Relates the misadventures of Marigold, who does not agree with anyone, as she shops with her mother for a coat, becomes interested in a new hobby, finds a way to "bug" her best friend, Maxine, and imaginatively copes with finding the right outfit for the first day of school.
Although she really would have liked a jump rope for her birthday, Yoon is happy to receive a Korean picture book and a jade bracelet passed down from her grandmother; and when she wears the bracelet to school it seems as if her wish for a jump rope and a friend is about to come true.
Afraid that she is crazy, thirteen-year-old Mia, who sees a special color with every letter, number, and sound, keeps this a secret until she becomes overwhelmed by school, changing relationships, and the death of her beloved cat, Mango.
When her mother plans to move to Australia with her new husband and baby, Floss must decide whether her loyalties lie with her mother or her father, while at the same time, her best friend begins to make fun of her and reject her.
Sister Bear and her new friend Miranda get into trouble with the neighbors, making Mama Bear think Miranda is a bad influence, but Sister Bear tries to convince Mama it was just as much her fault as Miranda's.
Best friends Raymond and Graham have looked forward to being the oldest and toughest boys at East Millcreek Elementary School; but everything goes wrong, including the scary teacher.
In 1940, thirteen-year-old Tommy's routine of school, playing stickball in his Bronx, New York, neighborhood, talking with his friend Beth, and listening to Dodgers games on the radio changes as his mother's illness and his increasing awareness of the war in Europe transform his world.
