"Odyssey-like adventure of two boys' incredible quest on the Appalachian Trail where they deal with pirates, buried secrets, and extraordinary encounters"--

Solveig's adventures bring her to the heart of imperial Byzantium in the sequel to the critically acclaimed Bracelet of Bones.

'It's not a race!' puffed Harry. He was wrong, Jordan thought. It was a life and death race. When a bushfire threatens the Nullambine Koala Sanctuary, Mission Fox is on the case. It's a race against time, and when twins Harry and Jordan Fox lose their puppy, things get really heated.

After almost poisoning his whole class with arsenic gas, going on the run from a psychotic science teacher and nearly dying of radiation poisoning, life is getting back to normal for Itchingham Lofte - at least, as normal as it can be when you have a round-the-clock detail of government security guards watching your every move.

Can you imagine finding gold? That's just what the Swallows and Amazons and Dick and Dorothea decide to hunt for in the hills high above the lake. But it's a hot and dry summer and water is in scarce supply. Worse still for the troubled campers, they have competition: Squashy Hat. Anybody can see he is a prospector. And talk about squashy hats.

Dick and Dorothea - also known as The Ds - arrive in Norfolk all ready to learn how to sail. They couldn't hope for a better teacher than Tom Dudgeon. But Tom is in a spot of trouble. After seeing the beastly Margoletta moored clean across the nests of his beloved coots, Tom set the motorcruiser adrift.

'You know what it's like. Dark at teatime and sleeping indoors: nothing ever happens in the winter holidays.' Or so Nancy thinks. Then the lake ices over completely and the Swallows and Amazons, along with Dick and Dorothea - 'the D's' - plan a race to find the North Pole. How will they reach it if they can't sail?

'Why do they call him Black Jake? Is it because of his hair?' Titty asked. 'Because of his heart' said Peter Duck. The Swallows and Amazons, as well as Captain Flint and the ancient able seaman Peter Duck, set sail on the Wild Cat bound for the Channel.