David Sossella – illustratör

The only guidebook you need for your next time travel vacation!The Thrifty Guide to Ancient Rome contains information vital to the sensible time traveler:   • Where can I find a decent hotel room in ancient Rome for under five sesterces a day? Is horse parking included?    • What do I do if I’m attacked by barbarians?    • What are my legal options if I’m fed to the lions at the Colosseum?   All this is answered and more. There is handy advice on finding the best picnicking spots to watch Julius Caesar’s assassination at the Roman Forum in 44 BC, as well as helpful real estate tips to profit from the great Roman fire of AD 64. There are even useful recommendations on which famous historical figures to meet for lunch, and a few nifty pointers on how to avoid being poisoned, beheaded, or torn apart by an angry mob.   Remember: to make the most of your vacation to the past, be sure to pack a Thrifty Guide from the future!

The only guidebook you need for your next time travel vacation!The Thrifty Guide to the American Revolution provides useful information for the practical time traveler, like:     • Where can I find a decent hotel room in colonial New England? Are major credit cards accepted?    • How do I join the Boston Tea Party without winding up in a British prison?    • How can I score a lunch with Alexander Hamilton?   This guide answers these fiery, burning questions with the marshmallows of information. There is handy advice on how to join Paul Revere’s spy ring at the Green Dragon Tavern, how to enlist in General Washington’s rebel army, and how to summon the strength to storm a British gun battery when you haven’t eaten for three days.   So pick up your fife and powder your ponytail, and always remember: to make the most of your vacation to the past, be sure to pack a Thrifty Guide from the future!

In real life, Lucas is small and unathletic. But as Trunkzilla in the online game Smashtown Frenzy, he's the biggest, toughest fighter on the streets. No wonder he prefers games to real life! He plans to spend all summer battling his way through the Smashtown tournament with his team, but his parents have other plans for him: volunteer work. Lucas signs up to be a Senior Sitter and gets matched with a cool old librarian named Isaac who likes cats and detective novels. Mornings with Isaac and afternoons gaming are working out great until Lucas's Smashtown success hits a speed bump and Isaac's health takes a tragic turn. Lucas saves Isaac's life but then finds himself burdened with a new sense of moral responsibility that gets him thrown off his team, banned from Smashtown, and made into a meme for internet haters. Some reward for being a hero! Lucas has one last chance to prevail, win back his friends, and show his parents how much gaming means to him.