Review Detail

It's 1985, and Ben Bellini lives in Southern California with his parents and younger siblings Erin and Mark. He is interested in studying more to participate in the spelling bee, and even buys the first volume of the Runk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia at the grocery store for 99 cents. He worries that his friends will make fun of his spelling obsession, so when his grandmother arranges for him to study with a former champion, Roger Nott, and live with her in San Francisco, he really wants to go. His mother is reluctant, but relents, and soon Ben is ensconced in his Nan's cool house that she designed and built in 1954. Nan was a pioneer in home design and architecture, but Ben notices that things are a little... off. The house is a mess, and Nan seems to be having trouble remembering things. He arrives late at Nott's bookshop, and thinks that the man won't work with him. He wanders into the nearby library and meets Asha, who is also studying for the bee. He meets Nan's neighbors, like Mrs. Sunabe, whose family were in internment camps during WWII. He does study with Nott, and hangs out with Asha, but when his grandmother has a crisis, he finally gets a hold of his mother (calls are expensive, and there are no cell phones!) and has her come. His mother decides to stay and help ready the house for sale. An epilogue tells us more about Ben and Asha's life.