Mallory McDonald is turning 9! And she's ready to celebrate getting through the past year--one troubled with moving, starting a new school, making new friends, and sibling rivalry. Mallory wants her ninth birthday to be extra special, so she plans an entire "birthday month" celebration. But soon, things aren't going according to plan, and Mallory frets that being nine may be just as difficult as being eight. Is there anything she can do to turn her unhappy birthday into a happy one?