Planning to make a special gift for Mother's Day during art time at school, Gus the little rhinoceros is frustrated when things do not go as planned, causing him to worry that his mother will not like his gift.
The students in Miss Mickle's third-grade class enjoy a boat trip on the Connecticut River after a class discussion of ancestors reveals that Sidney and Ida both have connections to the sea.
When Horrible Harry's pet cat, Googer, sneaks a ride and gets into the school building, third-graders Harry and Doug have to catch him before anyone else does, which means going into some forbidden places.