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[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/212612.jpg]]
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Bookish seventh-grader Jessica balks when her English teacher pairs her up with Daphne, the quietest and most picked-on girl in her class, to create a picture book for a local contest. As they work together, Jessica and Daphne--plus Hope, Daphne's little sister--forge a strong bond, enough to withstand the teasing of the popular kids. But it doesn't take long for Jessica to discover a terrible secret that Daphne is keeping from everyone at school. As Daphne and Hope's home life grows worse and worse, Jessica grapples with the choice of keeping her friend's confidence or telling someone the truth.
to:
Bookish seventh-grader Jessica balks when her English teacher pairs her up with Daphne, the quietest and most picked-on girl in her class, to create a picture book for a [[TownContestEpisode local contest.contest]]. As they work together, Jessica and Daphne--plus Hope, Daphne's little sister--forge a strong bond, enough to withstand the teasing of the popular kids. But it doesn't take long for Jessica to discover a terrible secret that Daphne is keeping from everyone at school. As Daphne and Hope's home life grows worse and worse, Jessica grapples with the choice of keeping her friend's confidence or telling someone the truth.
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* AdultsAreUseless: Subverted. Josh convinces Jessica to tell their mother about Daphne's plight. He says that this is too big a problem to keep a secret because the girls could get hurt or killed with such a terrible guardian. Her mother actually makes the first sensible decision: call social services when Mrs. Woodleigh chases them away with a broom. It turns out [[spoiler:Mrs. Woodleigh was dying of pneumonia, meaning that Jessica's mother got help for Daphne and Hope with weeks to spare]].
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* [[BigBrotherInstinct Big Sister Instinct]]: Daphne is very protective of Hope and does whatever she can to make their situation as positive as possible.
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* [[BigBrotherInstinct Big Sister Instinct]]: BigBrotherInstinct: The only time that Josh is serious is when he learns about what happened at the grocery store, that bullies mocked Daphne and made Jessica cry. When he finds out about Daphne and Hope's home situation, he tells her that she ''needs'' to go to their mother because this is too big a problem for kids to keep a secret. In fact, Jessica notes he's never been serious and this convinces her to come clean to their mother.
* BigSisterInstinct: Daphne is very protective of Hope and does whatever she can to make their situation as positive as possible.
* BigSisterInstinct: Daphne is very protective of Hope and does whatever she can to make their situation as positive as possible.
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** [[spoiler:Social workers track down some distant relations of Daphne and Hope who are willing to take them in. Unfortunately this means they must move several states away.]]
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** Josh convinces Jessica to tell their mother about Daphne's home situation. She does so, but the guilt of breaking Daphne's trust makes her sick for a few days. [[spoiler:Social workers track down some distant relations of Daphne and Hope who are willing to take them in.in and give them a stable life. Unfortunately this means they must move several states away. Daphne reassures Jessica that she's not mad at her, having realized in hindsight that it was the right decision to make. Jessica in turn tells Daphne that she's not a terrible person for being relieved that her grandmother is dead. The girls promise that they will stay in touch and Jessica can't wait to visit her.]]
* EveryoneHasStandards: Tracy tells off Michelle and Sherry for laughing at [[spoiler:Mrs. Woodleigh causing a scene in front of them while Daphne tries to calm her grandmother down]].
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* IWishedYouWereDead: Daphne admits to feeling this way about her grandmother.
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* IWishedYouWereDead: Daphne admits to feeling this way about her grandmother. [[spoiler:She feels guilty for not being guilty]].
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* KickTheDog: Michelle and Sherry keep right on mocking Daphne behind her back after they witness Mrs. Woodleigh's behavior at the supermarket. [[TheDogBitesBack Jessica finally yells at them]] [[BigShutUp to shut up]], shocking them into silence.
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* KickTheDog: Michelle and Sherry keep right on mocking Daphne behind her back after they witness Mrs. Woodleigh's behavior at the supermarket. [[TheDogBitesBack Jessica finally yells at them]] [[BigShutUp to shut up]], shocking them into silence.silence and Tracy actually stands up for Jessica, walking her to a quiet place where she can cry.
