Kanani loves helping out in her family's store and sharing the wonders of Hawaii with visitors. When her chic cousin Rachel from Manhattan comes to stay for a month, Kanani can't wait to get to know her cousin and help Rachel feel at home. But a clash of cultures ensures, and Kanani feels ignored. She tries to extend hospitality but everything she does seems to make Rachel unhappy. How can she find a way to connect with her cousin and make things better? "Sometimes people who want help the least need it the most," her mother tells her. After a mixup with a diary leads to a fight, Kanani reaches out to Rachel in an openhearted spirit of caring and good will, and discovers that she has misjudged her cousin. In the process, Kanani learns the true meaning of Hawaii's "aloha spirit."

Kanani enjoys working at her family's new shave ice stand to raise money to protect the Hawaiian monk seal. If only she hadn't promised her best friend Celina that she would take surfing lessons with her! When the girls' friendship starts to unravel, Kanani finds herself spending summer days alone—and loney. She realizes that her elderly neighbor could use some help and begins spending time with her and other elders in need. As the annual arts and crafts testival approaches and the big surfing competition nears, Kanani searches for a way to renew her friendship with Celina—and finds inspiration in an unexpected place.