Manor Park Estates, a highly sought-after neighborhood in Santa Barbara, California, is where these four friends lived and where this story began.

A secluded beach community for the wealthy, but it had an unfortunate downside: It was an environment where many of the resident kids were afforded more latitude than was recommended, as we'll soon find out.

An only-child, Ollie was born in Cornwall, England. He and his family moved to America when he was 4. He is the heart and soul of the group, the one they all turn to for leadership, that is, when he's not off somewhere on one of his solo skateboard runs.

Matthew Fassi, known to his friends as "Tags," was born in Tangier, Morrocco, to an American mother and Moroccan father. They, along with his little brother, Benji (6), moved to America when Tags was 5. To all, he is the quiet, soulful one who tends to collect and carry the weight of the world until someone forces him to unburden himself.

Savvy, the youngest of the four at a stunning 7.5 years old, was born in Hawaii. She has an older brother, Giles (14), who unknowingly provides her with a vocabulary far greater than her age suggests. She is, surprisingly, the protector of the group, and as Bishop often says about her, "She's spicy."

And of Bishop, he, like Ollie, is an only-child. Born in Ireland, his parents debated for some time whether or not to try to have more kids following an unfortunate incident, but with the passage of time, agreed that they simply didn't have it in them to risk another one like him. Bishop is a handful. Setting aside the fact that he falls down a lot and at the oddest moments, he is the lighthearted, fun, joyful mood in this foursome. Oh, and he's never met a flavor of ice cream that he didn't like.

Of all things, a hot air balloon festival kicked things off. Early one Saturday morning, Tags and his uncle sat half way up the side of a hill in the neighborhood to watch the balloons float by overhead. They had a picnic basket filled with all sorts of goodies, and a blanket to enjoy from their perch.

The colors of the balloons were so powerful that they inspired Tags to begin what eventually turned into a passion: creating with colors. He picked up graffiti art. Savvy's dad recognized his talent and made a special gift that unintentionally turned their lives upside down. A pair of crayons. Who knew?

Book One is the big reveal for each character: their personalities, manner, and so on. It also serves as a jumping-off-point for something that led to complete mayhem, that is to say, mayhem in the minds of 8-year-olds. Brace yourselves!

Book Two is the surfacing of the unexpected. It's the one thing you won't see coming...the thing that defies one's imagination.

Book Three is about a tested friendship and imagination: How four kids came together to solve a problem that seemingly was well beyond their level of maturity.