Spider, a baby abandoned on an English farm, grows up to be mentally slower than other children but manifests a remarkable talent for communicating with animals as he comes of age during World War II.
In 1924, twelve-year-old Ruthie finds her life in a small Oklahoma town complicated by the behavior of her older sister Daphne, an object of ridicule and dislike because of her limited mental abilities.
Though it takes much concentration and will for her to accomplish each task, a little girl with Down syndrome is happy to have many loving helpers along the way.
As fifteen-year-old Jamie becomes involved in the swim team and Special Olympics coaching, as part of her effort to fit in and be normal, she tries to remember to talk to God.
After Charlie, a mentally handicapped man, agrees to have an experimental surgery that could reduce his handicap and increase his intelligence, Charlie discovers that happiness and abilities aren't necessarily connected.
Eleven-year-old Clara's life is enriched by her friendship with the vibrant Nettie, whose family is so different from her own, but then a serious brain condition threatens to change Nettie forever.
