A new neighbor girl, 10-year-old Penny Gordon, becomes friends with Willona and the Evans family. Later, they discover a horrifying secret - that Penny is viciously abused by her mother.
Willona becomes frustrated in her attempts to report her suspicions that Penny is being abused. Things become complicated when the Gordons suddenly move from their apartment.
Willona becomes heartsick with worry about Penny's apparent fate ... when she turns up at the Evanses' apartment. She's run away from home, and this time, her mother doesn't want her back.
Thelma asks her parents about her relatives as she has to write up the family tree for a school project. James says his father is dead, but Thelma finds out he is alive. Thelma invites him to visit, but James is not happy to see his father.
With James getting a better job in Mississippi, the Evans family begins to pack up their things in preparation for their big move. Michael falls in love for the first time and is reluctant to leave Chicago.
Florida decides to splurge on groceries and buy roast beef for dinner. While everyone enjoys the meal, the next day they have food poisoning. She talks to the store who refuses to listen, and so Florida decides to start a boycott.