Claudia Mills

Seventh-grader Alex Ryan enjoys attracting attention, though he never seems to impress his father, but when his antics cause problems with his would-be girlfriend on a school outing, he has second thoughts about his actions.

Gus must visit the hospital when his beloved Grandpa has a heart attack.

Having baked six dozen Christmas cookies for themselves and been given many more by the neighbors, Gus and Grandpa find a rewarding solution to disposing of their extra holiday treats.

Lizzie, who has always been considered a nerd by the other kids, begins the seventh grade determined to change her image so that she can blend in better with the popular crowd.

Twelve-year-old Julius has his hands full over the summer when his mother attempts to improve his grades and teach him responsibility by signing him up for a French class and getting him a job babysitting.

Twelve-year-old Maggie comes to dread biology class because her favorite teacher is insisting that she dissect a worm, an assignment that makes her feel very squeamish and awakens her to the question of animal rights.

Although he knows that his efforts to impress a beautiful student teacher and outdo his perfect older brother jeopardize his status in the losers' club that he and his best friend have started, twelve-year-old Ethan realizes that he no longer wants to be a loser.

Gus and Grandpa have a loving, warm relationship.

As she tries to cope with her thoughts about death by writing poems and talking with her elderly friend, Mrs. Briscoe, Dinah Seabrook wonders about the importance of the seventh-grade elections, the school play, and even her relationship with Nick Tribble.

Dynamite Dinah finds her feelings about sixth-grade classmate Nick Tribble changing when they share involvement in a school play, a debate, and a sock hop.

Dinah Seabrooke, now in her first year of middle school, struggles to become a big fish in what seems like an ocean--and in the process discovers the value of recycling and of friendship with the elderly.

Quiet, introspective Hannah Keddie is surprised when she is befriended by the other new girl at school, popular Caitie Crystal.

Mischievous Dinah struggles to remain the center of attention when her baby brother comes home from the hospital and her best friend gets a lead role in the class play.

Karla's preoccupation with death and her brother's concern over being a loser threaten to ruin their summer in Maine.

A visit to her cousin Amy-Claire helps five-year-old Rachel discover the joys of being a big sister.

Twelve-year-old Autumn loves to write. She finds inspiration all around her, especially in Cameron, the dreamy boy in her journalism class who she has a major crush on. Then her older brother, Hunter, who used to watch out for her but has grown distant since he started high school, reads one of her poems about Cameron to Cameron's older brother. They make fun of it and she is devastated. Determined to show her brother how talented she really is, Autumn decides that she is going to become a published author - now! She writes an essay about her changing relationship with her brother, enters it in a contest, and wins, and her dream of publication is within reach. But if her essay is published, everyone will know her family's secrets. Is being published worth hurting those you love?

"Cody Harmon loves animals--he even has nine pets--so when the school holds a pet show fundraiser, it should be his time to shine"--

Seventh-grade honor student Sierra Shepard faces expulsion after accidentally bringing a paring knife to school, violating the school's zero-tolerance policy.

Third-grader Wilson struggles with his times-tables in order to beat the class deadline.

Not even her brother's teasing can spoil Phoebe's excitement about being a Peewee Majorette in the Fourth of July parade.