Samantha goes to Miss Cramptons Academy, a private school for proper young ladies, where everyone is buzzing about the upcoming contest. Samantha is working hard to win the gold medal. But she has something else on her mind, too. Shes worried about Nellie, the poor servant girl who has become her friend. Shestrying to teach Nellie to read so thatthe boys and girls at her school will stop calling her "dummy" and ""ragbag". Samantha sets up a school in Grandmarys tower room and becomes Nellies teacher. But by the end of the story, Nellie has taught Samantha some very important lessons, too.