Fifteen-year-old Muncie Bolt thinks he's lost Hem Lion's friendship forever when his father prosecutes Hem's father for operating a still in Liberty, Vermont during the days of prohibition.
Blaming The Bad Luck for not being anyone's Favorite, fourth-grader Penelope Crumb hopes to change this situation by becoming the lead artist for the mural her class is painting for the residents of Potwaller's Blessed Home for the Aging.
Eight-year-olds Sydney (girl) and Sidney (boy) are neighbors, classmates, and usually friends, so working together on the school play should not be too difficult.
It is the first day of third grade and sassy Sydney and the new boy Sidney are not only neighbors, they are in the same class, so mix-ups are inevitable--but they soon find they share some common interests, including a love for Halloween.
During a fourth-grade field trip to Portwaller History Museum, Penelope fears that she is losing her best friend, Patsy Cline Roberta Watson, and decides to start her own secret museum so that she will never forget anyone important to her.