New friends and a mystery help Aven, thirteen, adjust to middle school and life at a dying western theme park in a new state, where her being born armless presents many challenges.

Nearly two years ago Meg's British father left their home in France to fight the Nazis, leaving some codes in a jar for her to decipher, and Meg and her French mother moved to the Perche, a region in France near Normandy known for its forests; now Meg watches the German soldiers in town, and sometimes carries messages for the French resistance--but suddenly things have gotten much more dangerous: there is a wounded British officer hiding in her grandmother's...

The second week of Next Best Junior Chef features family and traditions, as Caroline, Oliver, and Rae, ages eleven to twelve, face more challenges and another elimination.

When a dive off the coast of Alabama goes horribly wrong, twelve-year-old Julie and one of her father's scuba clients struggle to survive after reaching an abandoned oil rig.

The finalists face surprises as they find their culinary knowledge, ingenuity, and friendship tested in the final week of competition that will determine who earns the title of Next Best Junior Chef. Includes facts about foods' flavors and textures and how they can be combined.