Eleven-year-old tomboy Lucy feels betrayed by everyone when a bobcat stalks the neighborhood, her friend Mora suddenly becomes boy-crazy about Lucy's best friend, and the town considers selling the soccer field where she plays.
Facing up to a cheater at an elite soccer day camp and some difficult events at home helps eleven-year-old Lucy do some growing up during a summer which, while very different from the one she imagined, turns out to be just right.
As twelve-year-old Lucy prepares for the Olympic Development Program soccer try-outs, she struggles with the complexities of middle school, her relationship with her best friend, and Aunt Karen, who is trying to take over her life while her father is away.