As if facing the ordinary challenges of adolescence is not enough, twelve-year-old Ton Richford has some other challenges. Among those challenges is that he inputs and outputs information as rhymes. Rhyming in compositions does not meet the school guidelines. Ton feels that it is not necessary to address his concerns as personal problems. He prefers to address them as universal concerns since there may be other kids in the schools with similar problems. Ton feels that being different should not be a barrier to growth and fulfillment.

It takes spunk to face the school board. It takes even more spunk to face the challenges of a kidnapping. Is Ton's self-confidence and spunkiness enough to help him survive the escapades that he, partly, becomes responsible for initiating? The question is "What does it take?" What does it take to be heard, to hear, to survive, to stay alive, to grow, to know...? What does it take? What does it take for a young adolescent to begin fulfilling his dreams?