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* OrphanageOfFear: Downplayed: The staff at the orphanage [[spoiler:where Daphne and Hope are taken following their grandmother's death]] are more apathetic than scary, but the place looks plenty grim.
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* OrphanageOfFear: Downplayed: The staff at the orphanage [[spoiler:where Daphne and Hope are taken following their grandmother's death]] are more apathetic than scary, but the place looks plenty grim. All the kids get regular meals, however, and visits with relatives.
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* MeaningfulName: Hope, who despite her grim circumstances remains optimistic.
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->"If I tell you what's really wrong, will you promise not to tell anybody? Not your mother, or Mr. O'Brien, or anyone?" Daphne looked at me solemnly.\\I nodded. "You can trust me," I whispered, hoping she really could.
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->"If I tell you what's really wrong, will you promise not to tell anybody? Not your mother, or Mr. O'Brien, or anyone?" Daphne looked at me solemnly.\\I solemnly.
->I nodded. "You can trust me," I whispered, hoping she really could.
->I nodded. "You can trust me," I whispered, hoping she really could.
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->"If I tell you what's really wrong, will you promise not to tell anybody? Not your mother, or Mr. O'Brien, or anyone?" Daphne looked at me solemnly.\\I nodded. "You can trust me," I whispered, hoping she really could.
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* ForgotToPayTheBill: The Woodleighs lose their gas and electricity for this reason. Presumably this is also why they don't have a home phone.
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* AllJustADream: Michelle and Tracy's story, "The Nightmare Slumber Party," ends this way.
* LostFoodGrievance: Mrs. Woodleigh has one in the middle of the supermarket when Daphne refuses to let her buy a jar of olives, which they can't afford.
* [[IWasQuiteALooker She Was Quite a Looker]]: Old photographs of Mrs. Woodleigh show her as a happy and beautiful young woman.
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* [[IWasQuiteALooker She Was Quite a Looker]]: Old photographs of Mrs. Woodleigh show her as a happy and beautiful young woman.
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* AloofDarkHairedGirl: Daphne
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* JuniorHigh: Where most of the first half of the book takes place.
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* StoryWithinAStory: "The Mysterious Disappearance of Sir Benjamin Mouse," written by Jessica and illustrated by Daphne.
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* FancyDinner: Josh isn't pleased to find his mother preparing chicken cacciatore for her boyfriend.
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* CatsAreMean: Jessica's cat, Snuff. Averted with Raven, the kitten she receives from Hope.
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* CatsAreMean: Jessica's cat, Snuff. Averted with Raven, the kitten CuteKitten she receives from Hope.
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* ScatterbrainedSenior: PlayedForDrama: Mrs. Woodleigh is senile enough to believe her son is still alive and being forced by the military to remain in Vietnam indefinitely.
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* ScatterbrainedSenior: PlayedForDrama: SanitySlippage: Mrs. Woodleigh is senile enough to believe her son is still alive and being forced by the military to remain in Vietnam indefinitely. By [[spoiler:her final days]], she can barely remember who Daphne and Hope are.
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* CoversAlwaysLie: Actually, Jessica and Daphne's appearances on the covers of most editions line up with their descriptions in the book. A notable exception is the 2008 re-release, which depicts them both as more trendily dressed and coiffed, and by 2008 standards.
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* {{Bookworm}}: Jessica and Daphne.
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* NerdGlasses: Jessica wears these in the story and on the covers of most editions of the book.
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* MistakenForThief: Jessica suspects that a saleswoman keeping a close eye on her and the other girls expects them to be shoplifters.
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* TeensLoveShopping: Jessica laments that Tracy is spending more of her time at the mall with Michelle and Sherry.
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* TheDefroster: Mr. O'Brien hopes Jessica can be this for Daphne.
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* HeterosexualLifePartners: Daphne imagines herself and Jessica being these in adulthood.
