India Wimple can spell. Brilliantly. Every Friday night, she and her family watch the Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee. When the Wimples suggest she enter the next Bee, India says she's not good enough - but her family won't hear it and encourage her to sign up.
There are plenty of obstacles to reaching the finals: something in India's past has made her terribly shy, and moving on to each round involves finding the money to make it happen.
And finally, there's Summer Millicent Ernestine Beauregard-Champion, a spoilt rich girl who is determined to win - and isn't afraid to step on anyone who gets in her way.