Eleven-year-old Leo Cross prefers the quiet company of river stones to people—but when a talking gecko demands his help, Leo's safe, invisible life is shattered forever. Leo has always been the kid who blends into the background. While his classmates chase grades and popularity, he retreats into his oversized hoodie, observing the world with a silence that others mistake for weakness. He doesn't want adventure. He just wants to be left alone. But the lizard he finds in the library basement isn't just a reptile. He's the town's missing mascot, he has an attitude, and he's hiding a secret that Dr. Aris Thorne—a disgraced scientist turned bitter science teacher—would destroy the town to uncover. Suddenly, Leo is thrust into a conspiracy involving a hollow earth ecosystem and a predator who wears a lab coat. With his chaotic best friend Maria wielding a screwdriver and his skepticism-armed rival Sandy threatening to expose them, Leo must do the one thing he fears most: stand out. Can a boy who's spent his life hiding in the shadows step into the light to save a friend who doesn't belong in this world? Or will Thorne's cold obsession turn them all into specimens? " The Secret Gecko of Hollow River" is a heartwarming middle-grade cozy mystery about finding your voice, the magic of nature, and the courage it takes to protect the small things.