Alma Fullerton

Fifth grader Claire is a devoted competitive gymnast who hides the fact that she struggles to read. When her principal suggests testing for a learning disability, her mother refuses, fearing a label.

When her musician mother leaves to record an album, eleven-year-old Casey is left to keep the household running and look after her autistic little sister, Ginny. As her stepfather drinks and her mother stays away, Casey starts lighting fires, hoping the smoke will bring her home.

After their mother dies, Libertad and his younger brother, Julio, leave the Guatemala City dump where they scavenged to survive. Carrying a marimba and their father's address, they set out on the long journey north to find him in Texas.

A teenage boy who walked in on his mother's suicide attempt keeps vigil as she lies in a coma, weighed down by guilt and the question of whether to let her go.

Teased about her birthmark and her weight, BJ counts on her best friend, Alex, who plays in a garage band. When BJ drifts toward the popular crowd and exposes Alex's feelings for another boy, their friendship falls apart.