Thirteen-year-old Mary Lou grows up considerably during the summer while learning about romance, homesickness, death, and her cousin's search for his biological father.

Shortly before her thirteenth birthday, shy and withdrawn Tara is sent to stay with her aunt, uncle, and cousin in her parents' hometown of Willow Falls, where she makes friends and becomes involved with an elderly buyer and seller of collectibles, who seems to be trying to give Tara some kind of mysterious message.

Trey Smith, the captain of the Wildcats, knows he's one of the best players on the team. He doesn't worry about anything when he's on the court, until he finds out that his cousin Pete is on the opposing team and they're assigned to guard each other. How can Trey play when he'll have to beat his cousin to win?

Danny Dragonbreath is excited about going to camp with his best friend Wendell and classmate Christiana even though his obnoxious, seven-year-old cousin Spencer is going too, but things change when Spencer finds a real jackalope.

Twelve-year-old Ian is thrilled to beta test the mixed-reality version of his favorite game, but unless he, his sister, Lilli, and their cousin Derek defeat the dragon, it will be game over.

Rosie loves surfing at her Aunt Hazel's surfing school in Byron Bay, Australia, but this summer she is tasked with teaching her cousin Flora to surf although the two have never liked each other--and Rosie is finding it difficult to overcome her dislike.

"Mallory's family is headed to the Grand Canyon. Mallory is looking forward to the road trip--until she finds out that her snobby cousin Kate will be coming along. Is it a recipe for disaster?"--

Nine-year-old Grace likes having a plan but she must find a way to be flexible and open to new ideas when she goes to Paris with her mother and has trouble getting along with her cousin, while at home her friends start the business she proposed without her.

Beth and her cousin Patrick travel in Mr. Whittaker's invention, the Imagination station, to 1000 A.D. Greenland, where they meet Erik the Red and Leif Eriksson and witness the spread of Christianity in that country.

Portia and her cousin Julian discover adventure in a hidden colony of forgotten summer houses on the shores of a swampy lake.