Even though he lacks the confidence of his older sister Latrice, third-grader Ron makes himself enter the Kwanzaa contest in which he reveals the talent of his hands.
Winston and his friends enter an all-day puzzle contest to win fifty-thousand dollars for their school, but they must also figure out who is trying to keep them from winning. Puzzles for the reader to solve are included throughout the text.
Frank and Joe Hardy plan to compete in the local arcade tournament, agreeing the winner will get to move into the cool new room built by their dad, and when money goes missing from the competition, they work together to solve the mystery.
Leyton and Wade Tardy gear up to go head-to-head against Fibby Mandible and Barton Slugg in the annual Halloween King of Candy contest, but find themselves with a bigger program on their hands when fearsome aliens land in their neighborhood.
The friendship between TJ and Seymour is put to the test when they are asked to join their school's Quiz Kids team and suddenly find themselves competing against each other.
