Best friends Ivy and Bean learn that being very good, or very bad, can be a real challenge when they set out to become like a man Ivy heard about who was so pure of heart that birds and animals followed him.

Third grade starts off badly for eight-year-old Bean as she faces teasing from her two older sisters, learns that her former best friend wants nothing to do with her, and has to start taking music lessons.

When Charlie wakes up to a world covered in snow, he can't wait to get outside and see what's going on around the ranch. He even takes a break from patrol duty to take a fun sled ride with Walter and Sister down the snowy slopes--whee! One ride is enough fun for Charlie, but Walter can't wait to go again and again. That is, until Walter goes missing! It's up to Charlie to take control of the situation and bring his buddy back, before anything bad...

Laura and her sisters share some good and bad times when they attend different schools near their various prairie homes.