Orca Currents

Sam and Annabel are pleased when they are selected to take a cruise to the Arctic. And they are thrilled when they learn that the cruise will take them past a site connected to the most famous mystery in Arctic history: the Franklin Expedition. But, things on the cruise are not what they seem. When Sam and Annabel make a startling discovery on a small island close to where archaeologists are diving on the wreck of the Erebus, one of the Franklin's ships, they are confronted by an old enemy. Isolated and outnumbered, how can they possibly save the priceless artifact that may hold the answer to the Franklin mystery?

Mark is a city kid who has come to a small town to live with his grandmother after his mom goes into rehab. He has to take a school bus home for the first time. The long, noisy ride home is nothing like riding city transit. There's some kind of secret code of knowing where you're allowed to sit, the kids scream non-stop, and there's pudding and cheese flying through the air. Someone even tries to set Mark's seat on fire. Mark quickly decides that all these kids are nuts and does his best to avoid interacting with any of them. But when the bus is involved in a serious accident, Mark has to work with a couple of other students to get everybody to safety. He soon learns that he has more in common with these rural kids than he would ever have imagined. In turns funny and heartbreaking, The Ride Home is about learning that not everything is as it seems and that everyone has a story.

Danny McBride is not the coolest kid in school, not in his wildest dreams. And if the other kids knew he spent his Saturday nights playing Parcheesi with his mom and working on a city made of Lego, he'd be even less cool. Danny wants more than anything to be popular. He creates a fictional British rocker named James and befriends him publicly online, hoping his make-believe friend's cool will rub off. It works. Danny starts making friends and feeling like part of the crowd-until people start wanting to meet the imaginary friend, and Danny's plan starts to unravel.

It really seems like Dani's dad has gone around the bend. Ever since Dani's mother died of cancer, all her dad does is stand around on street corners with his crazy signs, proclaiming that processed foods mean the end of the world. The Food Freak, as he is known, has already scared away all of Dani's friends at her old school. But it's a new year, and Dani is at a new school in a different part of town. Maybe things will be better now. Dani just needs to keep her head down and avoid making any friends. That way, nobody will find out about her dad and his insane protests. The plan seems to be working fine until one day Dani meets a boy who helps her see things in a different light.

Trevor has started his first job at Ashton's Fresh Marketplace, where someone has been tampering with the food. Cayenne has been sprinkled on cookies, garlic put in coffee, and plastic insects hidden in fruit displays to terrify customers. Trevor and his friends Nick and Robyn decide to find out who is out to destroy the store's reputation. Is it Mattie, the disgruntled ex-employee? Or perhaps the competition? Or is it Alex, their schoolmate who doesn't know when a joke has gone too far? Their snooping makes the kids themselves seem suspicious, and soon they realize they have to solve the mystery before Trevor gets fired for a crime he didn't commit.

When Jason agrees to go camping with his cousin Sean, he doesn't picture two weeks at a War of 1812 reenactment camp. But that's where he ends up. The historically accurate camp bans all trappings of modern life, like cell phones and electricity. Jason is not impressed, but they do get to fire muskets, and he secretly likes that, despite the general dorkiness of the camp. And then there's the cute girl who works in the mess tent. And the sneaking around at night getting into trouble, which is fun-until Jason and his friends keep running into a camp counselor who is clearly up to no good. They resolve to find out exactly what the counselor is up to, but they may have taken on more than they can handle.

Even though she only left Mumbai a few months ago, Shivani isn't feeling like such an outsider anymore. She likes her new school. She finally has a best friend. But when her mother volunteers for the school's annual fundraiser, Shivani is sure she will completely embarrass her. Especially if she cooks one of the "stinky" dishes that Shivani loves but is too ashamed to eat in front of her friends. On the day of the fair, the moment Shivani walks into the gym she knows her worst fears have come true: the unmistakable scent of Indian spices is in the air. But then she sees that dozens of people are lined up at her mom's stall. It's the most popular one!

Buddy wants to prove to his big brother that he is not a scared little kid anymore. For as long as Buddy can remember, there has been a rumour that the local theme park is haunted. After a fight with his brother, he convinces his friends that they should sneak into the park and spend the night. That way, everyone will know how brave they are. But can Buddy and his friends avoid the guards and the cameras and whatever is haunting the theme park? Or is the whole thing just an urban legend after all?

