It’s set at Meadowbrook Middle School, which looks an ordinary, suburban school that could be anywhere in the world. And there’s nothing particularly unusual about most of the students. They range in age, from 11 to 14. They’re all reasonably intelligent. They have the common interests – some like sports, some are into music, they play video games, they watch TV, all the normal activities. Among the student body, there are the usual cliques – the jocks, the loners, the brains, the girls who think they’re too cool. At first glance, you wouldn’t think there was anything special about Meadowbrook.

But appearances can be deceiving. And among the 350 students, there are nine who aren’t exactly ordinary. I’ll introduce them to you.

Meet Amanda. She’s pretty, she wears great clothes, and she’s considered to be a ‘queen bee’, one of the most popular girls at school. Unfortunately, she’s also one of the meanest girls. But Amanda has a very interesting reason for behaving badly to other people. She has to be mean – or she’ll end up somewhere she doesn’t want to be.

Jenna wears black, and she tends to look a little scary. Some kids think she’s a criminal, a juvenile delinquent, and they’re not completely wrong. She’s dealing with a lot of personal problems, and one of those problems is something very unusual . . .

Ken looks like the kind of boy who has it all. He’s smart, he’s athletic, he’s good-looking. Yes, Ken has a lot of outstanding qualities, but he’s also got something he doesn’t want. A special, unique quality that’s driving him crazy . . .

Tracey is the kind of girl you have to feel sorry for. She’s shy, she’s nervous, and she seems to have a serious inferiority complex. Nobody seems to notice her, and for a very good reason . ..

Charles is in a wheelchair. He’s never been able to walk, and he’s pretty angry about that. But being in a wheelchair doesn’t stop him from doing anything he wants. Charles has developed a special compensation for his disability . . .

Sarah has curly black hair, a heart-shaped face, and the sweetest smile you ever saw. She’s kind, and gentle, and well-behaved. But she’s also the most dangerous girl in the whole school. Maybe in the whole world . . .

Martin is small for his age. He’s also very skinny. And he doesn’t have a great personality either. He gets teased and bullied a lot by other students. But some of them have learned that this isn’t a very good idea. Because when Martin gets teased, something very odd happens to him . . .

Emily is a day-dreamer, and teachers often scold her for not paying attention. But if they knew what Emily was dreaming about, they might have a little more respect for her . . .

Carter is a total mystery. Nobody knows anything about him. Like the others in this group, there may be something very special about him. But so far, he hasn’t offered a clue as to why he too should be considered