Timothy is very excited about his first day of school. But when new classmate Claude tells him he’s wearing “the wrong” clothes, Timothy feels embarrassed. / Yoko is treated like somewhat of an outcast because of her different, foreign-style lunches. When Mrs. Jenkins senses Yoko’s discomfort, she arranges an International Food Day where everyone is asked to bring in a different dish, and Yoko’s sushi becomes a big hit with Timothy.

All of Fritz’s messes conveniently get blamed on the Mess Fairy. This arrangement works out great for Fritz until he accidentally splatters paint on Timothy’s treasured collection of shells. / The children enjoy a day of games and races at the school picnic. No one cares if they win or lose. No one except Claude and Grace. They have to win every time. Until the last Obstacle Race. Everyone’s a winner in this event.

Nora doesn’t like change. Today, everything is changing, her favorite shirt, her favorite breakfast, even Dad is repainting her room. Thankfully at Hilltop, nothing changes. However, when a surprise game of musical tables forces Nora to change her seat and sit next to Lilly, she learns new and interesting things, and begins to embrace change. / When it becomes clear that Charles enjoys spending time alone, he develops a reputation for being shy and nobody wants to play with him.

Lilly loses everything, her pencil, her lunchbox, her scarf. Luckily, her friends at Hilltop rally around her and help her discover new ways of remembering things. / The Franks do everything together. When Frank One gets sick, Frank Two has to cope with his absence at school.

Doris gets embarrassed when she paints a somewhat abstract picture in class and it doesn’t look like anyone else’s. Luckily she feels better when Mrs. Jenkins takes the children to a museum and Doris sees other abstract paintings that look just like hers. / Timothy is worried the Franks will think he is a baby if they find out he sleeps with a stuffed animal named Pingy.

Yoko plays her violin beautifully at home, but when the class builds a music tree for a school concert and Mrs. Jenkins suggests Yoko plays her violin at it, she develops stage fright. Thankfully, with the encouragement of her Mother and her classmates, Yoko overcomes her fear and leads the class through a beautiful spring symphony. / Timothy chooses Claude over Yoko in a team project because he thinks Claude will help him win a special prize.