After learning about the American Revolution on a family trip to Boston, Massachusetts, Judy Moody makes her own Declaration of Independence and tries to prove that she is responsible enough to have more freedoms, such as a higher allowance and her own bathroom.

The farms of Hollow's End were blessed with miracle crops, especially the shimmering, iridescent wheat of Wren's family farm, but then the black mercury blight came, and the blight destroys everything: crops turned to silver-black sludge, animals sickened and blinded, even people; Wren believes she is responsible, and desperate to save Hollow's End she turns to her ex-boyfriend--but they find that there is a lot they do not know about their town and...

Alexis juggles the responsibilities of organizing a cupcake club with the other challenges of middle school, including beating her friend to asking the boy they like to accompany her at the pep rally parade.

Twelve-year-old Trevor has an adult problem to deal with: how to protect himself, his sisters, and his mother from his abusive stepfather (currently in prison) and he thinks the way to do that is to take up boxing--although he would really rather draw.

When Ms. Alex is called away from the classroom, she leaves Yasmin in charge, but the other children just ignore her and start acting silly and noisy--until Yasmin thinks up a way to motivate them to finish the math assignment, quietly.

Estrella is a filly, daughter of the lead mare, one of a shipment of horses bound for the new world, but when the ship is becalmed and the horses are dropped overboard to lighten the load, Estrella finds that it is up to her to lead the herd to land and safety.

A skill-building reader starring Worm finds him taking a turn caring for a class pet gnat that accidentally escapes from its tank.

Seven-year-old Louise, who performs in a trapeze act with her mother and father, finally gets an important job at the circus, but when things go wrong she wonders if she is really ready for new responsibilities.

Seventeen-year-old Lucille is struggling to get through each day, paying bills and looking after her little sister, Wren, while her father is institutionalized after a breakdown and her mother is "on vacation," but nothing else seems to matter when she is with Digby Jones, her best friend's twin brother.

Mike attempts to convince his parents that he is responsible enough to be allowed to ride his bicycle to the magic shop all by himself.