After his father seems to disappear, a boy takes a cake to his ill grandmother, traveling through the forest in a journey reminiscent of the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
After moving, eight-year-old Mallory struggles with being new at school, especially because her mother is now the music teacher and director of the third grade play.
Clara's grumpiness leads her mother to take her to a neighbor who is a curandera, or healer, and although she is puzzled by her solution, Clara dutifully helps her neighbors, is kind to her siblings, and reads more books for a week.
Having ignored his mother's warnings about what will happen if he doesn't bathe after working on his family's New Mexican farm, Carlos awakens one morning to find a squash growing out of his ear.