Take Pippi Longstocking’s joie de vivre, blend it with a 21st century urban setting, toss in a dog named Otto for good measure and what do you get? This joyfully carefree story about two unlikely friends.It’s a pair of silver sequined sneakers that unexpectedly flips Emily’s comfortable, predictable world upside down. Or, more precisely, it’s the girl wearing them.The shoes belong to Rani, who moves into Emily’s apartment building—and her life—with absolutely no one but her dog Otto. (Her research scientist mother is away in Patagonia.) And that’s only the first rule that Emily watches Rani break without hesitation.But it’s not just that Rani breaks rules. Most of the time, she doesn’t seem to know the rules exist. Why can’t she bungee jump off their building? Or bring an ice cream truck to school?For steady and orderly Emily, Rani’s approach to life feels impossible . . . and more than...

This sequel to Deadly Flowers is a fast-paced and compelling read with a multitude of astonishing plot twists. Kata is one of the best employees of a master thief until he sells her to Madame Chiyome, the woman who trained Kata as a ninja. It turns out that Madame Chiyome has been hired by Kata’s enemy, Saiko, to capture Kata and the magical pearl she possesses. But while escaping her enemies, Kata puts her trusted group of friends in danger. Should Kata stay loyal to her mission, as a true ninja would, or to her friends? Can Kata trust the fellow thief who says he is in love with her and wants to help her? The themes of trust versus independence underlie each of Kata’s decisions as she tries to get the pearl out of Japan to weaken the demon within it. As Kata faces one obstacle after another, including a wide range of supernatural creatures, she is tempted to make a wish to save herself, even though could it be the last wish, the one that frees the demon and lets him take her soul. Will her sense of duty and honor prevail against all odds?

Middle school geniuses Sam, Martina, and Theo head to Glacier National Park to find the second of seven artifacts—keys that unlock a secret weapon—left by the country's Founding Fathers. The clues lead them to look for Thomas Jefferson's Eagle's Quill at a Montana ranch. But dangerous Gideon Arnold, descendant of the infamous Benedict Arnold, is hot on their trail. He takes their chaperone and the ranch owners hostage until the kids deliver the quill. Can Sam, Martina, and Theo, with the help of rancher girl Abby, find Jefferson's artifact before it's too late? They enter the wilderness to solve riddles and escape traps that protect the quill . . . but if they find it, can they keep it away from Arnold and save everyone? In this fast-paced adventure full of action and interactive puzzles, the kids and readers must use their wits to save our nation by uncovering its greatest secrets.

Kata, a ninja, embarks on her first solo mission to enter a warlord’s castle and make sure that a certain sleeping occupant never awakens. When Kata discovers that her target is a young boy and that her new accomplice is that boy’s slightly older sister, she suddenly realizes her mission is much more complicated than she thought. Faced with taking someone’s life or confronting the dire consequences of failure, Kata must make a hard choice, one that leads her into a more dangerous battle than she ever expected. In this coming-of-age novel, Kata discovers that while a ninja must always act alone, humanity requires accepting the trust and friendship of others.

It is a rare talent, and only she can care for the Inn's herd. She feeds them, gathers their eggs, and tends to their injuries. But Mella dreams about the dragons of legend, even though hardly anyone believes they still exist. Dragons are small farm animals, not huge fire-breathing monsters. Everyone knows that.Until one day changes everything.A Knight of the Order of Defenders arrives at the Inn. Signs of the mythical dragons have led him there, he says. Then a simple errand takes Mella through the forest, where she stumbles across a dragon's egg—and faces the true, terrifying dragon guarding it. On the spot, Mella vows to get the egg safely to the fabled Hatching Grounds. She must leave her home for the first time, and she finds an unlikely companion in the Defender's squire, Roger.For Mella and Roger, this one day is the beginning of an adventure. Where will it take them?

When middle school puzzle master Sam and history wiz Martina win a contest for a summer trip across the US, they discover they've been drafted into something vastly more extraordinary. Joining another kid on the trip, Theo, a descendant of George Washington himself, they must follow clues to find seven keys left behind by the Founding Fathers. Together the keys unlock Benjamin Franklin's greatest invention—a secret weapon intended to defend the country. Each key is hidden in a unique location around the U.S., protected with puzzles, riddles, and traps. This has kept the weapon safe . . . until now! Gideon Arnold, a dangerous descendant of the infamous Benedict Arnold, is on the chase. In competition with Arnold and his thugs to reach the artifacts first, Sam, Martina, Theo, and readers must use their wits to solve ingenious puzzles, escape death-by-booby-trap, and, by the end of the series, save our nation by uncovering many of its greatest secrets.