Casey accuses Connie of stealing $5 from the gift fund for their teacher. Inspired by their recent class reading of the The Merchant of Venice, their classmates decide to hold a trial to settle the matter. The decision goes against Casey, but Connie feels guilty about the outcome. Although she did not actually steal the…

Pete Riley has hired Melanie as a helper in his car wash. The business is doing well when a street gang, the Pirates, appears and demands protection money. When Pete refuses, the gang roughs up Pete and Melanie. Unable to get help to resist the bullies, Pete reluctantly figures he’ll have to give in. But…

Lisa’s father is having serious problems in his business. Lisa’s stepmother Gayle convinces her husband that accepting a partnership with his brother will solve the financial problems–but it involves moving the family out west. Lisa hates the idea of leaving and lashes out at her best friend, Casey, and particularly at Gayle. Lisa finally realizes…

Liz gets a job as babysitter for the three Schlegel children. Liz handles the kids well–keeping a watchful eye on baby Calvin, reading bedtime stories to Melanie, and monitoring the children’s TV viewing. But the eldest, Martin, resents Liz. It is not until he gets involved in a situation that could have endangered his brother…

As far as Billy is concerned, his little brother, Benjy is and embarrassing tagalong. When Billy and his best friend Peter, get a dog-walking job, they turn the chore over to Benjy. Meanwhile, they sneak into the clubhouse and try experimental puffs on some cigars. The boys get horribly sick, and then spend a frantic…

Catherine (Cookie) Peters’ parents have been separated for some time. It is not an amicable situation and Catherine feels caught in the middle. When she is chosen to represent her school on the gymnastics team, both parents want to see her perform. But neither parent is present when she wins.

Billy knows it won’t be luck that sends him to hockey camp, it will be his own hard work. Then a bad-luck chain letter comes to him, and while he hesitates about passing on the bad luck, disasters begin to occur.

Chuck and Pete Riley’s father is serving out a prison term and can see his children only on weekly passes. When Pete gets a leading role in the school play, he begs off the weekly visit with his father claiming pressure of rehearsals. Chuck gets a crush on Tina but is ashamed to tell her…

Pete persuades Lisa to lend him $10, buys a stock of jokes and novelties, and sells them to kids in the neighborhood. But instead of repaying Lisa from the proceeds, he spends it all on raffle tickets. Trouble develops and he sells off the raffle tickets at a loss to settle his debts.

Casey and Lisa are best friends, until they decide to adopt Noel’s pet rabbit. When Casey’s father discovers that the lot line between the two houses has been badly surveyed, the rabbit cage becomes divided in two by the new line. Lisa and Casey become obsessed with property rights, competing, and eventually fighting over the…