Seth, an openly queer seventh grader, runs a successful YouTube channel called Seth Says. He carefully creates a brand around being a likeable queer kid and avoids talking about anything political. But when Pluto, a cute gay classmate, encourages Seth to read some queer fiction, he is blown away to see stories that reflect his own lived experiences, and he starts to see the value of queer activism. Seth and Pluto set up a Pride Month display to raise awareness of queer books in their school library, but as soon as the display goes up, someone checks out all the books, leaving the table empty. Seth and Pluto discover that their classmate Rebecca checked out the books to protest the "inappropriate" Pride Month display. When the school staff decline to help, Seth decides to post about his experience on his YouTube channel. But as the video racks up more views, local conservatives stage a much larger and more intimidating campaign against LGBTQIA+ materials in the school library. Now Seth has to decide whether to give in to the pressure, or to keep fighting for what he has come to believe in. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read! Key Selling Points • When a classmate protests having queer books in the library and checks out all the books in a Pride book display, Seth and his friend Pluto decide to take a stand. • The issue of book banning, explored through the eyes of an openly queer protagonist by a proudly queer author, provides an authentic voice to an issue that is timely and relevant. • The crush between the lead and his new friend is depicted in an age-appropriate way. • The fast-paced book is full of banter on both personal and political themes. • The antagonist, a classmate who has been radicalized by online content, is believably extreme. • Enhanced features (highly-readable font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers. In this high-interest accessible novel for middle-grade readers, queer seventh-grader Seth finds himself taking a stand when his conservative classmate sabotages the Pride display in his middle-school library. Tony Correia is a proud queer man who lives in Vancouver. He is the author of four hi-lo novels for young adults: Same Love, True to You, Prom Kings and Walk This Way. In 2023 Tony published his first full-length YA novel, One Summer in Vancouver, a historical novel for queer youth. Orca Currents are short, high-interest novels with contemporary themes written specifically for middle-school students reading below grade level. Reading levels from grade 2.0 to 5.0. No one should feel erased. "Sparks meaningful conversations with caregivers, friends, and educators about the long-reaching harmful effects of censorship. An authentically messy coming-of-age tale."

Chick is a popular fourteen-year-old who is essentially on this earth to live up to his father's impossible expectations-or, at least, that's how he feels. This pressure is a grinding source of anxiety for him, which he copes with by making lists. He itemizes every aspect of his life, from his daily routine to the things that make him nervous. But as the pressure of school and his budding romance with his debating teammate Audrey builds, his compulsion starts to feel impossible to control-or conceal.

Fourteen-year-old Maya sneaks out in her kayak before breakfast every day to check on a family of sea otters living in nearby Riley Bay. It's hard being an animal lover in a fishing family. The animals Maya loves threaten her family's livelihood, and Maya doesn't know if she can trust her family not to hurt them. She is determined to protect the sea otters, even if it means checking on them for the rest of her life. One morning, Maya discovers she's being watched. Who is it and what are they doing? Soon Maya has to trust someone as she gets caught in a dangerous race to save the sea otters-and her family's livelihood-from poachers.

Fourteen-year-old Taz knows one thing for sure: she's a perfect disaster in the kitchen. Every time she tries to cook, chaos ensues. After fires, toxins and more than one minor injury, Taz will be happy if she makes it through her food-science class in one piece. But when the class enters a competitive race for a coveted program and Taz is put in a group that expects to win, the pressure is on. As the competition heats up, Taz is desperate to hold her own and not let her team down.

Even though he was once his biggest rival, Jake Jarvis is thrilled when Spencer Solomon agrees to join the Diamonds cross-country team to compete in the Barry's Bay provincial championships. Everyone is pumped, everyone is focused, and Jake has to admit, he really likes their chances. At the last moment, Spencer informs the team that he can't go. Jake is furious. But when Spencer explains that he's worried about leaving his wheelchair-bound father alone, Jake gets to work on finding a solution to get Spencer and the Diamonds back on track.

In most ways, Poe is like the other kids in his school. He thinks about girls and tries to avoid too much contact with teachers. He has a loving father who helps him with his homework. But Poe has a secret, and almost every day some small act threatens to expose him. He doesn't have a phone number to give to friends. He doesn't have an address. Poe and his father are living in a tent on city land. When the city clears the land to build housing, Poe worries that they might not be able to find another site near his school. Will Poe have to expose his secret to get help for himself and his father?

