Coyote Azazello

Twelve-year-old Coyote Azazello knows three things. She knows that her dog Caesar is her best friend in the world; she knows that most any adventure is better than going to school, and she knows that since her mother died life is much easier if she just stays out of her father's way. Yet adventures with Caesar and mysteries in the cemetery sometimes lead Coy down the path of trouble.

When Coy's teacher threatens to tell her father she's skipping school she knows the only way out of this mess is if she can get a good grade on the Spring Science Project. Now Coy is forced into an unfamiliar partnership with Sarah, the smartest and bossiest girl at school, and Starling, the quiet and interesting new boy. It's hard to find where school and friendship fit into the way of life that Coy is used to; opening herself up to others while facing a father she hardly knows turns everyday into a trial. Things get even worse when Coy thrusts herself into what may be an actual treasure hunt, but she's not the only person interested in the idea of lost pirate gold and now it's not just school she's trying to survive but run-ins with dangerous criminals.

Adventures in friendship, close calls at the cemetery and confrontations at home make Coyote reevaluate what she always believed was the best path in her constantly growing and changing world.