Mr. Hightower snorted. "At any rate, it's only you, dear Rachael, that we need, not these others. They can go." Returning home again after the terrible events at Xanadu House, Rachael Baptiste has learned not to trust humans...because they might be part of the Lighthouse Parents, a hostile group out to arrest and destroy the Exotics. Her parents do nothing but argue. Her Exotic friends pretend to be normal. Her human friends hint that it might be better if the Exotics just disappeared. And now the horrible Mr. Hightower wants her to spy for him...on her mom. Rachael doesn't know what she should do...but she knows that if she doesn't keep an eye on Mr. Hightower and his group of Exotics, she won't be able to stop them...

"Promises mean nothing on this ship. Tell me the password." Nobody knows what really happened when Rachael Baptiste's mom disappeared a week ago. So when Rachael's second-grade classmate Raul tries to break into her mom's computer only to be chased away by giant talking dogs, she follows him into the night and discovers that Raul-and her mom-have caught a magical sickness that lets them turn into magical animals, or Exotics. A group of evil Exotics, the Shadow Dogs, kidnap Rachael and Raul to a mysterious ship and try to force them to tell them her mother's secrets...but Rachael's not talking. Instead, she's trying to find a way to escape the ship and rescue the Exotic kids trapped on board, waiting to be sold as pets...or are they?

Galileo's mad-scientist parents have done it again: invented something that got completely out of control. This time, it's a matter replicator in their basement. And a squirrel army out to get rid of the humans. And lots...and LOTS of Guinea pigs made out of sewage. Yuck Now it's up to Galileo and his friend, the giant Guinea pig Max, to stop the pigs from being mind-controlled by the squirrels and taking over the world

Rachael survived her adventures on The Floating Menagerie and went back to her normal life...except that her mom is still missing. Now she's coming down with the Exotics virus herself and is changing into a half-human, half-animal Exotic, just like her friends. As a new Exotic, Rachael can't control the change, so she travels to a safe place for Exotics in danger-Xanadu House. The house is owned by an aunt that Rachael never knew she had, and who will protect any Exotic, no matter which side they're on. But is Xanadu House as safe as it seems?

Ten tales of death, invasions from other realms, bullies, babysitters, liars, and the brave kids who fight back. Zombie girls who have to hide, lest they get eaten by bigger zombies. Food that bites back. Wizards who are scared of their own power. Murdered (and murderous) pets. Secret superpowers. And that last, great voyage into the unknown. Stories to be whispered under the covers, by flashlight. Stories to be read by firelight to the robots who come out of the woods. Stories to be told when the witches are ready to eat you but want to hear just one more story before they shove you in the oven. Creepy Stories. Fantastical Stories. Weird Stories.