Fourteen-year-old Roonie loves hip-hop almost as much as she loves her grandmother. She cannot wait to compete in her school's dance competition. But as her grandmother's health deteriorates, Roonie becomes more and more reluctant to visit her in the care home. These feelings of guilt and frustration cause Roonie to mess things up with her hip-hop dance partner and best friend, Kira. But while doing some volunteer hours in the hospital geriatric ward, Roonie meets an active senior recovering from a bad fall. Their shared love of dance and the woman's zest for life help Roonie face her fears, make amends with Kira and reconnect with Gram before it's too late.

Jay doesn't believe in Bigfoot. His dad loves hunting for Bigfoot, but searching for a mythical creature in the dark isn't Jay's idea of fun. Especially because he always gets stuck looking out for his little sister while his dad plays with the cool gear, like night-vision goggles. But while out on a camping trip, a large creature starts hunting them, and then Jay's father goes missing. Jay is forced to start tracking the creature himself while still keeping his sister safe. It turns out that not only is Bigfoot real but it isn't the only threat in the woods. There's a different kind of monster out here, one who is armed with a gun. Jay must act fast to save his father before it's too late. And he needs Bigfoot's help to do it. This high-interest Orca Currents book is written specifically for middle-schoolers reading below grade level.

Fourteen-year-old Dylan is sent to live with his estranged grandfather, Angus. Basically strangers, the two avoid each other as best they can. One day Dylan discovers a young orca stranded high up on the rocky beach. Dylan runs to tell his grandfather. There's nothing that can be done, says Angus. The sun is coming up, and soon the orca will die of exposure. But Dylan knows he has to try to save the whale. He collects towels to cover the delicate skin of the orca and begins transporting buckets of water from the ocean below to keep it hydrated. It's grueling work, and it will be hours before the tide comes back in and the water is high enough for the orca to swim free. Angus is moved by his grandson's determination and helps as best he can. They both desperately hope that soon the orca will be able to join its family, who have been calling out to it just offshore. On the Rocks is an inspiring story about the ups and downs of family.

Owen has a crush on Kamryn. Kamryn has a crush on Owen's brother Kyle. Owen knows extreme action is necessary to make sure Kamryn does not end up dating his brother, a jerk who manipulates every situation to get what he wants. So what does Owen do? He manipulates the situation. With the help of his friend Hannah, Owen sets up a blog called The Oracle that gives out relationship advice to local teens. Everything seems to be going great. Hannah and Owen are having fun, and Kamryn seems to be following The Oracle's advice and taking an interest in Owen. Owen thinks he's got it made, but he soon discovers that fraudulent tactics have their consequences.

A thirteen-year-old boy finds a pocket watch linked to a local legend about a lost treasure. Theo is happy spending his summer searching the river for treasure. Even if he mostly just finds empty cans and fishing lures. But when he discovers a pocket watch in the waters beneath a bridge that's said to be haunted, he is sure his luck has changed. Theo soon learns that the pocket watch is linked to a local legend about a ghost and buried treasure. Theo is determined to solve this mystery and posts his progress online. Even after he receives an anonymous threat telling him to leave things alone, Theo continues to dig deeper. He learns that the death of a traveler decades earlier may not have been an accident. And that there's someone out there who will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.

Salman loves Hindi movies and wants to produce a short Bollywood film for his school project. He gathers his friends when he's ready with the script, which is a mashup of all the movies he has ever seen. As director, Salman insists everyone follows the script exactly. But it's full of stereotypes and the cast and crew are not shy about expressing their concerns. Salman wants to remain true to the Bollywood model for his film but when his entire cast threatens to walk out, he has to decide whether to stand firm or find a way to collaborate.

Eric and his buddies have left behind their all boys school to attend high school with girls. Eager to find his place in this exciting new world, Eric joins the student life committee, unaware that he is expected to enforce the school's strict dress code. The dress code is particularly harsh on the girls he is keen to get to know. Eric finds this awkward, but it's nothing compared to the position he finds himself in when the whole school revolts.

Jane has no interest in boys. Her mom, Sherry, has brought home so many creeps over the years that Jane has decided to focus for the next five years on her studies. Her best friend, the boy-crazy Kiara, is obsessed with online quizzes and convinces Jane to help her create a questionnaire that will determine whether muscular Liam or Omar with the cute eyes is her true soul mate. Their friendship is tested when the answers come back with a surprising third option, the quiet and awkward Javier. Jane fails to reveal the results, which leads to some heated words being exchanged and long-held resentments (and possible secret crushes) being revealed. One of the besties will have to swallow her pride to make the first move and try to repair the damage.

