E.S. Pete is a sixth grader who can read minds. He has a heavy crush on Casey but his life is complicated by other things: a substitute teacher, Frank Stein (could it possibly be Frank “N.” Stein?), who Pete intuits wants to rob the cafeteria plus Pete is being victimized by Rodney who wants to think of the answers to a math test and have Pete, across the room, signal him be pulling on his ear if they are correct. How he handles Rodney is pure genius, unfortunately Rodney feels he “owes him one” and now Pete can’t shake him when he only wants to be alone with Casey.

The title is wonderful. The story idea, ingenious, and the writing is laugh-out-loud hilarious: “It was the perfect time to tell her how beautiful she was. How I loved the way her hair surrounded her perfect face. Then ask if she would go to the school dance with me. But instead, I did what most sixth graders would do. ‘You’ve got a booger,’ I lied.” Yet there are some genuine life-enhancing skills offered too. How to interact with the opposite sex, deal with bullies, follow questionable advice from your father and how to recognize and live with the individual abilities we all have.

The story escalates from a possible cafeteria robbery to a bank heist on a field trip. To thwart the culprit the kids need to figure out how to rob a bank. It’s off to the library. That doesn’t turn out to be enough. Prepare for a heart-thumping climax. Best of all, there are more books coming in this clever, clever series.