NCW Libraries

This compilation of two separately published works, tells of two of Benji Franklin's missions--solving an earthquake problem in the Pacific Ocean, and a massive cyber theft using satellites.

Ten-year-old Leo loves being a newsboy in San Francisco -- not only does he get to make some money to help his family, he's free to explore the amazing, hilly city as it changes and grows with the new century. Horse-drawn carriages share the streets with shiny new automobiles, new businesses and families move in every day from everywhere, and anything seems possible. But early one spring morning, everything changes. Leo's world is shaken -- literally...

After experiencing a devastating earthquake, the spirit of a charming and vibrant Mexican neighborhood might be shaken, but it cannot be broken. As a little girl and her dog embark on their daily walk through the city, they skip and spin to the familiar sounds of revving cars, clanking bikes, friendly barks, and whistling camote carts. But what they aren't expecting to hear is the terrifying sound of a rumbling earthquake ... and then ... silence....

"Hannah Steele loves living on Pelling, a tiny island near Seattle. It's a little disconnected from the outside world, but she's always felt completely safe there. Which is why when she's asked one day to babysit after school, she thinks it's no big deal. Zoe and Oscar are her next-door neighbors, and Hannah just took a babysitting class that she's pretty sure makes her an expert. She isn't even worried that she left her inhaler at home. Then the...

This book addresses a natural phenomena rarely discussed in children's literature. The setting is Mount Diablo; the cast of characters the wild creatures inhabiting its slopes. A sudden shaking of the ground is greeted with trepidation and curiosity by the animals. Each comes forth with a speculative explanation for what they've experienced. The theories are as wild as they are varied. Finally, the authors reveal the true cause of the tremblor....

"James and Michelle find themselves in the Atlanta airport on a layover ... seemingly interminable delays draw them both to a mysterious flashing green light--and each other. Where James is passive, Michelle is anything but. And she quickly discovers that the flashing green light is actually ... a button. Which she presses ... Before they can figure up from down, strange, impossible things start happening: snowstorms form inside the B terminal; jungles...