Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs.

Sixth-grader Marty and his family try to help their rough neighbor, Judd Travers, change his mean ways, even though their West Virginia community continues to expect the worst of him.

Fourth-grader Alice tries unsuccessfully to avoid embarrassing mistakes and to establish better relations with her older brother Lester.

Continues the adventures of Marco, Polo, and other members of the Club of Mysteries as they care for Carlotta's kittens and search for a home for them.

Alice's first year in high school gets off to a difficult start when she and her boyfriend Patrick break up, but with the help of her father, older brother, and best friends, she gains a better sense of her own self-worth.

Roxie Warbler, the niece of a famous explorer, follows Uncle Dangerfoot's advice on how to survive any crisis when she becomes stranded on an island with a gang of school bullies and a pair of murderous bank robbers.

Alice experiences the joys and embarrassments of seventh grade while advising her father and older brother on their love lives.

En casa de Marty Preston no sobra el dinero, así que parece imposible que él y sus hermanos tengan una mascota. Un domingo, Marty encuentra un cachorro al que decide cuidar y proteger. Para hacerlo deberá mentir y cada mentira le generará un problema mayor. Pronto Marty comprende que no siempre es fácil saber qué es lo correcto.