The perfect score

In a story told from different viewpoints, five sixth-graders, facing various challenges and under pressure to do well on statewide assessment tests, agree to a plan for acing the tests.

"When the eigth graders of Lake View Middle School go on a week-long nature trip, one of the best nights for Gavin, Natalie, Trevor, Randi, and Scott is when they are gazing up at the twinkling stars against the nighttime skey--they get the sense that anything they wish for is possible. Mrs. Magenta, their favorite teacher, tells them: 'It's up to you to connect the stars and draw the pircutre any way you want.' As the year unfolds, there are personal...