Williams, Karen Lynn

Julie, a middle child, feels overwhelmed by problems with her schoolwork, her teenage sister's moodiness, and her father's recent heart attack, all of which make her feel dumb and useless.

Twelve-year-old Megan's efforts to provide a real Christmas for her Down Syndrome brother and the rest of the family cause problems with her best friend and some other schoolmates.

Walking through his village, a young African boy finds the materials to make a special toy.

Two ten-year-old refugee girls each get one sandal of a matching pair. They solve the problem of four feet and two sandals.

Sangoel, who is proud of his rich African heritage, moves to America, and when nobody there can pronounce his name correctly, he fears he will lose his identity.

Beatrice, a thirteen-year-old orphan who lives with her older brother in Kibera, a slum in Nairobi, Kenya, describes her life at home and at school, including the daily walk, the overcrowded classrooms, housework, and her hope of becoming a nurse.

When his best friend Robbie starts acting strange and hanging around older boys, ten-year-old Jeremy spends more and more time next door with old Mr. Applebaum, whose ability to fix anything has filled his garage and yard with amazing junk.

Walking through his village, a young African boy finds the materials to make a special toy.

Relates the experiences first-grader Joey King has at school: making friends, learning to read, and dealing with the class bully.

At the end of the third grade, Daniel finds his summer butterfly project threatened by his bratty little brother and his friends' obsession with baseball.