Dragon is lonely so he goes looking for a friend, and when an apple falls on his head he is convinced that he has found one. But at home Apple is quiet and unresponsive, and when a visit to the doctor only makes things worse, Dragon mourns the loss of his friend--until an apple tree grows where Apple is buried.

It's 1988. The CD has arrived. Sales of the shiny new disks are soaring on high streets in cities across the country. Meanwhile, down a dead-end street, Frank's music shop stands small and brightly lit, jam-packed with records of every kind. It attracts the lonely, the sleepless, the adrift. There is room for everyone. Frank has a gift for finding his customers the music they need. Into this shop arrives Ilse Brauchmann - practical, brave, well-heeled....

"Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in Wembley, in West London after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries. Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It's a list...

In Holt, Colorado, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades; in fact, Addie was quite fond of Louis’s wife. His daughter lives hours away in Colorado Springs, her son even farther away in Grand Junction, and Addie and Louis have long been living alone in their houses, the nights so terribly lonely, especially...

Daniel Misumi has just moved to a big old house far away from his friends. Megabat was just napping on a papaya one day when he was stuffed in a box and shipped halfway across the world. Now he's living in an old house far from home, feeling sorry for himself and accidentally scaring the people who live there. Daniel discovers Megabat and learns that he can talk. Megabat realizes that not every human wants to whack him with a broom. This one shares...

Bored with city life and the proper behavior it requires, Mr. Tiger has a wild idea that leads him to discover his true nature.

Explores loneliness and the lessons we can learn about connection even when we're alone.

Henry is lonely because he has no brothers or sisters and he lives on a street without other children. Henry finds companionship and love with a dog named Mudge.

In a dreary seaside town in England Annie loves Duncan - or thinks she does because she always has. Duncan loves Annie but then all of a sudden he doesn't anymore. So Annie stops loving Duncan and starts getting her own life. She sparks an e-mail correspondence with Tucker Crowe a reclusive Dylanesque singer-songwriter who stopped making music years ago and who is also Duncan's greatest obsession. A surprising connection is forged between two lonely...

"Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. Maybe it's because her husband is gone. Maybe it's because she's missing her children. Or maybe it has something to do with her obnoxious new neighbor, who seems to be tearing his house apart and rearranging it on the lawn. But when a mangy dog appears at her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn what Christmas is really all about" --Back...