Ruth Mcnally Barshaw: 6 books

When Ellie McDoodle signs up to help with her school's production of The Wizard of Oz, she never expected it to be so much work! There are sets to help paint, costumes to plan, and then there's casting. When her best friend Mo gets cast as the Wicked Witch--and not the coveted Dorothy--Mo and Ellie...

When Ellie McDoodle starts a school newspaper, she gets the scoop on the upcoming class officer elections. Ellie's friends and family convince her to run for president, so she starts a campaign (with lots of creative posters and props, of course). But when the competition gets tough, Ellie is nervous...

Ellie captures all the excruciating and funny details of a dreaded camping trip in her secret journal. Complete with games, songs, weird facts, and more, Ellie's sketch diary soon reveals she's actually having fun! Perfect for sleep-away campers, vacationers, and any kid looking for a great summer...

When her teacher assigns a report on animals, Ellie is stumped about what kind she wants to research. Then a neighbor goes on vacation and asks Ellie to pet-sit for her parrot, Alix. Perfect--exotic bird it will be! Unfortunately, Alix flies the coop...literally. But when Ellie can't lure him back...

Moving to a new house? Bad. Being the new kid? Worse. Ellie's family is moving to a new town, and Ellie is sure she won't fit in at school. The other kids play "new kid bingo" behind her back, and even the teachers can't seem to remember her name. But when her new classmates start...

Poor Ellie. When her best friend, Mo, suggests they try out for soccer together, Ellie isn't convinced she's the athletic type. And sure enough, Ellie can't seem to get her head (or her feet) around the game, even with her dad's coaching. The truth is, Ellie would much rather be doing brain-bending...