Claudia Mills

Afraid he will always be an outsider like ex-planet Pluto, nine-year-old Oliver finally shows his extremely overprotective parents that he is capable of doing great things without their help while his class is studying the solar system.

When fifth-grade twins, Amy and Todd, tackle a school project, they also have to cope with issues of friendship at school and problems at home, including their father's unemployment.

Lizzie, who has always been considered a nerd by the other kids, begins the seventh grade determined to change her image so that she can blend in better with the popular crowd.

As she tries to cope with her thoughts about death by writing poems and talking with her elderly friend, Mrs. Briscoe, Dinah Seabrook wonders about the importance of the seventh-grade elections, the school play, and even her relationship with Nick Tribble.

Annika hopes to change her best friends' hatred of math by winning a Sudoku contest, but she does not realize how important their lack of mathematical ability is until they make a mistake at the school carnival.

"Cody Harmon loves animals--he even has nine pets--so when the school holds a pet show fundraiser, it should be his time to shine"--

"The third book in the Franklin School Friends series is a fast and funny story about sports, friendship, and sibling rivalries"--

Simon Ellis and the rest of the third grade Franklin School Friends participate in a spelling bee where Simon's competitive spirit takes over until he realizes that sometimes the best way to win is to take a chance and let other people shine.

Having baked six dozen Christmas cookies for themselves and been given many more by the neighbors, Gus and Grandpa find a rewarding solution to disposing of their extra holiday treats.

Writing down her experiences of being a reluctant fourth-grade aunt to her older sibling's newborn, Nora is challenged to write journals in the style of an Oregon Trail pioneer for the science fair while partnering with a science-hating classmate.