Shares the interactions of the rule-following Chick and the absent-minded Brain, whose friendship is tested by miscommunications and misunderstandings about good manners.

Faced with the difficulties of growing up and choosing a religion, eleven- going on twelve-year-old Margaret talks over her problems with her own private God.

"Six young magicians and illusionists team up to save their small town from a crooked carnival owner and his goons"--

Thirteen-year-old Nina is imprisoned by the Population Police, who give her the option of helping them identify illegal "third-born" children, or facing death.

"When fifteen-year-old Cuban American Mariana Ruiz's father runs for president, Mari starts to see him with new eyes. A novel about waking up and standing up, and what happens when you stop seeing your dad as your hero-while the whole country is watching"--

Squirrel cannot think of a New Year's resolution until she realizes that by helping her friends, she has made one after all.

"After an attempt is made on her life, Mariko disguises herself as a boy and infiltrates a gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, determined to hunt down the person responsible"--

"George 'Suds' Morton competes with his third-grade classmates to earn the first 'halo' of the year for good behavior, but being good turns out to be more stressful than he anticipated"--

Dyamonde is angry at her mother for not buying her the shoes she wants, but when she finds out that a classmate is in a worse situation, she is determined to help.

Clarice Bean, aspiring actress and author, unsuccessfully tries to avoid getting into trouble as she attempts to help a friend in need by following the rules of the fictional, "exceptionordinarily" spy, Ruby Redfort.