Young upper-class fellow Edward arrives with his friend Cedric at the family manse, Ivory Hall. He plans to pair off Cedric with his sister Emily. Emily, on the other hand, falls in love with a son of local peasant, George. Old Aunt Agnes sends all the bunch off, first to Italy and then to India, so Emily would forget George, who is an undesirable partner for her because of class differences, and choose Cedric.

When Henry fails yet again to hand in his homework for the umpteenth time, he has no idea that this will set off a chain of events which will see him forming an unlikely alliance with Moody Margaret, the infuriating girl next door, and his irritating little brother Perfect Peter, outwitting corrupt School Inspectors and toppling an evil Headmaster, winning a talent contest and facing his ultimate nemesis with no way out - all because he is trying to save the very school which he has always professed to hate!

Emma Woodhouse has a rigid sense of propriety as regards matrimonial alliances. Unfortunately she insists on matchmaking for her less forceful friend, Harriet, and so causes her to come to grief. Through the sharp words of Mr. Knightley, and the example of the opinionated Mrs. Elton, someone not unlike herself, Emma's attitudes begin to soften...