After a lifetime of New Age "adventures" with her weirdo hippie mom, fifteen-year-old Maddie is realizing a lifelong dream and visiting New York City. Armed with her 130-item to-do list, Maddie hits the streets of New York with her friend Anna and Anna's brother, Thomas. Maddie drags her friends around on an epic quest for the ultimate art-show outfit, oblivious to the fact that they don't share her passion for vintage clothing. Three days into the trip, a most unwelcome surprise--the arrival of Maddie's mother--threatens to derail the entire adventure. As her mother's obsession with dietary trends and fortune-tellers takes center stage, and everyone's tempers get thin, Maddie has to face some ugly facts about how she's been treating her friends.

Daniel Abel is surprised when, instead of being punished for "pantsing" another eighth-grader, he is invited to become an ambassador of Mountview High at the school's upcoming open house. What he doesn't realize is that he is part of a social experiment on bullying being conducted by the local university. He is a little nervous to learn he will be working with Jeff Kover, a tenth-grader with a reputation for being the biggest bully in the school. Daniel has never thought of himself as a bully. He just likes kidding around. But hanging out with Jeff will change Daniel's perspective on bullying and force him to examine his own behavior.

Charlotte Summers is sure that summer camp is going to be a disaster. And she's right. But it's not as disastrous for her as it is for her counselor, Abby. Abby has no control over the girls in her charge. The control is held by the cabin's mean girl. Charlotte realizes that she could tip the balance of power and unseat the bully, but does she have the courage to go for it?

Fifteen-year-old Zack finds a home made CD with the word Famous written on it. Lonely and bored while suspended from school, he puts the CD on and loses himself in the music. Zack has sound-color synesthesia. He sees colors when he hears music, and the music on the Famous CD causes incredible patterns of color for him. Zack becomes obsessed with the girl on the CD and tries to find her. He tracks down the singer, Jolene, in a cafe where she works while she dreams of the big time. He convinces her to let him help her achieve her dreams, but soon discovers that in her quest for fame, Jolene has done a lot of damage. Stuff We All Get is a gentle critique of celebrity culture in North America.

Randi wants to be an actress and is excited about practicing her craft in drama class. So she is devastated to learn the program has been cut. When her friends put together a successful proposal to have drama class taught as an extracurricular activity, Randi is thrilled. Until the reality sinks in. Extracurriculars are scheduled after school, and after school Randi is expected to take care of her special-needs brother. Can Randi find a way to make it all work out?

Chloe thinks of herself as a normal teenage girl-if there's any such thing-until a formless alien being inhabits her body. The being is named Welkin and claims to be a Universal. Welkin has entered Chloe's body as part of a school project. Chloe agrees to let this weirdo observe her life for three days as long as Welkin doesn't interfere. Welkin tries to respect the non-interference portion of the agreement. But Welkin's stream of alien commentary as Chloe deals with boys, her coach and math homework has a comic, and sometimes enlightening, impact on Chloe's life.

Fourteen-year-old Skye Richardson had to leave her home, school and friends when she and her mom moved across the country to a small town on the East Coast. She's not happy about it. Then she gets a part-time job at a local coffee shop and meets Digby Jones. Digby lives in a group home. He loves Ping-Pong and watching his favorite TV shows. He likes things done in a certain way. One day, Digby tells Skye he has the winning million-dollar lottery ticket everyone in town has been talking about. At first, all Skye can think about is how she'd love to have that money to buy her old life back. Soon, however, she begins to worry that people are going to take advantage of her new friend.