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* AlphaBitch: Michelle and Sherry
* [[BigBrotherInstinct Big Sister Instinct]]: Daphne is very protective of Hope and does whatever she can to make their situation as positive as possible.
* [[BigBrotherInstinct Big Sister Instinct]]: Daphne is very protective of Hope and does whatever she can to make their situation as positive as possible.
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* AlphaBitch: AlphaBitch[=/=]BetaBitch: Michelle and Sherry
* [[BigBrotherInstinct Big Sister Instinct]]: Daphne is very protective of Hope and does whatever she can to make their situation as positive as possible.Sherry, respectively.
* [[BigBrotherInstinct Big Sister Instinct]]: Daphne is very protective of Hope and does whatever she can to make their situation as positive as possible.
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* [[BigBrotherInstinct Big Sister Instinct]]: Daphne is very protective of Hope and does whatever she can to make their situation as positive as possible.
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* SeriouslyScruffy: Daphne's ill-fitting and haphazard outfits are considered bizarre in a room full of girls wearing sweaters and blue jeans. [[spoiler:The truth is that she probably hasn't had new clothes in years and she's just wearing whatever happens to be on hand.]]
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-->Who are you thinking about, Jess? Yourself or Daphne? If you want things to keep getting worse and worse for Daphne, just keep it all a secret. But don't blame me when the old lady dies or the kids get sick or the house burns down when a candle falls over.
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* BigFancyHouse: The Woodleighs' Victorian farmhouse was once this, with a tower, dormers, stained-glass windows, and elaborate trim. Years of neglect have put it in a pitiable state.
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** Also the ending to Jessica and Daphne's story: [[spoiler:The mice have not found Sir Benjamin, but Princess Heatherfern vows to keep looking.]]
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** Also the ending to Jessica and Daphne's story: picture book: [[spoiler:The mice have not found Sir Benjamin, but Princess Heatherfern vows to keep looking.]]
* CrazyCatLady: Mrs. Woodleigh keeps an interminable number of cats.
* MissingMom: Daphne and Hope's mother was killed in a car accident.
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* ThatCloudLooksLike: Hope imagines a small cloud as a lost lamb.
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* ThatCloudLooksLike: Hope imagines a small cloud as a lost lamb.lamb.
* VocalEvolution: Jessica can't bear to hear her teenage brother's "horrible half-changed voice."
* WhamLine: From Josh to Jessica after she blurts out Daphne's secret:
-->Who are you thinking about, Jess? Yourself or Daphne? If you want things to keep getting worse and worse for Daphne, just keep it all a secret. But don't blame me when the old lady dies or the kids get sick or the house burns down when a candle falls over.
* VocalEvolution: Jessica can't bear to hear her teenage brother's "horrible half-changed voice."
* WhamLine: From Josh to Jessica after she blurts out Daphne's secret:
-->Who are you thinking about, Jess? Yourself or Daphne? If you want things to keep getting worse and worse for Daphne, just keep it all a secret. But don't blame me when the old lady dies or the kids get sick or the house burns down when a candle falls over.
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* RageBreakingPoint: Daphne survives an entire school year of constant bullying without so much as a shiver. The straw that finally breaks the camel's back is when Jessica hides in a bathroom to avoid Michelle and Tracy seeing them together.
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* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: Inverted: Old photographs of Mrs. Woodleigh show her as a happy and beautiful young woman.
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* [[IWasQuiteALooker She Was Quite a Looker]]: Old photographs of Mrs. Woodleigh show her as a happy and beautiful young woman.
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* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: Inverted: Old photographs of Mrs. Woodleigh show her as a happy and beautiful young woman.
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* PuppyLove: Tracy is excited about skating couples with Scott and the possibility that he'll ask her to "go with him."
