Growing up in the quirky little state of Rhode Island, Arlene knows what it's like to be different. But onward she marches, bending rules and blasting stereotypes in her quest to become the youngest student government officer in Greenwood Elementary history. Backed by the Sporty Girls, Arlene takes on the Tough Guys, the Smarties, and Jessie, her main critic and the most popular girl in third grade. Arlene's efforts to win at all costs land her in some slippery situations (one involves mud; the other, taco grease). But it's a most unexpected hurdle—her own unfair judgments of others—that forces Arlene to realize the value in embracing differences.