The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.
On a summer visit to her grandmother's cottage by the ocean, twelve-year-old Martha gains perspective on the death of a classmate, on her relationship with her grandmother, on her feelings for an older boy, and on her plans to be a writer.
No one noticed -- "All was not right" -- Church bells tolling -- Confusion, distress, and utter desolation -- "It was our duty" -- The prince of bleeders -- "By twelve only" -- "This unmerciful enemy" -- "A delicate situation" -- Improvements and the public gratitude -- "A modern-day time bomb."
The tale of Despereaux : being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread by 
Olive's ocean by 
An American plague : the true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 by