Amelia lives life, suffers loss and kisses a ninja.

"Amelia McBride is going to her first dance (with a boy!), but it seems she's not the only one with a date. Is Amelia ready to accept that her mom might be seeing someone? And what can she say to help her friend Joan, whose dad is going off on a dangerous mission for his job in the military?"--Jacket.

Amelia Louise McBride, having survived her parents' divorce and a move from Manhattan to a small town, hopes her eleventh birthday will mark the start to a good year, and while her surprise party seems promising, things quickly go downhill.

"With her new spot on the cheerleading squad, Aunt Tanner's hoards of adoring fans, and Reggie's successful mission to mold young superheroes into productive--and cool--members of society, Amelia's sailing is remarkably smooth. But when Tanner disappears, humiliated by an ex-boyfriend's tell-all book, Amelia goes into full panic mode. And when she boards a bus on an epic journey to find Tanner--with frenemy Rhonda in tow, and a little help from a...