Laurie Friedman

Eight-year-old Mallory feels left out when her older brother, Max, gets a dog that becomes the center of attention.

Nine-year-old Mallory turns to her diary to sort through her emotions when she finds out she has a secret admirer and her two best friends' parents may be getting engaged.

When a bad stomachache sends Mallory to the hospital during a winter reunion with neighbor Mary Ann and their summer camp bunkmates, she is sad that her friends seem to be having great fun without her.

Ten-year-old Mallory, determined to find out what her brother Max does while spending time with his girlfriend, Winnie, spies an innocent kiss on the cheek then tells her babysitter and friends a more exciting tale. Includes a recipe for double chocolate chip cookies and directions for playing four games.

When Mallory's mother refuses to buy her a purse, Mallory tries a series of businesses in order to make money and buy it herself.

Mallory follows the advice of Mary Ann about a boy who likes her that causes her to hurt her friend's feelings.

Ten-year-old Mallory's crush on J.T., a boy in her older brother's class, gets her in trouble with her teacher, her family, and her friends but no matter what she does, J.T. does not seem interested in her.

"Mallory is excited about the six-week arts electives program at Fern Falls Elementary--until she gets stuck in her last-choice elective, band. To make matters worse, she is assigned to the tuba, and when she plays, it sound more like passing gas than music. She dreads the showcase at the end of the program. But with some good guidance from her mom and her band teacher, Mallory learns the meaning of "practice makes perfect," and that, in fact, making...