Tricia Springstubb

Unlike her adventurous orinthologist mother, shy eleven-year-old Loah prefers a quiet life at home with no surprises until her mother's expedition to the Arctic tundra to study birds turns dangerous and Loah, alone at home, discovers her own courage.

"Cody's best friend, Spencer, and his parents are moving in with his grandmother right around the corner, and Cody can't wait. For one thing, Cody needs Spencer to help solve the mystery of the never-seen Mr. Meen, who lives on the other side of the porch with a skull-and-crossbones sign in the window and an extermination truck out front. How's Cody to know that a yellow jacket would sting her, making her scream "Ow! Ow!" just as they start spying?...

Fox Street means everything to Mo Wren, who is nearly eleven, and so she is very upset when a land developer offers to buy her father's house, especially since she has not yet found the fox she is sure lives in the nearby ravine.

Khalil lives in the upstairs apartment with his family, which is big and busy and noisy. Downstairs lives Mr. Hagerty, who is quiet. Khalil and Mr. Hagerty don't appear to have a lot in common, but hot summer days have a way of bringing people together. As Khalil looks for buried treasure in the yard, Mr. Hagerty tends to his garden. Both help each other navigate language -- whether it be learning new words or remembering those seemingly forgotten....

On Moonpenny Island, eleven-year-old Flor O'Dell experiences a series of life changes after her best friend's sent away to a private school.

"In Cody's experience, some people keep you on your toes--just like Mother Nature, who is warm one day and snowy the next. Cody's brother, Wyatt, is wearing collared shirts because his girlfriend likes them. Pearl has joined the soccer team, and it's all she can talk about. Spencer is creating a mysterious museum under GG's porch and is never around to play. And Spencer's mom is going to have a baby! Everything around Cody--from seasons to friendships--is...