Original Air Date: 11 April 1993
Everyone is working in the local community garden, a successful place that's bursting with action. Kids come to play, rabbits live peacefully, and Lenni's friend Sally runs a free food program with the vegetables grown there. Gaby is digging in the garden when she complains of a headache and suddenly collapses. Everyone rushes to help her and they take her home, though Gaby doesn't know why she fainted. While she's resting in bed, Jamal drops off a container of chicken vegetable soup that his grandmother made. Alex assures everyone that his sister will be fine but when she collapses again, her father takes her to the hospital. Alex realizes that other kids have gotten sick in the neighborhood and recently, the rabbits in the garden have died. The team gets together and creates a survey that they use to ask everyone in the neighborhood. They discover that most people who got sick had been in the garden or eaten vegetables from it. Ghostwriter helps them dig up the source of the problem: barrels of toxic waste were buried inside the garden.

Season 1, Episode 28: Over a Barrel: Part 2

Original Air Date: 18 April 1993
The kids find out it will take at least six months until the government can move the barrels of toxic waste out of the garden. They're disappointed until they notice Fanny Mae Banner's show at Lenni's house. She's a well-known journalist who catches wrongdoers live on television. They want her to humiliate the person who dumped the barrels in front of a whole audience but Banner only handles scandals and other hot topics. The team decides to find the culprit themselves and force that person to remove the barrels as soon as possible. Gaby hears that the rabbits in the garden died and gets scared. Alex reads up on technocloroethelyne (also known as perc)and its hazardous effects but the doctor assures him that his sister hasn't been exposed for long and there's no trace of perc in her body. As long as people stay out of the garden, they will be safe. Meanwhile, Tuan, Tina's older brother, gets into a fight with his father because he's been ditching school for band practice so all of the siblings are grounded. Tina reminds him that all of her friends must listen to their parents-it's not just about Vietnamese traditions. When her parents walk in they find Tuan playing a song while little sister Linda sings for him. He apologizes to his father for speaking disrespectfully. Tina's parents agree to let them spend time with their friends as long as they continue going to school and helping out at home. Rob and Lenni visit Eco Safe, the company that made the barrels of perc. A director says they sell chemicals to various businesses but Eco Safe didn't dump the barrels in the garden. Whoever did so was doing something illegal instead of recycling them or sending them to a landfill. Rob has a list of identification numbers from the barrels that Ghostwriter picked up. Eco Safe tracks the numbers to the business that bought the perc: French Garment Cleaners. They go there and run into Momo, who works at the place. The kids ask him what his boss does with perc and he explains that a hauler comes to pick it up when they're done. But before he can explain who it is, Momo runs off. The team goes back to Lenni's house to go over some clues when Lenni gets a strange phone call. A man quickly urges her to meet him in a few minutes and he will give them information they need. When she asks who it is, he hangs up.

Season 1, Episode 29: Over a Barrel: Part 3

Original Air Date: 25 April 1993
Lenni and Rob meet the mysterious person who turns out to be Momo. He's heard about the perc and wants to help them out. He explains that his boss has records in his office of various haulers that take things away from the store but he can't get into it yet. The kids know that probably whoever hauled away the perc dumped it into the garden. Ghostwriter finds the name of the hauler: Miller Haulers, run by John Miller. Lenni comes home to find Sally and her father fixing dinner. Uncomfortable with seeing them together, she snaps at them and runs into her room. She writes to Ghostwriter and tells him that she's scared. Later that night she talks to her father, who assures her that no matter who he meets, nobody will make him forget her mother. Lenni feels better as they hug each other. Alex and Tina go to Miller Haulers for clues. Mr. Miller is a successful businessman and generous local philanthropist who will be honored at Hurston School in a few days. They overhear him yelling over the phone about getting certain papers and a shredder, which seems suspicious to them. They believe that he will try to destroy evidence including the invoices (bills) from French Garment Cleaners. Those receipts confirm that Miller took away the barrels and is responsible for dumping them. They ask Momo for help in stopping Miller but he says he can't. Without any solid evidence, the kids can't catch Miller for poisoning their garden.

