Playing with Fire

A bullied boy is lured by the dark power of revenge in this haunting fantasy by the acclaimed author of Cold Tom, formerly published as The Devil's Toenail. Stevie, 13, has started at a new school and is desperate for acceptance. Like any teenager, he is self-conscious and embarrassed by his family. But he also hates himself for being cruelly bullied at his old school, and he will do anything to be accepted by bullies here rather than be their victim. Then he finds an odd fossil called a Devil's Toenail, which fills him with an almost evil sense of daring. The Devil's Toenail's tauntings and urgings to take revenge on the world are relentless, but in the end, Stevie discovers that believing in himself is what brings true power and happiness.