Lizzie's never been one to take risks—not with her mom, who worries so much, and especially not now that she's the new kid at school. But once a week Lizzie watches fives strangers in a theater class learn the art of improvisation.

Twelve-year-old Mitchell got involved with the wrong kid this past summer, and the prank they played led to an elderly woman's injury. Now he finds himself at the police station—his "sentence" is to chat online with a nursing home resident twice a week for the next month. Mitch isn't thrilled; what could he and some "old" person possibly talk about? But Mitch's new online friend has a personality all her own. Her name is Wootie Hayes, and she has plenty to talk about: how she got her name, how much she misses her own home, and how she detests bingo. But she also wants to know about Mitch's situation. Without expecting it, they help each other face the truth and begin a new friendship in the process."This intriguing narrative thinks outside the box, and should inspire more experiments with programs like the one presented here." —Kirkus ReviewsJan Siebold lives with her husband in East Aurora, New York. She spent more than thirty years as an elementary...

Richard gets frustrated by most of Mr. Best's assignments, but this latest one is the worst. He has to write a composition about a proverb that illustrates something that has happened in his life. And as if that isn't bad enough, Mr. Best has told him he needs to find his "writing voice." While working on the assignment, Richard finds his voice in more ways than one. He discovers that being himself makes a big difference in his writing and in his life."Each chapter is an invitation for classroom discussion and can stand alone." —School Library JournalJan Siebold lives with her husband in East Aurora, New York. She spent more than thirty years as an elementary school librarian. She has written for numerous magazines and journals and published three children's books. She enjoys hiking, biking, snowshoeing and "doing time" with a good book.