Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice.
Exposition (Initial Situation)
Dear Reader, I Am Leigh
Leigh is a normal kid with two parents and a dog. He's writing fan mail to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw.
Rising Action (Conflict, Complication)
Troubling Things
When Mom finds Mr. Henshaw's list of questions for Leigh, there's a mild scuffle, and Leigh ends up answering them and not being happy about it. What this really does is continue the exposition by giving us more info on Leigh and his family. It introduces the main problems in the book, which are basically that he doesn't hear from his dad and that someone's stealing the good stuff from his lunches.
Leigh probes his mom about his dad and tries to believe his dad is interested in him, all while trying to protect his lunch by writing a pseudonym on his lunch bag or taping it shut. Unfortunately, he does finally connect with his dad and hears another kid in the background talking about going out for pizza. Oh, no.
Climax (Crisis, Turning Point)
To Kick or Not to Kick
Leigh is so upset about his dad and the pizza kid, and so frustrated with the lunch thief, that he picks up a random lunch bag and takes it into the hall to drop kick it to Mars. Mr. Fridley shows up and acts all dad-like, talking him down and sending him back to class to think things over.
Falling Action
Things Are Falling Into Place
Leigh gets a great idea for a new story for the school writing competition and starts the ball rolling to build a lunchbox alarm. He writes a winning story, makes an alarm that stops the thief, and gets a friend in the bargain.
Resolution (Denouement)
Acceptance
By now, Leigh has figured out that he can't really count on his dad, but it's nice that he finally shows up at the end. Dad admits he misses Mom and Leigh, but Mom says they're not getting back together. Bandit is back (and leaves again), and Leigh finally accepts that this is the way things are gonna be with his dad. He can love his dad and be disappointed, too. Somehow, we think Leigh is over the worst.