Patrick Jennings

Rufus has been dreaming of getting a dog. His best friend has one. His worst friend has one. But his dad has a few objections: They whine. They gnaw. They bark. They scratch. They beg. They drool. Rufus pays no attention when his mom offers her think-outside-the-box suggestion, because she can't be serious. She can't be. She can be. And she actually comes home with a guinea pig. And if Rufus's dad thinks dogs are a problem, he won't know what hit...

As I lay there, the reality--and gravity--of my situation began to sink in: I was no longer free; I lived in a glass cage; I couldn't slither or burrow or hunt or search for a mate (it was that season); my diet was under the control of a loathsome sadistic human child; I would remain in this cage, indoors, maybe as long as Speedy had, maybe longer. Panic seized me, then grief, then rage.

Eleven-year-old Nickel, a boy with a great affinity for both animals and photography, moves into an apartment building run by the strange and mysterious Mr. Beastly and discovers a secret about the other tenants.

One night at the Hotel Midnight, the lyrics written and sung by jazz musician Rat are those inspired by his friendship with Bat, who plays the piano and writes the tunes.

Because Claudine thinks Santa is rude, she tries to keep him from coming down her chimney by getting on his naughty list.