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* ShoutOut: To a number of classic picture books and novels:
** ''Literature/GreatExpectations''
** ''Green Mansions''
** ''In the Night Kitchen''
** ''Make Way for Ducklings''
** ''The Story About Ping''
** ''Literature/TheSnowyDay''
** ''Literature/TheVeryHungryCaterpillar''
** ''Literature/WhereTheWildThingsAre''
** ''Literature/GreatExpectations''
** ''Green Mansions''
** ''In the Night Kitchen''
** ''Make Way for Ducklings''
** ''The Story About Ping''
** ''Literature/TheSnowyDay''
** ''Literature/TheVeryHungryCaterpillar''
** ''Literature/WhereTheWildThingsAre''
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* NotAfraidOfYouAnymore: Daphne silently sends this message to her bullies by ignoring them. Most of them get bored of teasing her, since she never reacts.
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* LocalHangout: The popular kids spend Friday nights at Skateland, a local roller rink. Jessica hates it there and never goes.
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* RainRainGoAway: The story takes place throughout a gray and rainy Maryland winter.
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''Daphne's Book'' is a 1983 children's novel by Creator/MaryDowningHahn.
Bookish seventh-grader Jessica balks when her English teacher pairs her up with Daphne, the quietest and most picked-on girl in her class, to create a picture book for a local contest. As they work together, Jessica and Daphne--plus Hope, Daphne's little sister--forge a strong bond, enough to withstand the teasing of the popular kids. But it doesn't take long for Jessica to discover a terrible secret that Daphne is keeping from everyone at school. As Daphne and Hope's home life grows worse and worse, Jessica grapples with the choice of keeping her friend's confidence or telling someone the truth.
----
!!This book contains examples of:
* AlphaBitch: Michelle and Sherry
* [[BigBrotherInstinct Big Sister Instinct]]: Daphne is very protective of Hope and does whatever she can to make their situation as positive as possible.
* BigEater:
** Jessica's older brother, Josh, is almost never seen doing anything but stuffing his face.
** PlayedForDrama with Hope: She'll eat as much as she can keep down [[spoiler:when she can come by food, because there's barely anything to eat at home.]]
* BittersweetEnding:
** [[spoiler:Social workers track down some distant relations of Daphne and Hope who are willing to take them in. Unfortunately this means they must move several states away.]]
** Also the ending to Jessica and Daphne's story: [[spoiler:The mice have not found Sir Benjamin, but Princess Heatherfern vows to keep looking.]]
* BrattyHalfPint: Tony is always the first to mouth off in class.
* TheBully: Several students in the class, but most notably Tony and Michelle.
* BullyMagnet: Jessica is this, being smaller and more bookish than most of her class.
* CatsAreMean: Jessica's cat, Snuff. Averted with Raven, the kitten she receives from Hope.
* CheerfulChild: Hope, in spite of everything.
* CivilizedAnimal: The mice in Jessica and Daphne's story act like typical fantasy characters: the KnightInShiningArmor, the PrincessClassic, the WizardClassic, the WitchClassic, and TheBabyOfTheBunch. Ultimately they're still mice, however, since their greatest enemy is a cat.
* ClassTrip: Mr. O'Brien takes his class to the public library so they can get inspired to write their own picture books.
* CoolTeacher: Mr. O'Brien, the girls' English teacher. He can be a SternTeacher when the kids get mouthy, but he's ultimately kind and understanding.
* DarkSecret: [[spoiler:Daphne and Hope live in abject poverty with their senile grandmother.]]
* DisappearedDad:
** Daphne and Hope's father [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar was killed in Vietnam]].
** Jessica and Josh's father moved to California following his divorce from their mother.
* DyingDeclarationOfHate: [[spoiler:Mrs. Woodleigh uses her final moments to blame Daphne and Hope for keeping her son away.]]
* EmbarrassingNickname: Tony gets almost the entire class to refer to Daphne as "Daffy."
* AFriendInNeed: The central theme of the story.
* GoalInLife: Jessica and Daphne dream of becoming a professional writer-illustrator team.
