It’s fifth-grade graduation time for Rip and Red, and as part of the celebration, Hoops Machine, the Harlem Globetrotters–like basketball team, is paying a visit. Rip has been chosen to perform with them, but before this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the boys need to finish their schoolwork—including taking their middle-school placement tests. However, when the students of Room 208 begin to question the assessments, a mini opt-out movement gains momentum. All of a sudden, Hoops Machine, middle-school basketball tryouts, and walking at graduation are all in jeopardy, along with Mr. Acevedo’s job. But luckily for Rip, Red, their classmates, and their teacher, sometimes when you stand up for what you truly believe in, the people you’ve touched along the way rally to your corner.
