When Bernie was in third grade, she thought Mr. Soren was the most amazing teacher in the universe. He played games, did wood shop, and every Friday they'd had movies and popcorn. Now that she's in fifth grade, Mr. Soren, the coolest teacher in the Universe, is her teacher once again. But unfathomably, he's now worse than Miss Boggs, all because he's making the class keep a journal of all the things that happen in their lives. What'd Bernie expected to be a wonderful fifth-grade year is off to a really revolting start.