Jenny has an older brother and a younger sister--and a father in the hospital. Feeling like she's always in the way or even invisible to those around her, she's sure nobody cares about her at all. Even as she seeks attention in all the wrong ways, can Jenny's family prove to her she's not only a vital part of them but unconditionally loved as well?
Mike's father goes missing on a remote island. Mike, Alinea and their alien pet Beeper travel through a time gate to retrieve him. Finding him unconscious, they have to protect him. But first they have to escape being dumped once more at the Intergalactic Lost Property. After that, they jump the usual hurdles: illegal dealers that want them silenced, and staying far away from Kloogs forever raiding the protected planets. An odd creature, the Quok, that Beeper distrusts is the only one prepared to help them. However, when they arrive on the mysterious 'Place of the Call', they realize Beeper's distrust of the Quok is terrifyingly well-founded...
Jane Smith is the unhappy, resentful, eleven-year-old daughter of a single parent. Her escape from the unpleasantness she considers her life is through another world. There, she's one of the four powerful Patrollers sworn to the service of the Princess in the Far Tower. Their quest: To choose the bravest warriors in all space and time to fight the Red Wizard. Jane's ordinary life improves as she makes friends. She's picked for the school play and the prestigious trampoline team. But her otherworldly life with its epic adventures continues to be more important to her than the one she lives in...until the warriors' battle causes a merging of Jane's ordinary world and her otherworldly one.
Daniel (or Monster Mack, as he prefers to be called) is mad about dirt bike racing. Not really interested in school work, he spends his weekends practicing on his Mean Machine dirt bike with his friends. Bully Daniel will go to any length to win a race...until he meets The Skull on the Assassin Killer bike. Daniel may have finally met his match!
Nathan and Ashley discover a real live dinosaur egg buried in the sand dunes at their local beach. Trying to decide what to do with it has them stumped. Should they donate it to a museum? Sell it for lots of money? Claim finders keepers and hold onto it for their very own? Unfortunately, thanks to their unscrupulous uncle who wants to sell the egg for big money, the discovery becomes public. Now it seems everyone wants their treasure...
Ali's mother Jane tells her daughter of her own time in the land of Isshuay... Isshuay's border has been breached by a Missyl, a mysterious, shape-changing creature from a neighbouring land. Hopelessly lost in a hostile environment, the lonely Missyl is unwittingly contaminating the inhabitants of Isshuay as it searches for the way home. As the years pass, the land's goodness is slowly disappearing through the breach in the border. Anger and despair have replaced the happiness that once filled the land. Jane is selected by the fabulous Silver Ones as the one person who has the knowledge and skills to heal their land. Happily accepting the challenge, she travels with young Nestor across the Shimmering into Isshuay to begin her task of seeking the elusive Missyl and sending it home. Joined by Old Marje and other intriguing characters, she discovers the dangers and the wonders of Isshuay.
BRAIN MAN Randy O'Rourke wants the robot he built named Brain to be as "Super Colossal" as those at Future World, an amusement park where robots do all the work. Brain doesn't disappoint him. He does Randy's homework and chores--plus some things he wasn't intended to do. His red heart glows in response to compliments. He blinks when touched. He uses "mind talk" to communicate with Randy. However, some of Brain's unprogrammed actions are less endearing. From minor glitch to major disaster, the robot provokes a series of escalating problems. Although Brain is out of control, Randy can't escape that the robot is almost human...and he loves the big pest. DOUBLE TROUBLE DITTO BOX Randy O'Rourke invents a "Ditto Box", a machine that copies whatever he puts inside. When he wants a premium baseball glove like his friend Jake's, he puts his friend's glove in, and--voila!--a duplicate comes out. If Randy and Jake want pizza, he orders one, makes a copy, and they eat two. Randy copies homework, games and even Asthma, Jake's furry mutt. Everything is going great until his little sister wants a playmate. Twozy, as Suzy names her "twin", looks and whines just like Suzy. Mom and Dad are mad at Randy for doubling their trouble, and he has to babysit more girls more often. Two sisters are twice as bad as one! How can he get rid of the new one?
An unsuccessful young man, John Scarlett, moves into a parallel universe in search of adventure. Unfortunately, he's lost his soul and memories to the ferry witch. Even more humiliating, he's tricked into becoming a sorcerer's apprentice by his ex-tomcat Quill. However, with the aid of a small girl who believes he's so stupid he has to be looked after, he might just manage to survive.
While vacationing on a houseboat situated smack dab in the middle of a dry lake bed, the Stanton kids and their cousins discover a time machine that makes their lives a whole lot more interesting...and without a doubt more dangerous! While holidaying on a houseboat in the middle of a dry lake bed, the Stanton kids and their cousins find a time machine that someone is apparently using for their own evil purposes. When they discover that Mr. Powers is the reason for water disappearing from the lake, they have to use all their scientific knowledge and imagination to outwit the culprit and his crazed plans while travelling backwards and forwards in time. No future vacation will ever be as exciting!
When the Stanton kids take a trip in the time machine into the year 3010, they meet up with a race of people called the Troikas who are intent on creating perfect human beings. Initially, the children are impressed with their abilities, but, after they realise that the Troikas aren't what they seem to be, they decide they better return to their time--fast. However, the Troikas have other plans. The children will need to employ every trick they can think of in order to escape. The year 3010 is not at all what they bargained for!
