The day I entered the classroom for the very first time, I was floating on a cloud of happiness. For ten-year-old Dora Cookson, going to school for the first time is a dream come true. After moving from Utah to a homestead in New Mexico, Dora can't wait to start school, to learn, and to make new friends. There's only one problem -- Dora may be as old as the fourth graders, but she has to start in the first grade. Some kids snicker and say it's because she's dumb. But one girl named Cora Beth doesn't think so, and becomes Dora's first friend at school. Soon Dora and Cora Beth are doing just about everything together, from practicing writing and spelling to playing with their favorite dolls to jumping rope. With the help of Cora Beth and her teacher, Dora is working hard to catch up to her grade. Then an unexpected event changes their lives forever. After tragedy strikes, will Dora be able to catch up and pass the test to get into the fifth grade? Or are other things more important now?