Holling Hoodhood, a seventh grader at Camillo Junior High in Long Island, NY, begins the school year convinced that Mrs. Baker hates him. Doug Swieteck, Holling’s mischievous classmate, is the kid whom most teachers hate, because he has an entire list of ways (410 ways, to be exact) to earn the hate of a teacher. He even tried one on Mrs. Sidman last year that earned him a two-week suspension and compelled Mrs. Sidman to transfer to a position in the front office. However, despite Doug Swieteck’s pranks and Holling’s innocence, Holling is the one whom Mrs. Baker dislikes for seemingly no reason from Holling’s perspective.

Mrs. Baker’s hatred for Holling starts when she realizes Holling will not be joining his classmates on Wednesday afternoons when they go to their respective places of worship for religious classes. This means Holling will be the only student standing in the way of a free afternoon for her once a week. Even though Holling doesn’t recognize this as the reason for her annoyance towards him, he does recognize her animosity. Holling heads home that afternoon to the Perfect House—his family home that straddles the line between the north side and south side of the city.