Ten-year-old Kenny Watson lives in Flint, Mich., with his mom, dad, older brother, Byron (By), and younger sister, Joetta (Joey). In their elementary school, Byron is one of the largest and strongest boys, having failed a year. He is 13. Kenny would have been beaten up by bullies more often if not for Byron’s protection. Teachers treat Kenny differently because of his high reading level.
Rufus sits next to Kenny on the bus and in class. He follows Kenny to lunch. Rufus doesn’t have a lunch, so Kenny gives him one of his sandwiches. Rufus starts showing up at Kenny’s house to play. When Larry Dunn, a bully, makes fun of Rufus and his brother, Cody, Kenny laughs with the other kids. Rufus stops eating with Kenny and doesn’t come over to play. Kenny visits Rufus to ask why, but Rufus let him know that he no longer wants Kenny as a friend. Kenny cries when Momma asks him where Rufus has been, so Kenny admits to how he hurt Rufus’ feelings. After Momma talks to Rufus, Rufus comes to the house again. This allows Kenny to apologize.
In winter, Momma makes Kenny and Joetta wear many layers of clothing. Kenny pretends to lose his gloves so Momma will give him another pair. He gives the first pair to Rufus. Larry steals Kenny’s second pair of gloves, but Byron gets them back and beats up Larry.
Momma catches Byron playing with matches. She attempts to punish him by burning his fingers but is foiled by Joetta. Momma sends Byron and Kenny to the store, and they sign for the groceries instead of paying cash. Kenny discovers Byron eating cookies bought on account without their parents’ approval. Kenny eats some of the cookies, too. Kenny and Byron decide to throw cookies at nearby birds. Byron hits and kills one. He is so upset that he vomits, cries and buries the bird.
Byron has his hair straightened. In response, Dad shaves Byron’s head. Momma and Dad announce their plans to take a trip to Birmingham, Ala., and leave Byron with Grandma Sands for the summer and possibly for the next school year. Dad explains to Kenny that Byron needs to go to Alabama because he is learning many wrong things in Flint. He also talks about the angry white people in the South, but Grandma Sands says they have not disturbed her area. When the Watsons arrive at Grandma Sands’ house, all of the rebellion seems to go out of Byron.
The kids decide to go swimming. Grandma Sands warns them to avoid one pond because it has a whirlpool. Kenny goes anyway. Byron refuses to go and keeps Joetta with him. Kenny loses his footing in the water and can’t paddle to safety. He believes he sees a creature pulling him deeper into the water. Byron comes to look for Kenny, pulls him to the bank and cries while Kenny recovers his breath.
Joetta goes to Sunday school. Kenny hears a sound like a thunderstorm. He is tired from nearly drowning but awakens to Momma’s screams. He races to find Momma or Dad, but can only find Byron, who explains that a bomb has been detonated in the church and then runs out the door. Kenny runs to the church. People are crying. Kenny sees a man covered in “red paint” (blood) carrying a little girl outside the door of the church. He looks in the church through the smoke and sees socks and shoes that look like Joetta’s on the floor. The experience is surreal for Kenny, who walks quickly past other horrors at the church and back to Grandma’s house. He sees what he thinks is a vision of Joetta and talks to her. Joetta explains that she had left the church when she saw Kenny outside (though he was not physically at the church at that time). The details of reality and the children’s understanding of the situation become confused, but Joetta and Kenny are both safe. Kenny runs back to the church to tell Momma, Dad and Byron.
The Watsons, including Byron, return to Flint. Kenny feels bad and hides behind the couch every day. Byron finds Kenny’s hiding place. Kenny starts sleeping behind the sofa and won’t come out. Byron is finally able to coax Kenny to the bathroom mirror. Kenny starts crying when he sees his reflection in the mirror. Byron sits with him. They talk about the unfairness of little girls dying and grown men killing blacks. Byron tells Kenny that he will be OK; then Byron leaves. Joetta bangs on the door because she needs to use the bathroom. Kenny laughs and opens the door.