As she continues to establish rules for navigating middle school, aspiring author Callie writes for the school newspaper until the principal cancels her article and Callie's quest to have her voice heard leads to a series of unexpected consequences.
Second-grader Hailey's frustration over a school project releases Maybelle, a sprite whose punishment for being a rulemonger will end when she grants Hailey's wish to have fun, but Maybelle's efforts only seem to cause trouble.
Guided by her rules, nine-year-old Allie works to get past being just the new girl at school, eagerly awaits the arrival of her kitten, and faces turmoil when her grandmother visits while the family is still settling into their new home.
When Pinkalicious brings her imaginary unicorn, Goldie, to school and teaches him the rules, he helps her and the other students to become better friends.
Allie is excited about her class field trip to an old schoolhouse until she gets the news that everyone is going to be assigned a buddy from her former school, and her buddy just happens to be her ex-best friend.
Duncan does not understand such things as why dessert must be eaten last or why people should share, and on his mischievous days, like one particular birthday, he has a hard time paying attention to rules.
Thirteen-year-old Samantha faces some stiff competition when a new friend is interested in the same boy Samantha has a crush on, and another girl starts an internet version of her business of passing secrets, unread, from one classmate to another.
Allie's theatrical hopes are crushed when, instead of being cast as the princess, she is given the role of the evil queen in the fourth-grade class play.
