Johnny's in the basement where his parents won't bother him, sitting on top of The World's Greatest Bottle Cap Collection. He's just turned eleven and his parents have decided that it's time for him to grow up. Suddenly he has to wash the dishes and take out the garbage. And get rid of his bottle caps! His birthday presents are grown-up junk like socks and underwear and -- worst of all -- social-dancing lessons. Growing up certainly doesn't seem worth it -- until he meets Valerie Plum, who hates dancing school even more than Johnny does, but doesn't hate Johnny at all.