Staying with her grandparents over the summer while her parents are on tour for their latest book, eleven-year-old Maebelle struggles to find her true talent and tries to compete with her newly adopted African American cousin.
When twelve-year-old Ariel and her friend Zeke find a mysterious artifact the like of which has not been seen in a long time, it proves to be the beginning of a long and arduous journey that will untimately reveal to them their true identities.
When the strange Wolfbane family moves in next to the ultraconservative Rigid-Smythes, changes and misunderstandings flourish as the families attempt to track down a notorious thief.
Arthur, a dog in a pet store waiting to be adopted, takes on the identities of other animals he thinks might be more appealing, until discovering that he can be a success as himself.