Ten year-old Jesse Malone tries every crazy scheme he can think of to stay off the radar of his over-protective Grandpa and the school bully. But when even his tour de force triumph does not solve his problem, Jesse realizes that he must face it squarely. Jesse must decide once and for all who he is and what he believes in this coming-of-age story set in 1970s Toronto. Gritty, honest and humorous, this story explores big issues such as bullying and pacifism against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, Black September and at a time when the strap was often used to discipline students.