Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Birthday Girl
    The Birthday Girl
    The Birthday Girl
    Ebook49 pages14 minutes

    The Birthday Girl

    By Jean Little and June Lawrason

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Nell makes two wishes on her birthday, but the next day they show little sign of coming true. Everyone in her household is busy and wants her out from underfoot and no one is willing to help her find her lost cat. In the end she finds more than a cat and she makes her own wishes come true with the help of a row of tall, bright, smiling sunflowers.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOrca Book Publishers
    Release dateApr 1, 2004
    ISBN9781554697335
    The Birthday Girl
    Author

    Jean Little

    Born in Taiwan, celebrated children's author Jean Little grew up in Ontario and graduated from the University of Toronto with an honors degree in English. A member of the Order of Canada, Little has received six honorary degrees and was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages and have won numerous awards, including a Canada Council Children's Literature Award (now known as the Governor General's Literary Award, a CLA Book of the Year, the Little, Brown Children's Book Award, the Vicky Metcalf Award and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award.

    Read more from Jean Little

    Related to The Birthday Girl

    Related ebooks

    Children's Social Themes For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Last Kirin

      Jan 1, 2020

      The Last Kirin
      11 min read

    • Article

      Golden Spike

      Sep 1, 2019

      Golden Spike
      9 min read

    • Article

      In The Novel ‘Emily’s House,’ The Dickinsons’ Irish Maid Speaks Her Mind

      Oct 27, 2021

      Amy Belding Brown’s historic novel “Emily’s House” sheds light on Emily Dickinson and her family, through the observations of their Irish maid.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Q&A Percy Daggs III

      Mar 26, 2022

      Q&A Percy Daggs III
      5 min read

    • Article

      Talking to Fireflies

      May 1, 2020

      Talking to Fireflies
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Poignant Discovery

      Apr 27, 2022

      A Poignant Discovery
      4 min read

    • Article

      Mbuze

      Oct 29, 2021

      Mbuze
      11 min read

    • Article

      WHEN FISH FLY: The Revolt on the Slave Ship Creole

      Mar 1, 2022

      On October 25, 1841, twelve-year-old Pleasant Brown boards the Creole, a merchant slave ship sailing from Richmond to New Orleans with a “cargo” of 140 enslaved men, women, and children. Pleasant’s grandmother, who had been born in Africa, was the da

      10 min read

    • Article

      The GIRL WHO LISTENED with HER FEET

      Apr 1, 2020

      The GIRL WHO LISTENED with HER FEET
      5 min read

    • Article

      Give Birth on Your Own Turf

      Nov 6, 2020

      Give Birth on Your Own Turf
      5 min read

    • Article

      A WING AND a prayer

      Sep 28, 2021

      A raven saved my life Cate McMurray, 47, from West Midlands I ’d always known I was different. As a small child, I used to see and hear people who weren’t there. One day, I was playing hide ‘n’ seek with my two sisters, and tucked myself away in a cu

      4 min read

    • Article

      A Puzzle Of Nostalgia

      Aug 26, 2022

      A Puzzle Of Nostalgia
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Tiger Son A TALE FROM CHINA

      Jan 1, 2019

      The Tiger Son A TALE FROM CHINA
      3 min read

    • Article

      Storm Chaser

      May 1, 2022

      Storm Chaser
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Christmas Day Kitten

      Nov 1, 2022

      The Christmas Day Kitten
      5 min read

    • Article

      KATE & HARRY BURY THE HATCHET

      Jun 5, 2022

      KATE & HARRY BURY THE HATCHET
      2 min read

    • Article

      All By Myself

      Apr 28, 2020

      All By Myself
      6 min read

    • Article

      Snow Maiden

      Jan 1, 2024

      Snow Maiden
      8 min read

    • Article

      Story Magic

      Nov 3, 2021

      JINGLE SMELLS by Mark Sperring, illustrated by Sophie Corrigan (Bloomsbury) brings some extra-stinky fun to the festive season! All kids are sure to enjoy this vibrantly illustrated tale of a smelly skunk who saves Christmas with his noxious odours.

      1 min read

    • Article

      The Little BALLERINA

      Aug 5, 2020

      The Little BALLERINA
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Walled Garden

      Apr 30, 2020

      The Walled Garden
      4 min read

    • Article

      A WINTER weekend

      Jan 2, 2020

      A WINTER weekend
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Fox And CINDERELLA

      Dec 7, 2022

      The Fox And CINDERELLA
      6 min read

    • Article

      A winter WEEKEND

      Dec 22, 2020

      A winter WEEKEND
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Guitar Pig Mystery

      Jan 1, 2022

      The Guitar Pig Mystery
      2 min read

    • Article

      The BRACELET

      Jan 30, 2024

      The BRACELET
      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Birthday Girl

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Birthday Girl - Jean Little

      —J.L.

      Chapter One

      Where are you, Lady Jane?

      Nell Mellis finished saying her prayers and hopped into bed. Tomorrow she would be eight. She was so excited that she was sure she would not sleep a wink. She snuggled down and looked for her cat who always slept curled up beside her.

      But Lady Jane was nowhere to be seen.

      Good night, honey, her mother said, stooping to kiss her.

      Wait! Where’s Lady Jane? Nell said.

      Nell’s mother was not fond of cats, but she understood how much her little girl loved her pet. She glanced around the room. The gray and white tabby was not there.

      She’ll be along later, Mother said, pulling Nell’s covers up. You must get to sleep or you’ll be too tired to celebrate tomorrow.

      I can’t sleep without Lady Jane, Nell declared with a catch in her voice.

      Nonsense, Mother said briskly, as she picked up the lamp and turned to leave. Remember that the faster you sleep, the sooner your birthday will begin.

      And I will be eight at last, Nell said softly, closing her eyes.

      But the moment the door shut, Nell’s eyes popped open. How could she sleep with her birthday coming so soon and Lady Jane lost? Mother should know she couldn’t.

      She lay and thought about the day she had found Lady Jane abandoned in the ditch. Lady Jane was a tiny bedraggled kitten, soaking wet and nothing but bones. She was so young that she fitted easily in Nell’s cupped hands. Nell had caught her up and run for the house.

      The kitten had been so frail that even Nell’s mother saw at once that she could not be left to become a barn cat. They had dripped warm milk into her mouth, but it was hard to get her to swallow.

      We may not be able to save her, Mother had warned. I can’t spend time fussing over her. You’ll have to tend her.

      I will save her, five-year-old Nell

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1