Second grader Woody is having trouble with Miss Plunkett, the new student teacher who doesn't like his show-and-tell, and with Ethan, the kid who lives across the street.
Third grade best friends Owen and Joseph struggle to come up with a great science fair project that they will both enjoy doing, then something goes wrong and they have to change their plans two days before the fair.
Posey's fear of starting first grade is alleviated when her teacher invites the students to wear their most comfortable clothes to school on the first day.
Young Betsy Ross is upset when her brother tells her that she cannot make furniture because she is a girl, but her mother teaches her that she can still do important things.
As eleven-year-old Margaret struggles to find a way of coping with the hassles of a new stepfamily, she learns that her Gran is facing similar concerns after moving to a retirement community and becoming a widow.
Second grader Owen Foote is looking forward to spending time with his friend Joseph in their tree fort, until some bullies visiting his neighbor, Mrs. Gold, threaten to wreck the fort.