From the critically acclaimed author of A Tangle of Knots comes a humorous story full of heart, courage and a touch of magic. Bernetta’s summer couldn’t be going any worse.First her ex-best friend frames her for starting a cheating ring in their private school that causes Bernetta to lose her scholarship for 7th grade. Even worse, Bernetta’s parents don’t believe she’s innocent, and forbid her from performing at her father’s magic club. Now Bernetta must take immediate action if she hopes to raise $9,000 for tuition.  But that’s a near impossible task with only three months until school. Enter Gabe, a boy con-artist who’s willing to team up with Bernetta to raise the money. But only if she’s willing to use her talent for magic to scheme her way to success. Praise for The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower “Lighthearted and . . .  enlightening.”— Kirkus Reviews “Will enthrall readers.”— Publishers Weekly "This is an entertaining and offbeat outing, following cinematic convention . . . escalating things with cons within cons and subsequent counter-cons . . . [Readers will] relish the twists and turns."-- The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books "The details of the different scams are fascinating . . . Graff has created an original, dimensional heroine in Bernetta."-- Booklist "The characters are well drawn, and Bernetta's growing qualms of conscience are believable. Readers will appreciate the well-constructed plot and intriguing snippets of magic slipped in here and there."-- School  LIbrary Journal "Graff successfully diverts the reader's attention in order to spring several surprises along the way while still making Bernetta a genuine and likable character."-- The Horn Book Lisa Graff is the author of Absolutely Almost, A Tangle of Knots, Double Dog Dare, Umbrella Summer, The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower, The Thing About Georgie and Sophie Simon Solves Them All. A former children's book editor, she's now a full-time writer and adjunct professor. Originally from California, she lived for many years in New York City and now makes her home just outside of Philadelphia. You can visit her online at www.lisagraff.com. “Any luck with the job hunt, Netta?” Elsa asked. Bernetta gave a pathetic sideways headshake and then sat up and handed Elsa her phone. “No,” she said. “Nothing. I’m doomed.” “It’ll be okay,” Elsa told her. “No!” Bernetta cried. “It won’t. It won’t be okay, Elsa. How on earth am I ever going to make nine thousand dollars in one summer?” Elsa frowned and looked at her toes. “I don’t know, Netta. I’m sorry.” And just like that, she left the room. She shut the door behind her, and as soon as she did, Bernetta heard a noise coming from her bedroom window, a noise that sounded suspiciously like a person clearing his throat. She spun her head toward the sound, and to her horror she saw a head pop up above the windowsill. A boy’s head. A head covered in unruly brown hair. The boy looked at her, as casual as anything, and smiled. “I know how you can make nine thousand dollars,” he said. Prologue PARLOR MAGIC n: tricks performed for a small audience   The halls of Mount Olive private school were quiet that afternoon, completely deserted. The students were tucked away inside their classrooms, busy learning the lessons that would lead to successful and fulfilling futures. Calm, peaceful, serene. That is, until a short brown-haired girl named Ashley Johansson stepped out of Mr. Borable’s sixth-grade science class, a hall pass clutched at her side. Mr. Borable had, like any good teacher, given Ashley the pass because he thought she needed to use the bathroom. He was wrong. Among the other things Mr. Borable didn’t know about Ashley Johansson were the following:   1.   When he wasn’t present, she liked to refer to him as Unbearable Mr. Borable.   2.   She had cheated on several of her life science exams.   3.   She was, at that very moment, smuggling several sheets of paper into the hallway underneath her blue school blazer. After checking to make sure that the coast was completely clear, Ashley removed the papers from her blazer and studied the one on top. Although it had the words “Geometry Homework” scribbled on it, anyone who took a close look at the paper would realize that it was not, in fact, any sort of homework. It was instead a printout of the grades of one of Ashley’s fellow students, a tenth grader named Gregory Pewter. Ashley had never met Greg, and she didn’t care to. What interested Ashley were Greg’s grades. He had earned all A’s in every subject and on every progress report, except English literature. His grade had recently plummeted to a very disappointing B- in that subject. Technically speaking, Ashley wasn’t allowed to break into the school’s online grade book during her hour as office helper every other Wednesday, but that hadn’t stopped her in the past. Her second piece of paper, which she looked at next, was a list of school lockers and their