A boy finally comes to understand why his grandmother insists that the family come to Ellis Island each year to celebrate Lady Liberty's birthday.

In 1903, Maureen, originally from Ireland, comes to Boston to live with her old friend Sofia and her Italian American family, where the two girls share fifth grade class and various adventures.

In New York City in the 1920s, the children from Chinatown go after the children from Little Italy for throwing rocks at the beautiful kites Grandfather Chin makes, not realizing that they have a reason for doing so.