Halloween is thirteen-year-old Syd's favorite night of the year, but when she gets teased by older kids about her costume, she decides to sit this one out. But then her friend Jake finds a strange mask in a box of estate-sale junk to wear for his costume and manages to convince Syd to go to a haunted house. When Jake puts on the mask, he starts acting strangely, claiming to be "the Spirit of Mischief", and soon he's causing trouble all over town. With Halloween revellers transforming into werewolves, pirates, alligators-real-life versions of their costumes-and Halloween decorations coming alive and roaming the streets, Syd needs to embrace her love of Halloween to find a way to defeat Mischief before someone gets hurt. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading-level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read! Key Selling Points • Thirteen-year-old Syd must capture a spirit of mischief in this fast-paced romp involving some classic Halloween characters, like zombies, werewolves, witches and skeletons-who are actually kids who have "turned" into their costumes! • A supernatural Halloween story with elements of light horror, a mystery and a mischievous villain that must be stopped. • Syd grows her confidence as she manages the crisis caused by Mischief, a classic trickster, whose antics ultimately bring out the best in the heroine. • Explores teens' changing relationships with Halloween as they age. • Enhanced features (highly-readable font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers. In this high-interest accessible novel for middle-grade readers, it's Halloween night and thirteen-year-old Syd must find a way to defeat the mischievous spirit possessing her friend before someone gets hurt. Allison Finley is an author of fiction for young people, as well as a freelance editor and book coach. Her debut novel, Below the Surface, is a JLG Gold Standard Selection. She gratefully lives on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territory of the Kwikwetlem First Nation, outside of Vancouver, BC, with her partner and dog. Orca Currents are short, high-interest novels with contemporary themes written specifically for middle-school students reading below grade level. Reading levels from grade 2.0 to 5.0. What in the name of Halloween is going on? "A must-add to any collection."

Sixteen-year-old Bailey is working at her first summer job, as a cabin girl at a fly-in fishing camp at Witch Lake. She struggles with the job at first but enjoys hearing the stories of the area, including the legend of a local ghost. Then April, an older waitress with street smarts, takes Bailey under her wing and the two girls become friends. It's all good until another waitress burns her arm and has to leave. Bailey gets a sudden promotion, and April is asked to help clean the cabins. April becomes far from friendly and Bailey finds herself alone again and messing up on the job-and possibly seeing the ghost.

Halloween is thirteen-year-old Syd's favorite night of the year, but when she gets teased by older kids about her costume, she decides to sit this one out. But then her friend Jake finds a strange mask in a box of estate-sale junk to wear for his costume and manages to convince Syd to go to a haunted house. When Jake puts on the mask, he starts acting strangely, claiming to be "the Spirit of Mischief", and soon he's causing trouble all over town. With Halloween revellers transforming into werewolves, pirates, alligators-real-life versions of their costumes-and Halloween decorations coming alive and roaming the streets, Syd needs to embrace her love of Halloween to find a way to defeat Mischief before someone gets hurt. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading-level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read! Key Selling Points • Thirteen-year-old Syd must capture a spirit of mischief in this fast-paced romp involving some classic Halloween characters, like zombies, werewolves, witches and skeletons-who are actually kids who have "turned" into their costumes! • A supernatural Halloween story with elements of light horror, a mystery and a mischievous villain that must be stopped. • Syd grows her confidence as she manages the crisis caused by Mischief, a classic trickster, whose antics ultimately bring out the best in the heroine. • Explores teens' changing relationships with Halloween as they age. • Enhanced features (highly-readable font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers. In this high-interest accessible novel for middle-grade readers, it's Halloween night and thirteen-year-old Syd must find a way to defeat the mischievous spirit possessing her friend before someone gets hurt. Allison Finley has a BFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. She works as a freelance writer and editor, and is the author of Below the Surface in the Orca Currents line. Allison gratefully lives next to a river just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territory of the Kwikwetlem First Nation. Orca Currents are short, high-interest novels with contemporary themes written specifically for middle-school students reading below grade level. Reading levels from grade 2.0 to 5.0. What in the name of Halloween is going on? "A must-add to any collection."

