This fourth novel about the popular Sossi family focuses on 13-year-old Karen and the bad luck she encounters when she ignores her schoolwork for cooking and babysitting. Skilled in making everyday occurrences interesting, the author has written a pleasant story of a caring family.—Horn Book.

Fifteen-year-old Elaine suddenly finds her life very interesting, as her family deals with the death of a cat, her little brother gets five dogs for his birthday, and she begins a promising romance

Peanut and Butter, the two dogs Aldo gets for his eleventh birthday, create chaos inside the house while his parents are out of town and get accused of tearing up the neighbor's lawn.