Troubled sixteen-year-old Beth Sorenson spends the summer in Mexico with her godmother, Dr. Lucia Delgado, an archeologist. She saves a baby armadillo she names Chema. Through a Mexican veterinarian she begins to understand the complexities of treating wild animals.

After a rocky beginning with student interns, she adjusts to her new surroundings, makes friends, and learns the value of another culture. She and a fellow student, get lost in the jungle and discover an important archeological site.