So much magic in one middle school play!

The play was magic, Beth decided. The whole play-from Miss Armstrong's writing dream and the cast being chosen, all the way through the final performance-was even more magical than the story of The Secret Garden itself. No matter what came along before eighth grade graduation, this was the highlight of her year.

Just a stage, Beth, Danny, and Hannah's parents agreed. They'd just have to live through it. Eventually, Beth wouldn't be so gullible, Danny so snarky, or Hannah unfriendly. The parents sighed. Just a stage they were going through.

Of course they were! After all, they were in Middle School, where friendships often changed, and growth, inside and out, was bound to occur-whether offstage, backstage, or on a real stage.