As she heads into sixth grade, Mia Tang thinks it's going to be the best year ever. She and her parents now own the Calivista Motel, Mia gets to run the front desk with her best friend, Lupe, and Mia is finally getting acknowledged for her writing. But when school starts, Mia's new teacher doesn't think her writing is all that great and her whole class finds out that she lives and works in a motel. In addition, the motel is struggling and a new immigration law is on the ballot in the upcoming elections and if it passes, it will threaten everyone in Mia's life. As she deals with school trouble and difficult questions of immigration and racism, Mia will have to rely on all her determination and her friends in order to make it through.