When sports-loving Charlie is partnered with the weird new school in an after-school writing program, he complains that he no longer wants to be in the class. He blames everything except Jack, the new kid. He claims that his mother just wants to keep him busy every afternoon until she returns from her own teaching job and that she thinks he's a baby. His older sister Annie, who thinks she knows everything now that she's in that fancy prep school across town, tells him to give the new kid a chance. His father encourages him to "man up." Finally, his Uncle Rob adds to the mix and says, "I thought you wanted to be a sports writer like me." And Jack decides to give it a try.

Frustrated that they argue about every subject suggested, Mrs. Mason, their patient and dedicated teacher, assigns a project and asks them to write about it every week. Using the key words a visiting author taught them--RESEARCH. READ. LISTEN--Charlie and Jack discover that they have more in common than they realized. And, eventually, these tools lead to a study and understanding of the class bully and unlikely friendships.