It's 1963. Su-Ling moves to America with a suitcase, a handful of English expressions, and a secret she hopes no one will ever know. Her efforts to fit in at school backfire, until she makes a new friend, Miriam, who has a few secrets of her own. Together they take on Su-Ling's biggest challenge yet-to win the chance to represent her school in the county spelling bee. But she can only get there if she can beat Dave, the smartest boy in the school-and her secret crush!