[close] Andrew O'Brien is a young fourth grader in Massachusetts who discovers the puzzle of a lifetime when he spends a summer with his grandfather. On the surface, Andrew appears to be a regular fourth grade boy. He has a group of friends who are important to him and his own personal list of priorities. School and family, however, are not high on that list. He struggles as a student and frequently gets into fights with his peers, even those he considers his friends. At home, he lives only with his father. He has never known his mother, since she passed away shortly after he was born. Despite the problems he is facing, he shows very little care or concern for them and his father is reluctant to intervene, fearing he may push his only son away from him.

Everything changes for Andy, however, when his father needs to spend a summer away from home for business. It is an opportunity his father can not refuse, and Andy can not travel with him. It means Andy will spend the summer with his grandfather, whom he has never known really well, in a small beach-front cabin on Cape Cod. Naturally, Andy rebels against the plan and everyone involved in it. He turns on his father and vows he will not get along with his grandfather in any way. He is an old, quiet, and reserved man whose ways are completely opposite the lifestyle Andy has grown accustomed to.

Andy's anger and frustration build over the course of the summer until it boils over one night in July. He has an encounter to remember with his grandfather, and it appears any hope of a relationship is lost. After that night, however, Andy begins to learn more about his grandfather and a bond slowly begins to form. Little by little, this old and mysterious man begins to teach Andy the lessons he needs to learn in life. Andy learns about his grandfather's service during World War II and the Korean War. He learns about nature and where his place in the world is. He begins to learn that there is more to himself than he ever imagined. Most importantly, Andy learns the real story behind his mother and the incredible sacrifice she made. In the end, the question for Andy is what he will do with his experience. Will the lessons from his grandfather help him develop more maturity and responsibility, or will he go back to the lifestyle he lived before his summer with "Grampy"? [close]