Twins Amy and Lesley Carter get tired of people treating them exactly the same, right down to giving them identical birthday cards and presents. They set out for some individuality and hope people get the message and stop treating them identical just because they are twins.
Samantha Brent is the only female in the household and does not shine at sport like her brothers. This has her brothers and father taking her for granted, expecting her to wait on them all the time, and sneering at her for not being good at sport like them. Fed up with this, Samantha starts to secretly train as a rhythmic gymnast and show her brothers she can be a sporting success too.
Carol Rogers’ mother looked after the invalid Mr Rogers and Gran for many years until they passed over. Now Carol is encouraging her mother to build a social life. But then widower Mr Thomson and his five children move into the street. Carol is worried at the way Mum is getting involved in looking after them when she is just building her social life and does not want her mother to get ideas about marrying Mr Thomson.
Julia Casson’s divorced parents return from overseas, having remarried. This leaves Julia with three “mums” – her mother, new stepmother and Auntie Joyce. Each mum has different ideas on what is best for Julie, such as which school she is to attend. This causes a lot quarrelling, and Julia is caught in the middle.
Jill Jordan’s parents give her second place to her pretty younger sister Lindy. Then Great-Aunt Eva leaves a fortune in trust to the Jordan family – with the condition that any spending of the money must be approved by Jill. All of a sudden, the whole family is treating Jill like a Very Important Person. But the parents are not happy about the condition and are trying to find a way out of it.
Jane Walker and her younger siblings Tom and Susie are living with Pat Ransome and her family with a view to being adopted. But Jane does not like the way Pat seems to be taking over her role of big sister to the siblings, a role Jane views as her prerogative.
Orphaned twins Gary and Lester Stark are trying to find a foster home, but none of them are working out.
Sue (renamed Ann in the reprint) and Helen Harrow feel their widower father needs a new wife to help look after the family and farm. So they set out to find a suitable woman, without telling him, but are not having much success.
The Jonson children advertise for foster parents when their parents’ marriage fails and the mother is hospitalised with a nervous breakdown. There are plenty of replies, but none of the applicants seem to work out.
After Jane Croft’s parents die, she is taken in by her Uncle and Aunt. But Jane’s cousin Carol does not want to share her home with Jane, so she pretends to be friendly while playing tricks to get rid of her.
