Scottie-Anne"s older sister is a "professional" participant in beauty contests, and after watching so many of them, Scottie-Anne"s conclusion is that brains don"t count much. She wants nothing to do with what she considers the shallow, egotistical world of pageants -- until her school holds one. Scottie-Anne is shocked to realize that she wants to win! After all, no one wants to be a runner-up. The pageant isn"t the only exciting event in Scottie-Anne"s life. She"s been chosen to participate in a Russian studies program on the weekends at Yale University. As preparations for the pageant continue, Scottie-Anne wonders why brains don"t get the recognition that beauty gets. Can"t you be a winner without being in the spotlight?