Eleven-year-old Ellie McDoodle illustrates her sketchbook with chronicles of her adventures and mishaps while camping with her cousins, aunt, and uncle.
Ellie pet-sits for her neighbor's African grey parrot Alix, about whom she is writing a report, while her family argues over whether to get a cat or a dog, and her little brother accidentally lets Alix out of his cage, all of which is chronicled in Ellie's ever-present sketchbook.
Ellie loves the Journey of the Mind club and struggles to keep from failing miserably on her soccer team, but when both groups have tournaments the same day, she musters her team spirit and tries to succeed at both.
When Ellie McDoodle signs up to help with her school's production of The Wizard of Oz, she gets more than she bargained for as she helps paint sets, plan costumes, and cast the show, which leads to her first big fight with best friend Mo.
Ellie McDoodle is excited about starting a school newspaper and serving as editor, so when her friends and family convince her to run for class president--against her new crush, Jake--she is disappointed to have to give up the job temporarily, but is soon caught up in making posters and speeches and getting to know Jake better.