Abdul loves telling stories but thinks his messy handwriting and spelling mistakes will keep him from becoming an author, until Mr. Muhammad visits and encourages him to persist.

Carolyn has been practicing cursive handwriting, but is frustrated by her lack of success. Her classmate, Stacey Coolidge, has no problem with it, creating more self doubt for Carolyn. Carolyn's teacher finds a way to convince her that creative writing and cursive handwriting are two unrelated skills.