Being the new kid at school can be hard, if not difficult, but it does not help when you tell the class your last school was one for geniuses. Khufu Grundy is the new kid in Gavin’s class at Carver Elementary School. Khufu does not make it easy to get to know him. He sits off by himself at recess and reads.

Gavin and his friends are being allowed to ride their bikes to school. This is a first for Gavin. In his excitement, Gavin forgot his bike lock at home. Gavin leaves his bike unlocked with the rest of his friends locked bikes. Gavin’s bike is still there at recess, but when Gavin goes to the bike rack after school, his bike is gone.

Gavin’s parents will not be replacing the bike. Gavin will have to earn money to buy a new one, but his father says he will match the money Gavin saves.

Surprisingly, the next morning at school there is a bike very similar to Gavin’s in the bike rack, spray-painted an ugly orange. Could it be Gavin’s bike in disguise? After school Gavin sees Khufu ride off on it.

Later, Gavin and his friends come up with a plan to get the bike back from Khufu. Take it back, (steal it back) early on Saturday morning before anyone is awake. When Gavin’s parents find out what they have done, his parents make Gavin return the bike. That is when Gavin and friend, Richard learn the bike has been painted orange because in reality it was a girl’s pink bike given to Khufu’s father by a neighbor.

After these terrible mistakes, the book ends with the rectifying of another mistake. The previous week a 5th grade boy had gone home from school ill in the middle of the day. Later that day, his father had picked up Gavin’s bike outside the school thinking it was his 5th grade son’s bike because  the bikes were the same color and style. Now the father was returning Gavin’s bike to him.

Believably realistic!