A confused adolescent boy learns that the best way to tackle life's problems is head-on. MOST YOUNG TEENAGE BOYS would love to spend a summer with a fun-loving bachelor uncle in a seaside cabin far away from the watchful eyes of their parents. But not Jonah Lander. Jonah has secrets--lots of them--and they weigh heavily on his mind. Before leaving home, Jonah intercepts a letter to his parents from his school. Now he has work to do or else he'll be facing remedial English in the fall, not to mention his parents' anger. That lie only leads to more deception. Next he lies to his Uncle Nate about joining the local swim team. Jonah feels bad, but how can he explain that he is afraid of what lurks beneath the dark salt water? Then Jonah gets a job at a local marina where he hopes to do what he enjoys--working with his hands, fixing motors. He even has his eye on getting his own motorboat, but he isn't earning much doing odd jobs. When Sumi, a college student and budding marine biologist, asks him to be her research assistant, he jumps at the chance to make more money. But once Jonah signs on as her workboat crew, he gets into a lot more than he bargained for. Soon he will have to face his greatest fears and finally give up his secrets forever. Bulion's satisfying novel is further enhanced by a rich ensemble of supporting characters, interesting facts about marine life, and a text that perfectly captures the special rhythms of small town seaside living....

For Nadine Rostraver, fourth grade means peer pressure and new social rules she hadn t anticipated. For one thing, girls aren t supposed to hang out with boys anymore. So where does that leave Nadine and her best friend Nick?

Then Summer Crawford arrives at Upper Springville Elementary and Nadine s life goes from bad to worse! Nadine loses her job as the art editor on the class newspaper The Springville Spark and gets in some serious trouble with her teacher, Mr. Allen.

But Summer is a free spirit who marches to her own beat. Slowly Nadine realizes that life can be a lot more fun if you call your own tune. Together Nadine, Nick, and Summer decide breaking the rules is sometimes the best thing you can do. Especially when the rules don t allow you to be yourself.

Author Leslie Bulion s sensitive, realistic look at adolescence and her humorous slant on its unique struggles will resonate with young readers who will recognize themselves and their own dilemmas in her well-drawn characters and their responses to a complicated world....

Most boys would love to spend a summer with a fun-loving bachelor uncle in a seaside cabin far away from the watchful eyes of their parents. But not Jonah Lander. Jonah has secrets_lots of them_and they weigh heavily on his mind.

Before leaving home, Jonah intercepts a letter to his parents from his school. Now he has work to do or else he_ll be facing remedial English in the fall, not to mention his parents_ anger. That lie only leads to more deception. Next he lies to his Uncle Nate about joining the local swim team. Jonah feels bad, but how can he explain that he is afraid of what lurks beneath the dark salt water?
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Witty poems describe how insects capture prey, trick predators, attract mates, and have survived for 400 million years. Includes information about bug behavior. Discussion guide available at charlesbridge.com....

Witty poems describe how insects capture prey, trick predators, attract mates, and have survived for 400 million years. Includes information about bug behavior. Discussion guide available at charlesbridge.com....