Maddie can hardly contain her excitement. The plane is about to land, and waiting for her are the McBeans. They had once been neighbors in Illinois; now they live in California. But Beanie McBean is still Maddie's best friend. In fact, Maddie loves all the McBeans -- all but Buddy, Beanie's mean older brother. The McBeans are special, but Buddy is not. It's impossible to imagine that Buddy might have changed from the cruel, self-centered tease he has always been. Yet when Maddie sees him, and knows he is impressed with the way she has changed in the year since his family moved, she is sure he is a different Buddy. In fact, she sees herself telling people as she starts high school in the fall that she has a boyfriend in California. Buddy may have changed, but Beanie, long tortured by him, does not think so. Maddie wants Beanie to trust him, to try to be the kind of sister he expects. Is Maddie right? And what will happen if Beanie does try? The McBeans are special, Maddie knows, but is it possible that they are not special enough in all the right ways?