Jeb Smith raced across the prairie on his way to school.  About half a mile flew by under his feet before he slowed down to build a second wind to get up the hill. By squinting against the morning sun, he saw the bell tower of the school house pointing into the sky like a skinny white finger. Behind it, the school building and the hill were silhouetted against miles of gently rolling prairie spread out like a green and brown carpet.More...

"Jeb Smith, you come here this minute!"
            Jeb stopped petting his pet pig Pinky's smooth pink ears. "Sounds like Ma means what she says," he told Pinky.  "I'd better get in there."  
            Jeb jumped up and put Pinky back in her cage in the barn. He brushed clinging wisps of straw from his faded blue bib overalls and out of his carrot red hair.More...

I don’t know how to start, but I’ll start like this. My name is Bill, and I’m a carnival goldfish. Now, if you don’t know what a carnival goldfish is, it’s one of those fish that never, ever die. One of the fish that can’t die from old age, or from tank sickness. A carnival fish is one of the fish that can only die from accidental stupidity, or the cruelty of an owner.
            How am I telling you this story?
            Well, that’s another matter entirely.More...