A poor peasant woman who has no money for gifts or a special meal for her children gets help from a kindly mother spider on Christmas.

Meg tells her mother about all the mishaps on her field trip to the farm because Jimmy brought his boa constrictor along.

'Imagination and hilarity about in this unique story of a women's garden party attended by a boa constrictor. Humorous illustrations with delightful details complete this tale of nonsense.'

Delly Porter enjoys the feel of soft dirt beneath her feet as she walks to and from school, but after a classmate makes her feel ashamed of having no shoes she learns that her parents and others, too, see value in things that do not cost money.

Eleven-year-old Gabe enlists in the Union Army in Pennsylvania along with his older brother Davy and, as bugler, does his best to protect Davy during the Battle of Gettysburg.