When an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom, holding the children hostage, Officer Meg Barrett watches and waits for his demands, while Evelyn Oliver, trapped in her classroom, wonders how to save her students.

The latest monsters threatening Stermont Elementary are shadowy shapeshifters that attach themselves to people, eat their shadows, and block out all light--but before he can think of a way to deal with them, Alexander has to deal with a startling revelation from his friend Nikki.

After his family moves to Sacramento to take over his grandparents' Filipino market, sixth-grader Alex seeks popularity by selling homemade slime at school, while his father insists he join a soccer team.

Ramona meets many interesting people in kindergarten class, like Davy whom she keeps trying to kiss and Susan whose springy curls seem to ask to be pulled.

Fifth-grader Anna is concerned that her baby sister Kaylee, adopted from China three months ago, is not thriving so she and her best friends, Laura and Camille, create a science project that may save the day.

Arnie doesn't have grandparents to come to school on Grandparent's Day, but it turns out he has a lot of people who can substitute.

Megan makes a wish at 11:11 and is granted an enchanted teen magazine promising miracle makeovers and sure-fire secrets for winning friends and crushes.

Mindy Kim wants to fit in at her new school, but her favorite lunch leads to scorn, then a thriving business, and finally big trouble.

Velma starts first grade in the shadow of her memorable older sisters, and while her newfound interest in butterflies helps her to stand out, it also leads to an interesting complication.

A Seattle fifteen-year-old explains some of the reasons for her recent panic attacks, including breaking up with her boyfriend, losing all her girlfriends, tensions between her performance-artist mother and her father, and more.