Penrod tells of a boy growing up in Indianapolis at the turn of the twentieth century. His friends and his dog accompany him on his many jaunts, from the stage as the Child Sir Lancelot, to the playground, to school. They make names for themselves as bad boys who always have the most fun.

"Desmond has been waiting his whole life for this day. It is the sixth-grade field trip to Crab Shell Pier, home to the awesomely fantastic Mountain Full of Monsters ride, and Desmond has one goal: convince Tina Schimsky to ride it with him. But once inside the amusement park, Desmond finds that executing his master plan will be no simple feat. Accompanied by his best friend, Ricky, Desmond must outwit both the tyrannical Mr. Needles and the nefarious...

Charlie Hope was not expecting to spend his summer trying to solve a murder. Helping his mother run the family hotel doesn't usually offer much excitement. The only other people around are Penny Price, a spoiled child actor and star of the hit TV series Little Miss Murder being shot in town, and Mr. Ignato, an elderly resident at the hotel. When Mr. Ignato dies from a fall down the stairs, Charlie suspects foul play. Nobody believes him except for...

Life can be stressful for Nate Wright.  At school, Mrs. Godfrey makes every day a nightmare.  At home, he's stuck between Ellen, his incredibly annoying older sister, and Dad, perhaps the most clueless parent of all time.  And don't get him started on Gina, the ultimate teacher's pet, or Artur, the unassuming exchange student who bests him at every turn.  It's enough to make even a can-do kid like Nate scream:  "I CAN'T TAKE IT!"