Spring has sprung, and it's time for the annual fair spelling bee contest! Along with his best pals, Jumbo trains overtime for the big event, because he knows it'll be tough to beat the town's genius student, Bert, who's never misspelled a word! However, the big bad wolf Magnus curses him to completely lose his memory! Will he regain his memory in time for the spelling bee?

Eleven year-old Akeelah Anderson's life is not easy: her father is dead, her mom ignores her, her brother runs with the local gangbangers. She is a smart girl, but her environment threatens to strangle her aspirations. Responding to a threat by her school's principal, Akeelah decides to participate in a spelling bee to avoid detention for her many absences. Much to her surprise and embarrassment, she wins. Her principal asks her to seek coaching from...