Twelve-year-old Anastasia is horrified at her family's decision to move from their city apartment to a house in the suburbs.

Anastasia's seventh-grade science project becomes almost more than she can handle, but brother Sam, age three, and a bust of Freud nobly aid her.

Anastasia continues the perilous process of growing up as her thirteenth year involves her in conquering the art of rope climbing, playing cupid for a recently widowed uncle, and surviving a crush on her gym teacher.

Ready for romance, thirteen-year-old Anastasia answers an ad in the personals with an exaggerated description of herself but soon runs into trouble when the unknown man turns up at a friend's wedding.