One year. One class. One play. The Latino-and Asian-American children crowding Los Angeles' sprawling Hobart Boulevard Elementary face daunting odds: low-income households, under-funded, overcrowded school, and a neighborhood known for crime, not opportunity. Teacher Rafe Esquith expects the best from these kids, leading his fifth-graders through a rigorous core curriculum of English, mathematics, geography, and literature. The pinnacle of each year is the performance of a full-length, unabridged play by Shakespeare. Esquith's motto is "Be nice, work hard. There are no shortcuts" and the Hobart Shakespeareans prove that any kid can succeed, and go on the live the American dream.