The weekend she turns thirteen, aspiring clothing designer Teresa "Reesie" Boone is separated from her family by Hurricane Katrina but, during the horrific storm and its aftermath, begins to find strength in herself.
Ten-year-old African American singer Melody Ellison decides to fix up her Detroit neighborhood playground and plant a garden, but when her friends put her in charge, Melody finds out just how hard it can be to lead.
With the help of her white friend Marie-Grace, Cecile, a well-to-do black girl in 1853 New Orleans, plans a secret adventure at a Mardi Gras costume ball.