Strange Journey Back

Plot

STRANGE JOURNEY BACK":"Mark knew his dad left because of him. It was his fault." Mark Prescott is sure that's why he and his mom had to move to the small town of Odyssey. Oh how he wishes things could return to the way they were, before his dad left. Mark hates being a newcomer. He's not too thrilled about his only new friend and being a girl. That is, until Patti tells him about a time machine called The Imagination Station at Whit's End. Mark figures that's the answer to all his problems. If he can only go back in time to the day his dad left, then Mark is sure he can bring his parents back together again. But first he's got to get past the time machine's eccentric inventor, John Avery Whittaker, "Whit." As Mark's adventures unfold, he learns lessons about friendship, responsibility, and living with change.

HIGH FLYER WITH A FLAT TIRE:: "I didn't do it I don't know anything about his tire " Mark Prescott's in trouble. Not only did he fight with Joe Devlin, but now Joe accuses Mark of slashing the tire on his new bike. He didn't do it, but how can he prove his innocence? By finding the culprit But playing detective isn't as easy as it is on TV. As Patti, Mark's best friend, plays Dr. Watson to his Sherlock Holmes, Mark encounters a crows of potential villains. There's Rachel, a girl Joe teased about being fat. And Chad, the boy who had an argument with Joe. Even Patti is under suspicion. With the help of his wise friend Whit, the eccentric inventor, Mark untangles the mystery and learns new lessons about friendship and family ties.

THE SECRET CAVE OF ROBINHOOD: "You have to promise not to tell anyone. Ever!" Mark Prescott promises Patti that he'll never reveal the secret of her hidden cave. It's a great place for pirates, buried treasure, and secret meetings. When the Israelites, a gang Mark wants to join, are looking for a new clubhouse, Mark thinks of the cave. He's positive they would make him a member if he told them about it. But Patti doesn't want to share the cave. And she doesn't want to join the Israelites. Mark is torn between his friendship with Patti and his new friends. Will Mark join the group at any price? Will he betray the hideaway? Will he risk his friendship with Patti? As he makes his choices, Mark learns about faithfulness, the need to belong, and the gift of forgiveness.

BEHIND THE LOCKED DOOR: "It hadn't occurred to him that he might be putting himself in serious danger. Not until now." Mark Prescott's imagination is going wild. He knows his friend John Avery Whittaker (Whit) keeps his attic door locked. But why? What's hidden up there and protected so carefully? Invited to stay with Whit while his parents are in Washington, D.C., Mark grows curious when Whit forbids him to enter the attic. Fueled by thriller comic books, his mind conjures up dark possibilities. Along with them grows a determination to get beyond the locked door and learn Whit's secret. How will Mark gain entrace? What will he find once he does? As he answers those questions, he learns hard lessons about trust, honesty, and the need to guard his thoughts.