What does a young girl do when she realizes her family is falling apart? She is a daddy's girl, and her daddy has moved out. Does she give in to depression and isolation? No. She goes on science field trip for sixth graders and brings home a beaver. Living with a beaver in the house changes her life in unexpected ways, changes none of the family can anticipate. The full story is laid out in The Importance of being Ip, a young adult book for youth ages ten through sixteen. Sadie and the beaver Ip share a close bond that changes them both. Following her parents' separation and her mother's leaving, Sadie, with help from her older brother, works to manage their lives alone. Sadie holds a lot of inner blame for her family's collapse and doesn't know how to keep going without her dad Coach to guide her.

But while caring for Ip, a wild beaver, Sadie finds a way through her pain.