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.

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.

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.

The children in Mrs. Sarah Jane Hartwell's class write letters to her.

A collection of contemporary scary stories set in school, including "Creature Teacher, " "Extinguished Educators, " and "Student Bodies."

"There's strength in numbers, even small ones." Ages 8+.

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.