Emmy is "quiet as a mouse" in school. All the other children call her "little mouse", a name that makes her feel worse. She thinks that everyone is mad at her for being quiet until a counselor helps her parents and teacher understand that Emmy needs gentle encouragement, not sarcasm or teasing. Learning to face her fears one step at a time, Emmy finds that although sometimes she is still quiet, other times she is as talkative as any of her new friends.