Depressed about her bespectacled appearance and two rabbit-like front teeth, Karen decides to get a makeover, but her ill-fated encounter with a scissor-happy beautician has her singing the grade school blues.

When Karen's best friend, Amanda, must move away, Karen throws her a huge going-away party and promises to keep in touch, then looks forward to meeting her new neighbors.

Flora and Ruby have mixed feelings about the arrival of the Christmas season in Camden Falls, their first without their parents, but they stay busy with family and friends.

Karen's class at school is planning a field trip to the zoo but when the flu hits Ms. Colman's class, it looks like the trip may be cancelled.

During the summer before their seventh-grade year, Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey tackle difficulties, including family problems, crushes, moving, and making new friends.

Karen eagerly signs up for a class project to "adopt" a grandmother, but her foster grandma, Mrs. Barnard, along with her real grandparents soon becomes too much to handle, until Karen comes up with a wonderful idea involving a lonely friend. Karen eagerly signs up for a class project to "adopt" a grandmother, but her foster grandma, Mrs. Barnard, along with her real grandparents becomes too much to handle until Karen comes up with a great idea involving...

Fifth-grader Pearl Littlefield, having had some negative experiences over the past summer, struggles to complete her essay assignment about her break.