Three hilarious short stories in one book: 'Penny Dreadful and the Best Friend' in which Penny finds herself getting on unusually well with her arch-enemy; the title story, in which a case of chicken pox, and the ensuing time off school, mean that Penny is forced to make her own entertainment; and 'Penny Dreadful Becomes a Tycoon' in which Penny and Cosmo devise a helmet that can expand your brain, in order to win a TV game show.