"Eight-year-old Sadiq wants to try out for the youth football team like his friends, but his parents feel he is too young, and instead suggest that he take up running and join the track club--Sadiq feels that running is wimpy, but the coach convinces him that running races can be fun as well"--Title verso page.

Sadiq's class is visiting the pond on a nature field trip, but the dead fish they find there is disturbing; when he finds that the likely cause is pollution, he and a group of his classmates form the Clean Water Crew to do what they can to help clean up not just their pond, but other bodies of water as well.

"Sadiq and his friends are starting a video game club at school and planning a tournament for the whole school to participate in, but their teacher reminds them that they also have to have a service pledge, and they are not really sure how video games fit in with the goal of helping others--until a visit to an assisted living home where his mother volunteers gives him an idea."--

"Ms. Battersby has announced that Sadiq's third-grade class will be having elections for student government! Everyone is buzzing with excitement, but Sadiq isn't sure about any of it. Should he run for one of the positions? He does lots of research and gets good advice from his parents and siblings. Watching an inspiring speech finally helps him decide exactly what he wants to do. But when a good friend has the same idea, Sadiq questions his decision....

His school is starting a newspaper club, and Sadiq wants to be a reporter--but he is troubled because the editor-in-chief, Katy, seems more intent on embarrassing people with gossip than in reporting actual news stories.