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een UNCORRECTED PROOF • NOT FOR SALE UGUST 2024 UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALEBY NATASHA DEEN ILLUSTRATED BY MARIANO EPELBAUM UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALEPublished by Stone Arch Books, an imprint of Capstone. 1710 Roe Crest Drive, North Mankato, Minnesota 56003 capstonepub.com Copyright © 2025 by Capstone. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on the Library of Congress website. ISBN: 9781669075202 (hardcover) ISBN: 9781669075271 (paperback) ISBN: 9781669075479 (ebook PDF) Summary: Dalia Gopie is shorter than all her friends. Then she discovers that her favorite social media influencer is promoting a miracle fruit—one that guarantees to make anyone taller overnight! Is this online fad the real deal, or is the popular influencer selling a tall tale? With the help of other Cyber Sleuths—a network of mystery-solving kids—and legit online resources, Dalia uncovers the truth about this too-good-to-be-true product. Designer: Kay Fraser; Production Specialist: Katy LaVigne This book is published in partnership with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALETABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE Short Fry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 CHAPTER TWO It’s a Miracle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 CHAPTER THREE Getting the Berries . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 CHAPTER FOUR This is “Berry” Bad . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 CHAPTER FIVE This Can’t Be Happening . . . . . . . . . .30 CHAPTER SIX Back to the Store . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 CHAPTER SEVEN Things Aren’t What They Seem . . . . .40 CHAPTER EIGHT The Research Begins . . . . . . . . . . .46 CHAPTER NINE Unraveling the Truth . . . . . . . . . . .54 CHAPTER TEN This Is Berry Good . . . . . . . . . . . .62 UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALE01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 0 010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 01101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 01010101010101010101010101010101010010101010101010101010 101010101010101010101010 0101010101010101010101010101010 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 101010101010101010101010 0101010101010101010101010101010 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 10100101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 01010110101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 10101011010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 01010100101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 10101010 010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 01010101101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010 4 UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALECHAPTER ONE SHORT FRY Dalia Gopie flopped on her bed and groaned. What an epic failure the last hour had been. She’d met up with her friends. It was supposed to be an awesome lunch because everyone had been so busy throughout the summer, and they hadn’t seen each other since forever. This was their chance to catch up before school started next week. 5 UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALEExcept . . . except, over the summer, everyone had grown. Everyone but her. All her friends looked older, more mature. Now Dalia was the shortest and youngest looking; she felt like the little sister who tags along with her older siblings. It would have been OK, sort of, except when they went to their favorite hang-out to eat. The waitress tried to give Dalia the kids’ menu. That was for kids who were 10 years old or younger! Adding to the humiliation, her friends piled on with the teasing. Sick of being called “short fry,” Dalia had pretended she got a call to head home. Everyone looks like they belong in middle school, except me, she thought. She looked in the mirror. Before lunch, she thought she’d looked good. Now, she looked like a baby. I bet everyone at school will look grown-up, except me. What if—she pushed the thought from her head, but her brain filled in the last part. What 6 UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALEif I look so young that my friends don’t want to hang out with me anymore? The buzz of her phone startled her. When she saw it was her best friend, Nils, she answered the video call. He appeared on the screen. Nils must have biked home because his cheeks were red and strands of his blond hair were plastered to his forehead. “We teased you too hard,” he said as soon as he saw her. “By the time we realized you weren’t laughing along, you were already gone. I’m sending you something from the group.” Dalia checked her text. It was a picture of her friends, holding a sign that said, “Our bad! So sorry!” “That’s cool,” she said. “Thanks.” Dalia grinned. “I like the silver glitter on the sign.” “What happened?” he asked. “Normally, 7 UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALENext >