The pressure is on for middle-schooler Bessica to be the funniest, wildest bear mascot for her school, or risk being humiliated by a rival tiger mascot.

"Two smart girls in one small town use their combined genius to liven up their world--one prank at a time"--

Twins Sarah and Sylvia Price, two monsters in disguise at Lovecraft Middle School, are campaigning for student council with a secret plan to abduct the entire seventh grade, and Robert Arthur and his strange friends must stop their evil plot.

Eleven-year-old Bessica's plans to begin North Teton Middle School as a new person begin to fall apart even before school begins.

When Sonia's father loses his job and she must move from her small, supportive private school to a public middle school, the half-Jewish half-Indian sixth-grader experiences culture shock as she tries to navigate the school's unfamiliar social scene, andafter her father is diagnosed with clinical depression, she finds herself becoming even more confused about herself and her family.

Katie loves to make cupcakes, but all her friends in the Cupcake Club have other interests as well, so she tries her hand at various sports and eventually makes the softball team, only to find that competition makes her too nervous to play.

With Brianna Blake, the most popular girl in middle school, leading the race for student council president, accidental candidate Callie Singer doesn't think she has a chance to win until a humiliating incident caused by Brianna leads Callie to come back fighting.

Fearing that her humiliations will follow her to high school, Pipi McGee decides to right the wrongs of her early education and save others from being bullied.

Robert Arthur begins the seventh grade at a strange new school that has two-headed rats and mysterious labyrinths, in addition to the mean Professor Goyle who is seemingly unconcerned when students begin vanishing into thin air.

Eighth grade turns out to be an eventful year for Ginny and her family, as notes, lists, report cards, doctor bills, and other "stuff" reveal that the family moves to a big new house, Brian starts to be more than just a friend, Ginny's mother has a baby,and her stepfather loses his job.