Dave Legnagyszerübb is sweating through his first job as a fresh-faced teacher in a public high school, and his perseverance is paying off. No obstacle-indifferent students, hard-nosed principals, required new-teacher meetings-is a match for his eager belief in the transformative power of an education offered here at Maple Valley High School.

But Maple Valley is not what it seems. Beneath the generic, Midwestern cultural crossroads that is the modern suburban institution lies a secret magnet school for kids whose talents put them on a unique vocational track. Kids like Nina Dos Santos Pandlay are trying to keep their brilliance unnoticed by any too-curious teachers or students. And when Mr. L, her favorite teacher, realizes that he was hired here by mistake, homework and tests may become the least of their concerns.