Stories
— An outcast seventh-grader's wish on a shooting star leads to unexpected friendship when he's paired with the school's intimidating new girl for a biology project.
— A nerdy seventh-grader wishes on a shooting star to be popular, and when a tough new girl arrives at school, his life unexpectedly changes through their forced partnership.
— A young thief steals a sacred necklace to pay for his father's doctor, but when an innocent girl faces execution for his crime, he must choose between saving her life...
— A volunteer firefighter rescues a boy from a burning house, reliving memories of being saved from a fire by his sister years earlier.
— When her best friend Aisha's brother is jailed and the family must flee to Singapore, Melly struggles to support her friend through crisis and impending separation.
— A boy discovers his natural rock-climbing talent during a family vacation, then faces his first real test when his sister's life hangs in the balance on a Greek cliff.
— A girl narrates her family's early morning departure from North Carolina to Texas, struggling to accept leaving the only home she's ever known.
— A girl receives a mysterious package containing both an elf hat that once excluded her and her childhood Hanukkah hat, forcing her to reconsider identity and belonging.
— A father's harsh parenting drives his son away, and only as the son lies dying from an attack in India do they finally exchange the words 'good night' they never...
— A farm family loses their home to bank foreclosure and moves to a West Virginia coal mining town, where they find hope in staying together despite the difficult changes.