"Ira Crumb ... [is the] new kid in town ... So Ira launches a whole-hearted campaign to befriend neighborhood kids before the first day [of school]. But his best-laid plans ... fall flat, and playing it cool doesn't seem to work either. Just as Ira decides school will be horrible, a comical misunderstanding connects him with Malcolm, who was the new kid last year and totally gets it -- and who, it turns out, will make a pretty good friend"--Provided by publisher.