* GrowingUpSucks:
** Daphne is forced to be the adult of the house as a middle schooler.
** How Jessica feels about her increasingly distant friendship with Tracy.
* HiddenDepths: Besides Mr. O'Brien, Jessica is the first to discover Daphne's talent for drawing.
* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Jessica doesn't much care for Tracy's new crowd, but she tries to stay on their good side just to keep her best friend.
* ImNotHungry: Daphne hates to accept food from other people. This may be out of pride or a desire to avoid hinting at how hungry she really is.
* InnocentBetaBitch: Tracy, to Michelle and Sherry. She's never outright mean to anyone, but she doesn't do much to defend their targets [[spoiler:until they all get a glimpse into Daphne's situation.]]
* ISeeDeadPeople: Mrs. Woodleigh believes she can see and speak to her dead son. Hope is starting to believe she can see him as well.
* ItsAllMyFault: Jessica blames herself for [[spoiler:Daphne and Hope being taken from their home by Social Services.]]
* IWishedYouWereDead: Daphne admits to feeling this way about her grandmother.
* KeepingSecretsSucks: Jessica's dilemma throughout the second half of the story.
* KickTheDog: Michelle and Sherry keep right on mocking Daphne behind her back after they witness Mrs. Woodleigh's behavior at the supermarket. [[TheDogBitesBack Jessica finally yells at them]] [[BigShutUp to shut up]], shocking them into silence.
* MamaBear: Upon learning the truth about their lives, Jessica's mom is determined to help Daphne and Hope.
* OrphanageOfFear: Downplayed: The staff at the orphanage [[spoiler:where Daphne and Hope are taken following their grandmother's death]] are more apathetic than scary, but the place looks plenty grim.
* ParentWithNewParamour: Jessica and Josh's mother has a serious boyfriend, Ed, about whom they have mixed feelings.
* PlayingSick: Daphne claims she has mononucleosis and may not be able to return to school for weeks until she is well. [[spoiler:In reality she's skipping school to care for Hope and their grandmother.]]
* TheQuietOne: Daphne never says a word to anyone in school.
* ScatterbrainedSenior: PlayedForDrama: Mrs. Woodleigh is senile enough to believe her son is still alive and being forced by the military to remain in Vietnam indefinitely.
* SchoolForcedUsTogether: The catalyst behind Jessica and Daphne's friendship.
* SchoolIsForLosers: Mrs. Woodleigh has led Hope, who already knows how to read, to believe that she and Daphne are too smart to bother with school.
* ThatCloudLooksLike: Hope imagines a small cloud as a lost lamb.
Bookish seventh-grader Jessica balks when her English teacher pairs her up with Daphne, the quietest and most picked-on girl in her class, to create a picture book for a local contest. As they work together, Jessica and Daphne--plus Hope, Daphne's little sister--forge a strong bond, enough to withstand the teasing of the popular kids. But it doesn't take long for Jessica to discover a terrible secret that Daphne is keeping from everyone at school. As Daphne and Hope's home life grows worse and worse, Jessica grapples with the choice of keeping her friend's confidence or telling someone the truth.
----
!!This book contains examples of:
* AlphaBitch: Michelle and Sherry
* [[BigBrotherInstinct Big Sister Instinct]]: Daphne is very protective of Hope and does whatever she can to make their situation as positive as possible.
* BigEater:
** Jessica's older brother, Josh, is almost never seen doing anything but stuffing his face.
** PlayedForDrama with Hope: She'll eat as much as she can keep down [[spoiler:when she can come by food, because there's barely anything to eat at home.]]
* BittersweetEnding:
** [[spoiler:Social workers track down some distant relations of Daphne and Hope who are willing to take them in. Unfortunately this means they must move several states away.]]
** Also the ending to Jessica and Daphne's story: [[spoiler:The mice have not found Sir Benjamin, but Princess Heatherfern vows to keep looking.]]
* BrattyHalfPint: Tony is always the first to mouth off in class.
* TheBully: Several students in the class, but most notably Tony and Michelle.
* BullyMagnet: Jessica is this, being smaller and more bookish than most of her class.
