Mrs. Olinski is returning to teaching after a long hiatus. She was in a car accident, which paralyzed her from the waist down and killed her husband. Mrs. Olinski is returning to teaching unsure of herself; she is handicapped not only in body but also in spirit. In the time she has been gone, sixth graders have changed from children to near-adolescents, less interested in learning and less afraid to challenge and act out towards authority. Several students, including Hamilton Knapp, Michael Froelich, and Jared Lord, are particularly adept at getting Mrs. Olinski "off balance."