M Johnson 
Peach and Plum 

     Peach and Plum opens with seven year-old Mayfair Tootle, who ventures into the world of Maverick Elementary as a new student on the very first day of school.  things like:  Fifth graders who hog the kickball court, snooty school yard cliques, a Pop Star girl, school yard games like High Jump and One Fly Up, a dog named Monster, googlie-eyed school yard crushes, a substitute teacher, the Harvest Moon Potluck, a couple of birthday parties, and a crazy school yard brawl on the first day of school, all set the story of Peach and Plum in motion as the school year rolls itself out.  

     Mayfair easily makes new friends at Maverick Elem (what the children call it), and everything is fine until the leader of The Snootish Girls, Kiara Campbell, gets kicked out of her own clique.  When she highjacks Mayfair’s litle circle of friends, Kiara banishes Mayfair’s BFF from the group simply because Xembi reminds Kiara of another girl she can’t stand.   

     Fed up with Kiara’s mean-girl ways and holding everybody hostage during lunch and recess, Mayfair stands up to Kiara when she finds out that Xembi might go to home school because of the bullying.

     And just when things get back to normal, Mayfair has one last show down with Kiara Campbell on the last day of school.