Twelve-year-old Charlotte Lockard and eleven-year-old Ben Boxer are separated by more than a thousand miles. On the surface, their lives seem vastly different - Charlotte lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while Ben is in the small town of Lanester, Louisiana. Charlotte wants to be a geologist and keeps a rock collection in her room. Ben is obsessed with Harry Potter, presidential history, and recycling. But the two have more in common than they think. They¿re both highly gifted. They¿re both experiencing family turmoil. And they both sit alone at lunch.

During the course of one week, Charlotte and Ben - friends connected only by an online Scrabble game - will intersect in unexpected ways as they struggle to navigate the turmoil of middle school.