Sally Warner (www.sallywarner.com) has published more than twenty novels for young readers, including the Emma and EllRay Jakes series. She lives in Altadena, California with her husband and their not-so-miniature dachshund, Rocky.

Emma is already upset when her mother cancels their traditional Friday night dinner-and-ice-cream plans, but it's even worse when she finds out why: Her mom has a date! Emma's best friend, Annie Pat, thinks it's so romantic, but Emma knows better. Fortunately, she has a plan to keep her mom all to herself. But when Emma's plan backfires, she starts to realize that maybe sharing her mother with other people has its advantages.