"Ay le lo, le lo lay"-That is the song abuelo sang when he played his classical guitar. Since Papi left, Anita Santiago struggles through her school days and evenings at home, worried about her mother's sadness, and Abuelo is not around to comfort her with his music. Anita feels helpless, unable to cheer her mother up but believes that winning a prize at the school Science Fair might make her happy. As Anita and her friend Carmen research their projects at the library, they stumble across material that will change Anita forever.