A series of illustrations precedes Chapter 1. A flyer calls for submissions to a “Your Class Writes!” contest in which students create a collective memoir; appended to this is a note from Winnie, the protagonist, addressed to her fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Benetto. She states that the following pages are the class’s submission for the collective memoir contest, and that “I tried to write it like a normal book, even though a lot of it was about me” (1). Following this note, is a news article with the headline “‘Treehouse Ten’ End Two-Week Siege,” which reports that the ninth child has finally left the treehouse, leaving only Winnie, the original instigator in the conflict, still remaining inside. 

Next are doodles by Winnie of the “Tulip Street Ten”—her friends and classmates—each labeled with their name and a short description. The final illustration is a typed letter from Mr. Benetto to Winnie’s parents. He notes that Winnie’s mood is usually withdrawn during class except on Thursdays when she is upbeat and engaged. He deduces that something wonderful must happen to Winnie on