Patches #1

The Secret Seven holds an urgent meeting to select a mascot for their club, and the choice comes down to two candidates: Patches' scrappy mongrel Scraps, and Ambrose's purebred show dog King. When the group visits both dogs to compare them, Scraps' keen instincts suddenly kick in—sensing danger where the fancy pedigreed pup fails to act. The young adventurers discover a fire threatening a neighbor in need, and Scraps proves his true mettle when it counts most.

Patches is the star player of the Redwood Wrens basketball team, but his jealous teammate Blacky has other plans for the biggest game of the season. When Blacky schemes to keep Patches benched through a clever deception, the team's championship hopes hang in the balance until Patches discovers the truth and takes the court.

When the Secret Seven's clubhouse is threatened with eviction, Patches and her friends see a chance to claim the abandoned, supposedly haunted house on End Street—if they can prove the hauntings aren't real. That night, they venture into the creaking old mansion to investigate the mysterious wails and strange sounds that have kept the town at bay, armed with little more than a flashlight and their courage. What they discover inside will either confirm their fears or reveal something far more practical lurking behind the supernatural reputation.

Patches thought his life was simple until glamorous Gloria Payne rolled into town with a Hollywood film crew—and suddenly the charming movie star is living in his house and stealing all his attention from Sandy, a girl who's had her own plans for him. When the big Saturday night party arrives, Patches finds himself caught between two dates and a tangle of promises he can't keep, leading to a showdown that'll teach him a thing or two about keeping his word.

When the Secret Seven venture into an unexplored mountain region, Patches discovers that his dog Scraps has wandered off chasing a rabbit—and quickly finds himself hopelessly lost in the darkening woods. Following Scraps' cries of distress, Patches stumbles upon a hidden trap and the reclusive hermit who set it, leading to an unexpected encounter that changes everything. Written by B. Kerman with art by Maurice Whitman and Ezra Jackson, "Scraps Rescue" is a six-page adventure that proves sometimes getting lost leads you exactly where you need to be.

David Marks sets out on a sea voyage only to discover a stowaway—a young woman fleeing captivity on an island—hiding in his ship's hold. When a sudden storm strikes and the vessel sinks, David and the girl find themselves cast ashore on an uncharted island, where they're aided by a local boy in their struggle to survive and signal for rescue. This tale from the patchwork quilt shows how chance and kindness on the open sea can change the course of two lives forever.