More than anything, Ida Bidson wants to become a teacher. To do that, she must finish eighth grade, then go on to high school. But her dream falters when the one-room school in her remote Colorado town shuts down. Her only hope is to keep the school open without anyone finding out. Yet even a secret school needs a teacher. Ida can't be it... Or can she? In the spirit of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Newbery Medal winner Avi creates an inspiring story of a headstrong girl determined to control her own destiny.

Newbery medalist Avi tells the story of a young girl determined to define her own place amidst old rules and new ways in the Roaring Twenties. Attending high school in Steamboat Springs is Ida Bidson’s dream—it’s her next step toward becoming a teacher and her best shot at escaping a life of milking cows. It’s 1925, and from using telephones to attending movies, Ida is thrilled by her new experiences in Steamboat. She and her school friends even form a club, the Secret Sisters, to celebrate everything modern. But when they accidentally antagonize the strict, traditionalist principal, Ida’s high school career may be over before it even begins. It's up to the Secret Sisters find a way to save Ida’s dream! Readers will cheer for Ida as she continues the adventure begun in the one-room schoolhouse of Avi's popular The Secret School !