Though she is excited about graduating from middle school, Amelia is sad that her best friend Carly won't be joining her in high school, so she reminisces about her earlier years and notebooks.
This can’t be good! Suddenly Suze’s mom wants back into her life, and her teacher wants her to “try harder”?! As if middle school wasn’t hard enough, Suze Tamaki's life gets turned upside down when her mother reappears after a ten-year absence. Once Suze gets over her shock, she thinks it might be cool to get to know her mom. But her older sister Tracie is determined not to let her back into their lives. At school things aren’t much better. One of her teachers decides the way to cure Suze’s lack of motivation is to move her into Honors English – a development Suze finds both inspiring and distressing. When she's paired with straight-A student Amanda on an English assignment, she finds herself caring about people’s expectations like she’s never done before.
When Amelia’s mom gives her a journal for her birthday, she finally has a place to share her truest feelings at last! Nine-year-old Amelia’s mother gives her a blank notebook to write down her thoughts and tells her it will make her feel better. Why would a dumb notebook make me feel better, Amelia thinks. The only thing that will make Amelia feel better is going back to old house, her old school, and her old friends. Amelia does not—do you hear this!—want to move. But no one is listening to Amelia.
"In this sequel to FIRST DAY JITTERS, Sarah Jane Hartwell has gotten up her courage and has gone to teach school. And as every first year teacher knows, a classroom full of second graders can be alarmingly unpredictable. The key to eventual success is the classroom post office Sarah Jane establishes. The letters the children write to Mrs. Hartwell are sympathetic ("I figured you might be a little scared, just like me"); informative (" ost kids don't eat cauliflower"); encouraging ("Yesterday was THE BEST!"); and apologetic ("I'm sorry about throwing up all over your shoes"). Even the custodian and the principal write to Sarah Jane. Teachers and children alike will identify with Mrs. Hartwell as she navigates her first year. And many classes will be inspired to write letters about their own experiences."
It's the first day of middle school. Amy Price knows that's the most important day for making an impression on people. With her stutter, Amy has a hard time making friends. She has one dream, to be the class president. If only people could see her as a leader. Amy might be stuck sitting alone at lunch the first day. That is, until she find the Weirdo Table. They are all very different, but Amy finds a friendship in this unlikely place, and perhaps, the courage to launch her presidential campaign.
Addison Addley hates math. He hates public speaking too. Actually, he hates anything that involves work, but he only has a couple of weeks to write and memorize his grade five speech. The problem is, he can't think of a single topic. When he finally comes up with an excellent idea for a speech, it almost writes itself, but it's his poor math skills that make speech day unforgettable.
On the 2014 CLA Book of the Year for Children Award shortlist New middle-grade fiction from the award-winning author of The Glory Wind Adam's summer is off to a disappointing start. His so-called "best friend" has bailed on him, choosing to stay behind to care for a sick dog, instead of joining Adam and his family at the seaside campground as planned. Adam is furious with Billy for abandoning him, impatient with his mother for her artistic obsessions, and embarrassed by his dad's lame attempts at being funny. At least an ever-changing cast of new summer friends proves to be an entertaining distraction: Joey, the shoe-thief with the cute sister; the mischievous Linden twins; enigmatic Nevin; and Ethan, the adventurer. But it is Theo, the blind gentleman up on the hill, with his magical stories of driftwood, who helps Adam to see the true nature of friendship -- and forgiveness.