Ever since her parents were tragically washed away in a flood, Elspeth Hart has been forced to live in the attic of the Pandora Pants School for Show-offs with her disgusting aunt, Miss Crabb. She spends her days helping out in the kitchen and dodging Tatiana Firensky, the most horrible show-off of them all. But when a knock on the head from a falling book brings back some of Elspeth's memories from before the flood, she begins to suspect that Miss Crabb is hiding something. Elspeth hatches a daring escape plan, involving the high-profile Look at Us! Festival, a pair of smelly underpants and a top-secret Extra-Special Sticky Toffee Sauce.