A lesson in life for the "Peanuts" gang that marks a departure for the animated series. This half-hour introduces a new character named Janice, a girl who leaves school early one day with unexplained bruises and a high fever. The peaceful world of Charlie Brown and friends is shattered when, deeply concerned, Charlie Brown and Linus visit her at the hospital and she tells them she has leukemia. The diagnosis depresses Linus, who wonders why such a calamity should befall someone so close to him. And Janice herself has to deal with prejudice as well as the disease. The school bully makes fun of her losing her hair, and her sisters are jealous of the attention she gets. The ensuing scenes give young people insight into this life-threatening disease. Original music by Judy Munsen. Vocals by Becky Reardon.