Tracie Savage

Laura and Mary are nervous about their first day of school in Walnut Grove, but they are quickly put at ease by the genuine kindness of their new teacher and the majority of their classmates. Later, when their teacher invites the children's families to a special presentation in the classroom, Laura must come up with a plan when she realizes that she is not prepared.

When a new boy named Johnny Johnson arrives at school for the first time, Laura is immediately smitten. Johnny is a friendly boy and although he is oblivious to Laura's crush on him, he certainly makes it clear that he is interested in Mary. Even though Mary does not share the same feelings, the "love triangle" is enough to cause tension between the sisters.

Mary is excited to receive a pair of brand-new glasses, but her excitement fades when other students relentlessly tease her, even after Miss Beadle points out her own pair of glasses. Mary decides to "lose" her glasses, until Miss Beadle unwittingly shows her that she does not need to worry about her glasses making her look unattractive.

Feeling guilty for accidentally breaking Laura's beloved china doll, Mary brings home a baby raccoon to smooth things over with her sister. Charles is hesitant to allow Laura to keep the animal, but he decides that it would be all right to make a temporary adoption--a choice that he later regrets.

Laura connects with a sweet, shy classmate named Olga Nordstrom, who happens to have been born with a short leg. Charles has an idea that can change Olga's entire life, but the challenge will be convincing the child's stubborn widowed father.

When Miss Beadle is injured in an accident, Caroline is asked to fill in temporarily at the school. While teaching, Caroline sympathizes with Abel McCay - an older student who is quiet, withdrawn, and reluctant to learn.