When Dawn's brother Jeff comes from California for a visit, a nice, peaceful family reunion erupts into a feud between the Schafers and the Spiers

Mani Semilla is determined not to go to Guatemala until she finds letters written between her mother and her journalist aunt who has disappeared, revealing both the beauty of the country and its history of violence against women, which slowly transforms her into a budding activist.

Ten-year-old Grace is crushed to learn that her grandparents' bakery might close after thirty years and wonders how her own business, which they inspired, can survive if theirs cannot, but she and her friends use their talents and newly-acquired businessskills to try to save the day.

After her mother's sudden departure, twelve-year-old Salva Sanchez adjusts to her new life in an RV campground with her father, and finds her voice through new friendships and a love for Celia Cruz, the "queen of salsa."