Susan Wangui's "The Perfect Plan," the first in the series, features clever, capable young protagonists who are determined to overcome all obstacles, in a new young adult series about a group of four friends who don't quite fit in.

The group is made up of a stoic, strong-willed Japanese boy named Kenta; a jovial, pretty, if unkempt, girl named Marie; a temperamental genius in the mold of Hercule Poirot named Henry; and a younger disabled boy who clings to Marie named Michael. Together, they face many challenges that arise in the lives of young people, often in fun-filled adventures, but...