Penelope (Peppi for short) was the new kid at school. Imagine her embarrassment when right off the bat she trips and splays out in front of everyone. They all laughed and no one helped her, except one boy. The other kids immediately started teasing and poking them both and it was obvious that the boy who helped was the target of the mean kids in the school. So what did Peppi do? She shoved him away and screamed "Leave me alone!" She immediately felt bad and wanted to apologize but couldn't work up the nerve.

This book is a cute accounting of what its like to be in a new school wanting to fit in and doing everything wrong. I loved the dynamic of how Peppi knew what she should do but also the realism of how hard it is, much of the time, to do the right thing in middle school.