Author M. L. Adams wrote “The Secret House Adventure” for 8+ years old who are just entering the world of fiction for children, moving beyond the single words of “Cat in the Hat”, but not quite ready for “Harry Potter”. Four spunky best friends in Small Town, U.S.A. are compelled to enter a forbidden old mansion at the edge of town. Penny, “Mac”, “Toad” and Jeannie are transported into a time warp they are unable to explain, far beyond the ordinary life they know. Along the way, they learn...

M. L. Adams wrote, "The Secret House Adventure" for ages seven and up who are just entering the world of fiction for children, moving beyond the single words of "Cat in the Hat" but not quite ready for "Harry Potter." Four spunky best friends in Small Town U.S.A. are compelled to enter a forbidden old mansion at the edge of town and are transported into a time warp they are unable to explain, far beyond the ordinary life they know. Along the way, they learn the history of the house and the...

Spending Christmas holidays in the wilderness with his ex-con aunt Mag is not Evan's idea of a good time. What's worse is that everyone he meets-even his new friend Cedar-is making a big deal about a loon that is hanging around on the lake. Why should Evan care about a dumb bird? When he discovers that the loon will die without help, he realizes he does care, but rescuing the wild bird turns out to be whole lot harder, and more dangerous, than he expected.

Most folks know him as the best lizard detective at Emerson Hicky Elementary, but it's not all knuckles and know-how with Chet Gecko. He's also got his artistic side.If it wasn't for his art, he might never have been sent to Principal Zero's office, where he stumbled onto the mystery of Mr. Nice. Because whatever you can say about Principal Zero, one thing is certain: He is not nice. Until now.Chet knows something is wrong with this picture, and he's just the gecko to solve t...

Dyamonde Daniel is excited about the local library?s poetry contest, and so is her friend Free. The prize is one hundred dollars?just think what they could buy with that much money! But when they find out that Damaris, one of their classmates, has been living in a homeless shelter, their ideas about what it means to be rich or poor start to change. And when they get to know Damaris, they realize the one who could use the prize money the most also happens to be the best poet in class.

Grammar school—it's all about eating and sleeping. Well, for Chet Gecko, anyway.To Chet, nothing is more divine than a plate of Mrs. Bagoong's Mothloaf Surprise followed by a sweet bit of shut-eye on the playground. (Besides a few Pillbug Crunch bars and a monthlong holiday, that is.)In this hilarious mystery from Chet's tattered casebook, he and his mockingbird partner, Natalie Attired, must catch a cafeteria thief, foil the sinister plans of a weaselly zombie master . . ....

Right in the middle of a run-of-the-mill case, the powers that be finger Chet's fine-feathered partner, Natalie Attired, as a no-goodnik blackmailer and boot her out of Emerson Hicky quicker than you can say, “Boot her out of Emerson Hicky.”Chet, of course, tackles the case for free. Mess with his partner, mess with—well, somebody. (Natalie's the brains of the outfit.) But just when Chet thinks he might clear her name, Natalie disappears, leaving behind a reddish smear tha...

A desperate girl. A devoted dog. A bond that can never be broken.Shannon O'Reilly's whole world is collapsing. Life was great before Mom died, before she ended up living in a car with her little dog Boone and her Aunt Junie. Now it's truck stop showers and soup kitchen meals and the crushing burden of keeping everything a secret. She's tried hard to be patient, but when a reckless act lands her aunt in jail and Boone is taken away, Shannon decides enough is enough....

Forgotten memories. Supernatural abilities. Mysterious tattoos.After waking in an alleyway with no memories, a strange tattoo, and a supernatural ability—Lena knows something extraordinary happened to her. When a deep guiding instinct hums to life inside her, she sets out into the unknown in hopes of unlocking secrets to her past.Now, hitchhiking around the country with nothing but a personalized bracelet as proof of a life she once led, Lena must ...

Danger may be Chet Gecko's business, but dessert is his delight. . . .Chet Gecko's hunger for mystery is matched only by his appetite for cockroach casserole, mosquito marshmallow surprise, and stinkbug pie. So when the cafeteria needs help nabbing a food thief, Chet digs into the case with a passion he usually reserves only for dessert. But this time Chet may have bitten off more than even he can chew.Someone has framed him, and now everyone at Emerson Hicky--even his truste...

Seventeen-year-old Jo McNair is one minute late for her curfew, and thanks to her controlling father, she's now locked out, cold and wandering the streets.She has no money and nowhere to sleep. Halfway through the night she meets someone who says they’re with a group working with at-risk kids, helping them get back on their feet. Jo gratefully accepts the offer of shelter for the night, only to find she has walked into a kidnapper’s trap. Now Jo and several other t...

From the Edgar-nominated author Bruce Hale comes a hilarious story about a kid who likes to break the rules . . . until the rules try to break him.Cooper just wants to spend the summer before 7th grade drawing and having adventures with his best friend, Nacho. Anything to keep his mind off the fact that his dad’s new girlfriend and his mom’s announcement that she’s going to start dating.But when one of his adventures with Nacho goes too far, Cooper...