Claudia Mills

While trying to decide on a science fair project, third-grader Wilson struggles with with fractions and, much to his embarrassment, his parents sign him up to work with a math tutor.

Twelve-year-old Maggie comes to dread biology class because her favorite teacher is insisting that she dissect a worm, an assignment that makes her feel very squeamish and awakens her to the question of animal rights.

When he is assigned Teddy Roosevelt as his biography project in school, fourth-grader Riley finds himself inspired by Roosevelt's tenacity and perseverance and resolves to find a way to get what he most wants--a saxophone and music lessons.

Seventh-grader Alex Ryan enjoys attracting attention, though he never seems to impress his father, but when his antics cause problems with his would-be girlfriend on a school outing, he has second thoughts about his actions.

When their mother's behavior changes and she starts to neglect her children, seventh-grader Cooper and his little sister take refuge in Inchland, an imaginary country inspired by deeds to one square inch of land that their grandfather gave them.

Although he knows that his efforts to impress a beautiful student teacher and outdo his perfect older brother jeopardize his status in the losers' club that he and his best friend have started, twelve-year-old Ethan realizes that he no longer wants to be a loser.

Nine-year-old Chelsea's experiences, which include a fight with her best friend, making mistakes in the handbell concert, and saying goodbye to the only church minister she has ever known, help her to accept that things change and that people, including herself, are not perfect.

Annika hopes to change her best friends' hatred of math by winning a Sudoku contest, but she does not realize how important their lack of mathematical ability is until they make a mistake at the school carnival.

Nixie and Grace have been best and only friends since preschool, but now Nixie must attend an after-school cooking camp while Grace spends her afternoons with classmate Elyse.

Boogie Bass feels his best friend, Nolan, is better than he at everything, even caring for Boogie's little brothers, but an after-school camp reveals Boogie's talent at communicating using American Sign Language. Includes facts about ASL.