Fourteen-year-old Nikki Maxwell writes in her diary of her struggle to be popular at her exclusive new private school, then of finding her place after she gives up on being part of the elite group.

Mischievous mutt Junior explores the mysteries of the holiday season, from strange visitors named "Carol" that howl at the door to shiny trees that sprout inside his kennel, while trying to hide what he did to his family's "Fangsgiving" turkey.

Eva wants to be friends with Hailey, the new owl in her class, but when Hailey seems to prefer Lucy's company, Eva starts to feel left out, and even a little jealous of her best friend.

A skill-building reader starring Worm finds him taking a turn caring for a class pet gnat that accidentally escapes from its tank.

Eva offers to babysit for little brother Baby Mo so her parents can go sky-dancing competition, and she enlists a couple of her friends to help--unfortunately Mo proves to be a handful, eating too much candy, making a big mess, and throwing a tantrum, and she and her friends have to clean up fast before her parents get home.

Shy twelve-year-old Nisha, forced to flee her home with her Hindu family during the 1947 partition of India, tries to find her voice and make sense of the world falling apart around her by writing to her deceased Muslim mother in the pages of her diary.