With his family still grieving over his sister's death in a terrorist bombing seven years earlier, twelve-year-old Jamie is far more interested in his cat, Roger, his birthday Spiderman T-shirt, and keeping his new Muslim friend Sunya a secret from his father.

Laura tells an old woman of her wish that her parents were back together again, without realizing that she is speaking to a real witch.

In 1902 fifteen-year-old Rose travels from Ireland to join family members in Chicago, where she must use all her resources to deal with her father's drinking and her brothers' dangerous involvement in politics.

"More than anything, ten-year-old Weezie wants to please her momma. She babysits her spoiled half-sister, Ruth Ann, and little Jackson. She makes tea for Momma in Gramma Emmeline's beautiful teapot. She even tries to cook dinner. But nothing turns out quite right. And Momma is never pleased. Hard times and a daddy who ran off before she was born seem to have stolen all of Momma's love. If only Weezie could find her daddy, she's sure her life would...

When his parents yell, Quinn escapes in his Quiet Ship but one day, the ship is broken and he must find a way to stop the fighting.

A sad and silent nine-year-old boy finds his voice when he moves next to a family that rescues dogs.

"Fourth grader Wren Jo Byrd questions lots of things--both little and big--when her parents decide to get a divorce, and learns a lot about the true meaning of family, home, and friendship"--

During a rough year in which she was placed in the care of her prickly grandfather after her father suffered a stroke, Rosie embarks on a search for her missing dog after he's given away by her estranged mother.

Wheaton, Kansas seventh-grader Tucker MacBean loves comic books, so when his favorite comic has a contest to create a sidekick, he is hopeful that he can win, thereby fixing his struggling family.

After surviving sixth grade, Rafe expects seventh grade to be a fun zone because he's been accepted to art school in the big city, but when he discovers it's more competitive than he expected, he sets out to turn his boring life into the inspiration for a work of art.