Frederick Douglass Elementary is a brand-new school, and the school feels just as nervous on its first day as the rest of the children do. During the day, the school meets lots of new kids, teachers, and a kind janitor who helps the school stay clean and happy.

Mirha questions her name after her classmates continually pronounce it wrong on the first day of school so her mother helps her to learn the significance of her name and to be proud of it.

"Viv never looks forward to picture day. Her mom always makes her wear a boring braid, and no one at school notices her--aside from her two best friends, Milo and Al, of course. But enough is enough. This year, Viv is taking matters into her own hands. Literally. Enter: a pair of scissors. And, well, a new hairstyle. Just in time for photos! Suddenly Viv is an overnight trendsetter at Brinkley Middle School. Everyone wants her help planning their...

Other students laugh when Rigoberto, an immigrant from Venezuela, introduces himself but later, he meets Angelina and discovers that he is not the only one who feels like an outsider.

When Rafe is invited to attend an all-expenses paid art field trip in California, he jumps at the opportunity, but things go sideways, as they always do for Rafe, after he realizes he'll be participating in a "Cultural Campout" in the desert and a series of unfortunate events follow, including an encounter with a cranky crocodile, a claustrophobic trip into an ancient cave, and a plot to smuggle a legendary missing diamond.

Fly Guy visits the school cafeteria and gets the lunch lady fired.

A follow-up to the Newbery Medal-winning Merci Suárez Changes Gears finds Merci embarking on a seventh grade year shaped by high teacher expectations, a crush on a school-store co-worker, and a bossy classmate's plan for the annual Heart Ball.

"Bree can't wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees--until she's stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she's forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help"-- Front jacket...

"In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling's residents. Even those...

It's hatching season and Jemison Elementary is buzzing about the arrival of the baby chicks. Fifth-grader Jillian must learn to speak and break free of her shell to enter her school's competition and keep her promise to her grandmother.