"Life in middle school is finally starting to seem bearable--until Rafe spots his grandmother standing on the free-meal line at the local soup kitchen. In order to help bring in more money, Rafe concocts a brilliant plan: a dog-walking business that soon turns into a huge money-making neighborhood empire"--

Rafe Khatchadorian is horrified that because of a missed science assignment he has to go to summer school; but instead of three weeks in a school room, he finds himself as a volunteer at BushyTail animal refuge, which is really hard, smelly work--and somehow he needs to use the experience (and the help of a girl he meets there) to produce a first-class science report.

The trip to Australia Rafe has won starts badly, but after connecting with a group of misfits he finds a way to do what he does best--create mayhem.