W. R Philbrick

At the beginning of eighth grade, learning-disabled Max and his new friend, Freak, whose birth defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, find that when they combine forces, they make a powerful team.

When a dam fails and rushing waters sweep away their adult supervisors, five middle schoolers on a white-water rafting adventure are left alone with few supplies and the opportunity to forge powerful bonds as well as develop dangerous disagreements.

"It's Maine, 1924, and the Ku Klux Klan is on the rise. Davy and Jo Michaud have been recently orphaned. Taken in by a distant relative-a famous aviator-they are now working with a group of stunt pilots who spend their time wing walking, leaping from plane to plane, and flying through fireworks! But though the stunts are dangerous, the real threat is building behind the scenes. The KKK is on the rise in Maine that summer, inspired by the racial fears...

When something knocks out everything electrical at midnight on New Year's Eve, the world is plunged into chaos, including the town of Harmony, New Hampshire, where Webster Bragg, a vicious survivalist, sees an opportunity to dominate his fellow citizens--but as the town struggles to maintain order and civilization, young Charlie Cobb sets out on a dangerous journey through the snow to find medicine for his diabetic mother.

After his mother's death, twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman decides that it is up to him to earn money to take care of himself and his father, so he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean off the coast of Maine to try to catch a huge bluefin tuna. After his mother's death, twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman decides that it is up to him to earn money to take care of himself and his father, so he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean...

With his loving and supportive mother, 13-year-old Kevin moves in next door to another teen, Max. Though both have problems that label them as outcasts, Kevin and Max discover that by proudly combining their strengths on uniting as one, they can overcome their individual limitations and triumph over any adversity. As the two set out on a series of courageous adventures, they find the mightiest treasure of all is friendship!