Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

THAT really stinks. I was actually looking FORWARD to going to the beach this summer. Not because I like the ocean and the sand and all of that, because I don't. I realized a long time ago that all the world's fish and turtles and whales go to the bathroom right there in the ocean. And I seem to be the only person who's bothered by this. My brother Rodrick likes to tease me because he thinks I'm afraid of the waves. But I'm telling you that's not it at all.

A to Z Mysteries: The Vampire's Vacation by Ron Roy

On the floor sat a black leather suitcase. Hanging above the staircase on a hanger was a long black cape.

Secret Seven Win Through by Enid Blyton

Scamper sniffed at this thing on the ledge, and then picked it up in his mouth. Perhaps it did belong to one of the children after all. He ran with it to Peter and dropped it at his feet with a little bark.

The Kingdom of Fantasy by Geronimo Stilton

I had to figure out king Firebreath's secret. So I came up with a plan. I started squeaking and running around in circles. The King of the Dragon was so startled his jaw dropped open in surprise. Then I understood his secret. He was missing a tooth.

The BFG by Roald Dahl

Then Sophie saw them. In the light of the moon, she saw all nine of those half-naked brutes thundering across the landscape together. They were galloping in a pack, their necks craned forward, their arms bent at the elbows, and worst of all, their stomachs bulging. The strides they took were incredible. Their speed was unbelievable. their feet pounded and thundered on the ground and left a great sheet of dust behind them. But in ten seconds they were gone.

Freefall by Roderick Gordan and Brian Williams

"Herrrrrph," Chester Rawls groaned softly to himself. His mouth was so dry it was a few moments before he could actually speak. "Aw, Mum, leave off, will you," he finally managed to say, but not unpleasantly.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

In a city called Stonetown, near a port called Stonetown harbour, a boy named Reynie Muldoon was preparing to take an important test. It was the second test of the day-the first had been in an office across town. After that one he was told to come here, to the Monk Building on Third Street, and to bring nothing but a single pencil and a single rubber eraser, and to arrive no later than one o'clock. If he happened to be late, or bring two pencils, or forget his eraser, or in any other way deviate from the instructions, he would not be allowed to take the test, and that would be that. Reynie, who very much wanted to take it, was careful to follow the instructions. Curiously enough, these were the only ones given. He was not told how to get to the Monk Building, for example, and had found it necessary to ask directions from the nearest bus stop, acquire a schedule from a dishonest bus driver who tried to trick him into paying for it, and walk several blocks to catch the Third Street bus. Not that any of this was difficult for Reynie Muldoon. Although he was only eleven years old, he was quite used to figuring things out by himself.

Deeper by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams

With a hiss and a clunk, the doors whisked shut, depositing the woman by the bus stop. Apparently indifferent to the whipping wind and the pelting rain, she stood watching as the vehicle rumbled into motion again, grinding the gears as it wound its way laboriously down the hill. Only when it finally vanished from sight behind the briar hedges did she turn to gaze at the grassy slopes that rose on either side of the road. Through the downpour they seemed to fade into the washed-out grey of the sky itself, so that it was difficult to tell where the one started and the other finished.