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Rachel Sinclair comes from a family that excels at education. With two professors for parents and academically gifted sisters, her direction is somewhat aimless due to her being bored at school. When her fifth grade teacher Ms. Horn challenges Rachel to be excellent, she decides to accept the challenge and sets a goal for herself to become a teacher. Burning through her coursework, she graduates at seventeen with her Bachelor's in education and plans to spread her educational methodology to students everywhere to inspire similar success. The local teacher's union, however, discourages any kind of radical change and advises Rachel to stick to the core curriculum. When Rachel refuses, the union tries to make her life as miserable as it can, but Rachel refuses to back down from anything less than excellence in her path as an educator.
This work of fiction carries with it real frustrations about the world we live in, particularly those of a standardized education. While that gives the book a somewhat political leaning in ways, it also stands on its own as a fine story about maximizing the value of an education and pushing children to reach their full potential rather than simply catering to the average. The drama is constant, with the villainous union looming behind every corner trying to sabotage Rachel, her plans as an educator, and eventually her schools and her family. When the story takes one of its last dramatic turns, readers will be shocked and won't be able to put the book down. The end result is a thought-provoking tale that will have readers asking questions about real world educational issues.