Charlie, a sixth-grader with a compulsion to tell lies, acquires a mysterious skull that forces its owner to tell only the truth, causing some awkward moments before he understands its power.

A girl in a large family is looking forward to her first "double digit" birthday, but soon discovers that growing up brings some unwanted changes.

Robbie Darko is an old-school, pull-a-rabbit-out-of-your-hat-style magician, but despite his best efforts, something always goes wrong with his tricks until crotchety Grandma Melvyn moves in and teaches him something about the true meaning of magic.

In these four previously published stories, Katie Woo has her first ride in an airplane, her first horse ride, and enjoys other new adventures.

As their cross-country journey with their parents continues through the midwest, twins Coke and Pepsi, now thirteen, again face strange assassins at such places as the first McDonald's restaurant and Cedar Point amusement park.

"Tripping over roads may not be your idea of fun, but for Amelia Bedelia a road trip is a true adventure"--

"Matt Hunter is expecting the latest sword-and-fantasy video game, but he's in for a disappointment when he receives a hamster for Christmas instead. A hamster called Snuffles. A hamster that dies, but somehow keeps going. A zombie hamster that has his eye on Matt"--

Eight-year-old Maurice's struggle to protect his bedroom full of treasured "junk" from unsympathetic parents undergoes a transformation when the family moves to the country.

Middle school is off to a depressing start for Marvin Watson, his new baby brother is proving to be a disappointment, and now his town is being threatened by a horde of mutant bugs, including a hungry spider that quotes Shakespeare--and if that is not enough there are three sarcastic man-sized moths living in the attic.

"Tween twins Coke and Pepsi McDonald have finally reached the last leg of their wacky and dangerous cross-country road trip, but they must fend off a host of strange assassins before they reach their home in California"--