Book excerpt: Twelve-year-old Pierre's remarkable family is known far and wide for their delicious pickles. But when the pickle farm is threatened, only Pierre can save it-by safely transporting a jar of world-famous pickles to an international pickle competition. When Pierre is kidnapped, a cunning young girl named Aurore rescues him. Together they set off with just twenty-four hours until the competition begins. To protect their pickles on the journey, Pierre and Aurore must navigate the ghostly catacombs of Paris, figure out how to safely crash-land a plane, enlist the help of a world-class scientist, and escape a villain who will stop at nothing to capture their jar of pickles. This madcap adventure has everything a young reader could ask for, including an unlikely friendship, dangerous villains, magical coincidences, and a cliff-hanger at the end of every chapter.