Silvy's twelfth birthday is coming up and she wants to invite Mabelee, who’s African American, to the party. However, Silvy's mother and grandmother object. "Mabelee has her own friends," they tell her, and even though Silvy and Mabelee were best friends when they were little, that time has passed. Mabelee has new friends and no time for Silvy. They're busy painting the old school and raising money for schoolbooks, and Mabelee has started calling her "Miss Silvy" whenever they meet. Silvy's not alone for long, though. Glamorous Allie Rae moves to town with her mother, and she and Silvy like all the same things — "dying stories, riding trees, and talking dirty in disguise." Silvy thinks she's found a friend her mother and grandmother will like, but even Allie Rae has some tacky things to say about Mabelee and her friends, and Silvy's not sure who to side with. Things come to a head when the Supreme Court desegregates the schools, and Silvy’s small Texas town is in an uproar. Where will Silvy stand?