When eight-year-old Jack and his seven-year-old sister, Annie, join a group of nineteenth-century explorers aboard the H.M.S. Challenger, they learn about the ocean, solve the mystery of its fabled sea monster, and gain compassion for their fellow creatures.

When Nancy's friend Bree gets some glittery glasses to help her see better, Nancy, who likes to be fancy, wants to wear glasses too.

When Nancy Clancy finds out that both her guitar teacher, Andy, and her favorite babysitter, Annie, have broken up with the people they were dating, she decides to make them fall in love on Valentine's Day.

Nancy, who likes to use fancy words, is dismayed to be partnered with shy classmate Lionel for the school talent show until she comes up with an act perfectly suited for both of them.

Stink Moody, friends Webster and Sophie, and Mrs. Birdwistle visit tourist attractions in Virginia as they try to give away 101 guinea pigs rescued from a laboratory, although Stink is very reluctant to give away his favorite, Astro.

The things that Eddie loves to eat all come in different shapes. Includes a word list.

Nancy is delighted that the new boy in her class is from Paris and sets out to become his friend, then discovers that this Parisian is not quite as fancy as she had thought.

Inspired by such art masters as Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, and Jackson Pollock, Nancy, who likes to use fancy words, dons her beret to create her own fabulous artwork.

Nancy is about to lose her first tooth, but if she can prevent it from falling out until she arrives at school she will get a special necklace from the nurse.

As her third-grade class makes its selections for the "Graveyard of Boring Words" and learns about "superb synonyms," slow-footed Nancy enthusiastically plays on the soccer team, with the goal of just being mediocre, or maybe even a little better than average.