A Chinese American girl describes the festivities of her uncle's Chinese wedding and the customs behind them.

Ruby Lu's father loses his job on her first day of third grade, which causes many things in her life to change, and she is willing to do a lot to help out but giving up some things seems impossible.

After Ruby Lu's deaf cousin, Flying Duck, and her parents come from China to live with her, Ruby finds life challenging as she adjusts to her new family, tries to mend her rocky relationship with her friend Emma, and faces various adventures in summer school.

When second-grader Alvin Ho is invited to a birthday party given by a girl, his fear of everything causes him to dread going.

When Alvin's father takes him camping to instill a love of nature, like that of their home-town hero Henry David Thoreau, Alvin makes a new friend and learns that he can be brave despite his fear of everything.

When fearful seven-year-old Alvin Ho learns that his mother is expecting a baby, he develops a sympathetic pregnancy--adding to his worry about the burglar who is targeting Concord, Massachusetts.

A young boy in Concord, Massachusetts, who loves superheroes and comes from a long line of brave Chinese farmer-warriors, wants to make friends, but first he must overcome his fear of everything.