It's summer, and all ten-year-old Bug wants to do is go to the beach with her older brother and hang out with the interesting personalities around her Venice, California, home. But Danny is too big to want to spend time with her and Bug's mom is too busy. Fortunately, their neighbor Philip's nephew, Frankie, has come to visit. Bug's not too sure about hanging out with a boy at first, but when they decide to start their own search for a local criminal, they form an instant bond. And as the summer unfolds, old secrets and new truths bubble to the surface, teaching Frankie and Bug some important lessons about life and family.

In the summer of 1987 in Venice, California, ten-year-old Bug and her new friend Frankie learn important lessons about life, family, being your true self, and how to navigate in a world that is not always just or fair.