The memorable Casson family is back once again. Eldest sibling Caddy is getting married, but to a young man named Alex, not family favorite Michael. Teenage Saffy feels she has let down her best friend, Sarah, and can’t face her—or her failure. Determined to shake things up, Indigo has taken over organization of the school Valentine’s Day dance. His well-intentioned, misguided plans include matchmaking, so that everyone who wants to go has a scientifically selected date. And Rose, the youngest, who has concerns of her own (not the least of which are ghosts and white vans), observes it all with her usual blend of naiveté and astute understanding. Throw in missing hamsters, Oscar the Mad Art Student, and parents who are off in their own worlds and it’s all . . . well . . . typical, at least for the Casson siblings. Hilary McKay’s story, set in England, is funny, insightful, warm-hearted, and, above all, a delight. (Ages 10–14)

There are discos at school several times a year, but the Valentine's Day disco is the one that everyone talks about. They only sell the tickets in pairs. You have to ask someone, or be asked by someone before you can go. Torture.

But it won't be torture if Indigo Casson's special plan for the Valentine's Day disco works. Torture is in the cards for Saffy, though, when her first boyfriend decides to take her on an unusual date to a very, very dark graveyard. At least he didn't leave her on a moor with Rose -- yet.