Nicky Nutz, who turns eleven this very morning, is not a happy camper. And not just because his birthday is a sad reminder of the freaky car accident that took his mom’s life last year. It’s because he still has no idea why his dad, Big Nutz, moved them from Chicago to this auto junk yard in Houston, Texas. Does Big Nutz blame him for the car accident?
Nicky has other burning questions, too. Like, why won’t The Wall, his nemesis at ALE—Abe Lincoln Elementary—stop bullying him? And why did his art teacher, Ms. Piven, have to go and make fifth grade SS—Seriously Stinky—with her mandatory art contest? And why does Nicky slide into FTSM—Frosty the Snowman Mode—when he has lots of eyeballs on him?
Nicky just needs to hold on, because the answers to all of his questions are coming. But will he like them? President Abraham Lincoln, one of Nicky’s heroes, said, “Folks are usually about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” To that, Nicky’s best friend JB—Jimmy Black—would quip, “Wanna place a ten-dollar bet?”
