"They bounced into the driveway and Joe found himself in front of a small clapboard house that was not so different from his grandmother's - a friendly little two-story house with a porch across the front and what might be a pretty good yard out back. It looked as if - well, as if it wouldn't want too much from him. As if it would take him as he was. And he let out a long breath."Joe lives with his Gran. He has been with her since his parents died, not long after his birth. A plan was in place for he and Gran to visit Aunt Myra during summer vacation. Aunt Myra is his father's cousin and a school teacher, who longs for family and a stronger connection with Joe and his grandmother. When Gran breaks her hip and needs hospitalization and rehab, Joe goes alone to stay with his aunt in Midville.
Once there, he meets Beatrice and her family. He is 12 years old; she is the same age. Joe feels he has met his soul mate. Beatrice proves to be a smart and apt choice. They spend time together, exploring Midville and learning about each other. On one of their jaunts, with Beatrice's dog Rover in tow, they meet Mr. Anson Boulderwall. He is the inventor of the swervit, 'a necessary part of every car, bus and truck in America.' It has made him very, very rich.
When Mr. Boulderwall hears Joe's full name, he decides that their shared Polish heritage makes Joe a great candidate for adoption. He would then raise him to take over his factory: putting him in all the right schools, grooming him in business and leaving Joe very wealthy. Nothing about that scenario appeals to Joe. He has other plans for his life. Given time to think about the offer, Joe has some misgivings. The life promised by the corporate giant has a certain appeal; it would take pressure off his grandmother, and perhaps pave the way to an easier life for her. Joe talks it over with Beatrice:
"So you thought it over!" she said. "But you didn't change your mind. Right?"
Joe said, amazed, "You make it sound so simple!"
Beatrice smiled at him. "It is simple," she told him. "In spite of what anyone else has to say, it's your life you're talking about, Joe Casimir. Nobody else's. And you have to do what you really want to do with it."
Gran has something to say about it as well, and she says it directly to Mr. Money Bags:
"My grandson is not for sale. He doesn't want to sit in an office every day for the rest of his life and run a business, never mind how good the business is or how much money you'd give him to do it. There are a lot of different dreams in America, Mr. Boulderwall, not just one. And Joe's dream is to learn things. Discover things."
Joe seems in safe hands, with support for his dream of studying the moon. Lucky he is to have Gran, Aunt Myra, Beatrice and Vinnie in his corner. It takes time, but he knows what he wants and we leave him knowing that he has his future in hand.
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