"The Vespers have crossed a line. Amy and Dan were devastated when the Vespers kidnapped seven Cahills around the world, holding them hostage until Amy and Dan delivered an impossible ransom. But at least the hostages were Cahills - members of the world's most powerful family, trained to face all odds. Now the Vespers have gone too far. They've kidnapped Atticus, an innocent 11 year old boy and Dan's only friend. Now Dan and Amy are in the struggle...

Freckle juice: Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys Sharon's freckle recipe for fifty cents. The one in the middle is the green kangaroo: Freddy hates being the middle one in the family until he gets a part in the school play.

As a slag heap, the result of strip mining, creeps closer to his house in the Ohio hills, fifteen-year-old M. C. is torn between trying to get his family away and fighting for the home they love.

Six-year-old Ramona tries to cope with an unsympathetic first-grade teacher. In this touching and funny story, the ebullient Ramona, feeling brave and grown-up, enters first grade. Quickly she finds that her new teacher, Mrs. Griggs, appears perplexed by pupils who like to be different. Since Ramona cannot help being different, clearly the two are incompatible. Nevertheless, Ramona can be counted on to keep things lively. Enraged when Susan copies...

Yikes! Stink Moody, family brain brings home a report card that isn't perfect? Time for Chopzilla to get (his thumbs) into fighting shape and beat back that U for Unsatisfactory he got in gym class. Ka-POW!

Ramona at 7 1/2 sometimes feels discriminated against by being the youngest in the family.

Twelve-year-old Lucky Prescott craves adventure, but as a young lady of society she's only been allowed to experience adventure through books. That is, until one fateful day when Lucky, her father, and her aunt leave their neat-and-tidy city life and travel to their new home out west-the Wild West. At first Lucky is excited, but during the long train ride to her new hometown of Miradero, she begins to worry. What if she doesn't make any new friends?...

In alternating chapters, two eighth-graders describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years.

Beezus' biggest problem was her 4-year-old sister Ramona. Even though Beezus knew sisters were supposed to love each other, with a sister like Ramona, it seemed impossible.

The Heffley family road trip starts off full of promise, then quickly takes several wrong turns--with everything from a fender bender to crazed seagulls--but even the worst road trip can turn into an adventure, and this is one the Heffleys will not soon forget.