When he gets too old to climb up the ladder, Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby figure out an ingenious way to pick pears for pear jelly.

Mr. Putter's neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, decides that they should join a band, but finding the right one isn't as easy as it sounds--for them or their pets.

In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses.

A granddaughter recounts the reasons why her grandmother is hard to love--and why she loves her anyway.

On a hot summer day, Mr. Putter, his cat, Tabby, their neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, and her dog, Zeke, go for a picnic and a rowboat ride.

Great-aunt Alice Rumphius was once a little girl who loved the sea, longed to visit faraway places, and wished to do something to make the world more beautiful--and she does all those things, the last being the most difficult of all.

Young Julia comes to terms with the changes in her beloved grandmother, whose Alzheimer's Disease makes it hard for her to remember people and things.

Mr. Putter and Tabby live next door to Mrs. Teaberry and her dog, Zeke, and when Mr. Putter volunteers to temporarily take Zeke on daily walks, he and Tabby discover that keeping up with an energetic dog isn't their speed.

Mr. Putter thinks he is too old to celebrate his birthday, but when he remembers some of his past birthdays, he changes his mind.

To relieve the boredom of a long, hot summer, Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby join their fun-loving neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, and her mischievous dog Zeke on an adventurous sightseeing boat cruise.