A witty high school student experiences daily name-calling, insults, and bullying by his peers. He resolves to defy everyone who undermines him by beating the high jump state record at his school's track meet.

A little girl navigates her relationships with two boys in her elementary school class, a brash bully and a shy victim, and learns about the nature of suffering.

A child with an intellectual disability is endlessly abused by his stepmother, but takes refuge in his grandmother’s kindness. However, when his grandmother dies mysteriously in a fire, he finds a different way to cope.

A babysitter attempts to force a shy, stubborn little boy out of his shell, with unexpected consequences when he decides to protest by sitting on the roof.

A boy feels isolated from his group of friends and targets his rage towards the most popular of them all. When he realizes the extent of the influence this enemy wields, he is forced to come to terms with the hopelessness of his situation.

An unusual little girl lives on a potato farm with her family. After she grows up and moves away to live a life on stage, a secret about her father is revealed that changes the way she sees her family and her childhood.

A little girl acts out on purpose for the first time when she hacks her family's knives after her father told her not to.

After a boy finds a dime on the ground, he buys a load of bread — only to have it stolen by his abusive uncle. The boy must decides if he wants to stand up against his uncle, or accept yet another loss.

While witnessing his boys of his neighbor's family commit chaotic damage to the people of the neighborhood, a father continues to show kindness. The neighbor's family faces their own drama until they are no longer a part of the neighborhood.

An afternoon at the park takes an unexpected turn for a mother and her son as the well-established families that they admire turn out to be unhappy people who secretly enjoy the misery of others. As the day progresses, the mother is surprised to learn that she and her son share many negative qualities with those families.