When Howie Quackenbush receives his order from the school book club, he's expecting 101 Pickle Jokes. What he gets is a copy of The Secret Guide to North Mellwood, and something tells him his life is about to change dramatically. The guide tells him how to transport anywhere in town simply by laying his hand on a secret portal and saying his destination's true name. At first, transporting around town with his best friends is a lot of fun. But Howie is full of questions. Who sent him the book? Why? Why does every place in Mellwood have two names? And what could the mysterious Hall of Babies possibly have to do with him?