Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.

"Very short for her age, Julia grows into her sense of self while playing a munchkin in a summer regional theater production of The Wizard of Oz"--

Spot, the beloved hero of Put Me in the Zoo, is back in another Beginner Book classic. When Spot grows tired of doing tricks in the circus, he decides to turn into another animal. But what kind? An elephant? An elephant is too big. A giraffe? A giraffe is too tall. How about a mouse? Can Spot’s friends help him see that the very best thing to be is himself? I Want to Be Somebody New! is a spot-on tale of individuality and friendship.
Originally...

Marta's daughter, Hilde, is quarantined with tuberculosis, Marta moves in to care for her granddaughter, Carolyn. The two form a special bond, even as tensions arise between Marta and Hilde. When a family tragedy threatens Carolyn's newfound freedom as a college student in San Francisco, she disappears for two years, returning home later with a daughter of her own, determined to help heal the deep hurt that has plagued her family for years.

Unhappy in a home seemingly devoid of love, a fourteen-year-old albino boy who thinks of himself as Harold the Ghost runs away to join the circus, where he works with the elephants and searches for a sense of who he is.

"See?" cries the calf. "Uni means one, and corn means horn!" Even their baby picture proves it: they were born with one horn! But as the eager little calf continues their research, a budding identity crisis arises when they realize they don't quite check all the boxes-should a certain lack of moonlight sparkle or silky mane or rainbow poop decide the issue. Perhaps some unexpected encouragement from a pack of "real" unicorns might be just the assurance...

Building on the principles developed during her long career as a licensed marriage and family therapist, and addressing the chronic struggles of so many of her listeners and readers, Dr. Laura encourages "whiners" to reject negative thoughts, emotions, and attitudes; shift perspective; open up to gratitude and goodness; and embrace obligations to loved ones and the world in general.

Because he doesn't listen carefully to what the Great Spirit tells him about each of the animals he is supposed to lead to their desert homes, Jackrabbit causes much unhappiness with his careless answers to the animals' questions.

Nipper the crab hates his huge, clumsy claws until his friend Octopus gets tangled up in some seaweed and only Nipper can free him.

In an attempt to impress her new classmates, Kim lies about her name and claims that she comes from a royal family, but she gets herself into real trouble after her classmates beg to meet Kim's grandmother--the Queen.