In the overlapping years when childhood and adolescence blend, nothing is certain and everything is changing. Now award-winning author Avi creates seven portraits of life in the middle-school years.

In “What Do Fish Have to Do with Anything,” William wonders why he shouldn't ask questions that have no answers. Is it because he might discover the truth?

Behind the Book

Avi writes:

Books come about for curious reasons. The publisher and editor with whom I had been working happily for a number of years suddenly fell into difficulties. It was no longer possible for me to work with them. This created something of a puzzle for me—with whom should I work? As I was pondering that question, I met with an editor from another publisher. I had once written a short story for an anthology she put together. I spoke of my predicament and she asked me if I’d like to publish a collection of my short stories with her. That seemed a good idea, the more so because I had a few stories in my files. I set about to write a few more, and the collection became What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything. Short stories are hard to write, but fascinating to work upon—so few words—so much to say.