Twelve-year-old Ava finds an old pencil in her family's junk drawer and discovers, during a math test, that it will answer factual questions, so she and her best friend Sophie have a great time--and Ava grows in self-confidence--until the pencil reveals a truth about her family that Ava would rather not know.

Serafina is summoned from her village to the magical cottage of a great aunt she has never heard of and learns that she is meant to become the new Baba Yaga, whose magical role is answering the first question any stranger might ask her with the truth.

Persistent young Edward has many questions for his sleepy mother, many of which are answered, "Because it's night time."

Clementine gives creative answers to the many questions that her younger brother Mungo asks.

Questions and answers show the reader that different kinds of hugs can be the answer for many situations.

A youngster experiences the emotions of being the last to be picked up at school.

Lily's continual questioning sometimes annoys her father, but one day it proves very useful.

A little girl asks many questions about the world while taking a walk with her mother.

Dr. Zooper answers questions about life's ordinary puzzles, such as why homework disappears or how a song gets stuck in one's head, by identifying and describing different kinds of Mischievians.

Children ask different adults and themselves about death and receive a wide variety of answers. Includes an afterword and suggestions for parents.