In the opening scene of Keith Z.’s story, chaos is unleashed at Ridgeway Middle school. It turns out the cafeteria has served cursed pancakes on Pancake Day . . . again! First, the lights flicker. Then, clocks melt and walls appear out of thin air. Worst of all, the narrator’s best friend, Milo, is afflicted by what appears to be a pancake-based curse. Can he be saved before he fades away completely? Thankfully, the two find refuge in the school’s library, where a helpful librarian leads them to a book that lays out the cure for the curse: just regular-old homemade pancakes. After a quick trip to the Home Ec room, the two boys, armed with their antidote, set the school back to normal again.

Have you ever felt invisible? The narrator of Daisy B.’s story, Izzie, has. Even around her three best friends, she often feels like the “extra friend.” Then, one Tuesday, she wakes up and finds she’s actually invisible. Even stranger? She’s been replaced by a fake version of herself. And it turns out she’s not the only kid at school that’s become invisible. To become visible again, they each have to say aloud something they’ve been too afraid to say. Izzie needs to look deep within to admit how she’s really been feeling in her friendship. Ultimately, Daisy B.’s story shows how being true to yourself can make a friendship stronger.