After the unexpected death of his survivalist father, an eleven year old boy raised in the Alabama wilderness must learn how to make a home in the modern world.

The chance to shine in a singing competition offers much-needed hope for a Southern middle-schooler who's drowning in worries, from bullies in the halls to turmoil at home -- and the news that his reservist father has been called back to Afghanistan.

Ten year old Jared Marshall's life crumbled down after his parents' divorce a year ago. Not only does his dad put his job first since, mother uproots him from Iowa by moving in with her ma so she can take a job in California. When Jared's class writes letters to US troops in Bosnia from the nearest base, kindhearted Sergeant First Class Vince Carerra, who grew up fatherless and got divorced because his wife wasn't faithful while he was on tour of duty, takes to the kid and starts a correspondence with 'fatherly' advice. Once his unit returns to Fort Sebastian, Vince calls on Jared's home, warmly welcomed. Vince becomes Jared's personal baseball coach and after some Cupid encouragement, his mother's boyfriend, but on an understanding not to commit because he's likely to be redeployed.

With their mother dead, Emily and Ben torment their nannies to quit as fast as their father hires them. Till a nanny named Kate shows up and slowly wins Ben over. That's bad enough, but when her father and Kate start to fall in love, Emily sets out to break them up and match him with her ballet teacher.

Eli learns that his absent father was a Detroit pool hall legend. He journeys into the scene, and must confront the realities and danger of the game - and himself.

After a mysterious chest opens a gateway through time, teen gamer Jack is transported to an ancient empire terrorized by a cruel barbarian king. Jack will need all of his gaming skills as he battles to defeat the barbarian, protect a beautiful princess, and somehow find his way back home.

Four best friends search for a legendary jazz musician on Central Avenue, Los Angeles in 1959.

Burke Wyatt is an innocent, but condemned man behind prison walls. He's found an outlet for his rage. It's called the Death Match, a killer sport devised by sadistic wardens and authorities and played out in the bowels of a maximum security prison.

Barry Goldwater Elementary is on the brink of collapse: the lowest test scores in the state, teachers who are either drunk or having sex on school grounds, and a principal who extorts money from parents. It's up to Tom, the down-on-his-luck vice-principal, to rally the lazy teachers, expose the principal's corruption, and turn the school around before an end of the day board decision.

The world goes backwards on Opposite Day. The kids become adults, and the adults become kids.