Season 1, Episode 30: Over a Barrel: Part 4

Original Air Date: 25 April 1993
Alex and Tina head over to Miller Haulers and Tina uses her video camera to catch Mr. Miller feeding the invoices into a shredder. Tina can't see the writing close enough but it shows that he is destroying any evidence against him. They're almost caught by Miller so Alex drags them into a garbage truck to hide. Tina panics until Alex assures her, "Whatever happens, at least we're together." Then they kiss. Back at Lenni's house, they show the video and shredded invoices to their friends but they realize more proof is needed. So they write out a letter to Fanny Mae Banner describing a scandal in Brooklyn and how "Mr. Citizen of the Year" has poisoned their garden. She loves the story and is willing to do it as long as they have a witness. The kids get Momo's boss to testify since Miller broke into his office and stole the invoices. Tina makes an important point. Besides bringing Miller down, they should put pressure on him to remove the barrels immediately. So the kids all make signs telling him what the toxic waste has done to them. At the award ceremony, Mr. Miller is giving a speech when suddenly Fanny Mae Banner shows up on the stage and denounces him. Mr. Miller tries to defend himself but there's enough proof to show he's the one who dumped the perc into their garden. The kids all pull out their posters and shout at him, "Barrels Out Now!!" until Mr. Miller agrees to remove them. He's arrested and lead out of the auditorium by Officer Cole. The kids celebrate their victory and are brought onto the stage by Fanny Mae Banner for a photo shot.

Season 1, Episode 31: Building Bridges: Part 1

Original Air Date: 25 April 1993
Lenni and Alex are excited about running Huston's upcoming Star Jam Talent Show but a sudden increase in local violence is making all of the kids worried. Their friend Kiambu is robbed and beaten up. Rumors are spreading that a new gang has moved into the neighborhood. Everyone is sent home with notes to their parents, assuring that Hurston School will do everything possible to keep the students safe. Jamal has daydreams about asking Jasmine to the Star Jam but he's too nervous to ask her in person. Walter is annoyed with Lenni, Alex, and Kiambu so he walks out on the Star Jam committee leaving them to work out the details. Meanwhile, Rob is working on an article for the school paper about Hurston's track team. He befriends Victor Torres, a new kid who moved into the neighborhood two months ago. The two of them practice a little running and Victor shows Rob a gold necklace of his initials as a personal symbol. While walking home together, they run into Victor's former gang, the Thunderheads. The leader, Miguel, was once Victor's friend and gave him the gold chain. Miguel cautions Victor about severing his ties with the Thunderheads and call Rob a "White Boy". The insult bothers Rob who's never been called names before. He goes to Jamal to talk about it and Jamal reminds him that some people say hurtful things because they're too scared or unable to understand other people. Everyone shows up at Hurston School the next day only to find the hallways trashed. Lockers have been broken open, papers litter the floor, and graffiti is sprayed on the walls with the words, "Bust up Hurston!!" Rob notices a familiar symbol has also been spray painted on the walls: the Thunderheads logo.

