A fence runs down the center of a town, dividing a black neighborhood from a white one. The children who live on either side of the fence have been warned about the dangers of crossing over and so never do. One summer Clover, an African-American girl, notices Annie, a white girl, sitting on the fence. At first Clover and Annie just observe each other silently, but then Clover works up the courage to approach Annie and they spend the rest of the summer sitting on the fence and enjoying each other`s company. At summer`s end, Annie joins Clover and her friends for a game of jump rope and later all the girls sit together on the fence, reflecting that someday somebody`s going to come along and knock this old fence down. Illustrated with watercolor paintings.