After the death of his parents, Harry keeps busy by making food for the unhoused in his grandmother's food truck. That's how he meets and befriends Stanley, an excellent cook and teacher with only two possessions: a precious recipe binder and a grumpy dog named Waffles. Then Stanley turns up dead, the victim of a grisly murder, and his treasured recipe book is gone. Harry is shocked-who would do such a thing? That is exactly what Waffles wants to find out. Yes, Waffles, the dog that is now talking to Harry and only Harry. Waffles reveals that in his past life he was a detective and Stanley's friend before he too was murdered and then reincarnated as a dog. Waffles wants to follow the crumbs and piece together Stanley's murder, but he can't do it without Harry. Will this souped-up duo be able to take down a heaping serving of criminal characters, or will they be the next dish on the murderer's menu? This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading-level book for middle grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read! Key Selling Points: • Fourteen-year-old Harry teams up with a jaded detective who has been reincarnated into a dog, in this entertaining food-filled mystery. • The story has humour and hijinks as well as real jeopardy, suspense and a twisty plot that will challenge and captivate readers. • The protagonist is an avid chef and food plays an important role in the story and the way the character processes grief. • Includes an exploration of the unhoused and homelessness, grief and mental illness • John Lekich is an award-winning journalist and a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award. • Enhanced features (highly-readable font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers. In this high-interest accessible novel for middle-grade readers, fourteen-year-old Harry pairs up with a talking dog to solve the mystery of their friend Stanley's murder. John Lekich is an award-winning journalist, essayist, film critic and author. He has written several critically acclaimed novels for young adult readers, including The Prisoner of Snowflake Falls, Murder at the Hotel Hopeless and The Losers' Club, which drew on John's personal experience with cerebral palsy and was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award. His YA fiction has been recognized by organizations including The Young Adult Library Services Association and The Canadian Library Association. John lives in Vancouver. Orca Currents are short, high-interest novels with contemporary themes written specifically for middle-school students reading below grade level. Reading levels from grade 2.0 to 5.0. Waffles with a side of murder "Bark Twice for Murder is a masterfully written, deliciously weird mystery. Despite the outlandish plot, the book is sensitive to issues like homelessness and mental illness. A must-add to any collection."

This year's fun fair will have a Pride Carnival theme and twelve-year-old Mac couldn't be more excited. Mac convinces his best friend, Amy, to do a Sonny and Cher drag number. He has their outfits all planned out, right down to the bellbottoms and fur vests. And he wants their performance to be perfect too so he pushes Amy to rehearse every day. Every step, every wave of the hand, every lyric has to be spot on. But Amy has had enough-the day before the event, she reveals that she never wanted to be Sonny. Why can't she be Cher? Mac refuses to even consider it. There can only be one diva! With no time to recast, Mac plans to go solo. But he's miserable without his best friend. Can the two of them patch things up in time?

Jennifer Mah has a secret - a big one. She can move objects with her mind. She knows if people learn about her abilities, she would be taken and subjected to horrible experiments. That's why she and her father have been living in a new city under false identities. But when Jennifer uses her powers to save someone from being hit by a car, she exposes herself to the authorities. Her father is taken away by agents and Jennifer has to find a way to save him without getting caught herself.

Fifteen-year-old Tim loves his job at his dad's pet store, partly because he gets to spend time with his best friend, a black cockatoo named Elmo. But things at work have been tense since the store moved to a larger, more expensive location. To make extra money his father rents out the store's exotic birds for parties and Tim is furious at this exploitation of his friend. When Elmo is stolen from one of the parties, the police are unconcerned about the theft. Tim and his new human friend, Sapna, set out to find Elmo and discover that Elmo is more valuable than they'd ever imagined.

Lizzie Lane is used to life at the top of the food chain. Her near-perfect life is ruined when Rachel, a girl she socially destroyed, exacts her revenge by getting Lizzie in trouble for cheating on a test. Friendless and facing detention, Lizzie obsesses over finding the perfect revenge. When Stella, Lizzie's strange new neighbor, teaches Lizzie about magick, Lizzie can't resist creating a revenge spell. But she forgets the "rule of three," that whatever spell you cast comes back on you three-fold, and her zit spell backfires with dramatic results. When she asks for help from Stella's Baba, the only advice she gets is to "write the lesson of the zit on her heart." Can Lizzie find a way to teach Rachel a lesson without causing permanent disfigurement to herself?

Trevor, Nick and Robyn are ready to solve another mystery. When bobsledder Josh Gantz is accused of deliberately injuring a fellow competitor, he runs the risk of being thrown out of the sport-right before the World Cup. Courtney Gantz asks Trevor, Nick and Robyn to help clear her brother's name. Can they find out who framed Josh? What is the meaning of the strange coded messages they keep finding around Olympic Park? Who eats orange bananas, anyway? The kids must unearth the clues in a race against time, before Josh's championship dreams end up on ice.

Life is full of challenges for thirteen-year-old Liza. She is already having trouble coping with the death of a local homeless man when she learns that her family's apple tree will need to be chopped down. If that wasn't enough, the new principal at school keeps blocking her attempts for a positive outlet by refusing permission for every project that GRRR! (Girls for Renewable Resources, Really!) and BRRR! (Boys for Renewable Resources, Really!) proposes. Liza starts to feel like she needs to create change in her world without seeking permission. When she chooses the school grounds as the site for her latest endeavor, she may have gone too far.

