Main character, Norris Fowler, is hard to like.  He is a bully, cuts in line, steals lunches, cheats in school, and when put in charge of the teacher’s prize cactus, accidently destroys it.  He is constantly scheming how to shift blame from himself in order to be liked.  His father owns the local cannery.  As outsiders, his family does not truly understand coastal life, especially when a gigantic lobster is caught.  Norris finally comes to appreciate the value of community during a large auction which will decide the fate of the giant lobster.  A note on the jacket flap indicates that this book is the second in a trilogy that tells how the capturing of the large lobster affects the lives of three boys in a coastal, presumably Maine, town.  This book stands fine on its own, but having all three would give a more well-rounded story of this community.