The Convicts by Iain Lawrence

Tom Tim's father, Captain Tim, has been taken to debtor's prison in London because of the debt he owes to the calculating Mr. Goodfellow. His mother has been paralyzed with grief from the loss of his sister, Kitty, in a drowning accident years before and isn't much help. It is up to Tom to find a way to pay the family's debt. So Tom leaves home to find away to make things right for his family. Tom finds himself down by the river while contemplating what he should do next, he notices a blind man poking his cane in the mud to find coins. Tom decides to do the same and while walking barefoot in the mud finds a large diamond. The blindman laying claim to the area goes after Tom to get the treasure. Tom fights off the blindman and loses him on the streets. There he meets Worms who gives him a ride in exchange for some help with a job and a small payment. Worms is a grave robber and he needs help stealing a body. A body that turns out to be a dead ringer for Tom. In a rush to escape being caught at the grave, Tom leaves his coat with the diamond in the pocket. Events in the story escalate with Tom getting accused of murder and continually getting mistaken for someone called "Smasher". Who is Smasher and why won't anyone believe his story? How will he get out of this mess?

The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

The Fairy-Tale Detectives is the first book in a series about the Sisters Grimm. Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have been shuffled around from foster home to foster home and back and forth to an orphanage after their parents just disappeared. Ms. Smirt, their caseworker, delivers the girls to a woman claiming to be Grandma Grimm. Sabrina, the eldest, is skeptical that this woman is her grandmother because her father never talked about her. Daphne likes the kind but strange old woman who takes them to live with her, Mr. Canis (her assistant) and a Great Dane named Elvis. The town of Ferryport Landing isn't like most towns and Grandma Grimm has lots of rules, secrets and locked rooms in her home, weird things happen around the house, and odd people keep visiting Relda Grimm. Grandma Grimm informs the girls that they are the descendants of the Brothers Grimm, the ones who wrote the fairy-tales and they are not tales but true incidents. Now Sabrina believes that the old woman is crazy and decides to run away from Ferryport Landing the first chance they get.

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Pretties continues the story of Tally whom Scott Westerfeld introduced in Uglies. Tally is a pretty and she hopes to join the Crims. The Crims are a group of Pretties who plan and execute edgy tricks to make themselves feel "bubbly". Her friends, Shay and Peris, are Crims. Does Zane think she has what it takes to become a Crim? Zane plans to let her know at the masquerade bash at the Valentino mansion. While searching for Zane in the mansion, Tally notices she is being followed by someone dressed as a Special. The lurker appears again right as Zane is about let Tally know if she made it into the Crims. Tally leaves Zane in mid sentence and chases after the lurker who has a message for Tally. A message from her ugly past.

Pretties is part of the Uglies series. Read Uglies, Pretties, Specials and Extras to find out about all of Tally's adventures.