Niles lives all alone in a big dirty house filled with memories of the people who used to live there. Then one day, a little boy appears on his doorstep and asks Niles to take care of his plant. Astonished, Niles takes the pot of dirt, and wonders what to do with it. As a seedling appears, Niles realizes how empty and lonely his house is and begins to care for the plant, his house and himself. By the time the little boy returns his flower has bloomed into a beautiful poppy and Niles, and his house, are filled with hope again.
lonliness
Adelaide’s Secret World
In a chance encounter, Adelaide meets someone who just might be a kindred spirit and is so startled and shy she runs away! But then she gathers her courage and uses all her ingenuity to make sure that they and all the other lonely ones meet and connect and share their dreams.
The Icarus Show
David, a boy in his class, does react. He’s branded a weirdo, becomes an outcast, and is given a terrible nickname. Alex is determined not to suffer the same fate. But one day, Alex gets a note in his bag that forces him out of his safe little world. The Icarus Show is an unforgettable story about friendship, loneliness, and a strange kind of genius.
Yeti And The Bird
Deep in the forest lives the biggest, hairiest, scariest yeti anyone has ever seen. And he is also the loneliest yeti around. Then one day…THUNK! Someone lands on Yeti’s head. And that someone isn’t scared of Yeti at all. Could that someone be a friend?
There’s A Pig In My Class!
Pig was the loneliest pig in the world, locked in his pen while the children played in the schoolyard behind him. But suddenly, Pig can’t believe his own curly tail! The children have disguised him in a sweater, pants, and a hat; and he’s made it inside their preschool classroom. Everyone is having a blast, but how can Pig’s new friends keep the teachers from finding out about him?
The Night Journey
Thirteen-year-old Rachel ignores her parents’ wishes and persuades her great-grandmother Nana Sashie to relate the story of her escape from czarist Russia. An ALA Notable Book.