It's the summer before grade six and Calvin Sinclair is bored to tears. He's recently moved from a big city to a small town and there's nothing to do. It's hot, he has no friends and the only kid around is his six-year-old brother, Sammy, who can barely throw a basketball as high as the hoop.

Cal occupies his time by getting his brother to do almost anything: from collecting ants to doing Calvin's chores. And Sammy is all too eager — as long as it means getting a "Level" and moving one step closer to his brother's Eagle status.

When Calvin meets Aleta Alvarado, a new girl who shares his love for Goosebumps books and adventure, Sammy is pushed aside. Cal feels guilty but not enough to change. At least not until a diagnosis makes things at home start spinning out of control and he's left wondering whether Sammy will ever complete his own journey. (From Central Avenue Publishing)

Alex Lyttle is a pediatric allergist and immunologist living in Calgary, Alberta with his wife and four children. He has two published novels — From Ant to Eagle and The Rise of Winter — and has won several awards for his writing. His latest book, tentatively titled The Society of Unfortunate Kids, is currently awaiting publication, and follows a young boy with Sickle Cell Disease.