Themes: Gossip, Mystery, Fiction, Tween, Emergent Reader, Chapter Book, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. Excellent teacher Mr. Ridley appears from nowhere and accepts a teaching job at the tiny and poor Crow's Crossing School. He's an excellent teacher, but questions swirl around him. Why is he here? Where did he come from? And most importantly, why is he digging holes on Shadow Hill? Tazmin doesn't care about all that. She's learning math. Her brother is learning how to read. But the truth has a way of revealing itself, much to Tazmin's dismay. This series of short novels was designed to engage a broad spectrum of struggling readers. No longer will upper-elementary students have to read material junior to their maturity and interests. Characters are age appropriate and come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Science ficion, sports, paranormal, realistic life, historical fiction, and fantasy are just a few of the many genres. Books are no higher than a 1.5 reading level, with illustrations on every spread that support visual literacy and draw kids into the text. Each book is around 70 pages.