Memoir
— A visit to a family's longtime East Los Angeles bakery triggers memories spanning generations, from the writer's great-grandfather to present-day holiday gatherings.
— At a national dance competition, a girl remembers her grandmother's sacrificed dream and her team's journey from regional defeat to championship victory.
— A child reading in a blanket fort is frightened by strange noises at night, tears damaging their library book before discovering it's just the wind.
— A 10-year-old recounts the day she had to put down Cody, her elderly pet rat, six months after losing his brother Spencer.
— A 13-year-old visits an indigenous village in Ecuador's jungle and confronts the stark contrasts between their sustainable lifestyle and American consumption.
— A family camping trip to Yellowstone becomes a magical adventure as siblings explore forests, witness the Grand Prismatic Spring, and create their own riverside kingdom.
— A boy recounts his journey through bullying and unsupportive schools in second grade to finding real friends and better teachers by fifth grade.
— After returning from Chile, a first-grader struggles with English reading until determination and practice transform her from level B to level Q, the highest in her class.
— A girl's excitement about becoming a big sister turns to grief when her mother miscarries, teaching her about loss and the fragility of hope.
— A 12-year-old defends her two-dad family through memories of ballet recitals, newspaper rituals, and playground confrontations, asserting that both men are her 'actual dads.'