In 1902 fifteen-year-old Rose travels from Ireland to join family members in Chicago, where she must use all her resources to deal with her father's drinking and her brothers' dangerous involvement in politics.
Eight-year-old Jasmin, who lives in Chicago, describes her school, favorite sites to visit, and her city's government, arts, sports, neighborhoods, and tall buildings.
In the midst of a series of unexplained accidents and mysterious coincidences, sixth-graders Calder, Petra, and Tommy lead their classmates in an attempt to keep Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Robie House from being demolished.
