vivid characters
— A new student struggles with bullying on the soccer field until a classmate teaches him moves that help him make the team and find acceptance.
— After her parents die, Clara lives with her strict Aunt Helga until the arrival of the Hayward siblings brings friendship and the possibility of romance.
— A Chinese-American girl struggles with her identity after moving from San Francisco to Boston, finding strength in her grandfather's wisdom about heritage and belonging.
— Two sisters visiting India reluctantly ride a rickety Ferris wheel at a deserted amusement park, transforming boredom into terror then exhilaration as they rock the unsafe cart.
— Kate struggles with jealousy when her friend Madison excels at everything, leading to a painful confrontation and eventual reconciliation about their differences.
— A boy who can speak to animals flees with his wolf-dog when a monster called an Alarcon hunts him for his powers, ultimately escaping when a condor saves them from...
— In drought-stricken Africa, a girl's beloved zebra friend is sacrificed to save her dying mother, then the rains finally come.
— A shy girl befriends the barefoot new student who claims to be a princess, then betrays her under peer pressure, only to discover the true meaning of friendship after Irah...
— A boy promises his injured grandfather he'll win the 400-meter dash, the same race that ended his grandfather's track career decades earlier.
— A lonely girl who plays harp privately joins a youth symphony at her mother's urging and meets a potential friend who offers to help her.