After bidding goodbye to her friends Michael and Nicole, who are moving away, Piper and her sisters spend winter break with their two sets of grandparents in Piney Woods, Louisiana, where Piper learns that the best adventures are the unexpected ones.

While her father, a Navy Chief, is on ship duty for six months, nine-year-old Piper stays busy with new neighbors, Christmas at a spaceship beach house, a trip to New Orleans, and especially the upcoming Gypsy Club pet show.