Harley Jane Kozak

Two siblings find out about a mythical aquatic monster and try to a save a remote Canadian lake from being used as a dump site for toxic waste. Radio psychologist Jack Black takes his children Joshua and Ashley on a 'vacation' to a lake in British Columbia. While he grinds away at work the children discover that the famous local lake monster "Orky" may not be just a gimmick to attract tourists after all. In fact, Orky may enable them to get closer to their workaholic dad, and help stop local polluters who are dumping toxic waste into Orky's home. —Ron Kerrigan <mvg@whidbey.com>

Due to NCAA sanctions, the Texas State University Fightin' Armadillos must form a football team from their actual student body, with no scholarships to help, to play their football schedule. Due to NCAA sanctions, the Texas State University Fightin' Armadillos must form a football team from their actual student body, with no scholarships to help, to play their football schedule. With fewer players than most teams, the makeshift team must overcome obstacles that the best teams in the country couldn't deal with. Using a thirty-four-year-old quarterback, a female placekicker, and a gang of misfits, Ed "Straight Arrow" Genero must take his team to play the number one Texas Colts. —Kevin <Kibble@vm.temple.edu> Paul Blake is a 34-year-old farmer who was once a star high-school football player, one of the best quarterbacks in Texas. Paul was forced to drop out of sight when his father died, leaving Paul with the family farm to run. Now, after a 16-year absence, he's lured back to football by his former coach, Wally "Rig" Riggendorf. Rig has recently been hired as assistant coach to head coach Ed Gennero, who has been hired by Texas State University to turn around the Texas State Armadillos -- a team that was placed on probation for corruption, and university president Carver Purcell wants results as soon as possible. The team that Gennero and Rig assemble includes a military fanatic who admires General Schwarzkopf, a physics instructor, a swift martial-arts champ named Eric "Samorai" Hansen, Andre Krimm, and a female kicker named Lucy Draper. On the field, Paul does his best to get himself back into shape, while he has to overcome the awkwardness he feels about attending college classes at his age. And Paul finds himself attracted to journalism professor Suzanne Carter. Paul, Gennero, also have to deal with Dean Phillip Elias, who wants to scrap the university's football program, and the Armadillos are out to beat the almost impossible odds of winning at least one game this season. —Todd Baldridge

A brother and sister attempt to bring their divorced parents back together for Christmas. This is a comedy about two New York City children who launch a hilarious scheme to get what they most want this holiday season. Ethan and his sister, Hallie, who knows how to charm her way out of a difficult situation, are intent on spending Christmas with their parents, Michael and Catherine, and grandmother Lillian. As they embark on their adventure, almost nothing goes exactly as they planned. Complicating things is a smarmy businessman named Tony Boer, who has taken an interest in Catherine. Meanwhile, Ethan is preoccupied with not only Michael and Catherine's romantic dilemma, but also his own, which brought about by his new friendship with Stephanie, his first teenage crush. What evolves is an elaborate scheme involving mice, telephone calls, and an ice cream truck as Ethan and Hallie try to achieve their goal with Stephanie's help. Their primary obstacle is Tony. They finally succeed with a little Christmas magic from Santa Claus. —"Benjamin" <s4806615@np.ac.sg>

A law student comes to California for the summer and ends up playing professional volleyball. Midwestern law student comes to California for summer work. Instead, hangs out at the beach and chases waitresses. Meets up with a washed-up King of the Beach, and the rookie wins the biggest tournament of the year in only his second tournament. —Todd Christensen <todd.christensen@atlantaga.ncr.com>

Four Buckman siblings attempt to raise their children - each in their own different style - and deal with the joys and sorrows that the process brings.