* CatsAreMean: Jessica's cat, Snuff. Averted with Raven, the kitten she receives from Hope.
* CheerfulChild: Hope, in spite of everything.
* CivilizedAnimal: The mice in Jessica and Daphne's story act like typical fantasy characters: the KnightInShiningArmor, the PrincessClassic, the WizardClassic, the WitchClassic, and TheBabyOfTheBunch. Ultimately they're still mice, however, since their greatest enemy is a cat.
* ClassTrip: Mr. O'Brien takes his class to the public library so they can get inspired to write their own picture books.
* CoolTeacher: Mr. O'Brien, the girls' English teacher. He can be a SternTeacher when the kids get mouthy, but he's ultimately kind and understanding.
* DarkSecret: [[spoiler:Daphne and Hope live in abject poverty with their senile grandmother.]]
* DisappearedDad:
** Daphne and Hope's father [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar was killed in Vietnam]].
** Jessica and Josh's father moved to California following his divorce from their mother.
* DyingDeclarationOfHate: [[spoiler:Mrs. Woodleigh uses her final moments to blame Daphne and Hope for keeping her son away.]]
* EmbarrassingNickname: Tony gets almost the entire class to refer to Daphne as "Daffy."
* AFriendInNeed: The central theme of the story.
* GoalInLife: Jessica and Daphne dream of becoming a professional writer-illustrator team.
* GrowingUpSucks:
** Daphne is forced to be the adult of the house as a middle schooler.
** How Jessica feels about her increasingly distant friendship with Tracy.
* HiddenDepths: Besides Mr. O'Brien, Jessica is the first to discover Daphne's talent for drawing.
* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Jessica doesn't much care for Tracy's new crowd, but she tries to stay on their good side just to keep her best friend.
* ImNotHungry: Daphne hates to accept food from other people. This may be out of pride or a desire to avoid hinting at how hungry she really is.
* InnocentBetaBitch: Tracy, to Michelle and Sherry. She's never outright mean to anyone, but she doesn't do much to defend their targets [[spoiler:until they all get a glimpse into Daphne's situation.]]
* ISeeDeadPeople: Mrs. Woodleigh believes she can see and speak to her dead son. Hope is starting to believe she can see him as well.
* ItsAllMyFault: Jessica blames herself for [[spoiler:Daphne and Hope being taken from their home by Social Services.]]
* IWishedYouWereDead: Daphne admits to feeling this way about her grandmother.
* KeepingSecretsSucks: Jessica's dilemma throughout the second half of the story.
* KickTheDog: Michelle and Sherry keep right on mocking Daphne behind her back after they witness Mrs. Woodleigh's behavior at the supermarket. [[TheDogBitesBack Jessica finally yells at them]] [[BigShutUp to shut up]], shocking them into silence.
* MamaBear: Upon learning the truth about their lives, Jessica's mom is determined to help Daphne and Hope.
* OrphanageOfFear: Downplayed: The staff at the orphanage [[spoiler:where Daphne and Hope are taken following their grandmother's death]] are more apathetic than scary, but the place looks plenty grim.
* ParentWithNewParamour: Jessica and Josh's mother has a serious boyfriend, Ed, about whom they have mixed feelings.
* PlayingSick: Daphne claims she has mononucleosis and may not be able to return to school for weeks until she is well. [[spoiler:In reality she's skipping school to care for Hope and their grandmother.]]
* TheQuietOne: Daphne never says a word to anyone in school.
* ScatterbrainedSenior: PlayedForDrama: Mrs. Woodleigh is senile enough to believe her son is still alive and being forced by the military to remain in Vietnam indefinitely.
* SchoolForcedUsTogether: The catalyst behind Jessica and Daphne's friendship.
* SchoolIsForLosers: Mrs. Woodleigh has led Hope, who already knows how to read, to believe that she and Daphne are too smart to bother with school.
* ThatCloudLooksLike: Hope imagines a small cloud as a lost lamb.
