Life for four middle schoolers in New York City can be tough. David's dad has bipolar disorder. Alexa's new stepmother will never be able to fill her mom's shoes. Tiffany's dad acts like he'd rather be at the bar than at home with his family. And Albert's got a family secret he can't even tell his best friend.All these four strangers want is to be normal, but it seems like they're cursed to be outcasts no matter how hard they try. That is until they hear about a special school on New York City's Upper East Side that's meant for kids who stand out.Thanks to a lot of hard work, their new school, a magical teacher, and each other, these four misfits soon find that being different makes them something much better than normal. . . . It makes them friends.