Rufus M. — Eleanor Estes

Newbery Honor Book: “Delightful reading. An hour spent with the Moffats is fun for all ages.” -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
You've never met anyone quite like Rufus Moffat. He gets things done -- but he gets them done his way.
 
When he wants to check out library books, Rufus teaches himself to write...even though he doesn't yet know how to read. When food is scarce, he plants some special “Rufus beans” that actually grow . . . despite his digging them up every day to check on them. And Rufus has friends that other people don't even know exist! He discovers the only invisible piano player in town, has his own personal flying horse for a day, and tours town with the Cardboard Boy, his dearest friend -- and enemy.
 
Rufus isn't just the youngest Moffat, he's also the cleverest, the funniest, and the most unforgettable, in this classic series about a single-parent family in WWI-era Connecticut praised for its “abundant humor” (Horn Book Magazine).
 
“Rufus M. is . . . unbeatable.” -- The New Yorker
 
“[The Moffats are] as nice a group as ever pulled together through hard times.” -- The New York Times Book Review