Kate Messner

"Finn Connelly is nothing like his dad, a star athlete and firefighter hero who always ran toward danger until he died two years ago. Finn is about to fail seventh grade and has never made headlines-- until now. Caught on camera vandalizing a cemetery, he's in big trouble for knocking down some dead old lady's headstone. Turns out that grave belongs to a legendary local mountain climber, and her daughter makes Finn an unusual offer: she'll drop all...

From multiple perspectives, tells of a time capsule project and the middle schoolers who contribute, including future journalist Nora Tucker and newcomer Elidee Jones, whose brother is in the local prison.

"Up in the garden, the world is full of green--leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening fruit. But down in the dirt there is a busy world of earthworms digging, snakes hunting, skunks burrowing, and all the other animals that make a garden their home. In this exuberant book, discover the wonder and activity that lie hidden between the stalks, under the shade of leaves . . . and down in the dirt."-- Provided by publisher.

This time the mysterious box that Ranger the Golden retriever found transports him to a Maryland plantation before the Civil War, where he must help a young house slave named Sarah and her younger brother Jesse find their way to the underground railroad and North to freedom, before Jesse is sold to a plantation further South.

The mysterious box that Ranger the golden retriever found in the garden transports him back to first century Rome, where he must rescue Marcus, a young servant boy, and Quintus, a volunteer gladiator, from the brutal world of the Colosseum.

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white, but under the snow is a secret world of squirrels and snowshoe hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many others who live outside in the woods during the winter.

When Mia moves to Vermont the summer after seventh grade, she's ready for the change in scenery. Her arm still aches from when she broke it falling off the balance beam, and her heart still aches from a secret she'd rather forget. For now, there's plenty to keep Mia busy - day camp, new friends, and time with her beloved grandmother. But Gram is convinced someone is trying to destroy her cricket farm. Could it be sabotage, or is Gram's thinking impaired...

"Under the canopy of the rainforest, hundreds of animals make their homes--from the slender parrot snake to the colorful poison dart frog. But up in the trees hides a whole other world, where toucans and pale-billed woodpeckers chatter and call, capuchin monkeys swing from the vines, and sleek-furred jaguars rule the night. In this exuberant book, discover the wonder and activity that lie hidden among the roots, above the winding rivers ... and under...

Over the swamp, the barred owl hoots, and the great egret swoops down on snowy wings. The slow mazes of waterways are quiet with the shush of reeds and grasses. But under the swamp’s soft shadows there’s a whole hidden world of panthers and orchids, red-bellied turtles and raccoons, lurking alligators and singing frogs. Discover the magical reaches of the Everglades and all the fascinating creatures living just out of sight in its branches and...

"Part of the acclaimed nature book series that includes Over and Under the Pond, Over and Under the Wetland, and Over and Under the Snow, this volume takes readers on a journey into the colorful and lively coral reef of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean. Over the reef, terns circle and frigate birds soar. Sea turtles paddle and balloonfish float through the sparkling waves. But under the reef's arms, where nurse sharks prowl the seafloor and octopuses...