Although Amy encourages the attentions of Robert, a well-to-do classmate, she must face her true feelings when he surprises her with an expensive gift.
By becoming the subject of her mother's experiment for a class in behavior modification, Cass learns how to keep a secret. Then she learns a secret that traps her in a no-win situation between two friends.
Reesa's delight in winning the junior high school essay contest vanishes as soon as she learns she is expected to read her essay to an audience of 500 people.
Laurie's letters to her divorced father chronicle her year in the sixth grade and her efforts to enter her school's program for the gifted and talented.