Danny Mitchell, a precocious 13-year-old, is intrigued by his new neighbor, a blind girl named Penny Waters . Danny and his dog, Rusty, befriend the girl, who soon comes under the scrutiny of the local school board. The board wants Penny to go to a state school for the disabled, sparing them the expense of accommodating her. Danny figures that he and Rusty can help Penny get a seeing-eye dog, enabling her to go to school in town with the rest of the kids.
