Bobby Thompson wants to be cursed. And not your everyday, mad-at-your-neighbor jinx, but a big, fat, hairy curse. The kind of curse that will explain away all the bad in his life. When Flyn, his foster home friend, does a tarot card reading, she dubs him hoodoo cursed, and claims the only one capable of breaking it is her voodoo priestess aunt. But her aunt lives in New Orleans, four states away, and Bobby can't bear to leave his unconscious mom behind. Unfortunately, Bobby's curse puts everyone around him in jeopardy. Old Mrs. Reed dies when he touches her, the neighborhood bully lands in the ER, his foster mom could lose her license, and that fire he accidentally starts ...He has no choice. He has to go to New Orleans. Even with friends, the journey will be tough, especially when the police are looking for them, but Bobby knows a busted curse will mean his mom will wake up from her coma and all the wrong in his life will right itself. The funny thing about curses though, is sometimes they don't want to be broken, and New Orleans at the end of August 2005 is no place for three kids on the run. A twelve-year-old boy, convinced he's cursed, flees his foster home in Illinois to find a voodoo priestess in New Orleans and runs into the arms of Hurricane Katrina instead . Lexile(R) measure 620L, Grades 5-7

When Savannah "Van Demon" Diamond comes to town she ruins everything for Mick. She takes over his favorite hang out, outruns him in gym class, and worst of the worst-his little brother has a crush on her. Devising a plan to get her kicked out of school and moved out of Beachwood is simple. Dealing with Savannah's mind-blowing revenge is Mick's most challenging adventure yet. Join Mick as he thwarts insidious traps and deadly weaponry, fighting against the most cunning of enemies. Catastrophe looms for all of Beachwood unless Mick can put aside his pride, join forces with his rival, and destroy the new girl's killer robot army. Lexile(R) measure 630L San Francisco Book Review selects Slug Pie Story #3 as a Tweens Must-Read New-Release Book 2015; IndieB.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree December 2015 from the backcover: Don't antagonize the new girl at school. She just might create robot soldiers to enact her revenge and terrorize your friends and family. Well don't let their sharp teeth and quick speed intimidate you. Just follow my simple steps for How to Destroy the New Girl's Killer Robot Army. Wimps should put this book down and hide under the bed instead. I hope you last out the night. But if you're brave enough, come join me in thwarting booby traps, disarming deadly weapons, and dodging flesh-searing lasers as we set out to destroy a lot of nasty metal minions.