Josie, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a French Quarter prostitute, is striving to escape 1950 New Orleans and enroll at prestigious Smith College when she becomes entangled in a murder investigation.

When Samantha, the seventeen-year-old daugher of a wealthy, perfectionistic, Republican state senator, falls in love with the boy next door, whose family is large, boisterous, and just making ends meet, she discovers a different way to live, but when her mother is involved in a hit-and-run accident Sam must make some difficult choices.

After his quick-tempered father gets in a fight and is sent back to jail, sixth-grader Bryan, known for being quiet and thoughtful, snaps and follows new friend Mike into trouble.

"Bernice Buttman is tired of being labeled a 'bully,' so when her mom leaves her with her aunt, who is a nun, Bernice decides to mend her ways and become a model citizen"--

Having to take her younger sister along the first time she is invited to a birthday party spoils Rubina's fun, and later when that sister is asked to a party and baby sister wants to come, Rubina must decide whether to help.

Seventeen-year-old Max, his girlfriend Parvati, and best friend Pres form Liars, Inc., expecting that forging notes and lying for their peers will lead to easy cash, but when Pres asks Max to cover for him, it may be a fatal mistake.

Living in the family car in their small North Carolina town after their father leaves them virtually penniless, Georgina, desperate to improve their situation and unwilling to accept her overworked mother's calls for patience, persuades her younger brother to help her in an elaborate scheme to get money by stealing a dog and then claiming the reward that the owners are bound to offer.

Joe, a young boy trying to play pirates at the playground, keeps getting interrupted with questions about what happened to his leg, and gets more and more fed up until the kids finally understand they don't need to know what happened.

This story about modern life and connection with others, including an adrift member of Gen Z and a feisty parrot named Eureka, reveals what happens when strangers are willing to open their hearts to each other and how far even small acts of kindness can offer healing and hope.

Dan and his friends, Sophie and the Georges, are bullies who target obsessive-compulsive Alex, but when Dan is in trouble, Alex is the one who conquers his fears to show up.