Told in alternating voices, the teacher and students in room 117 find their lives changed over the course of a school year.

Sixth-grader Carter must adjust to the unwelcome presence of a know-it-all butler who is determined to help him become a gentleman, and also to deal with burdens from the past.

Twelve-year-old Rahul Kapoor, an Indian-American boy growing up in small-town Indiana, struggles to come to terms with his identity, including that he may be gay.

Middle-school drama queen Nikki Maxwell worries about asking a boy to her school's "sweetheart dance."

Nikki's diary describes a frightful Halloween, on which she helps with her sister's ballet class party at the same time she is Brandon's date for their middle school Halloween dance, where she has promised to spend the evening with her two best friends.

Merci Suárez begins the sixth grade and knows things will change, but she did not count on her grandfather acting strangely, not fitting in at her private school, and dealing with Edna Santos' jealousy

Eleven-year-old Maggie Mayfield is an A-plus student with big plans for herself, but at this moment she is also facing a lot of problems--like starting middle school and figuring out how to help her father who is out of work and in a wheelchair.

Everyone knows how much brainy Bri likes the spotlight (not). So why did she ever agree to something that forces her to learn a new language, give a speech, help organize a party, and juggle drama at school and home?! As the big event inches closer, Bri wonders if it's all worth it. . . .Told in alternating past and present chapters, Bri's heartwarming story unfolds over the eight months leading up to her bat mitzvah--as well as over the course of...

"Nate Wright is born to be wild! And when Enslave the Mollusk is invited to play at the P.S. 38 annual open house, he and his bandmates are on the stairway to heaven. While the kids rock, the school year rolls on. Mrs. Godfrey is back in black, Gina thinks she's hot stuff, and Coach John is dazed and confused. The good news: Nate's finally reunited with Trudy, his summer crush. But when he finds out she's a-gulp-seventh grader, will Nate lose that...

Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends. They participate in the same clubs, enjoy the same foods, and are partners on all their school projects. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran -- a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in fashionable outfits that set her apart from Maureen. A girl who seems happy to share only two classes with her sister! Maureen and Francine are...