All the kids at Memorial Middle School are talking about one thing: their first boy-girl party. Lucia's had enough talk about what to wear and who's going with who. If her best friend hadn't insisted, she wouldn't even go to the stupid party. But after she gets to know Adesh, she starts to think maybe this boy-girl party won't be so bad after all. Too bad he's interested in another girl. Supported by a glossary and reader response questions, this Junior High Drama graphic novel is certain to be an entertaining yet safe pick for a wide range of readers, both those reading at level and also reluctant and struggling readers.

If you only had a few minutes to evacuate your house in the face of a wildfire, what would you take? And if you were separated from your mom and thought she was in danger, would you still leave - or would you head back in to rescue her? Twelve-year-old Sam lives alone with his mom and their dog in the idyllic seaside town of Santa Bonita. His father died when Sam was young, but his best friend Marco has been helping recreate his dad's old photos as part of a memorial project. One particularly warm October day, however, Sam smells something faint from far away. It's the scent of smoke. An unexpected southern California wildfire is whipping ferociously toward town. Sam, Marco, and the whole neighborhood must urgently evacuate with little warning. Sam is distraught. If his house burns, all his memories of his father will go with it. Even worse, Sam's dog disappears during the emergency, sending the boy into a panic. When he should be leaving the city with Marco and his family, Sam instead turns back, a decision that will plunge him right into the path of a deadly fire.