The Great Ca-Lamb-Ity of Crosby Crossing

Colt Garrett, an almost twelve-year-old, falls in love with a spunky bum lamb while helping his dad deliver a colt to Woolerman's Sheep Farm. He convinces Dad that he and his little brother Justin each need a lamb for 4-H. Soft-hearted Dad gets twelve in the middle of a spring Montana blizzard. To keep them warm enough, the lambs end up in the basement. Colt's lamb leads the dozen in some in-house hijinks: escaping from their pen, munching Mom's living room, and tip-toeing upstairs. Part of the deal Colt makes with his folks is that he has to sell his lamb at the fat stock sale at the end of the summer. The extra lambs will be fed out and sold when they're big enough. Despite that, he grows attached to the fuzzy troublemaker he named Charlie. Another troublemaker is the new kid in the county: Mark Miller. He makes use of his size to intimidate Justin and take his lunch every day. Then Mark shows up on Colt's turf - the summer rodeo circuit. In between the troubles, Colt discovers he has a crush on the cutest girl in his 4-H club, and his best friend, Jill. She's witness to Colt's struggles: dog attacks on the sheep, a roping slump and skinny dipping mishaps. She's also the first person he calls to confide a triumph: inventing lamb warmers, beating Mark in the circuit, and winning his horsemanship class at the county fair. And the only person he wants to invite to the carnival. Colt learns the hard lesson of keeping his word by giving up the lamb he loves. He also learns the rewards for keeping his word are mighty sweet. The tough lessons of surviving adolescence are presented in a humorous, down-home-style of life in rural America.