Beth Lambert thinks Philip Hall is the cutest, smartest boy in sixth grade. She and Philip are good friends, but Mama thinks Philip invites Beth over to his farm just to do his chores for him. Mama says he only hangs out with her when his other friends aren't around. Beth hasn't minded that Philip gets the best grades in the class, since he means so much to her. But now she wants to study to be a veterinarian, so she's gone to the head of the class. Philip isn't very happy about that. Was she really letting him beat her all along? They'll both learn something about themselves if she beats him in the 4-H calf-raising competition, but will their friendship survive? This award-winning author, who also gave us Summer of My German Soldier has a talent for verbalizing the growing pains of young people. As her story guides them through complex feelings and emotions, listeners find something to relate to their own experience. Narrator Andrea Johnson makes Beth seem more like a delightful friend than a mere story character.