Seventh grader Holling Hoodhood believes fate has it in for him. He is supposed to stay out of trouble, to avoid tarnishing his father’s business image. But Holling has a knack for getting into awkward situations—even cleaning blackboard erasers has disastrous results, not to mention letting the classroom’s pet rats escape into the school’s ductwork—and unintentionally making enemies. Convinced that his teacher hates his guts (why else would she make him read Shakespeare on his own time?), he finds that Shakespeare has much to offer him, even beyond the rich vein of curses and insults. The turbulent climate of the 1960s, with the Vietnam War in progress, meshes with the concerns of all seventh grade boys, such as family expectations, bullies, and girls, for a relatable story of a boy who learns to stand up for himself and embrace his destiny, no matter what fate has in store.