The Cook Out

The Cook Out

Martin & Sylvia

Visitors are returning to Martin and Sylvia's house—friends they haven’t seen in a year! The brother and sister can't wait to do all the fun things they did last summer: cook-outs, tag, ball games and ‘explorers’. But once the friends arrive, Martin finds that Jacob doesn't want to join in the fun they planned. Not only that, but Jacob speaks rudely and teases Martin! Daddy gives Martin some useful advice on how to treat those who tease, and Martin is surprised to see that it changes everything.

19 min
4+
Topics: SummerParenting

Characters in this Story

Martin

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The Woodpecker Tree

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Mother's Day

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The Cruds

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Spring Cleaning

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Signs of Spring

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Springtime Fun and Foolery

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It's the first week of spring and the house is abuzz with fun and foolery. Martin plans a suspicious treat, Daddy & Sylvia play a silly game, and Momma surprises everyone at dinnertime.
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Stuck in the Mud

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Martin & Sylvia
The children wake up to melting snow and rain and they, along with some friends, spend the day getting stuck in the mud!
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Big Brother

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St. Patrick's Day

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Fairy Detectives

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Martin & Sylvia
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Going on a Date

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A Trip to Grandma's

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Martin and Sylvia are going on a road trip to Grandma's! But they've never been in the car together for that long before. What will they do, stuck in the car for all that time?
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Putting on a Play

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Tracking

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A Plane Trip

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Moving

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Martin's friend Peter is moving away, and Martin finds it difficult to say goodbye.
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The Dark

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Martin is feeling nervous about the dark, so Momma guides him through a hearing, smelling and feeling exercise that not only reassures him, but relaxes him enough to fall deeply asleep
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Catching Crayfish

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The Birthday Book

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Throwing a Party

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Festival of Lights

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Martin discovers the similarities between all the festivals and holidays that take place during this time of year and he and Sylvia are inspired to create a festival of their very own.
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Winters Little and Big

Winters Little and Big

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When the first snow falls and brother and sister get the winter books down from the attic, they discover not only books that they dearly love, but also treasures that inspire sweet memories of years past.
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Family Farms

Family Farms

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Comfort Food

Comfort Food

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When family friend Mr. Weber has surgery, they decide to cook for him. The family delights in learning how to cook carefully, slowly and how to fill the food with love.
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Helping Hands

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On a visit to town, Sylvia unexpectedly needs (and gets!) a helping hand.
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A Trip to the Doctor

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20 min
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The Cabin

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The Enchanted Frog

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18 min
4+

Loose Tooth

Loose Tooth

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As homeschoolers, Momma and Daddy have a special way of telling when it's time for certain lessons. Sometimes something unexpected happens, which can turn the day's lesson on end.
19 min
4+

This Is Camping

This Is Camping

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It's time for their annual camping trip and Martin and Sylvia are excited to enjoy all of their camping traditions. This year, they learn that camping means different things to different people.
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4+

Cousins

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The cousins are coming! They only visit every few years, so the changes are BIG. It's not long before they remember, though, that cousins are special.
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The Drawing Contest

The Drawing Contest

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There's a children's’ drawing contest to celebrate Animal Week at the library. Martin wants to enter, but Pickles won't sit still for him to draw and there are no other animals around. What will Martin do?
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Pirates

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Pirates have invaded Lake Days! Could that be Martin in the black pirate’s hat? Could that be Sylvia at the helm of the pirate canoe? Could that be Daddy leading them to invade a friend’s sailboat and attempt to steal some "booty"?
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Fairy Snow Fort

Fairy Snow Fort

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When Sylvia wakes with a plan to build a Fairy Snow Fort, the whole family pitches in and experiences the joy of working together.
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4+

Helping Out

Helping Out

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When Momma takes a sick day from work, the children recognize the value and delight of letting go of plans and helping out at home.
13 min
4+

First Day

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14 min
4+

The Finger-Knit Necklace

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Martin & Sylvia are hard at work making a gift for the children's librarian, but when they end up with two gifts, they have to decide — who will get the second one?
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A Proper Uniform: A Story for Military Holidays

A Proper Uniform: A Story for Military Holidays

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