Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle, proud of her country roots and the "Indian-ness in her blood," travels from Ohio to Idaho with her eccentric grandparents. Along the way, she tells them of the story of Phoebe Winterbottom, who received mysterious messages, who met a "potential lunatic," and whose mother disappeared. As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe's outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold—the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.

Capricorn Anderson (Cap for short) has never watched a television show. He’s never tasted pizza. He’s never heard of a wedgie. And he has never, even in his wildest dreams, thought he’d live anywhere but the Garland Farm commune with his hippie grandmother and homeschool instructor, Rain. But all this changes when Rain is stuck in the hospital and Cap is sent to Claverage Middle School (dubbed C Average by the kids). Cap doesn't exactly fit in at school, with his long, ungroomed hair and hemp clothes; in fact, he's the biggest nerd around. But when he’s elected eighth grade president as a joke, Cap is more puzzled than ever, and soon the joke grows into something more. Will Cap be the greatest president in the history of C Average or the biggest punch line?