Eleven-year-old Josh's summer is getting off to a rough start. Instead of being out on the water in his sailing dinghy, he's stuck at the library with the latest in a long string of tutors. Josh is dyslexic--and since he moved out west to live with Dad, a whole new crop of kids has been teasing him about his reading problems.

When a mean classmate bets Josh that he can't beat her in an upcoming boat race, Josh isn't too worried. With his brother Matt as his racing crew, he knows he can win. But when Matt bails on him, Josh's anxiety goes into overdrive. If he loses the race, he'll have to read aloud on Literacy Day--his worst nightmare!

Just when things seem hopeless, help comes from some unexpected new friends. Will it be enough for Josh to prove what he's made of?