When boring Mr. Loring retires, A.J.'s class gets a new music teacher who raps, break-dances, and thinks he has what it takes to become a famous musician.
A.J. and his classmates are convinced that the new school librarian, Mrs. Roopy, has multiple personality disorder because she keeps pretending to be famous people.
The new lunch lady at Ella Mentry School, Ms. LaGrange, writes secret messages in the mashed potatoes and tries her best to get A.J. and the other students to eat healthy foods.
Determined to win a trophy of some kind, first-grader Roscoe swaps a hand-knitted sweater from his grandmother for the chance to enter his new neighbor's very clever dog in a trick contest.
Mr. Docker, a new science teacher, is a crazy inventor who blows things up, uses potatoes for power, and has A.J. and his friends wondering whether science is for nerds or is the coolest subject ever.
When first-grader Roscoe discovers that his stuffed pig is missing from his backpack, he accuses the class bully of "pig-napping" and gets even by taking the bully's teddy bear.
When the first-graders' bee antennae would not stay on their heads and the drummers would not stay in their seats for the open house play, Roscoe decides to help by using the "don't-you-dare" glue.