Alec Schuyler grapples with his future while navigating his relationship with Suze Matheson, his date for the Winter Dance. Complicating matters, Suze faces unwanted attention from their English teacher, Mr. Truscott, which Alec discovers while hiding in a coat closet. This tense situation sets the stage for Alec to confront not only his feelings for Suze but also the challenges of standing up against inappropriate behavior.
Sylvie had an amazing life, but she didn't get to live it very often. Sylvie has been a twelve-year-old princess for more than eighty years, ever since the book she lives in was first printed. She's the heroine, and her story is exciting -- but that's the trouble. Her story is always exciting in the same way. Sylvie longs to get away and explore the world outside the confines of her book. When she breaks the cardinal rule of all storybook characters and looks up at the Reader, Sylvie begins a journey that not even she could have anticipated. And what she accomplishes goes beyond any great good thing she could have imagined...