Freddy #12

School Superintendent McHazy gathers Freddy's neighbors and schoolmates for a group photo—including Rip, Mr. Tan-Trum, Peggy, and Horace the band leader—but there's a mix-up when everyone forgets about the kid of the hour himself. Freddy breaks through the chaos to introduce himself and his gang, inviting readers to join in on the fun that's about to unfold in these pages.

When Miss Bunsen assigns the class to bring their pets for a discussion, Freddy shows up with Rupert while his classmates arrive with a talking parrot, a dog, and other animals that quickly turn the classroom into complete pandemonium. As the chaos spirals out of control, things only get worse when one student brings bats and the superintendent arrives to witness the mayhem firsthand.

Freddy and a friend named Tiny head to a movie theater to catch a classic silent film, but their constant snacking—celery, candy bars, and soft drinks—creates so much noise that they practically provide their own sound effects for "The Storm." After the show, their appetite shows no signs of stopping at an all-you-can-eat restaurant, where their legendary consumption eventually forces the establishment to close its doors for good. It's a lighthearted look at what happens when a couple of teenage snack enthusiasts encounter an "all you can eat" challenge they're more than happy to accept.

When Freddy decides to ask a girl named Peggy to the school dance, he's dismayed to learn the event has been postponed—until a rival manages to get it back on for that very night without telling him. Desperate to salvage his evening, Freddy auditions as a singer for Horace and his band, but his competition has other plans: the band ends up recruiting a substitute crooner named Stuff instead, whose musical talents are about as welcome as a cat at a dog show. By the time Freddy realizes what's happened at the dance, it's too late to do anything but regret his bad luck.

Filbert hatches a scheme to win over the glamorous movie star Greta O'Toole by rigging an election to make her class queen—but when she arrives for the big dance, things don't go quite as expected for his rival Flash. Through a mix of cunning and comedy, Filbert discovers that brains just might beat brawn after all.

Freddy's been forced into an awkward silence by fraternity initiation rules—he can't speak to anyone, not even his friend Peggy—but when his suspicious behavior lands him in hot water with the authorities, the misunderstanding finally clears up. Just when he thinks he can apologize and get back to normal, Peggy turns the tables with a surprise of her own.