Brian and Gregory's adventure begins when they find an old board game called The Game of Sunken Places. As it turns out, the Game is reality, and the boys must participate and win in order to settle the score in an age-old battle of enchanted spirit-nations. The story involves Brian, the quieter, more sensible friend, coming into his own and proving that, though not flashy, he is capable and brave. In addition, it examines the lifelong friendship between two very different boys. Also a suspenseful adventure, the story leads the boys to an ax-wielding, riddle-bearing (and hilarious) troll, an ogre named Snarth, the wee elf Sniggleping (not as cute as he sounds), translucent ghost riders, and much more. While the dialogue is exceedingly smart and funny, and the characters vividly drawn, the story bogs down a bit in twists and turns, leaving the reader wishing for a road map as much as the boys wish they had one for the Game. Still, Anderson, author of the popular Burger Wuss, Thirsty, and Feed, surprises his fans again with something utterly new and different. (Ages 10 and older) --Karin Snelson

M.T. Anderson, author of the darkly comic suburban vampire tale Thirsty, here turns his attention to the of-this-world horrors of high school romance and minimum-wage drudgery. The result is a hugely funny, fast-paced romp through teen angst. Passages describing the O'Dermott's experience (the fast-food joint where Turner works and where Anthony gets a job as part of his evil plot) are spill-your-soda hilarious--obviously the words of someone who has lived the nightmare. Anthony laments, "It was hard not to feel ugly. Crusty. Doped. My fingernails were black. My shirt was stiff. My hair hung flat. My skin was shellacked with ambient lard." Not to mention the fact that he works side-by-side with his nemesis, his two best friends have fallen in subverbal saccharine love with each other, and his only hope is teaming up with Shunt, the vegan, anarchist grill cook. As Anderson clearly understands and as Anthony notes (while mustering the courage to kiss his archenemy's girlfriend), "There is a certain ferocity you need, to be a teenager in America." Indeed. (Ages 13 and older) --Brangien Davis

A senior thesis?

A betrayal by someone you love?

A loss of innocence?

The death of a parent?

Losing the family you always wished you had?

Facing a harsh reality?

What's the line that separates childhood from the "real world"? And what happens when it's nothing you imagined it would be?

Do you want to be a published author?

The editors at HarperCollins invite you to submit a short story about a character who has to face the "real world" for the first time. The story must involve a single, life-changing event. First prize is the opportunity to be published alongside your favorite authors in the paperback edition of the No Such Thing as the Real World collection. All stories must be between 5,000 and 10,000 words long, and all contributing authors must be between fourteen and nineteen years old.