Trevor, Robyn and Nick decide they have a mystery to solve when Trevor discovers a suspicious looking young man snooping around. They learn about missing research involving the use of carob beans to aid in cancer treatment-potentially valuable information. With a shady looking grad student, a bitter activist and an employee of a medical research firm to deal with, our amateur sleuths are faced with their greatest challenge yet.

Josh knows he's riding recklessly when he knocks down the old man he suspects is the hermit of Loggerman Creek. But he is shocked when the hermit walks into the forest with his bike after the accident. Being without his beloved bike for a week motivates Josh to hike into the woods and confront the crazy old man. The hermit, Jonathan, has fixed Josh's bike, and Josh learns that he has more in common with the old man than he ever imagined. When Jonathan needs help, Josh has to respect the old man's choices in order to save his life.

Clay would much rather work as a lifeguard at the beach than at Safari Splash, the new water park in town. He's certain the summer will drag along, despite his position at the Boa, the park's fastest slide. The summer job starts to get interesting when he learns that someone has been wandering the park in a lynx costume, scaring the staff. When forty thousand dollars is stolen from the till, and his friends are under suspicion for the theft, boring is starting to look good. But Clay is certain that the mask and the thefts are connected, and he's determined to solve the crime.

Wilf is convinced his parents want nothing to do with him. When he isn't in school, he is left to his own devices or shipped away to camp. But at fifteen, Wilf is adamant that he is too old for summer camp. When his parents ignore his protests and ship him off anyway, he knows how he will get their attention: He will escape from camp by canoe and spend the rest of his vacation alone in the woods, proving to his parents he deserves his independence. His plan begins to unravel when his cabin mate forces Wilf to take him along. Things go from bad to worse when a younger camper follows them and they all end up in a fight for their lives against the unforgiving river.

Sam's grandfather vanished from his life the day Sam's father was buried. Now, ten years later, Grandpa Max wants to make amends. He sends letters that lead Sam on a scavenger hunt. Sam follows his grandfather's bizarre instructions though he's still not ready to forgive. To alleviate his anger at his grandfather, Sam turns to his favorite stress release: climbing onto roofs and leaving his tag, a spray painted symbol for Aquarius. When he gets caught by an elderly couple, Sam learns a valuable lesson about forgiveness. He's ready to forgive his grandfather, but is he too late?

Keegan and Alex are the only kids in Leamington who haven't volunteered to help out with the town's annual tomato festival. In an attempt to teach them a sense of responsibility, their fathers put them in charge of the tomato toss. The boys decide it's their responsibility to add a little excitement to the event. They exchange the traditional wooden targets for human targets and, before they know it, they are running the most popular event at the fair. The excitement may be too much for the sleepy town and soon the tomato toss is taken to the streets.

Once again Callie is forced to take part in her mom's latest crusade. They head into ranch country to camp-bloodthirsty mosquitoes, stinky outhouses and all-at a protest to save a rural school. Callie's grandmother shows up with her biker buddies and the singing grannies. Callie hates camping and wants nothing to do with the protest. To make matters worse, Callie's only possible ally, her cousin Del, is mad at her. The last time Callie visited, she was thrown from Del's horse, Radish. Callie claimed the horse was vicious and now Del's parents are forcing her to sell Radish. Callie wants to help her cousin, but she's terrified of the horse. Del is just as tenacious as the rest of Callie's family, and Callie is forced to admit that she's not going to be allowed to go home until both the horse and the school are saved.

As much as life has irrevocably changed since the death of his father, much has stayed the same for Cam. He's always had a great deal of responsibility around the house, but the burden is heavier now in combination with the load of grief he's been carrying. After the man who was driving the truck that killed his father turns up at the end of the driveway, Cam feels pressure to keep his family safe as well. He starts to see the man everywhere: at his work, in stores, at his sister's school. Cam needs to know what the man wants from his family, and he starts following his father's killer in search of answers.

Dorf is all about skateboarding and so far that's worked out fine. But now that he's in a new city, the terrain has changed. He's no longer free to skateboard where he wishes, school is more difficult, and his passion for skateboarding garners him the nickname and reputation of a freak. With daring stunts he gains the grudging respect of local troublemakers, but he needs to tap into another kind of courage to effect real change.