Can ancient, unknown creatures surface in your own backyard? Twelve-year-old Pablo has lived in a small California desert town his whole life, and the sticky black tar puddle by the corral fence has been little more than a nuisance to walk around or step over. But when an earthquake cracks open the bottom of the puddle and mysterious rock-like eggs begin floating up to the top, Pablo and his best friends Lauren and Victor realize they have a mystery to solve. A scary, scientific mystery that will put the whole town in danger if Pablo and his friends don't stop arguing and learn to work...

When twelve-year-old Hilary Wilson's family moves from Pennsylvania to Justice, Illinois, she finds herself feeling angry, frustrated, and lonely. To make matters worse, bully Frank Smith, whose favorite pastime is scaring people, decides Hilary should be his next victim. Along with his friends Audrey and Todd, Frank challenges Hilary to join his "Cemetery Club," which meets inside the huge, imposing Resurrection Cemetery and consists of a series of creepy pranks. Hilary is determined to prove her courage and not let Frank's spooky tricks scare her. Then Marjorie, a very strange girl Hilary...