she wants to be borrowed, though. She’d rather go back to just being Anne’s favorite toy. Fern, a child who visits the library with her stepfamily, also wishes things could go back to the way they were, when Fern had her dad all to herself. When Fern takes Ivy home, an unexpected outdoor adventure helps both of them find confidence and belonging in their changing worlds. This heartwarming story by Cynthia Lord, with a classic feel and gentle illustrations by Stephanie Graegin, is the first in a chapter-book series that pairs friendly toys with child characters who need them.