A stray kitten turns out to be the perfect way to help Rana make friends in her new school and to feel more comfortable with her grandparents, who are visiting from India while her parents are away.
Jenny is discouraged when her second grade pen pal turns out to be a new student from Saudi Arabia who does not speak English very well, but as she works with her they slowly become friends.
Jenny writes an editorial for her fourth-grade classroom newspaper urging that her beloved cat, Munchkin, become the official school cat, despite his mischievous behavior before and during a Valentine's Day pet party.