Bonnie and the Professor — Mary Davis

Nine-year-old Bonnie, a friendly little girl, and Professor Henry, a retired, hard-of-hearing college professor, have a special bond. A front porch serves as their meeting place, and the two best friends can often be seen there, resolving their problems and supporting each other during their ups and downs in life. A mother-daughter team has created charming stories in this chapter book. The tales mirror the passing of the year's seasons, from a story about gardening and planning a trip to the circus to a special Easter egg hunt, the professor possibly moving to a different state to be closer to family, making a Halloween costume, and getting lost on a school field trip. Other characters appear in the story, including Bonnie's mischievous dog Maggie, who disappears, and a school bully who just needs a push in a positive direction. In the end Bonnie even gains a special lesson about the greatest Christmas gift of all -- love.