The Adventures of Spike and Johnny is an engaging tale, depicting the exploits of 12 year old, redheaded Johnny Upanishad and his fiesty and loveable spider accomplice, Spike. Young readers will delight in this quickly paced adventure, where Spike and Johnny stumble into a new world filled with discovery, danger, mystery and villains, both ominous and comical. Johnny, with his trusty mountain bike and Spike at his side, must follow his hunches and risk everything in the quest to save the life of one fair and very innocent girl. The author provides an almost lyrical voice to a story written not only to entertain, but to raise up the values of friendship, loyalty, courage and deep trust. With an educational intent, the vocabulary percolates, such that young readers will joyfully be challenged to learn new words that will enrich their lives and imaginations. There's a timeless quality to this story, which weaves its way among the many shores and avenues of Vancouver, a magnificent city by the sea, and a place that Spike and Johnny like to call 'home.'