Someday Desmond will be famous for his special effects wizardry, but for now he's just trying to make it through sixth grade at Cloverfield Memorial Junior High, which means he needs to stay one step ahead of the school's disciplinary officer, Mr. Needles.

The only problem is Desmond just can't stop pulling pranks, like the time he attached a shrieking rubber goblin to the toilet seat in the teachers' bathroom. (Mrs. Rubin screamed so loud her wig flew off.) Or the time he put giant motorized worms into the mashed potatoes in the cafeteria. Or the time Desmond and his best friend, Ricky, arranged for a three-headed ghost to crash his sister's slumber party. Rachel still hasn't forgiven him.

Now Desmond has to stay prank-free for the rest of the year, or he won't be able to go on the class trip to Crab Shell Pier, home of the Mountain Full of Monsters ride. It's going to be tough, but Desmond has to try.

As a young Russian Jewish girl in the early 1900s, Anna and her family lived in fear of the Czar's soldiers. The family lived a hard life and had few possessions; their treasure was a beautiful china tea set. A wedding gift to Anna's parents, the tea set came with a wish that Anyone who drinks from this will have blessings from God. They will never know a day of hunger. Their lives will always have flavor. They will know love and joy, and they will never be poor.

When Anna's family leaves Russia for America, they bring the tea set and its blessings. A source of heritage and security, the tea set helps Anna's family make friends and find better lives in America. A cup from the tea set, The Blessing Cup, became an anchor of family history, and it remains a symbol of lasting love more than a century later.

This tender tribute to the importance of loving lineage is a prequel and companion to the perennial bestseller The Keeping Quilt and is told and illustrated with authenticity and tremendous heart.