It is the first day of second grade and already Buddy is disappointed because his class has a new teacher, not the one he wanted, and there is a new student, Bea, who is boisterous and much too pushy for the reserved Buddy--and who insists that they are friends.

Little Tortoise hurrys to school on her first day in order to be on time, but despite her best efforts she gets passed by all her friends.

"Viv never looks forward to picture day. Her mom always makes her wear a boring braid, and no one at school notices her--aside from her two best friends, Milo and Al, of course. But enough is enough. This year, Viv is taking matters into her own hands. Literally. Enter: a pair of scissors. And, well, a new hairstyle. Just in time for photos! Suddenly Viv is an overnight trendsetter at Brinkley Middle School. Everyone wants her help planning their...

Best friends and neighbors Isaac and Marco are opposite in looks--Isaac is tall and Marco is short--and in abilities--Isaac excels at basketball, while Marco excels at schoolwork. However, that doesn't stop the sixth graders from having each other's back and helping each other get better. Isaac wants to finally take his schoolwork seriously while Marco wants to make the basketball team to make his dad proud of him. As they each work through difficulties...

Other students laugh when Rigoberto, an immigrant from Venezuela, introduces himself but later, he meets Angelina and discovers that he is not the only one who feels like an outsider.

When Rafe is invited to attend an all-expenses paid art field trip in California, he jumps at the opportunity, but things go sideways, as they always do for Rafe, after he realizes he'll be participating in a "Cultural Campout" in the desert and a series of unfortunate events follow, including an encounter with a cranky crocodile, a claustrophobic trip into an ancient cave, and a plot to smuggle a legendary missing diamond.

Illustrations and rhyming text follow a group of children who learn how to write, spell, make friends, and be kind on the first day back at school.

"Jordan, Drew, Liam, Maury, and their friends from Riverdale Academy Day School are heading out on a school trip to Paris. As an aspiring artist himself, Jordan can't wait to see all the amazing art in the famous City of Lights. But when their trusted faculty guides are replaced at the last minute, the school trip takes an unexpected--and hilarious--turn. Especially when trying to find their way around a foreign city ends up being almost as tricky...

When Marya's third-grade class participates in taking care of the school's new garden, Marya wants to be the student leader in charge, but every time she tries to prove she has what it takes to be a leader things get messy.

"Bree can't wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees--until she's stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she's forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help"--