In this story told mostly through letters, children's book author, I. B. Grumply, gets more than he bargained for when he rents a quiet place to write for the summer.

While corresponding with their globetrotting substitute teacher, the seventh graders at Geyser Creek Middle School nervously prepare for an important standardized test, navigate the tricky waters of first crushes, and try to bring their bee mascot to a local spelling competition.