Loughead, Deb

"Aline hides under the hay when her father takes her to school in their horse-drawn sled. She's embarrassed that her mother raises chickens in their yard, and doesn't want her school friends to find out that their family has taken in boarders for the extra money. When she learns that her sworn enemy, Jeanine, can buy chewing gum, Aline is furious at the unfairness. She knows that Jeanine's family is even poorer than her own. When Aline's mother can't spare any money for a charity drive at school, Aline decides to steal a coin from her purse. She quickly feels terrible. But how can she confess? Aline comes to realize that life is more complicated than she thought. A ten-cent coin can cost you more in unhappiness than you ever imagined, a sworn enemy can become a friend, and the hard times make the bright and shining moments glow even brighter"--Provided by publisher.

Fourteen-year-old Daisy Howson is a take-charge kind of girl, maybe even something of a control freak. She means well; she just wants everything to run smoothly, especially on her relay team. But when someone tries to sabotage the boys' relay team, Daisy suspects her own team may be involved. Can she sort it all out and fix everything before the city championship meet?.

Dylan struggles to keep his secret after he is mistakenly praised as a hero when he, alone, goes to check on the driver of the car he and his friends threw rock-filled snowballs at, discovering that a single lie can lead to many and fearing the truth will become known.

". . . Dylan tries to find the source of a series of mysterious fires"--Title page verso.

Claire's life takes a dramatic turn and suddenly she has everything she thought she wanted; but soon Claire begins to worry that the cost of her success may be too high.

Having a tough time adjusting to the increasing competition on her track team and challenging friendships, Maddy soon discovers that a friend is being bullied and another team member has been robbed, two events she believes are connected.

Dylan struggles to keep his secret after he is mistakenly praised as a hero when he, alone, goes to check on the driver of the car he and his friends threw rock-filled snowballs at, discovering that a single lie can lead to many and fearing the truth will become known.

"Being in a band is Stelle's escape from her mother's depression and the chaotic clutter at home. Although she is able to lose herself playing drums in the basement of her dad's new house, once she leaves, it's like the world is going crazy. One bandmate's parents refuse to acknowledge that he is gay. Her band's only potential lead singer dresses like a vampire. Even her best friend with the 'perfect family' is on edge. It's the confused conversations Stelle has with her grandmother that hold the key to unlocking the unhappiness at the heart of her family"--Back cover.

"In this high-interest novel for middle readers, Dylan witnesses a crime but is worried about speaking up"--Provided by publisher.