Season 1, Episode 32: Building Bridges: Part 2

Original Air Date: 2 May 1993
The team begins a list of suspects to find out who trashed the school. They've already got the Thunderheads down because their logo was found on the school wall and Walter Haines too because he's furious at the Star Jam committee. The Ghostwriter team wants to put Victor Torres down as a suspect but Rob insists that he's innocent. Rob goes to visit Victor who lives in a noisy rundown neighborhood. He's introduced to Victor's older brother Quincy, who is confined to a wheelchair. Rob asks Victor why he wasn't in school and tells him about the graffiti. Victor insists he has nothing to do with it. He and Rob head out to a park for some clear air and he shows Rob a rap he wrote for his brother. Rob discovers that Quincy was shot in a gang war and will never walk again. That's what convinced Victor to leave the Thunderheads. Ms. Kelly, the principal, tells the Star Jam Committee that they might have to cancel the talent show because parents are worried about the violence. Lenni suggests turning the Star Jam into a Community Jam Against Violence where the show is open to the public so everyone can perform. They launch a new campaign and ask all of the students to sign a petition. Ms. Kelly is so impressed with the results that she calls a school assembly together and announces that it will go on. Victor tells Rob that some things are missing from his backpack. Alex asks Jamal if he's talked to Jasmine yet. Jamal says he hasn't but he brags that he's so "hot" that she'll melt as his feet. An annoyed Jasmine overhears Jamal and turns him down on the spot. Jamal is embarrassed while Alex walks off laughing. Lenni meets up with Rob and they both start getting to work in the computer lab on different projects. Suddenly, Ghostwriter picks up a message: "Hurston is for Wimps!!" The two kids race into the auditorium and find the place trashed, along with the message spray painted in graffiti.

Season 1, Episode 33: Building Bridges: Part 3

Original Air Date: 9 May 1993
The students discover their auditorium has also been vandalized. Rob find's Victor's signature gold chain on the ground and thinks someone has planted it there to frame him. While typing in his room, Jamal pours out his frustrations to Ghostwriter who suggests that Jamal writes an apology letter to Jasmine. He delivers it in person and she accepts his apology as well as an invitation to go to the Star Jam with him. The team goes over their evidence and they add a new suspect: Tony Boyd, the second best runner on the track team. He's jealous of Victor's recent success, Rob informs them. The team needs the gold necklace as evidence but Rob begs for one more day to prove Victor is innocent. Later on he confronts Victor in school and finds out that Victor's private notebook is missing too. Rob wants to help him find it but Victor is furious and suspects that Rob is also against him. He can't take the pressure at Hurston with everyone assuming that he's guilty. Rob assures Victor that he's a trustworthy friend but Victor just storms out. When Victor doesn't show up for several days, Rob gets concerned. He asks Ghostwriter to find a place with Thunderhead logos, writing, and Victor's signature. Ghostwriter gives him an address that Rob follows, hoping he'll find Victor. Instead he wanders into the Thunderheads hangout. The place is deserted so Rob turns to leave when suddenly, the Thunderheads show up in the doorway.

Season 1, Episode 34: Building Bridges: Part 4

Original Air Date: 4 July 1993
The Thunderheads are furious that Rob found their hangout and start beating him up. Suddenly Victor runs in and yells at them to leave Rob alone. Miguel asks Victor to prove his loyalty to the Thunderheads while Rob begs him to come back to school. Victor reluctantly turns down Miguel's offer. He reminds Miguel that he saved him once in a gang fight so Miguel owes him a favor. He tells the Thunderheads to let Rob go but Victor's no longer accepted into their gang ever again. As they leave the hangout, Victor fumes at Rob for his stupidity but he's glad to see his friend was concerned about him. Back at Victor's house, Rob realizes that the notebook is still missing so perhaps it's still with the real culprit. He asks for a copy of the rap Victor wrote and asks Ghostwriter to track it down. The notebook is in Tony Boyd's bag. Tony is forced to open it up for a teacher and they find the notebook along with a can of spray paint. He admits to framing Victor for taking away his position the track team. Tony is directed to go call his parents and it is likely he will be suspended. Victor thanks Rob for helping him out. Later on, Rob wants to write an article about being caught by the Thunderheads but he's too scared to let it out. Ghostwriter suggests using specific words and scenes to imagine what happened. Rob begins with "Hands" and writes out a personal message about being attacked. He feels much better when he's done. The Star Jam turns out to be a huge success. Lenni sings her introduction speech about coming together to end violence, Tina and Gaby have a song and dance, and Victor performs his rap for his brother. Grandma Jenkins gets on the stage to congratulate the kids on a great job and everyone joins her in singing Lenni's song again.