Vicky is thrilled to be on the eighth-grade tennis team, until she realizes that her new playing partner Brenda is ruthless about winning and will even cheat to do so.
While thirteen-year-old Suki tries to conquer her fears with the help of her friend, she meets other people who have far more serious obstacles to overcome than she does.
Having grown to accept and love her stepfather Ben, twelve-year-old Rachel is dismayed when his spoiled daughter joins the family in their beach vacation.
Tired of the strict rules and annoying children at her father and stepmother's house, twelve-year-old Tess walks across Tucson to her mother's condo, stopping for the night at a state park where she is adopted by a very special cat.
When fourteen-year-old Kelly is sent off to Florida after her mother's nervous breakdown to stay with her rigid grandparents, she learns the meaning of love and support.
Shy thirteen-year-old Shari, abused at home by a mother who resents her, is befriended by a neighbor who shares her love of birds and the out-of-doors.
