Seventeen-year-old Buddy has spent most of his life trying to escape the Lower East Side slums of New York City. Working as a delivery boy to support his family, Buddy wants to become an artist, a dream he's sure will never be realized. But that all changes when a delivery job puts him face-to-face with Mister Joey Drew, the eccentric owner of an animation studio.Mister Drew takes Buddy under his wing as an apprentice, thrusting him into a world unlike anything Buddy has ever seen before. There's the colorful cast of the studio, from the cranky, yet driven composer Sammy Lawrence to Dot, the writing intern and Buddy's counterpart. Working for Mister Drew, Buddy starts to think that maybe it's really as simple as Mister Drew says: Dreams do come true. But not everything at the studio is as picture-perfect as it seems .

Featuring a mysterious society, a secretive past, and a pig in a teeny hat, this is the first book in a new series for fans of The Name of This Book Is a Secret and The Mysterious Benedict Society.   Knock once if you can find it—but only members are allowed inside. This is one of those stories that starts with a pig in a teeny hat. It’s not the one you’re thinking about. (This story is way better than that one.) This pig-in-a-teeny-hat story is filled with adventure and danger. There are missing persons, hired thugs, a mysterious box, a hidden key, famous explorers, a risk-averse boy, and a girl on a rescue mission. Not to mention secrets that are not meant for the faint of heart. But if you are feeling bold, or maybe even a little italic, and if you enjoy derring-dos (and doing dares), this just might be the story for you! Don’t miss the sequel: The Explorers: The Reckless Rescue. And it’s really not a big deal, but if you find a pig in a teeny hat, please return him to the Explorers Society as soon as humanly possible. Thank you. “[A] wildly funny adventure. . . . Animals in teeny hats, Wonderland-style logic, and loads of wordplay and sarcasm will keep readers giggling all the way through.” —Kirkus Reviews “Exhilarating. . . . Fans of a Series of Unfortunate Events will be drawn to this.” —Booklist “A rollicking read, full of derring-do and old-fashioned villainy.” —School Library Journal “Funny, offbeat, and subversive . . . occasional footnotes and other humorous asides from the omniscient narrator break the fourth wall and ramp up the playfulness.” —The Horn Book “Narrated with a smart, brisk tone and plenty of snark . . . The Door in the Alley packs plenty of twists, turns and danger.” —Shelf Awareness

More mystery, more bravery, more danger, and one amazingly reckless rescue await in the second book in the Explorers series! The perfect read for fans of The Name of This Book Is a Secret and The Mysterious Benedict Society! Reader! Your attention is greatly needed. We have left things unresolved! What began as your average story of a boy stumbling upon a pig in a teeny hat and a secret international explorers society has turned into an adventure of epic proportions.   •  The bad news: The boy (Sebastian) has been kidnapped by a trio of troublesome thugs.   •  The good news: His new friend Evie has promised to rescue him!   •  The bad news: Sebastian has been taken halfway around the world.   •  The good news: Evie has famous explorer and former Filipendulous Five member Catherine Lind at her side!   •  The bad news: There's still the whole matter of Evie's grandfather (and the leader of the Filipendulous Five) somewhere out there in grave danger.   •  The good news: Pursuing Sebastian will lead Evie and Catherine to another member of the Filipendulous Five, who might be able to help! This missive is a call to action and an invitation to join in mystery, bravery, and danger. There will be new people to meet, new places to see, and some dancing along the way. And one amazingly reckless rescue. PRAISE FOR THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES: THE EXPLORERS: THE DOOR IN THE ALLEY: "[A] wildly funny adventure. . . . Animals in teeny hats, Wonderland-style logic, and loads of wordplay and sarcasm will keep readers giggling all the way through."-Kirkus Reviews "Exhilarating. . . . Fans of a Series of Unfortunate Events will be drawn to this."-Booklist "A rollicking read, full of derring-do and old-fashioned villainy."-School Library Journal "Funny, offbeat, and subversive . . . occasional footnotes and other humorous asides from the omniscient narrator break the fourth wall and ramp up the playfulness."-The Horn Book "Narrated with a smart, brisk tone and plenty of snark. . . . The Explorers: The Door in the Alleypacks plenty of twists, turns and danger."-Shelf Awareness

The third book in the Explorers series has more mystery, more bravery, more danger than ever before! The perfect read for fans of Chris Grabenstein and The Mysterious Benedict Society! Sebastian is still at large, kidnapped again! Evie is still missing her grandfather, the leader of the Filipendulous Five! And there's still an explorer hanging from the edge of a perilous cliff! All this and more in the third book in the Explorers series: The Quest for the Kid. PRAISE FOR THE THE EXPLORERS SERIES: "[A] wildly funny adventure. . . . Animals in teeny hats, Wonderland-style logic, and loads of wordplay and sarcasm will keep readers giggling all the way through." --Kirkus Reviews "Exhilarating. . . . Fans of a Series of Unfortunate Events will be drawn to this." --Booklist "A rollicking read, full of derring-do and old-fashioned villainy." --School Library Journal "Funny, offbeat, and subversive . . . occasional footnotes and other humorous asides from the omniscient narrator break the fourth wall and ramp up the playfulness." --The Horn Book Magazine "Narrated with a smart, brisk tone and plenty of snark. . . . The Explorers: The Door in the Alley packs plenty of twists, turns and danger." --Shelf Awareness