Through twenty-six letters to her friend Nina, twelve-year-old Kasey chronicles the often humorous observations and impressions of her unexpected, month-long stay in a geriatric ward for the treatment of a rare but treatable bone disease ("osteo-something-something-itis"). Kasey tries to make her life less dull by wearing her own nightgowns, surrounding herself with her favorite stuffies and developing an unusual exercise routine. Hospital food, insomnia and the germy communal bath are enduring sources of dread, but some new (and unexpected) friends make her life bearable.
Elle is on the road as an opening act for Johnny James, the biggest star in country music. Touring is everything she's ever dreamed of, but it has unexpected downsides: crazy fans, jealous backup singers, weird rules on the tour bus. But when something goes terribly wrong during a performance, Elle struggles to figure out how she can make things right with her fans, her father, her record company and with her friend Webb. True Blue continues the story that began in Billboard Express.
Fifteen-year-old Natalie is obsessed with ballet and plans to spend the entire summer in dance class with her two best friends. But when her mom gets a job out of town, Natalie gets shipped off to stay with cousins she barely knows. Natalie is thrilled when her cousins invite her to join them at the local dance studio. But it turns out it's not a ballet class; it's Irish dance. Skeptical at first, Natalie is surprised to learn she really enjoys the new dance style and agrees to take part in an upcoming competition. But this new passion could result in Natalie having to leave her ballet dreams behind.
Fourteen-year-old Preston Craft is organizing a film festival for his school's film club. When one of the films goes missing two days before the festival begins, Preston is convinced it was stolen and is determined to get it back. The only indication of the theft is a suspicious shadow that Preston noticed right before he discovered the film was gone - but Preston is legally blind and no one quite believes him. However, not unlike the gritty private eyes in the classic black-and-white films he adores, Preston refuses to give up. Can he solve the mystery based on such a shady clue?
Fourteen-year-old Ava is thrilled when she lands a part in a play based on the true story of orphans sent to Canada in the 1800s to work on farms. But is she good enough to hold her own in a professional production? As the rehearsal pressures crank up, Ava struggles with her character, with the vocal demands of outdoor theater and with the annoying ego of her castmate Kiefer. But as she learns more about the historical Lily on which her part is based, things begin to fall into place. Then one bad decision jeopardizes Ava's chances of being able to perform on opening night.
Sixteen-year-old Kat and her mom haven't seen much of each other since Kat's father died last year. Her mom has taken over the family trucking business and has been away a lot. She promised that Kat could join her on her next run, a journey across the frozen Manitoba lake known as the "winter road." But at the last minute she changes her mind. Kat, who has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, stows away in the back of the semi instead. By the time her mother discovers her, it's too late to turn back.
When Walter overhears a lord's murder, he must reveal the true killer before his innocent friend is convicted.
Kelly, one of a group of students with special needs chosen to participate in Dolphin Dives, finds her voice again after not speaking for three years when one of the animals is threatened by a very angry boy.
Cody Smith and his family are new in a small town. When he reads an article about a local woman who collects antique carousel horses and was sold a fake, Cody wants to solve the mystery and find the crook.
The Galaxy Diner is a great place to hang out and looks just like a spaceship, but things really get interesting when a group of friends think they find a real spaceship in the woods.
A chance friendship with an elderly ex-magician helps Jared come to terms with the tensions in his own family.
Two boys harassed by a group of rowdy kids at school get their revenge when they stumble into the school custodian's cleaning closet and find something very unusual.
Transported accidentally back in time to a college campus in the South in 1931, Kenneth and Aleesa meet the young Langston Hughes on his poetry-reading tour and confront racism and threats to Hughes first-hand. What do they discover about the real power behind his words?
When Grady's family moves to a deserted island in the Florida Keys, the family finds more activity than expected as a hurricane comes their way.
T.J. can't believe it when he wins a trip to New York to be a contestant on Whiz Kid. Will he make his family proud?
Cody is involved in another mystery. When the cat keeps vanishing and a mysterious stranger is hanging around, Cody needs to do a little investigating to solve the case.
Cody finds himself in danger when he receives a note that warns him of bad luck on his big bike ride. He has to find out who's behind the note and why he is the target.
When Cody, his mom, and his friend Maria arrive in the Florida Keys to house-sit for their friend Sally West, they are warned about a kidnapper at large in the neighborhood who tried to abduct young Angela Gomez.
Cody and his friend Maria find themselves in the middle of several mysteries as they search for a missing emerald necklace.
During his summer in Hawaii, Kimo repeatedly visits a secret and forbidden beach, ignoring several frightening warning signs. Who is threatening him and why?
Alice and her brother Louie meet Johnny Boyd when they spend summer vacation with their grandparents on the farm. Louie thinks he saw a ghost and the three children are out to solve the mystery.
Doreen, a young Gypsy girl, struggles with both her own prejudices and those of others when she becomes separated from her family and is cared for by two sisters who insist she attend school regularly.
Pete finds that the strange noise he hears coming from the toilet is a pink alligator, who can change appearances at will into a mouse, spider, or a dog, is an alien from the planet Galunk.
After being adopted by Michael's family and moving from Mexico to Dallas, Javier tries to adapt to life in the United States but realizes he misses his old life in Vera Cruz, Mexico.
Eighth-grader Derrick wants to be a stand-up comedian, but his football coach, his parents, Joe, his boss at Taste of Italy, his English teacher Dowling the Dragon, and his Mr. Perfect older brother Craig don't think he's so funny. When Derrick discovers he needs a B on an English paper to stay eligible for football, how can he tame his smart mouth to stay out of trouble?
