Joseph becomes best friends with the new boy in school, Tim, who is deaf. Joseph and his classmates reach out to Tim and do their best to make him feel welcome. They learn sign language and throw him a surprise birthday party. Joseph and his classmates realize that Tim is just like them.
Danny receives a new umbrella from his grandma. When he takes it to school, he loans it to his best friend Tommy, but Tommy loses it on the way home. Danny realizes that, as upset as he is that Tommy lost his umbrella, he would be even more upset if he lost his best friend.
Jim Abbott was born with only one hand, but his dream was to play baseball. As he grew up, many people doubted he would reach his goal, but he was determined to prove them wrong. Abbott eventually played in the Olympics and went on to play in the major leagues. He won many awards during his career and even threw a no-hitter, one of the most difficult accomplishments for any pitcher.
Three scenarios are presented in which a student decides to "tell on" another student as a way to solve a conflict. In the final scenario, the students come together to combat bullying by signing a petition to keep their class bully free.
A boy and his family move to New York City from the Dominican Republic. They stay with Aunt Lourdes while the father looks for a job. New York City is full of beautiful, exciting, and scary things, including a museum with dinosaur bones. The family's father finds a job, and soon they will move to their own apartment. The boy misses his friends in the Dominican Republic, but he likes New York City very much.
It is raining the morning of Ray's birthday and when he finds that no one else is awake, he thinks everyone forgot his big day. He tells himself that maybe when you turn eight, you are no longer a kid, and you don't need your family. His cat, Zipper, doesn't believe this and goes inside to wake up Ray's family. Ray realizes no one forgot his birthday, they just couldn't hear their alarm clocks during the rain.
Maria and Mrs. Duff are good friends, but Mrs. Duff lives across town. One day when Maria goes to Mrs. Duff's house, she becomes curious about Mrs. Duff as a little girl. By e-mail, Maria asks Mrs. Duff many questions about her life. Then she collects all of the stories and puts them together in a book for Mrs. Duff.
