Nearly-thirteen-year-old Melinda Jia Mackay was adopted from China as a baby, and she has always preferred to stay out of the limelight, reading and writing for her own pleasure--but now she has a summer assignment, so with the help of a new friend, Tyler, and a therapy dog named Odie, she reluctantly hits the streets of New York City in search of her "true passion, " one which she can share with others.