Julie really likes the new girl in her class, Carla Warner. Still, there's something odd about her. The things Carla says don't quite add up, and she seems to avoid answering certain questions. At first Julie is sure there's a sensible explanation, but as Carla's stories become more outlandish, Julia can't escape a disturbing fact: either her new friend is lying—or she's in real danger.

Julie discovers a mysterious note written in Chinese. She brings it to her friend Ivy to translate, and learns that the note once belonged to Ivy's grandmother, from long ago when she was a girl immigrating from China to San Francisco. The note promises great treasure, but it doesn't quite make sense—it's almost as if the writer was sending a secret message in code. Soon after the discovery of the note, Julie's and Ivy's beloved dolls are stolen. Who would do such a thing, and why? Seeking clues, Julie and Ivy search all over Chinatown and even visit the immigration station on Angel Island. Gradually, Julie realizes that in order to find the doll thief, she must figure out the real message hidden in the Chinese note.

When an oil spill threatens the sea birds of San Francisco, Julie is eager to participate in an auction to raise money for the clean-up efforts. But then she learns her friend T.J. is in trouble. In the process of uncovering the clues that may prove T.J.'s innocence, she begins to wonder whether the people involved with the auction may be keeping some awful secrets.

Julie is excited to take care of Lucy, a talking parrot, while her friend Ivy is on vacation. But soon she realizes that she has taken on more than she can handle. Then Julie discovers that an old friend is hiding secrets from her. Could he be responsible for the strange things happening at Ivy's house? Or is someone—or something—else to blame? An illustrated "Looking Back" section describes the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill, plus the increase in vegetarianism in the 1970s.

When Julie visits Gold Moon Ranch, a farming commune in California's gold rush country, the back-to-the-land lifestyle seems idyllic at first. But peculiar problems keep cropping up - almost as if someone was trying to shut down the commune! Then, on a secret trip to an abandoned gold mine, Julie stumbles on a mysterious message that hints at long-lost treasure. Julie is desperate to find it before danger closes in on Gold Moon Ranch.